Helen Cunningham

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Helen Richardson-Cunningham was a fictional character on the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks.

She was played by actress Kathryn George between 1997-2004.

1 Character History
2 Friendships and Relationships
- 2.1 Family
- 2.2 Step Family
3 See Also

[edit] Character History

For much of her life in the Village she had the terrible misfortune to be saddled with a family intent on ripping itself apart. Helen had a tough time when she was married to Dennis Richardson, who had been abusive and had repeatedly raped her daughter Mandy. Helen was unaware of this until Mandy confessed to Lewis.

Dennis was sent down to prison for seven years, and Helen found a new love interest in Gordon Cunningham. The pair slept together, and Helen was shocked to realise that she was pregnant and Gordon did the honourable thing by asking her to marry him. They soon got married and Helen gave birth to baby Tom, but more tragedy came for Helen when she found out her son Lewis died after he committed suicide. This left Helen devastated and she found it hard to cope.

After Lewis's death, the relationship between Helen and Mandy caused a rift, as the pair barely spoke to each other. After a while, however, the pair began to rebuild their relationship. All seemed perfect in the best of all possible worlds, with Helen in charge of 'Steam Team' next door to Gordon's Drive'n'Buy, and the pair of them raising their new baby Tom at home.

Then suddenly, for reasons best known to herself, Helen became restless: her shop changed its identity, and so did she, indulging in a ghastly affair with Tony Hutchinson (one of Mr C's best friends) that was eventually exposed when an earthquake destroyed the barge the lovesick pair had chosen as a bolt hole. But after much argument, Tony told Helen that he did not want to be with her any longer and that she should get back with Gordon for Tom and Mandy's sake. Thankfully Helen took Tony's advice and she and Gordon were fully reconciled and back on fond terms.

Helen began to gain the respect of daughter Mandy and stepson Max as well, but husband Gordon had a death scare when he suffered a heart attack. Helen blamed herself, but Max had supported her and Gordon had seemed to recover. A week later, lightning struck twice when Gordon, Helen and Tom were involved in a car accident, which left Gordon dead after he suffered another heart attack.

This left Helen devastated and although she returned to home from the hospital, she later died at home in her sleep, leaving Tom (who survived the crash) an orphan. According to Helen's will, Tom was supposed to stay with Mandy, but he now lives with Max.