| Gabby Sharpe | |||||||||||||||
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| Hollyoaks character | |||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Phina Oruche | ||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 18 June 2010 | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 17 December 2010 | ||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Paul Marquess | ||||||||||||||
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Gabby Sharpe is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks , played by Phina Oruche. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 June 2010, before departing on 17 December 2010.
On 29 March 2010, media entertainment website Digital Spy reported that former Footballers' Wives actress Phina Oruche would join Hollyoaks as the mother of the soap's new four-member mixed race family as part of the soap's ongoing rejuvenation. [1] Of the casting, a Hollyoaks source stated: "Paul [Marquess] [series producer] has a clear ambition for Hollyoaks - to make it as it's ever been. He really rated Phina during her time on Footballers' Wives, so knew she was right for the job of heading up the new clan." [1] The family were given the name of Sharpe, who would arrive "in dramatic circumstances". [2] In April 2010, Oruche's character was revealed to be Gabby Sharpe, the wife of Phil Sharpe (Andonis Anthony) and the mother of fifteen-year-old Taylor (Shaun Blackstock) and twelve-year-old Amber (Lydia Lloyd-Henry). [3] Of the castings, Hollyoaks series producer Paul Marquess stated: "We can't wait for this huge new boost of energy exploding on screen. These exciting new characters join our fantastic core cast. Together they will ensure that 2010 will be a year to remember on Hollyoaks." [3] Oruche was the first major signing of Marquess. [4]
Speaking to Digital Spy of her character, Oruche stated, "She wears her heart on her sleeve. She's a mum first and foremost and she's got her identity from being a mum. [...] She's a quiet person. [...] She's strong and she's way classier than I'll ever be!" [5] Gabby is also portrayed as being "quiet". In the same interview, Oruche noted the differences between Gabby and her character Liberty Baker in Footballers Wives. She added: [...] "She's not lairy like Liberty, falling down stairs or falling out of cabs. She's the opposite. She's quiet but there's a few surprises in store. I'm a mum now and you never know what you'll do to protect your children or where your strength will come from until you test it. She's a ma!" [5]
Channel 4 publicity describe Gabby as "strong yet nurturing" and make note of her ability to be "extremely tolerant", unless pushed to her breaking point. [6] Channel Five's soap opera reporting website Holy Soap described her as being a gentle mum-of-two who is ready to make some big changes in her life." [7]
Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) decides to visit Wales to find a new house for his family, and meets Gabby for the first time. Gabby walks away from Tony and is knocked over by a passing car and falls unconscious. She goes to hospital and wakes up with Tony by her side. Gabby asks Tony to make sure her children are safe as her husband is away on business in Dubai. Gabby's children Amber and Taylor visit her and she asks Tony to look after them. Gabby confesses that she was leaving her husband as she was knocked over, and she was taking the children with her. Tony confronts Gabby and tells her she is wrong to run away from her husband, however she tells him that he does not know anything about her life. Gabby and Tony make up after he grows closer to her children. She plans to start a new life with Tony, but husband Phil arrives from his business trip. Gabby and Tony then walk away from each other's lives.
Gabby is not seen again until August 2010, when she and Phil go for a meal at il Gnosh restaurant. Gabby and Tony are delighted to see each other. Gabby argues with Phil as he continues to be abrupt with Tony. Gabby becomes upset as Phil gets angry and smashes a glass, causing him to walk out. Tony comforts Gabby and she explains she is unhappy. Gabby visits Tony again and Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) takes her phone before she leaves. Gabby is shocked when she finds Tony at her home and he returns her phone. Gabby tells him she is going to leave Phil and asks Tony to help her. Gabby packs her suitcase and gathers Amber and Taylor's things. She prepares to leave as Phil arrives. Gabby opens the door and Phil sees the suitcases. Tony hides outside in the garden. Gabby tells Phil she is going on holiday and asks him to leave but he refuses. Phil becomes angry and grabs her, making Tony run into the house. Gabby moves away from Phil as Tony pushes him off her. Amber and Taylor arrive home and Gabby runs towards them and tells them their leaving. Gabby, Amber and Taylor leave the house with Tony. She arrives at Tony's flat and he tells her she can stay as long as she needs.
Gabby is shocked when Theresa tells her that Amber and Taylor have their suitcases with them. Gabby finds them at Relish with Phil. She tells Phil that he is not taking Amber and Taylor but he ignores her. Gabby threatens Phil and tells him she will reveal what has happened between them. Phil then leaves alone. Gabby tries to reason with Amber but she ignores her. Gabby meets Cindy Hutchinson (Stephanie Waring) at Cincerity boutique and they become friends. She goes to the charity fashion show and sees Cindy. Gabby invites Cindy to Tony's flat not realising she is Tony's wife. Tony arrives and Gabby asks him if he knows Cindy. Gabby is shocked when Cindy tells her that she is Tony's wife.
Gabby admits her feelings for Tony to Taylor, and he tells her to talk to Tony. Gabby tells Tony who also admits his feelings and they kiss. Amber sees them and tells Phil who punches Tony. Gabby tells him that they are not having an affair and threatens to tell Amber their secret. Later, Gabby buys Cincerity with Heidi Costello (Kim Tiddy). Gabby also becomes a school governor at Hollyoaks High School. Gabby brings Phil to Tony's for the night after picking him up from the police station for drink driving, leaving Tony unhappy. The next day, Taylor tells Gabby that Phil has another wife and two children, leaving her shocked. Phil visits Gabby and asks her to give their marriage a second chance, and Gabby tells him she knows about his other family. Gabby then tells Phil that she loves Tony, to the dismay of Amber.
Gabby grounds Amber for her behaviour and asks Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) to babysit. Gabby and Tony go to Heidi and Carl Costello's (Paul Opacic) reopening of The Dog in the Pond public house. They go home and see a fire in Il Gnosh and the upstairs flat. Gabby frantically screams for Amber who escapes onto the rooftop, however she slips but Tony rescues her. She later speaks to Frankie Osborne (Helen Pearson), who tells her that Amber stole a pregnancy test from Drive 'n' Buy shop. Gabby confronts Amber who tells her that the pregnancy test was for her and that she is pregnant. When Gabby goes to Taylor's football match, she meets Helen (Emma Vaudrey) and Arlo Davenport (Travis Yates) who are Phil's other family. They go for lunch and she discovers that Helen began a relationship with Phil first, but they did not marry. Gabby, Amber, Taylor and Tony move in with the O'Connor family following the fire. Amber agrees to let Diane O'Connor (Alexandra Fletcher) raise her baby after it is born. When Diane discovers that her stepson Finn (Connor Wilkinson) is the baby's father, she tells Gabby she cannot raise Amber's baby, leaving her angry. Gabby leaves Chester with Amber and Taylor to live at her father's house.
Holy Soap describe Gabby's most memorable moment as being: "She arrived on the soap with a bang when she got hit by a car." [7]
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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.
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.
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.
Cindy Cunningham is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Stephanie Waring. She made her first on-screen appearance on 13 November 1995, originally played by Laura Crossley, as the youngest daughter of Gordon and Angela Cunningham. A year after her first appearance, Crossley quit the serial later that year and the role was recast to Waring who appeared from November 1996 to November 2000. Waring reprised the role briefly in 2002 and 2004 before returning as a full-time character in June 2008, reintroduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood. In 2010, the character was temporarily written out for Waring's maternity leave. She returned to filming in January 2011 and returned to screens on 9 March 2011. In April 2024, it was announced Waring had been axed from the soap as part of a revamp, however was assured Cindy would not be killed-off. Cindy departed the Village with Tom Cunningham, after she discovered her husband Dave Williams' crimes on 4 September 2024.
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.
Kathleen McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Alison Burrows. She first appeared during late-night spin-off Hollyoaks Later in September 2009 as the sister of Myra McQueen and mother of Theresa McQueen. Burrows reprised her role as Kathleen in August 2014, but left again in September.
Cheryl Brady is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Bronagh Waugh. The character first appeared on-screen on 24 November 2008, during the first series of the Hollyoaks spin-off Hollyoaks Later, as the former love interest of Malachy Fisher. She made her first appearance in main Hollyoaks episodes in July 2009, introduced to the serial by series producer, Lucy Allan. In 2010 when Paul Marquess began producing the serial, he felt that Cheryl was being used in the wrong way, subsequently making her a central character to the show. It was announced on 1 February 2013 that Waugh quit her role. Cheryl departed Hollyoaks on 22 March 2013, after four years on the show, along with her brother, Brendan Brady.
India Longford is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Beth Kingston. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 September 2009 and was introduced by series producer Lucy Allan as a new student at Hollyoaks Community College. Kingston was given the role after she entered and won an online competition run by Hollyoaks Desperately Seeking. In November 2010, it was announced that India would be murdered. India was murdered by Silas Blissett on 23 December 2010. India returned briefly in 2011 and 2012. Kingston has stated that she was happy to leave the show before being typecast in the role. India has been portrayed as a "posh bird" and is narrow-minded, having a tendency to "rub people up the wrong way". She is also described as sensible and "strait-laced".
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Amber Sharpe is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lydia Lloyd-Henry in 2010 and Lauren Gabrielle-Thomas in 2014. The character was introduced as a member of the new Sharpe family, as part of series producer Paul Marquess' rejuvenation of the serial in 2010. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 June 2010. Amber's storylines have included sleeping with Finn O'Connor and subsequently discovering she is pregnant and giving birth to her daughter Bella.
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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.
Liberty Savage is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actress and singer-songwriter Abi Phillips from 2010 to 2013, and Jessamy Stoddart from 2018. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 December 2010. Phillips was approached by Hollyoaks producers after she submitted one of her songs to be played on the show. Following a strong response to the song, producers invited her to audition for the role of Liberty, in which she was successful. Liberty was introduced to Hollyoaks along with her fiancé, Ethan Scott. After an absence of four months during 2013, it was announced that Liberty would be written out of the serial, and she departed on 24 July 2013. On 22 May 2018, it was announced that Liberty would return, but this time with Stoddart in the role, and she returned on 5 June 2018. Stoddart went on maternity leave in December 2022, with the character of Liberty set to return in 2024.
Lydia Lloyd-Henry is an English actress. She was born in Manchester, England. She played Amber Sharpe in Hollyoaks.