List of Hollyoaks characters (2016)

Hollyoaks is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirkwood. The first character to be introduced was James Nightingale, a mysterious solicitor who begins manipulating Cindy Cunningham, in January. February began with the arrival of the Nightingale family's matriarch, Marnie.

James Nightingale

James Nightingale, played by Gregory Finnegan, made his first on-screen appearance on 12 January 2016. The character and Finnegan's casting was announced on 24 December 2015.^[1] James works as a solicitor and in his first scenes he offers legal advice to Cindy about divorcing Mac. A Hollyoaks publicist said that James would cause "terrible trouble locally" upon arriving in the show and specifically target established character Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring). Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) will be confused as to why he spends time with Cindy as they believe that James is gay (which was later confirmed). They added that secrets about James would later be revealed.^[1]

Waring described James as a suave and very mysterious man. She told Laura Morgan of All About Soap that James overhears Cindy talking to Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) about committing bigamy and he offers her legal assistance.^[2] She views him as a handsome man and uses her sexuality to get what she wants, James' help to escape bigamy charges. Waring added "he's very alluring and dashing, so of course Cindy is immediately taken in by his knight-in-shining-armour routine."^[2]

It was revealed that James is the son of already established character Mac Nightingale (David Easter), the older brother of Nathan Nightingale (Jared Garfield) and Ellie Nightingale (Sophie Porley), and the half-brother of Alfie Nightingale (Richard Linnell). It was also revealed that James teamed up with his mum Marnie Nightingale (Lysette Anthony) with the help of Cindy so they could drain Mac of every penny.

Marnie Nightingale

Marnie Nightingale, played by Lysette Anthony, made her first on-screen appearance on 1 February 2016. The character and casting was announced on 24 January 2016. Marnie is Mac Nightingale's (David Easter) ex-wife, as well as being the mother to Nathan Nightingale (Jared Garfield), Ellie Nightingale (Sophie Porley) and James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan). It has been said that Marnie will waste no time in causing "chaos for Mac" and has been billed as "a complex, intriguing and hilarious matriarch with a big broken heart" and that she can start a fight in an empty room. Marnie arrives in the village to help her son, James, take down Mac for events that happened in the past by using Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) against him, however she is unaware that Cindy is Alfie Nightingale's (Richard Linnell) biological mother and the reason for her divorce from Mac.^[3]

Marnie arrives in Hollyoaks revealing that she has been working with her son, James, with the inadvertent help of Cindy, to drain her ex-husband, Mac, of his finances as he was awarded everything by the courts when they divorced. She threatens to take away their daughter, Ellie, if he does not comply. Mac then gives her a large amount of money to keep her away from Ellie. Before she and James leave Hollyoaks, her other son, Nathan, accidentally reveals to her that Alfie is the biological son of Mac and Cindy. Marnie is furious and goes to The Dog in the Pond where she reveals to everybody that Alfie is Mac and Cindy's son.

References

External links

• Characters and cast at Channel 4