Ben Davies | |||||||||||||||
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Hollyoaks character | |||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Marcus Patric | ||||||||||||||
Duration | 2000–2005 | ||||||||||||||
First appearance | 14 August 2000 | ||||||||||||||
Last appearance | 18 December 2006 | ||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Jo Hallows | ||||||||||||||
Spin-off appearances | Hollyoaks: Indecent Behaviour (2001) Hollyoaks: Let Loose (2005) Hollyoaks: In the City (2006) | ||||||||||||||
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Ben Davies is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks , played by Marcus Patric. He first appeared in August 2000, [1] and after departing from the main show in 2005, made further appearances in spin-offs, Hollyoaks: Let Loose and Hollyoaks: In the City , which followed his relationship with Lisa Hunter (Gemma Atkinson)
Marcus Patric was cast in the Hollyoaks: On the Pull campaign to find new young actors to appear in the show during the London auditions where he was called back for further auditions in Liverpool and the role of Ben was created for him. The other three chosen were Andrew Somerville (Theo Sankofa), Lesley Johnston (Laura Burns) and Elize du Toit (Izzy Cornwell). [2]
Writers created a relationship between Ben and Ellie Mills (Sarah Baxendale). The two characters were used to break a world record of the longest kiss featured in film, set by the Guinness Book of Records. [3] The two characters kissed for a total of 3 minutes and 15 seconds. It broke the record previously set in 1941, from the comedy film You're in the Army Now . [3] To achieve the record the characters take part in an event on National Kissing Day, hosted at their local nightclub The Loft. [3] Baxendale told Emma Johnson from the Liverpool Echo that it took nearly five takes to film the kissing scenes. [3] Hollyoaks held the title until 2013. [4]
Ben arrived in the village and was a big hit as the hunky new fireman. Ben was an immediate hit with Mandy Richardson and Cindy Cunningham, although Mandy was a bit miffed when he brushed her off for Cindy. Ben instantly fell for Cindy Cunningham and his relationship with Cindy lasted until social services contacted her after reports that she had been mistreating her daughter, Holly. Cindy believed that Social Services wanted to put Holly with foster parents and decided to flee the country and run away to Spain. Ben helped Cindy by driving with her to the airport but on the way she accidentally ran over Anna Green.
After saying goodbye to Cindy, Ben returned to Hollyoaks Village. Nearly running her down again, Anna remembered that Ben had been in the car that knocked her down the first time. Ben tried to apologise to her but his apologies fell on deaf ears. However, he proved to be a good friend to Anna when she was pregnant and the two shared a bond.
Ben soon turned his attentions to Mandy Richardson, even though he knew that his best friend Luke Morgan wanted her back. Despite his affair with Mandy, Ben proved to be a vital friend to Luke, helping him get over his rape ordeal. However, when Luke found out about Mandy and Ben he was devastated and felt betrayed, leaving the guilty pair to reconsider their future. Ben and Luke had not been on good terms when Luke tried to muscle in on the running of Mandy's business, which he had invested in. However, Ben was rather jealous of this and told Mandy that she should just pay Luke back all of his money and tell Luke to leave the business alone. Eventually, Ben and Luke made up when they saw Adam Morgan's Game 4 It video and realised how ridiculous their disagreement was.
Ben soon grew tired of Mandy’s impetuous behaviour and reverted to being a ‘lad about town’. Ben embarked on a tempestuous on/off relationship with Izzy Cornwell after rescuing her from the clutches of Scott Anderson. The pair frequently wound each other up. Despite many attempts to sleep with Izzy, Ben failed. Ben’s character had turned into a sex maniac and pulled anything with a pulse. He had a brief relationship with Ellie but the relationship never seemed to go anywhere and soon Ben was to face a tough challenge in his life.
During a Potholing Trip there was a rock fall that left Theo Sankofa and Jamie Nash dead. Ben felt responsible for Jamie's death as he had acted incorrectly when attempting to save Jamie's life, even though he had extensive life saving experience with the fire department. These actions had probably resulted in Jamie's death. The experience left Ben devastated, but both his father Will and sister Abby helped him get over the tragedy and Ben also found support from Izzy.
Just as Ben seemed to be getting his life back on track, his dad's police colleague, Dale Jackson, moved in with the Davies household. Ben hated the idea of another woman in the house, knowing that his father, Will, fancied her and sister Abby thought Dale was like a mother figure. However, Ben soon succumbed to Dale’s charms and ended up in bed with her. After trying to forget his feelings, Ben failed and again slept with her only to be caught by his father. Feeling guilty, Ben was surprised at his father's reaction who refused to get involved. Ben soon learnt his lesson with Dale when she made another attempt to get together with him, this time resulting in a final rejection and her departure from Hollyoaks. Ben realised the true love of his life was Izzy, but found it difficult to tell her and she left for a trip around the world.
Instead Ben turned his attentions to Dale's Emma Chambers and after a one-night stand, Ben still knew that Izzy was the one for him. When she returned from abroad Ben initially appeared uninterested but after Izzy was involved in a minor accident he proposed to her at the hospital. She accepted but was unaware that Emma was now pregnant with Ben's child, a secret he strove to keep from her. The night before their wedding Scott Anderson told Izzy about Emma's pregnancy but she decided to go ahead with the wedding, much to Ben's relief. The marriage was not to last as Izzy found it hard to cope with the birth of Ben's child Arthur, and after finding out that she was unable to have children, Izzy decided to end their marriage by sleeping with Scott Anderson, Ben's enemy. Despite this Ben decided to forgive her, but Izzy was adamant that the marriage was over and left him.
More struggle was to follow for Ben when he lost his best friend Dan Hunter who died in a rally car explosion. After this Dan's younger sister, Lisa, grew closer to Ben and the pair shared a kiss. However, Ben was adamant that their relationship would not work because of their age gap. Lisa then began an affair with her brother's friend Jake Dean, who was dating Ben's friend Becca Hayton. Jake confessed the affair to Becca and told her she was the only woman he wanted. Jake turned to Ben for help to win Becca back and was even there when Jake proposed to Becca in the village. Ben would serve as Jake's best man at the wedding. Meanwhile, another fling was on the cards for Ben as he dated Louise Summers but he still could not fight his feelings for Lisa. Eventually, Ben dumped Louise and began to date Lisa. When the pair confirmed their relationship publicly a few people were shocked including the Hunter family. As the relationship went from strength to strength, Ben and Lisa decided to move away together and the pair said farewell to Hollyoaks.
Ben and Lisa then went to live in the big city and crossed over into their own spin off show Hollyoaks: Let Loose. They later crossed over in a second spin off Hollyoaks: In The City arriving in Liverpool and staying with Ben's friend Tanktop (Leon Lopez). Ben lost his savings to a con man and then worked as a doorman in a nightclub for Burton Phillips (Lee Warburton) while Lisa became a model. Their relationship started to deteriorate and they later broke up. Ben then started to date Lisa's friend and fellow model Polly. In the last few episodes Ben started to regret his split with Lisa and tried to get back together with her but Lisa didn't want to resume their relationship. She then got kidnapped by her new employer Stella. Ben sped to her rescue when he discovered Lisa's abduction and Stella's plans to use her in a snuff film, however, Stella's conscience got the better of her and she freed Lisa who, during a scuffle grabbed one of Stella's henchman's gun, when Ben burst into the room to rescue her she accidentally shot him, killing him. As the police arrive and arrest Stella and her gang, a distraught Lisa cradles Ben's body in her arms as Tanktop and Burton look on.
Virgin Media profiled Ben, of him a writer stated: "Ben's daredevil dayjob as a firefighter certainly helped him with his high strike rate of pneumatic blondes." They also brand him as having a "easygoing nature" which is often offset by girlfriend Lisa. [5] A columnist for LGBT website AfterElton observed Ben as being popular with females from his inception. They added that initially anyone would have wanted Ben to rescue to them from a fire but "sadly he lost his way and turned into a bit of a sex maniac". [6] In 2003, Ben was nominated as "Best TV Pubgoer" in a poll run by Blackthorn Cider. [7] In 2018, Catriona Rigney from OK! called Ben a "DISHY fireman" who "REALLY got hearts racing when he first appeared in the soap", as well as noting that he was "popular" and "a huge hit with viewers". [8] Di Hollingsworth from Soaplife included Ben and Cindy's hit and run incident involving Anna in their list of top ten soap storylines in which characters get away with committing crimes. [9] Writers from All About Soap assessed that Ben and Izzy "used to row all the time" and that their engagement "hasn't changed a thing". They quipped "they have trouble saying hello without snarling at one another." [10]
Lisa Hunter is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Gemma Atkinson. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 April 2001. The character is noted for her storylines including bullying and self-harming. After her exit from Hollyoaks, Atkinson reprised the role twice in two spin-off series. In November 2021, it was announced that Atkinson would be returning to Hollyoaks for a guest appearance, with her return airing in March 2022.
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.
Jake Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kevin Sacre. Sacre portrayed the character between 2002 and 2008, before making a return on 5 October 2009. In March 2010, Sacre was axed from the series by Paul Marquess during his major revamp and cast cull. Jake made his last appearance on 6 August 2010.
Becca Dean is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ali Bastian. She first appeared on-screen on 12 September 2001 and departed on 15 February 2007.
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.
Tony Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nick Pickard. His first appearance on-screen occurred on 23 October 1995, the inaugural episode of the programme, and is the longest-serving character in the soap. The character was created by Phil Redmond, as one of several main characters for the show. For his portrayal of Tony, Pickard won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement at the 2017 British Soap Awards.
Zara Morgan is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kelly Condron. The character initially appeared from 1 April 1999 to 22 December 2005. In July 2021, 15 years after her initial departure from the soap, it was announced that Condron would be reprising her role as Zara, and she returned full-time from 5 August 2021. On 29 June 2023, it was announced that Condron was to make a second departure from Hollyoaks. Zara's final scenes aired on 30 June 2023.
Louise Summers is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actress Roxanne McKee. The character first appeared in February 2005 as the feisty, glamorous girlfriend of Darren Osborne. McKee has been nominated for several awards for her portrayal of the character. In 2008, it was revealed McKee had quit her role as Louise and planned to depart later in the year. She made her final appearance on 26 December 2008 when fiancé Warren Fox murdered her on their wedding day.
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.
Toby Mills is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Henry Luxemburg. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 25 October 2001. Toby is introduced into the series as a university student and a pub barman. He was originally characterised as a risk-taker and a loyal friend. Producers decided to transform Toby into the show's first serial killer. His murder spree plays largely into his characterisation as writers displayed his anger issues and relationship issues.
Ellie Mills is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sarah Baxendale. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 15 February 2002. Ellie is part of the show's Hunter family. She had been referenced on-screen numerous times as her family were searching for her after she goes missing in Ibiza. She later arrives in Chester which shocks her family. Ellie is characterised as a confident and independent female but has selfish tendencies. Ellie's stories have revolved around her relationships, especially with Toby Mills, who she later marries. Writers portrayed Toby as a serial killer who goes on a prolonged murder spree in the community. Writers embroiled Ellie into his crimes and she choses not to report him to the police. Ellie later fears for her safety and flees to Liverpool. The scenes formed part of a late-night spin-off episode titled Hollyoaks: Leap of Faith, which featured Toby's death. Ellie was featured in one of the show's biggest stunts when she and Toby fall from a one-hundred foot building. Ellie survives and later allows her brother, Dan Hunter to take the blame for the murders. Ellie's lies are soon discovered and she is arrested and put on trial for covering up Toby's murders.
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.
Laura Burns is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lesley Johnston between November 2000 and 2002.
The Cunningham family are a fictional family in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks. The family were one of the original families introduced in 1995, debuting on the first episode of Hollyoaks. They originally consisted of Gordon Cunningham and his ex-wife Angela, and their children: Dawn, Jude, Cindy and Max.