In Hollyoaks, The McQueen family has been the beating heart of Chester for twenty years. As the show prepares for a special episode, Jennifer Metcalfe, James Sutton, and the returning Gemma Merna discuss the legacy of the McQueen name.
For Gemma Merna, stepping back into Carmel’s shoes felt like a step back in time. ‘It was lovely filming with familiar faces, it was like we’ve been transported back to over 11 years ago,’ she says. ‘It’s weird, it’s like nothing has changed, but obviously we’re so much older and wiser now. It was lovely to have the original family back together.’
The return is tied to a pivotal moment for John Paul, who finds himself at a crossroads. James Sutton explains that his character ‘reminisces a lot with Nancy during the episode.’ For James, the reunion was equally moving: ‘It was so full of joy and love. I hadn’t realised how much I cherished the days when we all worked together.’
Jennifer Metcalfe agrees, noting that the reunion felt like ‘absolute gold’ for the cast. ‘For personal reasons, seeing everyone was absolutely beautiful, getting the old McQueens behind a camera was just amazing. They’ve been deeply missed.’
With so much history, the roles within the family have naturally evolved. Jennifer reflects on how Mercedes has stepped up: ‘As Myra has come and gone over the years, Mercedes has become the matriarch. People turn to her to hold it together.’
Looking back, Gemma remembers Carmel as the glue that held them together during her original run. ‘Carmel’s role before her exit was trying to look after Theresa and Kathleen-Angel most of all. She was the one who always had a good job and a lot of structure. She looked after everyone. If anyone felt down Carmel was there to give them a big hug and tell them that everything was going to be ok.’
After 20 years, the connection between the audience and the McQueens remains unbreakable. James attributes this to their place in the cultural. ‘They’re part of pop-culture. People grew up watching them and they became part of people’s lives.’
Gemma finds that fans see their own relatives in the characters. ‘A lot of people say to me there’s someone in my family that’s like Mercedes, or Tina, or John Paul, or Carmel, or Myra… Everyone relates to them because they’re normal.’ Jennifer echoes this sentiment: ‘Everyone knows a family like the McQueens. Growing up, I knew loads. A lot of them were within my family. They make people feel warm and seen, it is just normal everyday life at its best.’
When asked about their favorite memories, the cast point to the chaotic, high-energy scenes that define the household. Jennifer recalls the ‘everyday occurrences, when were all together doing massive McQueen scenes, when we were there until 8 o’clock at night. We’re all like a real family, so would be having little scraps at each other.’
James similarly treasures ‘the big family scenes, the chaos, the noise, the passion, the creativity, the emotion,’ while Gemma holds a special place for their very first day on set. ‘When we first joined, it was me, Jen, Hollie-Jay and Leah. It was my first ever scene and we are all in the SU bar singing. Darren Osborne comes in and is like ‘we could make a girl band out of these’. I think that is one of my favourite memories, our first episode of coming into the village. I loved that.’
As for what they hope the audience takes away, James looks to the impact of his character’s history. ‘I hope people will remember the big, issue-based storylines and sexy moments he’s had in the past… I’d like people to remember John Paul as being someone who hopefully made an impact in people’s lives.’
For Jennifer, ‘Being part of the McQueens has genuinely felt like a family to me. It’s part of my identity now.’ James adds that ‘It’s been a huge part of not just my career, but my life. I’ve been so lucky to work here with these amazing people every day.’
Gemma sums it up perfectly, referencing a classic Carmel line: ‘Being a McQueen means everything to me. It’s like being a McQueen is part of my heart. As Carmel said just before she passed away ‘you get one McQueen, you get all of us’, that’s what it is, once you’re a McQueen you’re always a McQueen.’