Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks bosses are planning to explore the issue of child-to-parent physical abuse in a big new storyline for Lucas and Ste Hay, we can exclusively reveal.
Viewers see the pair’s dynamic change drastically later this month as Lucas lashes out at his father after undergoing life-saving surgery to remove his brain tumour.
Upcoming episodes show Lucas recovering at home following his operation, supported by Ste every step of the way.
The two are also joined by Lucas’s boyfriend Dillon Ray, who moves in after his recent ordeal being groomed and exploited by Grace Black and Rex Gallagher.
As the new story plays out, it becomes clear that Lucas resents his dad for not realising that Rex was dangerous much sooner.
Tensions ultimately come to a head when Lucas finds out that Ste has warned Dillon to keep his distance, believing that he’s protecting his son.
As Lucas becomes physically abusive, Ste hopes that it’s strictly a one-off and feels reassured when the troubled 17-year-old quickly apologises.
Sadly, it’s just the beginning of a longer journey to come as Lucas carries on taking his anger out on Ste behind closed doors. Tragically, Ste blames himself for what’s happening and keeps quiet about what’s going on.
“It was a shock when I first heard about the storyline,” Oscar Curtis – who plays Lucas – tells us in an exclusive chat.
“It’s also quite a surprise to Lucas when it happens for the first time. Lucas has got quite violent tendencies anyway – he’s been known for that in the past. But the first incident with Ste definitely takes Lucas by surprise.
“In this storyline, you’ll see that Lucas’s abuse and his violent tendencies are only aimed at Ste. It’s like when he’s with Dillon, he’s a different person – all that violence is gone.
“It’s almost like he’s got two different personalities. It depends on who he’s around and his environment, as to which one comes to the surface.”
Kieron Richardson, who plays Ste, continues: “I was first told about the storyline when I had a sit-down chat with our producer Hannah Cheers. Straight away, I was really interested in exploring the story, because Ste has got such a history in that world.
“Ste was abused by his stepdad and he then abused Amy. Then he was in a relationship with Brendan Brady, who abused him. So he knows all sides of abusive dynamics like this.
“We’re trying to explore this a little bit differently to previous storylines. As the journey progresses, each incident of abuse will feel different each time, or there’ll be a different angle on it. That’s been plotted out very cleverly.”
Previewing the early scenes, Kieron shares: “The first time that it happens, it’s a surprise for both characters. Ste is shocked that his son has done this. They have a conversation where they say: ‘We know what’s just happened, but it’s not going to happen again. Let’s just draw a line under it’.
“When Lucas goes to do it again, Ste squares up to him back. Then after that, it changes again and again.”
In one particularly dramatic scene, Ste sees a furious Lucas trying to hurt himself as he struggles to contain his angry emotions.
Feeling helpless and unsure of where to turn, Ste resorts to giving Lucas permission to hurt him rather than himself.
Kieron adds: “This is the bit that was my suggestion, really, to make it feel fresh.
“Lucas starts turning again and Ste thinks it’s only because Lucas had the operation on his brain tumour. Lucas has woken up and it’s like he’s had a personality transplant, so Ste thinks it’s not really him, it’s because of the tumour.
“So when Ste sees that Lucas is getting angry again, he tries to placate him and calm him down. Lucas is throwing things around the flat and gets so frustrated that he’s banging his own head.
“As Lucas has got the scar on his head from the operation, Ste realises that is so dangerous and says: ‘Please don’t do that. Hit me, then, take it out on me’.
“But from there, that might give Lucas free run then to say: ‘Well, you told me to do this’. It’s a different aspect of the story, which I don’t think they’ve done on Hollyoaks before.
“I knew that they’d touched on this subject, but with Misbah as a mum and her son Imran many years ago.
“This takes a different look at it between a single father and his son. But I also know that there is a commitment to keep telling stories that affect the younger audience, as we have new viewers all the time who are seeing events like this afresh.”
Oscar agrees: “When Ste tells Lucas to hit him instead, it kind of enables everything. It opens the floodgates for the abuse.”
Hollyoaks bosses have been working on this storyline with guidance from Parental Education Growth Support (PEGS), which offers help to parents being abused by their children.
Michelle John, Founding Director of PEGS, comments: “We’re proud to support Hollyoaks in bringing awareness to child-to-parent abuse, taking a vital step towards this important issue being more widely recognised and spoken about.
“CPA is often hidden or misunderstood, and it’s vital that we start more conversations about what families are really experiencing behind closed doors.
“Being such a popular programme, we know that the Hollyoaks storyline will help parents who are experiencing abusive behaviours to feel more confident in asking for support from those around them.
“We’re also confident it will provoke these much-needed conversations among the wider public, and we thank the production team and the actors for their commitment to portraying the storyline in a sensitive and realistic manner.
“Families experiencing CPA are not looking for blame to be placed upon their children, and this storyline reflects the need for early intervention, support and understanding as well as highlighting the complex emotions and challenges many families face.”
Kieron concludes: “This storyline is one that as a parent is conflicting, as you would do anything for your kids. It flips the script on what many people assume abuse looks like, and both Oscar and I are working hard to show what happens when the dynamic is reversed.
“We often think of parents disciplining children, but what happens when the dynamic is reversed? It’s uncomfortable, it’s emotional, and it’s real. We’ve worked closely with experts to make sure this is portrayed truthfully, and I hope it encourages the kind of conversations that might help families going through similar situations feel seen and supported.”
