INTERVIEW WITH AEDAN DUCKWORTH (OLLIE MORGAN)
Category: InterviewWhat was your understanding of County Lines before this storyline?
I knew that it involved drugs and children, but I didn’t realise how in-depth it was and I didn’t realise how relevant it is. That’s a brilliant thing that Hollyoaks does - we tackle very relevant things that should be brought to the surface. Having two little brothers myself, it’s a very scary thought that kids their age are being manipulated to bring drugs into the community. I wouldn’t say I knew much at the start, but I do know much more now.
Can you tell us why Ollie is so vulnerable at the minute?
He’s just really down - he’s devastated and when people are at their lowest point they can be vulnerable and make poor decisions, which Ollie has unfortunately done. He’s just found out that his dad, Luke’s got a terminal illness, and he’s given his baby up for adoption - which was the worst thing in the world for him. He’s also still dealing with being abused by his football coach, Buster. Ollie’s in a very dark place and thinks that drugs could be a coping mechanism, which is scary for such a young lad.
We know that Ollie will have issues with drugs by the end of the year and have seen him take drugs already on screen, how much more have you filmed of this?
The first time he did it, he shut it down completely, because the effects were awful for him – he hated it as soon as he did it. It was instant regret and waking up was like the worst hangover he could imagine. So far, he’s been distracted from thinking about it again, but that won’t last forever. He’ll have a constant struggle dealing with losing his baby and that temptation to escape those feelings will always be there, especially now Jordan is more present in Hollyoaks.
What would be your ideal outcome for Ollie next year?
I really want him to start playing football again. I think that would send out a great message that people can overcome things as dark as what Ollie’s been through. That’s what he’s good at, so why not chase his dreams.
Can you tell us about this week’s episodes on location?
Imran and Ollie just think it’s a fun day out so they’re having a laugh, but unbeknown to them, Juliet and Sid are doing drug runs for Jordan and getting themselves in trouble. But for Ollie and Imran it’s easy, we bring the comedy to what are some quite dark moments, Imran is particularly funny.