| Dannii Carbone | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollyoaks character | |||||
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| Portrayed by | Christina Baily | ||||
| Duration | 2004–2007 | ||||
| First appearance | 13 January 2004 | ||||
| Last appearance | 8 June 2007 | ||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||
| Introduced by | Jo Hallows (2004) Bryan Kirkwood (2007) | ||||
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Dannii Carbone is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Hollyoaks , played by Christina Baily. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 January 2004.
Baily landed the role of Dannii in her first audition after graduating from drama school. [1] Of her casting, she stated "I couldn't believe it – I've always been a fan of the show, but to get the role at my first attempt was unbelievable. But the cast has been fantastic, they've all helped me settle in." [1] Baily made her debut appearance as Dannii on 12 January 2004. [1] Baily later said she was "very lucky" to win the role of Dannii and enjoyed the acting, but she disliked having to do the "lads mags interviews". [2]
Dannii's character makes "an instant impression" on the local residents as she arrives with minders, leading to speculation about "underworld" contacts and her mysterious family background. [1] She also has a habit of walking around naked, causing an Inside Soap writer to note that she "looks like she's going to be a real handful." [1] Weeks after her arrival, Dannii surprises the other characters by applying for a job at the new student union bar. [3] Baily said "Nobody can believe Dannii wants a job in the bar, as she doesn't need the cash! But she doesn't want to miss out on anything!" [3] Dannii is disappointed when Sophie Burton (Connie Powney) is placed in charge, but that makes her more determined to win control of the bar. Dannii gets Sophie drunk with the intention that Sophie will be too hungover to work the next day. Baily explained that her character is used to getting her own way and feels that she has the best leadership qualities. [3] The actress also said the student union bar would become the new social Centre of Hollyoaks and that she had a lot of scenes set there, including overseeing Rag Week, in which students take part in a number of competitions. [3]
Dannii's flat mate Kristian Hargreaves (Max Brown) attempts to win her over, but despite the chemistry between them, Kristian has trouble convincing her to admit her feelings for him. [4] Brown stated, "Dannii is a real queen bee and loves the attention she gets from Kristian. He decides to make her jealous, so she'll realize she fancies him – but his plan goes completely wrong and Dannii comes out on top." [4] Dannii plays a trick on Kristian when he brags about having a one-night stand with Stacey Foxx (Jemma Keys). Brown said that Kristian is desperate to get rid of Stacey, but Dannii and Nick O'Connor (Darren Bransford) invite her to lunch, tease her and then repeatedly call Kristian's phone, which convinces him that Stacey is stalking him. Brown reckoned that there would be "fireworks" between Kristian and Dannii when he finds out what she has done. [4]
Dannii was introduced as a wealthy fashion student at Hollyoaks Community College. She made her first appearance in Hollyoaks by arriving in a flashy car with blacked-out windows and a couple of mean-looking men by her side. She moved above Drive 'n' Buy with Nick O'Connor and Kristian Hargreaves, and attracted male attention.
The other characters jumped to the conclusion that her father is in the Mafia, but he was in fact just a rich Italian businessman. Furthermore, Dannii proved to them that she could stand on her own feet. and wasn't just a rich girl. She began to work at the Student Union Bar and fell for the charms of Russ Owen, her coworker she would begin to date. However, the romance takes a break when Russ discovers that he has testicular cancer, and Dannii shows her loyalty as she sticks by him. She also becomes close friends with Hall's roommate Joe Spencer, whom she offered support for throughout his troubles. Dannii and Russ got back together after a while and their relationship seemed stronger.
In the late night spin off Hollyoaks: Crossing The Line, Dannii was invited to Lee Hunter's presidential party where her drink was spiked by Andy Holt, who went on to rape her. The morning after, Dannii could not remember what had happened and confronted Andy, who told her she slept with him. Russ's brother and Andy's best friend Sam overheard what had happened and Dannii begged him to keep quiet.
Several months attacking Dannii, Andy spiked Louise Summers drink at The Loft, but she was saved by Joe. Louise began to suspect she had been spiked and that a date rapist was on the loose. In response, she began a campaign at HCC called "what's in your drink." After noticing Dannii's change in personality and seeing her have a panic attack, Louise realised Dannii had been attacked. She helped Dannii to deal with it, but not before Andy attacked again.
When she confronted him with the truth, Andy refused to admit he had raped her. To make matters worse, Andy lied to her husband Russ and told him that Dannii had seduced him. When Russ confronted her, an enraged Dannii told Russ that Andy had raped her. However, Russ believed Andy over Dannii which caused their divorce. Russ and Andy had become friends through Sam, Russ's brother, who was in on the rapes with Andy.
After her divorce, Dannii attempted to jump off the roof of HCC, but Louise stopped her. Louise brought fellow rape victims Mel and Sophie Burton along with her to prove to Dannii that they could band together and report Andy to the police. The four victims gave their statements to the police, but by that time Andy had disappeared from Hollyoaks.
Dannii found support in her fellow victims and her friends including Joe. Despite many attempts to recover from her rape, she decided it would be best for her to move back to Italy. Russ tried to stop her from going and asked her to marry him again, but she was already set on returning to Italy. Russ confessed that he had accidentally killed Andy when he went to confront him about Dannii's accusation. Shocked, Dannii told him to go to the police. After a tearful goodbye to Russ, Dannii then left Hollyoaks in a taxi. Unbeknownst to Russ, Andy had actually survived.
Dannii returned to Hollyoaks in June 2007 after receiving a text message from her ex-lover Russ on his Mobile phone saying that he wanted her back. The message was in fact sent by Darren Osborne. She got to meet his fiancée, Mercedes McQueen, who was furious, believing that Russ still loved his ex-partner Dannii. Mercedes dumped pasta on her head. In the end, Russ pledged his loyalty to Mercedes, and Dannii left to work in a fashion house in Milan.
While defending the newly introduced Hollyoaks characters, a columnist for Inside Soap expressed their love for Dannii, writing "Spoilt brat Dannii is fab – an Izzy Cornwell for the iPod generation". [5]
Justin Burton is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Chris Fountain. Justin arrived in 2003 and departed on 3 June 2009. Justin arrived in a family of six, however by September 2006, the Burton family had left the show. It was announced in March 2009 that Fountain had decided to leave the show and would depart in a 'major storyline which echoes the fire which killed his sisters'. Fountain was credited in a flashback episode broadcast on 1 December 2010. On 12 April 2023, it was revealed that Justin had been killed off-screen on 5 October 2022, nearly 14 years after his last appearance on screen.
Rhys Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance in September 2005. Rhys was killed off in the Enjoy The Ride storyline in an episode airing on 15 November 2012 and the character departed on 16 November 2012. Rhys made a return on 27 June 2014 as part of his ex-girlfriend Cindy Cunningham's storyline about her bipolar disorder.
Samuel Liam "Sam" Owen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Louis Tamone. He first appeared on 2 August 2004 and was introduced by producer Jo Hallows as a member of the Owen family comprising five new cast members. Tamone was axed in 2006 by the new producer Bryan Kirkwood and Sam was killed-off on 8 September during a fire ignited by him at The Dog in the Pond public house, which resulted in the deaths of five regular characters.
Nicole Owen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ciara Janson. First appearing in 2004, Janson left the soap on 25 September 2006, making a brief return on 10 July 2007 until she left again on 13 July 2007. In 2019, it was confirmed that Nicole would be returning for her nephew, Max McQueen.
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.
Mel Burton is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actress Cassie Powney. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 September 2003. Powney joined the cast along with her twin Connie Powney, who plays Mel's twin sister Sophie Burton. They auditioned for the roles six months after deciding they should stop putting themselves forward for twin roles. Mel was introduced along with Joe Spencer and Robbie Flynn, as new students attending Hollyoaks College. The character's family were introduced a month later. Mel is characterised as being clever, introverted and more controlled than her sister.
Carmel Valentine is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Gemma Merna. She debuted on-screen during episodes airing on 22 August 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family. Carmel has proved popular with fans with her comedic personality and has become notable for her "dumb blonde" appearance. Carmel was killed-off as she saved her cousin, Theresa McQueen from Sonny Valentine during the "End of the Line" storyline. Her most prominent storylines include her marriage and divorce from Sonny's brother Calvin Valentine, her facial disfigurement after a tanning machine explodes in her face, remarrying Calvin which ends in tragedy after he was shot dead by Theresa, her relationship with Jim McGinn, her feud with Theresa and infatuation with Theresa and Calvin's daughter Kathleen-Angel McQueen, beginning a relationship with Sonny and being killed in an explosion following a train crash at her cousin Porsche McQueen's wedding reception.
Mercedes McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jennifer Metcalfe. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 as the first character to be introduced to the series by series producer, Bryan Kirkwood. In 2008 Metcalfe feared that the character was to be axed but was later reassured by the series producer that she would not be. Metcalfe later stated her intention to stay with the series. Mercedes is part of the McQueen family and is the longest serving McQueen on the series. On 26 August 2014, it was revealed that Metcalfe had decided to quit the soap. On 20 November 2014, Mercedes was presumably stabbed to death, with her body discarded. However, Metcalfe returned to screens on 17 February 2015 in a surprise, unannounced twist which saw Mercedes revealed as alive and well, living in Nice, France. It was announced that Mercedes would make a full-time return to the show in May 2015, after brief appearances on 18 February, 9 March, and 6 April. Metcalfe announced her pregnancy in 2017 and revealed that she would be taking a year's break from the show. Mercedes was last seen on screen leaving with Goldie McQueen on 4 July 2017, although she briefly appeared on 7 September 2017 in a fake flashback scene involving her and Amy Barnes surmised by James Nightingale. Mercedes returned on 9 July 2018, and then made several other appearances before returning permanently on 13 August.
Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, portrayed by Jamie Lomas. The character and casting were announced on 12 May 2006, and Warren made his first appearance on 26 June. He was introduced as an old acquaintance of Sean Kennedy. Lomas left the series in 2009, with his departure coinciding with the return of Clare Devine. On 17 October 2010, it was announced that Lomas would return to the series, appearing from 29 October, but he left the series for the second time in December 2011.
Russ Owen is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, played by Stuart Manning. He first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 22 August 2004 with the Owen family and has been involved in storylines including being diagnosed with testicular cancer and kidnapping his son Max McQueen. It was announced in April 2009 that Manning had quit the role and Russ departed in the episode first broadcast on 3 June 2009. Nine years later, it was confirmed that Manning would reprise the role. Russ returned on 13 August 2018 and was killed-off on 16 November 2018 after being murdered by Breda McQueen.
Andrew "Andy" Holt is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Warren Brown.
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 Jacqui had "lost her identity". In 2010 when Paul Marquess took over the role, he recognised she was an under used character 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.
Diego Salvador Martinez Hernandez De La Cruz is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Juan Pablo Yepez. The character made his first on-screen appearance on 16 November 2015. Diego was introduced as a new love interest of established character Myra McQueen following a chance meeting in Alicante, Spain. Yepez auditioned for the role then met with Barber-Lane and after a successful screen test was offered the part. It was his first regular British television role after moving to the country from Venezuela. The character's first scenes proved controversial due to his ownership of a Confederate flag at a time it was deemed socially unacceptable. Diego is also a Venezuelan national and he is characterised as a romantic person, with honest values and a fresh outlook on life. He also has a cheeky and charming personality.
Joanne Cardsley is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Rachel Leskovac. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 17 September 2015. Joanne's arrival on-screen was not announced prior to broadcast. It was later reported she had joined the show as a regular cast member. Producer Bryan Kirkwood was glad to cast Leskovac because he admired her previous work as Natasha Blakeman on Coronation Street. Joanne is introduced as an old friend of Simone Loveday. She is characterised as an intelligent and successful solicitor but has a troubled personal life. Driven by loneliness she concocts schemes and behaves in a manipulative manner. The character made her final appearance on 5 December 2016 at the end of Leskovac's one-year contract.
Grace Black is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Tamara Wall. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 8 November 2013. Wall had three auditions for the role on the show's set in Liverpool. The character is introduced as the sister of Clare Devine, who had been killed off in earlier episodes. Grace arrives to investigate her death and get reacquainted with her estranged father Fraser Black.