:

Despite the brazen injustice that was our failure to pick up the award for ‘Best Serial Drama’ at the National Television Awards last week, we still have lots to shout about, both in terms of the show and what’s going on around it.

Ricky’s return

For starters, we’re all just a tad excited about the return of Ricky ‘the bod’ Whittle to our screens. At 6:30pm on Channel 4, Monday 14th February (E4, Friday 11th for you First-Lookers), Ricky will return to the small screen as a ghostly apparition as Carmel calls out in her hour of need. For more info you can read more in this special blog.

Dancing on Ice

On top of that, the beautiful Jennifer Metcalfe is still going from strength to strength on ITV's Dancing on Ice. This Sunday she was on the recieving end of more fantastic feedback from the judges and survived without having to go through a skate-off. After being in the bottom two in week one, Jen's made a Rocky-esque come-back and we're all very proud. She’s always been a little husky, but never before have we seen her pull her weight on the ice like this. She still needs your support though. Keep sending the love! Jen will be skating again this Sunday – 9pm, ITV1.

New faces

We were joined by a couple of new faces this past week on the show. Noah is Riley’s old mate and a personal trainer. He has fitted in very well so far with the rest of the lads. We were also introduced to Esther – Frankie’s grand-daughter. Esther burst into the show when it was discovered that she had been kipping in the Osbornes’ attic. We had the actress Jazmine Franks in for a live Facebook chat. To see the interview, go to our Facebook page. Finally, we’ve added new profiles for the characters Ethan and Liberty to the site. To get the low-down go to the cast profiles page.

On Monday 14th February Carmel Valentine (Gemma Merna) will be visited by a ghostly apparition from her past. Carmel calls upon God in her hour of need, but instead finds herself faced by her hunky dead husband Calvin (Ricky Whittle)…not a bad substitute, may we add.

That’s right; the handsome Ricky Whittle will be back on our screens for a few exciting episodes mid February, following the previous week’s stunt involving Kyle (Neil Toon) who is due to stand trial for the murder of Ricky’s character Calvin.

Last May we saw Calvin Valentine give up the ghost the night of his wedding to Carmel. It wasn’t clear who shot Calvin until the episode aired and it transpired that Theresa was to blame. However, the McQueens rallied together as always and framed innocent Kyle for the murder. Escaped from prison and hell bent on revenge, Kyle kidnaps Theresa and baby Kathleen-Angel. The hostage results in a violent showdown at a disused bank which leaves the lives of some of our most treasured characters hanging in the balance…

Carmel is at a loss when Theresa (Jorgie Porter) flat lines in surgery and it’s not looking good for baby Kathleen-Angel either. In a bid to gain hope, Carmel visits the chapel.  A heartfelt plea to the man above leads to the appearance of Carmel’s dead husband Calvin. Calvin’s spirit reignites Carmel’s love for the man she lost and leads her to make some tough decisions about her future…

Don’t forget to tune in to C4 on Monday 14th Feb (First Look on E4, 7pm Friday 11th February) , and then throughout the week to get your fix of Ricky!

Welcome to this week’s blog from the Hollyoaks music department.

This week’s musical highlights on Hollyoaks include:


‘Hot’n’Fun’ by N.E.R.D – the video for this track featured on the last series of the Hollyoaks Music Show sponsored by Matalan & is worth checking out for the multi-coloured car alone! This fearsomely funky offering was the perfect soundtrack to accompany Lee & Doug eyeing up Lynsey on her way into Look Sharpe, only to be quickly put in their place by the arrival of a hot & steamy Riley......now it’s Lynsey’s turn to do the eyeing up.  

‘Eyes Wide Shut’ by JLS – JLS have taken time out of their busy schedule promoting safe sex through their range of condoms to bring us this latest pop choon. The lyrics about dreaming with eyes wide shut seemed somehow appropriate for Mandy, who appears to be in a dream of her own when waking up to a breakfast lovingly prepared for her by Tony. Could this be a sign of a happy ending for Mandy....probably not.

‘Four Letter Word’ by Beady Eye – a track to accompany Warren strutting through the village like he owns it from a man who is no stranger to a good swagger himself. This track from Liam Gallagher’s band is full of bravado, much like Warren and indeed Mr.Gallagher.   

On Our Stereo:

‘Made of Stone’ by Matt Corby – fans of Jeff Buckley would do well to check out the prodigious talent that is Matt Corby, who is not a million miles away in vocal style. Matt, at only 19 years old, has been nurtured by Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons) & Kev Jones’ (Cherbourg) label Communion. His link with the label saw him join Mumford & Sons for their Australian tour last year but we’re guessing it won’t be long before Matt is the headline act & looking for someone to support him.

http://mattcorby.com.au/music/


'Going Through Hell' by The Streets feat. Rob Harvey - Mike Skinner returns with his fifth and apparently final album as 'The Streets'. Although his last couple of records weren't as commercially successful as debut 'Original Pirate Material' and follow up concept album 'A Grand Don't Come for Free' which both reached No.1, they both contained songs which were up there with his best. This track has a nice energy. Punchy drums and sampled horns sit cleanly underneath his trademark deadpan delivery which has been aped by so many up and coming British bands and rappers in the last few years. 'The Music's' Rob Harvey has also been away for a while and he puts in a powerful performance on the song's uplifting chorus. The album 'Blues and Computers' is out on Feb 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ulRwXIzbo
 
More musical goodies await on next week’s episodes of Hollyoaks so until then…

James & Kate

3000th Episode

Tonight’s episode (21 Jan, Channel 4, 6:30pm) is the 3000th anniversary of the show! Yes, I know, who would have thunk it? How mighty (Holly) oaks do from small acorns grow! Nick Pickard, aka Tony Hutchinson, was on ‘Loose Women’ this afternoon. On his time in Hollyoaks, he said ‘I took the gig thinking it was going to be a six month thing! I thought there were going to be twenty six episodes and that’s it’. He also said that he was ‘very proud’ of the show and that Hollyoaks is ‘just as good’ as the other big soaps, referring to our nomination for Best Serial Drama at the 2011 National Television Awards, (for which you can still vote).

Arrivals and Departures

It’s a week to celebrate and to reflect on Hollyoaks. First of all, we said an emotional farewell this week to one of our best-loved characters, Anita Roy. Anita has really grown up with us since joining the show in 2008. She leaves on a high, but before her mother Eva departed, she had time to drop one more bombshell, which was that Anita has siblings she never knew about! For an interview with the actress Saira Choudhry, go to:

http://www.e4.com/blog/hollyoaks/post/rndrfy59xq5o5kwerem4o6/view.e4

We also hail a few new arrivals this week. Tonight’s episode will be the first time audiences see Tony’s new spa open for business. Unfortunately for him, the occasion also coincides with the arrival of Suzanne and Darren’s twins. Expect comedy and drama in equal measure.

Jennifer Metcalfe - Dancing on Ice

Finally, aside from the main show, we’ve been showing our support for Jennifer Metcalfe this week as she competes on ‘Dancing on Ice’. Jennifer joins Kieron Richardson and Chris Fountain in a list of Hollyoaks stars who have appeared on the show and we’re sure she can go all the way! For a specials gallery of Jen on the ice and with her dance partner Sylvain-Longchambon go to:

http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks/pictures/specials/2011/jen-dancing-on-ice.html

We also caught up with Jen for a quick chat about her progress. See the interview below:

You had to skate twice on Sunday. Did you enjoy it more the second time out?

Erm, no, I hated it! I just knew it might be my last time out on the ice, so it was terrible!

Did your partner Sylvain have some comforting words for you?

He just kept me really calm, because I can get a bit worked up really. He told me afterwards that he had been really stressed, but he didn’t let it show, so at the time he just seemed really calm and collected!

What can you do to make sure you’re not in the bottom three again?

In some ways it’s out of my hands. I’m just going to keep progressing and training. The first two shows are a bit weird because the audience haven’t had time to get to know you yet, but it’s a totally different show from now on, so I’m just going to keep training hard and doing my best. I was a bit gutted to be in the bottom three, but I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.

Now, finally, clearly there’s a lot of chemistry on the ice between you and Sylvain and there have been a lot of rumours about you and your dance partner. Do you want to clear up any of those rumours for us?

Erm, no, I don’t…

Right. Bit of a lengthy blog that wasn’t it? Anyway, that’s about all for this week. Don’t forget to tune in tonight – Channel 4, 6:30pm.

Welcome to this week’s blog from the Hollyoaks music department.

This week’s musical highlights on Hollyoaks include:

‘Love Game’ (Remix) by Lady Gaga -

The girl known to her mother as Stefani Germanotta returned to the world of pop this week, performing  a preview of a track from her new album ‘Born this way’ at a Paris fashion show. Google the track name to hear some gritty recordings of said performance.

In this week’s episode this glitzy remix of one of her most well known hits is used to soundtrack the glamorous entrance of Hollyoaks’ sparkling new boy band ‘Guy Candy.’ We see management maestro Lee prepare them for their debut show as Tony and Texas set up their own special event with the launch of ‘Look Sharpe’.

‘Trouble With Dreams’ by Eels -

We’re big fans of Eels here at the Hollyoaks music department. Check out their albums ‘Beautiful Freak’ and ‘Daisies of the Galaxy’ if you haven’t heard them. This melodic gem played over scenes of Gaz intimidating Theresa and Anita getting ready to discuss her future with her mum Eva.

On Our Stereo:

‘Fighting Fire’ by Breakage feat. Jess Mills –

Breakage has featured before on our stereo and on Hollyoaks too, for it was he who twisted and sucked a new darker edge onto Claire Maguire’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’ last year in his skilful remix. Here he plays it more conventional, even if the snare gives a cheeky nod to previous dubstep stylings. The song features a great vocal and is reminiscent of Deadmaus in its style and production. Should be a hit if it gets enough attention.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQcBYboY8G4

‘Go Outside’ by Cults -

Cults originally posted music on-line as a small project for their friends to hear and only came to the greater world’s attention last year after music blogs started to pick up and promote the tracks. It’s a good thing they did as Cults have now signed a publishing deal and their songs should start to receive the attention they deserve. If carefully arranged, warm, lo-fi male/female vocal harmonies with hints of Americana are your thing then you’ll love this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHhEBqRTXdk

More musical goodies await on next week’s episodes of Hollyoaks, so until then…

James & Kate

So, Darren’s going to be a Dad! A double Dad, even! Dad² you might say! Just as we were beginning to hear the distant tinkling of wedding bells for Nancy and Darren, Suzanne turned up to spoil the party with an uninvited plus two.

It’s fair to say Nancy doesn’t exactly seem overjoyed by the prospect of Darren fathering Suzanne’s twins. Plus, he’s not always been the most responsible type; gambling, fake-death scams, shot-gun Vegas weddings…some might say he’s not the ideal candidate for Father of The Year.

Having said that though, Darren has grown up an awful lot this past year, taking on University and even ditching his beloved string vest.

What do you think? Will Darren be Daddy Cool or Daddy Fool? Let us know in the poll below:

 

 

 

Anita Roy came into the show in 2008 as a shy young teenager, who found it hard make friends because her Dad happened to be head of the school. Before long though, she and Theresa became inseparable, getting drunk when they shouldn’t and hunting for older boys.

Since then, Anita’s been involved in some massive stories. She became the subject of repeated racist abuse from Gaz, culminating in her lashing back and cracking him over the head with a rock, which left the hooded bully fighting for his life.

After the truth came out about Anita’s attack on Gaz, she successfully managed to alienate the few friends she had left by faking a bout of eating disorder for attention.

Her nagging feeling that she was different was confirmed when she found out the truth about her biological mother, Eva. The arrival of Eva has seen Anita constantly have to deal with the consequences of her mother’s indiscretions, including one occasion where Eva stole a dress for her daughter from ‘Cincerity’ and gave it to Anita to wear to Cindy’s fashion show. The result was that Anita was publicly de-frocked (yes, literally) and had to run home in her pants.

We have seen this character grow up an awful lot before our eyes and next week we say an emotional farewell to her. We’re sure you’ll all agree that she will be sorely missed, as will the actress Saira Choudhry’s presence around the building. Saira, we salute you!

Before she left, we caught up with Saira for a quick chat about her time on the show:

First of all, what’s the story behind Anita leaving the village?

Well, Gaz returns and starts intimidating her again and she just decides she’s not sure she wants to stick around anymore with all of that going on. I think she sees it as an opportunity also to explore the world and do other things.

What was your favourite storyline to be involved in during your time on the show?

I think it was probably the story where Anita tried to bleach her skin. That was my favourite story in terms of how challenging it was for me and how well the scenes went, but having said that, it wasn’t a ‘nice’ story to play. It was a really tough story, but it’s the one I’m most proud of.

Were there any cast members in particular that you really liked working with?

Yeah, Jorgie Porter, Sheree Murphy and little Dominique. I’m still in touch with those girls. Oh and Joel too! That’s everyone isn’t it! I just can’t leave anyone out!

What do you think Anita’s legacy on the show will be? 

She’s quite a disturbing character isn’t she! She’s grown up a lot this year though; she’s not so self-absorbed and she’s been using her experience to help Jasmine/Jason. She’s turned into a young adult now.

Was it the right time for her to leave now then? 

Yeah. I think there were more ways for the character to be developed, but she left at the right time. I think she corrected all the stuff that she needed to and I’m glad that she left on a positive note.

Have you got anything else exciting lined up?

Right now I’m filming a music video with the guy who I mentored on the Hollyoaks Music Show and who went on to win Hollypops. Apart from that, I’m going for auditions so I’m sure there will be something coming up soon, fingers crossed!

Jennifer Metcalfe will be making her first proper appearance on Dancing on Ice this Sunday (ITV1 9pm). Inbetween intensive rehearsals, she dropped by for a quick chat about the show and about her chances of success...

You had a chance to look at some of the other contestants on Sunday. Who do you think might be your biggest competition?

Well, the first two weeks are just so unpredictable, but I think, at this stage, it’s more about who’s the most popular than who’s best at skating.

There are one or two really good skaters in the group, but those who aren’t such strong skaters will probably try to bring a bit of personality to the show.

How long have you been training now?

I’ve been training now for three months; at first on my own and then with a trainer. It’s been really intense. I haven’t had a life for three months, put it that way!

Has Kieron Richardson been there to guide you through?

He’s been there to tell me what to expect, but he hasn’t been down to the ice-rink yet. I think he’s going to come along and support me on Sunday though, which should be nice.

Are you getting on with your dance-partner? Do you think he was the right person to be paired up with?

Yeah, we really get on well together and I think the dancing is starting to look good.

Welcome to this week’s blog from the Hollyoaks music department.

This week’s musical highlights on Hollyoaks include:

‘Maybe I’m Crazy’ by Monarchy – Eighties-tinged posters Monarchy conjure up a tuneful up-tempo number to soundtrack Lee’s and Jason’s confusion about their current predicaments. This track is taken from the band’s debut album released this month!

‘Blind Faith’ by Chase and Status –  A hard-hitting bomb of a track for the hard-hitting menu scene in which the Jasmine/Jason situation becomes a debate on local radio. Watch out for Chase and Status’ new album out in Feb.

‘911’ by Delta Spirit – A particularly astute choice by Kate, as we see Lee wake up next to both Amy and Leanne, the lyrics “say good morning to my friends” ring out with a cheery and ironic tone considering what’s going on on-screen. The Delta Spirit hail from the sunny climes of San Diego, California, and this track is taken from their most recent album, ‘History from Below.’

Discover all the tracks featured on Hollyoaks this week by checking out the Hollyoaks Playlist, which is conveniently placed at the bottom of this blog.

On Our Stereo:

‘Lippy Kids’ by Elbow – A very welcome return from Bury’s most poetic and arguably most famous sons. This cut from their forthcoming album is performed in Blueprint Studios for the benefit of this Youtube clip and shows the band are poised to return as strongly as they left us in 2009. A beautiful, melodic tune played and sung with suitable subtlety and respect. Lovely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NItwaz0nLJA

‘The Wilhelm Scream’ by James Blake – Tipped far and wide, and deservedly so, James Blake makes music from seemingly simple ingredients. Minimal percussion, warm synths and an impressively rich vocal style. This track is taken from a recent Radio 1 session and builds from simple beginnings into a large and disorientating mid-section before calmly returning to a sparse and soulful outro. Creative and very original, Blake releases his debut album in February.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErxZdCmG_9Q&playnext=1&list=PLE9F40B81070D7075&index=17

More musical goodies await on next week’s episodes of Hollyoaks so until then...

James & Kate

Hollyoaks Playlist 10th - 14th January, 2011

Monday 10th January, 2011

Monarchy - 'Maybe I'm Crazy'

Tuesday 11th January, 2011

Chase and Status - 'Blind Faith'

Calvin Harris - 'Ready For The Weekend'

The Saturdays - 'Higher' The Saturdays - 'Higher'

My Chemical Romance - 'Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back'

The xx - 'Crystalised'

Wednesday 12th January, 2011

The xx - 'Crystalised'

Mumford & Sons - 'Sigh No More'

Mystery Jets - 'Too Late To Talk'

Thursday 13th January, 2011

Sir Mix-a-Lot - 'Baby Got Back'

Bruno Mars - 'Just The Way You Are'

Friday 14th January, 2011

The xx - 'Crystalised'

Delta Spirit - '911'

It has been a tense week for the McQueen clan, with Kyle threatening to blow the lid on Theresa and a trial that could potentially send her down looming imminently.

It looked like the heat may be off when Kyle got sprung from jail, with Warren’s help, but then last night things took a turn again when Brendan bluffed his way to the truth about Calvin’s murder. It looks now like Kyle might be sticking around after all.

If it does go to trial though, should Carmel lie for her sister? She has said that she won’t lie on the Bible, but which is more important – to protect her faith or to protect her cousin? Let us know in the poll below:

 

 

How does it feel to be back in Hollyoaks?

Yeah, amazing! Obviously a lot of the cast have changed, but the crew are mostly still the same so it feels like I’ve never left really.

Were you sad to leave the show back in 2005?

Really sad yeah. I’d been on the show for four and a half years, so, while part of me wanted to move on, a big part of me also wanted to stay.

What is it that you love about Hollyoaks?

More than anything it’s the character I get to play. I love the comedy and the great storylines. I got to work with some great actors like Alex Carter, Nick Pickard, Matt Littler and Darren Jeffries. What I miss is when we’d do a good take and we’d just be making each other laugh and then the crew would start laughing too. That was a really nice feeling, when you’d just done a really funny scene. I think that transpires onto the screen too.

How was it being involved in Freshers?

It were brilliant!* It just felt like putting on an old pair of gloves really.

When Bombhead left the show it was to join the circus. Is he still with the circus?!

I don’t know! They’ve not really given me a back-story on that. Maybe they’ve just left that one up to the public…

If you could decide, where would you like for Bombhead to be right now?

Around corner* about two minutes away, so that he could come back whenever he wanted!

What can people expect from Lee’s wedding?

Well, it’s Lee Hunter’s wedding after all, so obviously the whole thing’s totally bizarre and random. We had to stop filming certain scenes because we were laughing so much anyway, so that gives you a sense of it.

How does it feel to be working with Alex again?

Brilliant. Alex is just naturally funny. When I don’t speak to Alex for a while I start to miss him. It’s like having your own personal stand-up.

So you’d really like Bombhead to return to Hollyoaks then?

I’d love that! I have got some other projects that I’m working on as well, away from Hollyoaks.

Yeah, what have you been up to since you left?

Well, I started writing and that snow-balled. A piece I’ve written has been picked up by a production company called Phil McIntyre Entertainment ltd, who did Phoenix Nights too.

I’ve been working in development for another production company too, which I really enjoy.

How did you first get involved with the show?

You know what, I tell this story all the time right. A mate of mine had a girlfriend at Liverpool uni. So we decided to go visit. This was in ’99, around Christmas time. Anyway, as we were driving down the M62 I saw the sign for Chester, and I were like to my mate, ‘here, let’s go in to Chester to see if we can spot Mr C or Lewis or any of the lads from Hollyoaks’. Anyway, my mate turns around and he says, listen, if you want to see the Hollyoaks cast, they actually film it in Liverpool. I got really excited about the fact that I might bump into Mr C doing his shopping in town! Little did I realise then that three years later I would be the only person that could see Mr C from Hollyoaks!

You were in the show for four and a half years. What was your favourite Bombhead story during that time?

I liked the story where Lee lost his virginity and Bombhead was hiding in the cupboard. I liked it when Bombhead had a crush on Mrs Cunningham too, that was funny. And I liked it when Cameron, Lee, Norman and Bombhead all formed a boy-band called the X Factor, that were ace!

And then it was a real challenge to do the story where Bombhead’s mum died. Surreal yet gritty.

I’m just naming loads of stories here aren’t I? I suppose I don’t really have a favourite, that’s the short answer!

If Bombhead came back into the show now, which girl do you think he would fancy?

Hmm, are you asking me who Bombhead would fancy or who Lee Otway fancies?

I think Bombhead would just be grateful for anything!

Has Bombhead changed at all since he’s been away? Has he grown up at all?

No, he’s just as crazy!

*This is not a grammatical error on our part; Lee just speaks like this.
*Again, not a grammatical error on our part. He just refuses to use the conjunctive ‘the’ sometimes.

In Monday's Channel 4 episode at 6:30pm things looked on the rocks for Lee and Leanne's forthcoming wedding.

With Leanne running around like bridezilla, Lee was getting cold feet. Actually, it wasn't just his feet that were getting cold, it was his whole body.

Lee told his "second best man"/wedding witness chappie, Jamil, that he's still in love with Amy. And get this, yeah, Leanne overheard. Uh-oh!  Spells trouble in paradise for me.

But what do you reckon? Should Lee go ahead with his marriage to Leanne or not? Answers on a postcard! Or alternatively give us your answers in the poll below...

You know what they say; two’s company, three’s a crowd…one million is the exact optimal number of people! Okay, I may have made that last bit up. Anywho, the Hollyoaks Facebook fan page is on almost 1000,000 fans at the moment! Yes, I know what you’re thinking – what are the rest of Facebook playing at? Maybe they’re hermits. Maybe they’ve got their heads wedged under a rock. Maybe they just haven’t heard about all the amazing content that we offer exclusively on our Facebook page, including pictures, trivia, live-chats with the cast and much more.

Anywho, we wanted to give something back to our dedicated fans all over the country (nay, the world), so we’ve decided that if we reach 1 million fans on Facebook, we’ll release a special video message on our page.

Listen, it’s not like we’re insecure or anything. We don’t need to prove how popular we are by flaunting the number of friends we have on Facebook. It’s just that we’ve got so much love to give and we think it would be a crying shame for anyone to miss out. So go out and spread the good word brothers and sisters: your soap needs you! And remember, ain’t no party like a Facebook party!

 

As one of the beautiful, talented cast of Britain’s best-loved teen soap, it would be easy to sit back on your laurels. Well, not Sarah Jayne Dunn! Or Jenny Metcalfe! No, they’ve barely touched their laurels these past few weeks. The girls, who play Mandy Richardson and Mercedes Fisher respectively, have both been absorbed by taking part in different reality challenge shows.

This week, Sarah has literally been risking life and perfectly-proportioned limb on Channel 4’s ‘Famous and Fearless’, taking part in games including abseiling, power skate-boarding, go-carting and power-bocking (no, we don’t know what that is either).

Meanwhile, Jenny has been in rehearsals for with her dancing partner for months now, in preparation for the opening of ‘Dancing on Ice’, which commences this Sunday night (9th Jan) at 9:30pm on ITV1. We hope you will be cheering on both our girls as they take on the competition.

Sarah Jayne Dunn stopped by to answer a few questions for us about being on the show, and her new-found addiction to danger…

You fell off a power skateboard the other night? How's the ankle now?

It’s a bit swollen and quite sore. I was hobbling around on it yesterday. It’s fine to walk on, but I can’t really put much pressure on it, so I’m a little bit gutted about that. I didn’t even injure it while I was racing, it happened after I’d finished! Gutted.

Are we going to be seeing you hobbling around a bit on Hollyoaks now then?

Erm, well maybe Mandy will just have to do all her scenes sitting down and having a cup of tea for the next few months.

What will you be doing on the show tonight?

So, the girls’ challenge is ‘powerbocking’, which involves racing around on these springy, stilt-type things and we’re also going to get to have a go at go-carting.

The go-carting should be fine, but I’m still unsure about powerbocking, with my ankle as it is. If I can’t do the powerbocking though I’ll have to really try hard in the go-carting event.

What's been the toughest Famous and Fearless challenge you've had to undertake so far?

Abseiling. Definitely. That was just petrifying! I’ve got a massive phobia of heights and it was just so high, it was horrendous! I almost didn’t do it, but I was really proud of myself afterwards.

Do you think, having faced that fear now, you would find it easier to do something like that in future?

No, I don’t want to ever have to do that again! Once was enough!

Have you forged any friendships with the other celebs from the show?

Yeah, totally. That’s one of the best things about the whole experience. Everyone’s really lovely and we’ve all been getting on really well, which makes the whole experience a lot nicer.

Has it affected filming for Hollyoaks?

It’s actually been alright. Accidentally, it’s worked out well, the dates have worked out perfectly! I’m back at Hollyoaks next week though. I couldn’t have done both, it would have been absolutely exhausting!

And finally, after all these adrenaline-fuelled activities, any plans to become a stunt woman?

Erm...I don’t think I’ll be becoming a stunt woman, but maybe I could do my own stunts now, if I need to. I’m good at falling off skate-boards, I do that quite well…

Well, we do have a ready-made skate-park on set…

Perfect. Mandy can take up skate-boarding! I’m all over it!

Welcome to this week's blog from the Hollyoaks music department.

This week's musical highlights on Hollyoaks include:

‘The Same Space’ by Klaxons – Jason is not sure what to expect from his first visit to the clinic. Meanwhile Tony is struggling to whip the builders into shape and Ricky’s distracted from his efforts to get in shape by a very attractive new arrival to the village.

‘Two Lives’ by Example – Seth is preparing himself for the reaction of his schoolmates to his new brother. Already at the school we see there is no love lost between Anita and Sinead as the fallout from the revelations in Amber’s diary continues. 

‘Bomb’ by Band of Skulls – Jason may be learning to feel comfortable in his own skin, but his skin bears the marks to prove just what a struggle dealing with his condition has been. Unfortunately with those closest to him not yet brave enough to openly support him, we fear there may be more tough times ahead.

To see what else was played in Hollyoaks this week scroll a wee bit further down and check out the Hollyoaks Playlist.

On Our Stereo:

‘Feel Good’ by Modestep – we simply cannot get enough of this track. It’s fair to say that we’ve been flying the dubstep flag for a while in the Hollyoaks music department and are pleased to hear more and more tracks with a dubstep tip cross over into the mainstream. This track is sure to have chart success and with good reason, so turn this track up loud and wait for that drop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r26y--evIw

‘Shell Games’ by Bright Eyes – another genre we’re quite partial to round these parts is alt-Americana and so it was with a sense of excitement we heard tell of a free offering from the forthcoming Bright Eyes album. With a somewhat brighter (if you’ll excuse the pun) feel than we are used to from previous offerings and a synth line reminiscent of many a John Hughes film soundtrack it will be really interesting to see if this is an example of what to expect from the new album. Follow this link to download the track:

http://www.saddle-creek.com/nf_home.html   

More musical goodies await on next week’s episodes of Hollyoaks so until then…

James & Kate 

Hollyoaks Playlist 3rd - 7th January, 2011

Monday 3rd January, 2011

Klaxons - 'The Same Space'

Kaiser Chiefs - 'Ruby'

Chiddy Bang - 'The Good Life'

Tuesday 4th January, 2011

White Lies - 'Unfinished Business'

Wednesday 5th January, 2011

Example - 'Two Lives'

Thursday 6th January, 2011

Temper Trap - 'Sweet Disposition'

Brandon Flowers - 'Playing with Fire'

The XX - 'Shelter'

Friday 7th January, 2011

Band of Skulls - 'Bomb'

Chiddy Bang - 'Opposite of Adults'

Victoria Atkin, the actress who plays Jasmine/Jason will be joining us for a live chat on Facebook straight after tonight’s Channel 4 6:30 episode.

It’s been a tumultuous year for the character so far. 2011 was supposed to be all about making a brand new start for Jason. New look, new identity, new beginnings. Only, so far, it’s not been all that easy.

Jason had expected his father Carl to react badly when he revealed his new identity. Actually, it’s mum Heidi who’s found it hardest to swallow the news. Clearly, Heidi’s not ready to accept that her daughter is now a son.

To make matters worse, the one person that Jason thought he could turn to, his confidante, Bart McQueen, has now publicly rejected him!

From 7pm tonight, Victoria will be answering questions live on Hollyoaks’ official facebook fan page. If you have any questions about what it’s like to tackle such sensitive issues, how Victoria gets into role or anything else to do with either the actress or the character she plays, then post your questions on our wall and Victoria will answer as many as she can.

Thanks folks!

Amber’s fictional, romantic jottings have caused quite a stir this week.  Eva stumbled across the diary in Sinead’s locker and it seems to suggest in black and white (well, pink gel-pen actually), that Rob is the father of her baby! Will Eva be able to read between the lines and see that Rob is innocent though?

And in the meantime, should Rob come clean to Diane about Amber kissing him, or will she jump to conclusions too? Plus, he’s not the only one keeping secrets; Diane still hasn’t revealed that the father is actually Finn! Should she blow the news to Rob? What a minefield! We can’t work it out, can you?

Give us your thoughts in the comments box below:

It's January, which can only mean one thing... well, actually, it can mean a whole number of things, but the one thing that I mean is this: It's awards season!

The National Television Awards have revealed their shortlist and have put Hollyoaks up for best serial drama! Woop, woop!

We all know Hollyoaks is the best, so let's prove it by voting in droves!

Wouldn't it be nice if Coronation Street or Eastenders DIDN'T win the category for once? They always do and it's boring. So vote for the best, vote for the 'oaks!

Click here for more details.