INTERVIEW WITH KIRSTY-LEIGH PORTER (LEELA LOMAX)

7 April 2020

What was your understanding of County Lines before this storyline?

It’s funny because when I was told that we were doing county lines, I then went home and saw it on the news. It suddenly came into my consciousness, now I find myself explaining the topic to other people. I was shocked to discover how common it is - that there were such young people involved – everything about it is unbelievable.

What was your reaction when you heard about the plans for Hollyoaks to cover this topic?

Amazing, proud and thrilled to be a part of it. We’re doing it again – we’re tackling something that’s not really been covered before. Hollyoaks is picking up on these things and teaching the viewers, but they’re also teaching me, and I know that’s the case with other cast members as well.

Hollyoaks showed an episode recently which flashed-forward to NYE 2020 where Leela found her foster son, Sid’s smashed up guitar, how worried should viewers be about Sid? Even for me, the flash-forward episode was worrying because I saw that things are not going to go well. Billy (Price, who plays Sid) is brilliant, he breaks my little heart and he’s brilliant at playing the role of that kid who gets wrapped up in trouble and wants to impress. He wants to be the big man - be like Jordan and be this cool guy trying to get people to like him. But Leela knows he’s not that guy and that he wants to play music instead. He’s so happy with his guitar, so to see it smashed up in the flash-forward is powerful, it breaks my heart.

She’s also invited Jordan into her home, do you think Leela will blame herself for not realising what he was up to?

Yea, she’s Sid’s foster mum, so whatever happens it’s always her responsibility and her fault in her eyes. If you’re responsible for someone and something goes wrong then the first thing you think is, what have I done, what could I have done, what could I have said? I think she will blame herself for a lot of it.

How does Leela feel about Jordan at this stage, he’s been flirting with her quite a lot? She’s a bit excited isn’t she! She’s not had any romance since Louis, God rest his soul. Jordan is this young, hip, cool guy who’s reminding her of what she used to be like before the responsibilities. Leela used to be fun and go out and be carefree and happy. She always had a thing for scallies, because she loved Cameron, so she loves a bad-boy, and Jordan’s a bit exciting. She’s resisting his charm for now, but it’ll be hard to ignore forever.