Johnno Dean

John "Johnno" Dean is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks, played originally by Mark Powley. He first appeared in October 2002, and from April 2003 was replaced by Colin Wells until his exit in July 2005.

Casting

Mark Powley originally played Johnno but the role was recast in 2003 with Colin Wells.^[1] Hollyoaks did not anticipate Johnno becoming a central character. Powley could not renew his contract due to commitments in place to other projects. A spokesperson for the show revealed that they were delighted to cast Wells in the role, but warned he would not be like the "lothario" character Jake Booth he previously played in rival soap opera Crossroads.^[1]

Storylines

Johnno arrived in October 2002 as part of the Dean family, with his wife Frankie, and their children Jake, Debbie, Steph and Craig and began working as a lorry driver with Les Hunter. Generally a friendly, good-natured personality and a devoted family man, Johnno's early storylines see him confront Ellie Hunter about her false testimony that her brother and his daughter Debbie Dean's boyfriend Dan Hunter committed a series of attacks, when the attacker was actually Ellie's husband Toby Mills. Johnno also caught his other daughter Steph Dean physical attacking Dan and Ellie's sister Lisa Hunter and had to pull Steph off her victim, before publicly reprimanding her for her behaviour.

The family become heavily in debt after Johnno lost his job when his workplace collapsed and the Deans had to move homes. This resulted in a number of arguments between Johnno and Frankie that almost led to the collapse of their marriage. Johnno briefly turns to alcohol to cope with his troubles but when he realises how much he feels alienated from Frankie and how distressed Steph is after she is diagnosed as having epilepsy, he stopped drinking as heavily..

After losing their house, Johnno and Frankie patched up their differences and began renting a house. Johnno began working for Richard Taylor, who took him on at his fitness club, Body Boost. When a rivalry between the Dean and Taylor families began, Richard terminated Johnno's job contract. However, Richard later re-employed Johnno at Body Boost and Jake took out a mortgage to help clear the family's debt accumulated. Still feeling alienated from Frankie, Johnno began an affair with 19-year-old student Michelle. Frankie discovered Johnno’s affair and confronted him. Frankie still tried to save the marriage but decided to divorce Johnno when he revealed that Michelle was seven months pregnant with his baby, After learning the truth of their father, Jake, Debbie and Craig decided they did not want to have any contact with their father, except Steph (which she was completed devastated and begging him to come back home), as Johnno told her that, if there anything she need, he will help her, causing Steph forgiving him first, and then he left. His departure caused Steph began to alienated her mother and siblings for abandoed their relationship with him, and will never forgive them for hurting him, although she hide it for secret. In December 2004, Steph contact her father to wish her a Merry Christmas, and will return to Hollyoaks as soon as possible, which makes her happy.

By Steph's promise, Johnno briefly returned in July 2005, telling his family that Michelle had left him for someone her own age and that she had told him that her baby was not his. He told them that he had missed his family and wanted a chance to make things up to them. When his family saw him, after seven months he left, Frankie, Jake and Craig were angry at him still for his affair, as Steph was happy to see her father again, and begging her mother and brothers to forgive him. He also discover that Debbie had left Hollyoaks, right after the death of Dan, to purse her singing career. Steph hangs out with him, and while there Jake decided they were prepared to give Johnno another chance, however, Craig was unconvinced by Johnno's story so rang Michelle and found out that Johnno was lying and that he had in fact left Michelle and their newborn son Presley out of desperation after realising that he could not handle being a father again at his age.

Johnno's family then told him they were disgusted by his behaviour, causing Steph angry at her brothers and mother, and forgives him again for his lies. Frankie nevertheless told Johnno that she had decided to forgive him for his affair as she felt life was too short to remain hostile towards the father of her children. She also said that she was far happier with her new partner Jack Osborne, and there was no hope of them reuniting, and told him how they first met when they were in high school, as she said,"For the first we met, we were standing at a bus stop in 1979, your cheeky grin, the white leather jacket, hair slicked back, Johnno Dean, who treats girls mean to keep them clean." She thanks him for helping her during their high school years, and always be her best friend. Johnno realised that Michelle and Presley needed him more than his other family did so he decided to go back home and make up with Michelle. Frankie was later told that Johnno and Michelle had married, and Steph went to see him on his wedding day, before her mother's and Jack wedding and also her brother Jake and Beeca. In August 2005, Steph told his mother that she will never accepted Jack as her father figure, and Johnno will be her most father in her life. Johnno sent a card to Steph on her birthday, and unlike Craig, who refused to open his birthday card from him, she opens it for him. In 2006 follow by turned down the role of her audition, Steph went to see him and stayed there for two days. In 2007, Steph went to visit him for a while after visiting Debbie follow by her accident. In 2008, Johnno didn't attend Steph's and Max's wedding, but, after Max death on the wedding day, Steph visit her father alongside with Tom after the long holiday with Craig. In 2010, Steph went to see him and told him that she had cancer, and after her death, Johnno did not attend Steph's funeral although he was informed of her death. Follow by Steph's death, Jake, Debbie and Craig forgive him for his affair, and re-build their relationship with him, by their late sister's promise.

In 2015, Frankie went to stay at Johnno place for a while.

References

External links

• Character profile at Hollyoaks.com