Ashley Taylor Dawson

Last updated

Ashley Taylor Dawson
Ashley Taylor Dawson 2022.jpg
Dawson in 2022
Born
Philip Ashley Taylor Dawson

(1982-01-11) 11 January 1982 (age 42)
Manchester, England
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1999–present
Television Hollyoaks
Starstreet
Strictly Come Dancing
PartnerKaren McKay (2004–present)
Children3
Musical career
Genres Pop
Instruments Vocals
Years active2001–2014
Labels Island

Philip Ashley Taylor Dawson (born 11 January 1982), known as Ashley Taylor Dawson, is an English actor and singer. He is known for portraying the role of Darren Osborne in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks , as well as being a member of the pop group allSTARS*.

Contents

Early life

Born in Manchester, Dawson grew up in Wilmslow. He attended Ashdene Primary School and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and joined local drama group Scamps at a young age. [1] He is the brother of singer and guitarist Catherine Taylor-Dawson. [2]

Career

Dawson has played the role of Darren Osborne in Hollyoaks since 1999. Actor Adam Booth originally played the part before leaving in 1997. The character rejoined Hollyoaks in 1999 when Dawson secured the part. Dawson joined Hollyoaks when he was 17 years old after getting his big break with the National Youth Theatre. Since then he has appeared in Hollyoaks spinoffs such as Hollyoaks Later and Tom's Life . He went on to secure the part of Darren following an audition, but soon after left in 2000 to join ALLSTARS*. [3] Dawson re-joined the show in August 2003 after AllSTARS* split up. On playing the part Dawson said "I love playing the bad lad. He's my alter ego". [3]

Dawson was a member of the UK pop band allSTARS*. His college best friend, Sam Bloom, called him up for an audition and invited him over. Byrne Blood Productions (Steps, A1), the management company at that time, was surprised to find that the actor could also dance and sing. Dawson eventually made it in, getting accepted and rising to fame. Dawson and Bloom also shared a flat together. Other than performing, he also appeared in allSTARS*' accompanying CITV television show, STARStreet* . Dawson was featured in other shows as well. He performed with the band on 80s Mania in 2001, and was next seen on episodes of Top of the Pops. He later made an appearance in Never Mind the Buzzcocks , Stars in Their Eyes and RI:SE . While with the group they managed to score four Top 20 singles in their two-year career.

Dawson appeared along with Darren Day in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, UK. As a teenager, he appeared in a number of amateur productions in his home town, including Wilmslow Guild Players' production of Jack and the Beanstalk [4] in 1996, for which he was nominated for The Barry Phillips Award for the Most Promising Youngster (Male) in the Cheshire Theatre Guild Awards.

In September 2013, Dawson was announced as a contestant on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing partnered with Ola Jordan. They were voted out in the quarter-finals, on 8 December.

In 2014, Dawson released "Playboy Bunny" on Applique Music, produced by Artful and Lempo, reached #1 on JunoDownload and #54 on ITunes, supported on Capital FM and BBC Radio One.

In January 2021, Dawson and John Junior, filmed a video with BBC Radio 5, about a suicide storyline in Hollyoaks. The storyline; When Nancy and Darren, played by Dawson, were distressed about Nancy's partner Kyle taking his own life, this stopped Junior from continuing with his suicide plans. The BBC brought them both together, so that Junior could thank Dawson for saving his life. [5] [6]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999–2001, 2003–present Hollyoaks Darren Osborne Regular role
2001–2002 Starstreet AshleyMain role
2009 The Wright Stuff PanellistGuest
2009, 2020 Hollyoaks Later Darren OsborneMain role
2013 Strictly Come Dancing ContestantQuarter-Finalist
2014 Northern Soul PaulFilm
2014 Tom's Life Darren OsborneMain role
2018The More You Ignore MeMr. DesmondFilm
2021 Hollyoaks IRL HimselfEpisode 1 - Hollyoaks saved my life

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021Hollyoaks suicide storyline saved my life [6] Main role BBC Sounds podcast

Personal life

In January 2011, Dawson announced that he and long-term partner Karen McKay were expecting their first child. [7] Their first son was born in March 2011 and their second in October 2013.

Dawson is fond of sports and plays football, tennis, and basketball. He supports Manchester United FC and considered a career as a professional footballer. He currently plays occasional charity football matches with the Hollyoaks All-Stars. He also owns a night club in Wilmslow called Symposium.

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2005 Inside Soap Awards Sexiest Male [8] Hollyoaks
2005Inside Soap AwardsBest Villain [8] Hollyoaks
2007Inside Soap AwardsFunniest Performance [9] Hollyoaks
2009 The British Soap Awards Best actor [10] HollyoaksLonglisted
2009Inside Soap AwardsFunniest performance [11] HollyoaksNominated
2010Inside Soap AwardsBest Actor [12] HollyoaksNominated
2010Inside Soap AwardsFunniest Performance [12] Hollyoaks
2010Inside Soap AwardsSexiest Male [12] Hollyoaks
2011The British Soap AwardsSexiest Male [13] HollyoaksNominated
2014The British Soap AwardsSexiest Male [13] HollyoaksShortlisted
2020 TV Choice Awards Best Soap ActorHollyoaksPending

Related Research Articles

<i>Hollyoaks</i> British TV soap opera (since 1995)

Hollyoaks is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera Brookside. From 2005 to 2023, episodes have aired on sister channel E4 a day prior to their broadcast on Channel 4. In 2023, Hollyoaks was removed from Channel 4's early evening schedule, but remains on E4 and Channel 4's on demand service with episodes now uploaded to YouTube. At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience but it has since broadened its appeal to all age groups. Hollyoaks has covered various taboo subjects rarely seen on British television, for which it has received numerous awards. It has won the award for Best British Soap twice, in 2014 and 2019; its first win broke the 15-year tie between rival soap operas EastEnders and Coronation Street. Beginning with a cast of 15 characters, it now has upwards of 50 regular cast members. The longest-serving actor is Nick Pickard, who has portrayed Tony Hutchinson since the first episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Osborne</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Darren Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. He was introduced by executive producer Phil Redmond as part of the Osborne family, making his first screen appearance on 18 November 1996, portrayed by Adam Booth. Booth left the role in 1997, and the character was later recast to Ashley Taylor Dawson who first appeared in September 1999. Dawson left the role in 2000 to concentrate on his music career, though returned in 2003 and has remained in the role ever since. He remains one of the longest-running characters in the programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steph Cunningham</span> UK soap opera character, created 2000

Steph Roach is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Carley Stenson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 29 March 2000. Steph was introduced into the serial by executive producer Jo Hallows. In 2009 Stenson decided to quit, but the then producer Lucy Allan convinced her to stay to play out a dramatic storyline. The announcement of her departure was made public in June 2010. Stenson's fellow cast members have described her as a "Hollyoaks legend" because of her lengthy duration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Richardson</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Mandy Richardson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sarah Jayne Dunn. She first appeared on 7 October 1996 and has been involved in various storylines, including dealing with sexual abuse while she was a child by her father Dennis, the suicide of her brother Lewis, and an on-off relationship with Tony Hutchinson before the couple married. Mandy had a miscarriage causing her to hit Tony. Mandy and Tony had a daughter together who they named Grace, only for her to die from sudden infant death syndrome. This led to the character and Dunn's exit from the serial in 2006. Dunn made a brief return in 2007 before making a return for six months in 2008. Dunn reprised her role as Mandy in 2010; in September 2011, Dunn announced her departure from the soap, and Mandy made her last appearance on 2 September 2011 before departing off-screen. Dunn later returned to her role in the sixth series of Hollyoaks Later in October 2013. In June 2017, it was announced that Dunn had reprised the role again and that Mandy would appear from July alongside Luke Morgan, played by Gary Lucy. Mandy returned on 26 July 2017. In November 2021, it was announced that Dunn's contract with Hollyoaks had been terminated due to starting an OnlyFans; viewers of the soap criticised the decision and Dunn herself voiced her disappointment with the production team. Her final scenes aired on 27 December 2021, and Mandy was given an off-screen departure on 31 January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Hayton</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Nancy Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jessica Fox. The character first appeared on 6 July 2005. Since the character's inception she has been involved in many notable storylines such as a love triangle; coping with the death of her sister Becca ; marrying Jake Dean ; drug abuse; domestic violence; being the victim of two attempted rapes by Jake and Finn O'Connor ; marrying Darren Osborne ; suffering a miscarriage; prematurely giving birth to Darren's son, Oscar Osborne, who is deaf; an addiction to painkillers; a highly-publicised storyline where Sienna Blake attempts to steal Darren and her family away from her; getting brain damage after an attack from Sienna; an affair with Rick Spencer ; and a fling with Rick's son Robbie Roscoe. Her later storylines have seen the character be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; discovering Darren's affair with her friend Mandy Richardson, leading to the couple's separation; a relationship with Kyle Kelly ; miscarrying Kyle's baby after being stabbed; and dealing with Kyle's suicide. In the character's early stages, she was portrayed as a less conventional character compared to the rest of the Hollyoaks teenagers. Fox left the series on 23 March 2023 due to going on maternity leave, and she returned on 15 January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Pickard</span> English actor (born 1975)

Nick Pickard is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member and in 2017, won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michaela McQueen</span> UK soap opera character, created 2006

Michaela McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Hollie-Jay Bowes. Michaela was the first of the McQueen family to be seen on-screen in 2006, when she was credited as Michaela Jones. On 8 June 2010, Bowes announced that she had quit the show and would leave in six months. However, it was announced on 24 June 2010 that show bosses had axed Bowes and speedily wrote Michaela out after she spoke about upcoming storylines and her exit on social networking website Twitter. Bowes reprised her role as Michaela in 2011, initially appearing in the fourth series of Hollyoaks Later, before reappearing in the main series. In July 2012, Bowes confirmed she would be leaving Hollyoaks, and her final scenes would air on 31 August 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Carpenter</span> UK soap opera character, created 2006

Zoe Carpenter is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Zoë Lister. The character first appeared on-screen on 1 September 2006, as one of three new students at Hollyoaks Community College. It was announced in 2009 that Lister had quit her role in order to pursue other projects; she subsequently left the series in January 2010. During Zoe's time in Hollyoaks she has been portrayed as a bubbly tomboy who often makes the wrong choices in life and has had a number of failed relationships. In March 2017, it was reported that Lister would be reprising the role and it was later confirmed that she would return for Amy Barnes' funeral. Her return aired on 24 April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ste Hay</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Ste Hay is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kieron Richardson. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 10 February 2006. Ste was created by David Hanson and was originally intended to be a short-term character for seven episodes. The following series producer Bryan Kirkwood decided to bring the character back on a permanent basis. As of 2010, Richardson has revealed that he is committed to staying in the serial. In April 2017, Richardson began taking hiatus from the show due to paternity leave, and made a full-time return on 18 December 2017. In October 2019, it was confirmed that Richardson will take a hiatus from the show departing on 20 November 2019. He returned on 3 November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Morgan</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Luke Morgan is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Gary Lucy. He was introduced by the show's creator Phil Redmond as part of the Morgan family, and made his first appearance on 25 March 1999. The character was involved in a male rape storyline, which was branded "groundbreaking" and met with controversy. Lucy opted to leave the role in 2001 after two years, although he returned for two episodes in August 2002. The character's reintroduction was announced on 21 May 2017 and he returned on 24 July. Lucy took a break from the series in 2018 to appear in a play. The character made a few brief appearances throughout 2019 before he returned permanently in August. Luke was killed off in 2022, with his final scenes airing on 9 June 2022. He returned briefly in 2023 as a vision to his former fiancée Cindy Cunningham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqui McQueen</span> UK soap opera character created in 2006

Jacqui McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Claire Cooper. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 26 September 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family. Cooper has stated that whilst Lucy Allan produced the serial she was not used and that Jacqui had "lost her identity". In 2010 when Paul Marquess took over the role, he recognised she was an under used character and split her apart from the McQueen family, subsequently increasing her role within the show. Jacqui has been portrayed as a "tough ex-con" and is extremely feisty, she often takes on the matriarch role within the McQueens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niall Rafferty</span> UK soap opera character, created 2007

Niall Rafferty is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Barry Sloane. He first appeared during an episode broadcast on 3 December 2007. Former Brookside actor Sloane was cast as the "mysterious" hairdresser Niall and was introduced by the series' producer Bryan Kirkwood. During Sloane's portrayal of Niall on-screen, he was central to a storyline involving the already-established McQueen family and it was revealed Niall was the illegitimate son of Myra McQueen. The storyline featured Niall seek revenge on the McQueens, which concluded in highly advertised episodes featuring Niall kidnapping his siblings and causing the death of his half-sister Tina Reilly. Niall was portrayed by upcoming actor Devon Jackson, the older brother of Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson, in flashback scenes depicting Niall's childhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydia Hart</span> Character from Hollyoaks, created 2009

Lydia Hart is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lydia Kelly. Lydia was created by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as one of many characters introduced that year. She made her debut in the soap on 4 March 2009, and remained for ten months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loretta Jones</span> UK soap opera character, created 2009

Loretta Jones is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, and its spin-off series, Hollyoaks Later. The character is played by Melissa Walton and first appeared on-screen on 26 November 2008 during the first series of the Hollyoaks spin-off Hollyoaks Later as a new love interest for the character Dominic Reilly. She made her first appearance in the Hollyoaks series in February 2009 and was the first character to be introduced to the series by producer Lucy Allan. In 2010, Loretta was axed from the series, along with 15 other characters, during a cast cull by executive producer Paul Marquess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dog in the Pond</span> Fictional public house in Hollyoaks

The Dog in the Pond is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995. In 2003, The Dog in the Pond was nominated as the "Best TV Boozer of All Time" in a poll run by Blackthorn Cider. The pub was burnt down in episodes airing in September 2006 during the 'Fire at The Dog', which killed five regular characters. The fire was named as one of soap's biggest disasters by the Daily Record in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riley Costello</span> UK soap opera character, created 2010

Riley Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Rob Norbury. Riley was introduced on 20 July 2010 with the Costello family as part of a cast overhaul of the series. In December 2011, the serial's executive producer Emma Smithwick said that Riley would remain in Hollyoaks despite his family's departure. On 14 September 2012, it was announced Riley was to leave Hollyoaks and Riley was killed off in a shooting during the episode airing 3 October 2012.

Hollyoaks began airing on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 23 October 1995. The show targeted teenagers and initially dramatised the lives of seven teenagers living in Hollyoaks, a fictional suburb in the city of Chester in Cheshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Button</span> UK soap opera character (launched 2011)

Ruby Button is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Anna Shaffer. Shaffer's casting was announced in December 2010 and it was revealed that Ruby would be introduced as the sister of Duncan Button. Shaffer originally auditioned for the role of Leanne Holiday, in which she was not successful. Shaffer began filming her scenes in late 2010 and relocated to Liverpool for filming. Ruby made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 3 January 2011. In October 2013, it was announced that Shaffer had quit the role and would leave in February 2014. In October 2017, speculation emerged indicating Shaffer was to reprise the role very soon and on 16 November 2017, it was confirmed that Ruby would be back for Frankie Osborne's funeral later that month. She returned on 23 November 2017, departing in the following episode, broadcast on 24 November. She made another return for a guest stint at the end of April 2018, making her final appearance on 30 April.

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