The Morning After The Night Before:
More Hollyoaks
Interview with Natalie Emmanuel (Sasha)
Nathalie Emmanuel - AKA Sasha Valentine - chats to us about what Sasha gets up to in Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before, how these episodes differed from her usual Hollyoaks filming, and how she looks after herself when out on the town...
Why do you think Josh abandoned Hollyoaks Village while Sasha was grieving for Warren?
Well, he left while she was grieving because Dave probably influenced him. He wanted to go as he was his new drinking partner - probably thought 'oh why not? It'll be fun'. It was selfish of him to leave her, as she doesn't have many friends that have been there for her - there was an instance where he said he'd meet her, then didn't turn up. She's upset and she feels like everyone is leaving her to deal with it on her own. So yeah, it was pretty selfish - but what 18 year old is overly sensitive or responsible? Not many.
Josh leaves Sasha alone in a club despite her fragility following the death of Warren. Do you think Josh would have acted like this in the past?
Josh wouldn't have acted like this in the past. He's quite a sensitive guy and he cares about his mates. When he left her, he'd been drinking excessively so his thoughts probably weren't with Sasha but with his night out and with his new friends. He didn't think that leaving her was a big deal because he wasn't going for long, but really it was a big deal for her as she was all alone in this bar she's never been to before.
How has working on these episodes compared with your usual Hollyoaks filming?
I've absolutely loved it! We got to work with new people/characters who were all great - they brought their own energy to it. We got to film at loads of different locations in Liverpool and Manchester. We filmed in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester just messing around, but most of it was improvised, which is always good to do if you're an actor - to have freedom not to be confined by the script all the time. We filmed in very public places and had to move people along when they were stood wondering what we were doing. But it was fun, different and something I've never done before. Not that I don't enjoy Hollyoaks, but it was a whole new set up which takes you out of your comfort zone. When we're here on Hollyoaks, it's a closed set and it's easier to get shots without people shouting 'Hollyoaks!' or 'Sasha!' all the time, so it was a lot more challenging in that sense.
Have you or any of your friends ever experienced situations similar to what the characters in this story do?
I think yes. A lot of my friends have got into situations when they're drunk that they wouldn't usually. I have a couple of friends who have done things and not remembered the next day. I went out with some friends recently and they had a big argument, but the next day one of the girls, who was annoying everyone, didn't understand what she'd done wrong - she'd been really rowdy and shouting at people. But she didn't remember the next day and was really apologetic.
I am very sensible when I drink. I surround myself with friends who will look after me when I'm out. It's very easy for someone to take advantage of you when you're drunk - they could take you places you don't want to go. So I always make sure I stick with a group of friends that I like and who look after me, we look after each other. My boyfriend watches me like a hawk when we're out and that's good. But I don't drink excessively or to the extent when I don't remember things or I'm falling about. I've been sick about three times and when I think about it, I always tell myself 'I'm not drinking that much tonight' because I don't want to be sick - it reminds me how bad alcohol can be. So I drink moderately.