Tom Cunningham

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Thomas "Tom" Cunningham is a fictional character in long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks. He is played by actor Ellis Hollins.

Tom was born on Millennium Eve 1999.

A sweet, sensitive boy, his short life has already been full of trauma. He is the only child his late parents Gordon and Helen had together, although they already had six adult children between them. His mother went into labour when giving half-sister Mandy a driving lesson!

1 Character History
2 Clare
3 Modeling
4 Friendships and Relationships
5 External links

[edit] Character History

After the death of his parents Tom lived for a short while with Mandy (who officially has custody), but now lives with half-brother Max. Tom has survived both the car crash that killed his parents, the fire he started while playing with fireworks and getting unknowingly drunk when he drank a can of Mel Burton's cola that she'd topped up with vodka. Tom ran away from home after he started the fire whilst playing with fireworks and Mandy found him and brought him back.

[edit] Clare

After Tom became an uncle when Mandy gave birth to Grace in 2005 and Max got together with girlfriend Clare, for a while it looked like Tom's life was going to be happy and settled. However, Grace died aged just seven months old and cold, manipulating Clare hasn't turned out to be the nurturing mother-figure he needs.

Tom quickly began to see through Clare's motherly act, especially when he overheard her saying 'naughty' things on the phone about her dalliance with Sean Kennedy, Louise's estranged husband. He also overheard her talking to her father on the phone (whom she said was dead), and innocently questioned her about both of these incidents. She told Tom he was hearing things, and shouldn't play games, but when he pressed the issue, she began to orchestrate the situation to make it look like Tom was going through a naughty stage, complete with lying and tantrums. She drew on the walls, poured water on Tom's bedsheets and blamed it on Tom misbhehaving. A besotted Max immediately believed her, which upset Tom even more. Her plan to discredit Tom in case he spilled the beans apparently worked.

When Max wanted to accompany Clare to London for her fertility clinic appointment (she was really visiting the New Zealand embassy with plans to abscond with her new husband's money), she panicked. Knowing Max would never leave Tom if he was ill, she suggested they go out for one last family meal before they took Tom to the babysitter's. When no one was looking, she sprinkled an unknown substance over Tom's food, and when he took a bite, he was violently ill. Max told Clare to go on the London trip alone, and she had again manipulated Tom to get her own way.

After trying to kill Max at the lake, Clare disappeared and Tom was relieved, especially when his brother and O.B. (whom Tom loves) became friends again, and O.B. moved back into the flat. However, Clare is now back on the scene, determined to ruin their lives as best she can. Tom is scared, as this is the woman who has taken so much from him. But when Max, after a lot of fueding, finally gave the deed to The Loft away to Clare, she has gone and left Max. Tom is now happier since Clare has gone out of his life.

[edit] Modeling

Tom did a little modeling to get some money for a climbing trip.

[edit] Friendships and Relationships

[edit] Birth Family

Mother: Helen Cunningham (née Richardson) - (Deceased)
Father: Gordon Cunningham - (Deceased)
Half-Brothers: Max Cunningham
and Lewis Richardson - (Deceased)
(Lewis died years before Tom was born)
Half-Sisters: Dawn Cunningham - (Deceased)
(Dawn died years before Tom was born)
Jude Cunningham - Left Hollyoaks
(Jude left Hollyoaks years before Tom was born)
Cindy Cunningham - Left Hollyoaks
(Cindy left Hollyoaks years before Tom was born)
and Mandy Hutchinson - Left Hollyoaks

[edit] Extended family

Sister In Law (Separated): Clare Cunningham
(His half-brother Max's ex-wife)
Half Brother In Law: Tony Hutchinson
(His half-sister Mandy's husband)
Half Brother In Law: Dominic Reilly
(His half-sister Mandy's husband, Tony's half-brother)
Half Niece: Grace Antonia Helen Hutchinson - (Deceased)