Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks throws a new bad boy into the mix later this month, as former Coronation Street and Waterloo Road star Ryan Clayton makes his first appearance as Jenson. Show bosses have big plans for the new character, who’ll be crossing paths with Warren Fox, Mercedes McQueen and Tinhead O’Leary in his early storylines.
As seen in Hollyoaks’ recent New Year trailer, we first meet Jenson when he confronts Tinhead over an unpaid loan. But with Jenson also keeping a close eye on Warren, and making a beeline for Mercedes in rehab, his true intentions may lie elsewhere!
We recently caught up with Ryan for his exclusive first chat about the role.
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Hi, Ryan! How did the new role come about? Was it just a regular audition?
“No, essentially! (Laughs.) Hollyoaks got in contact and asked if I would be interested in joining the show. I was thinking that it was probably going to be in the new year, but the turnaround was very quick and I started filming late last year.
“That’s part of what made it so attractive, I guess! It was straight away and it wasn’t playing that waiting game of it potentially coming to fruition.”
Were you excited to do another long-running show after your time on Corrie and Waterloo Road?
“I was, but it always comes down to character first. If you’re going to be playing a character for a while, you want something that you can sink your teeth into. I’m definitely doing that with Jenson!”
What can the viewers expect from him?
“He’s very cunning and slippery, I would say! He’s like a sly little fox…”
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Did the Hollyoaks bosses tell you everything about Jenson straight away or hold some details back?
“Not everything. As always with continuing dramas, they’re developing the story. It’s an ongoing thing, so you’re always learning new things about your character. I’m sure Bill Roache is still learning things on Corrie about Ken Barlow! (Laughs.)
“I was fortunate, as we all had a sit-down conversation before I started, where we went through some ideas and explored Jenson’s backstory. It was good to see the time and thought that’s clearly been put into the storyline.”
Do you see Jenson as a villain, or is it more complicated than that?
“It’s definitely more complicated, because he is a complex character with a past to be explored. I think the writers are playing around with that idea of: is he a good guy or is he a bad guy? It’s constantly being pushed and twisted…”
What can you tell us about your first scenes?
“Jenson’s way into the village is through Tinhead, who’s come to him for money. Tinhead is pretending that he’s Warren, but Jenson has realised that he’s not telling the truth.
“He’s got leverage on Tinhead now and he uses that against him, to get Tinhead to do his dirty work! He’s very manipulative and he knows how to push people’s buttons. He’s street smart and wouldn’t go into a fight unless he had the upper hand – or knew he could find the upper hand!”
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As we saw in Hollyoaks’ recent trailer, Jenson ends up with Mercedes in rehab and a romantic spark develops! Can you tell us more?
“Well, Jenson’s reasons for being in rehab in the first place are up for debate! He learns about Warren and Mercedes’ relationship and uses that as a chance to pursue his plans.
“The audience will be left to question whether Jenson has genuine feelings for Mercedes or not. You just never know what’s real with him or what’s not. Is it always an ulterior motive? That’s what’s made him so fun to play so far.”
The trailer also showed us that Liberty fancies Jenson! Is he interested in her?
“I think he’s flirty with everyone! If he had the opportunity with any girl, I think he’d be happy. I think he’s more interested in Mercedes than Liberty, but he is very flirtatious…”
How has it been to work with Jen Metcalfe, Jamie Lomas and Phil Olivier, who play Mercedes, Warren and Tinhead?
“Really great – it’s fantastic when you get to work with people like that. I grew up watching Brookie as well, so it’s very fun to work with Phil.”
Can you tease where things are going in the longer-term?
“I’d say just expect the unexpected with Jenson! He’s always working on something and constantly plotting.”
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Will Jenson be sticking around in the village?
“There’s potential for it, definitely!”
Our readers will remember your 2018 Coronation Street storyline, where your character Josh Tucker raped David Platt. Are you proud of the impact the story made at the time?
“Definitely. It’s great to tell these stories and represent survivors in that way. It’s such important work, making people feel represented and heard. Obviously Hollyoaks has covered some fantastic storylines on the same topic and have continued that work recently with Dodger and Donny’s storyline.”
See Ryan’s first scenes on Tuesday 27 January. Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. This week’s episode features a chat with Coronation Street star Jacob Roberts, who plays Kit Green.