George Smith | |||||||||
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Hollyoaks character | |||||||||
Portrayed by | Steven Roberts | ||||||||
Duration | 2011–2014 | ||||||||
First appearance | 5 September 2011 | ||||||||
Last appearance | 18 September 2014 | ||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
Introduced by | Gareth Philips | ||||||||
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George Smith (born Andrew Palmer) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks , played by Steven Roberts. George debuted on-screen on 5 September 2011. George was introduced alongside the characters Neil Cooper (Tosin Cole) and Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan); forming a new group of sixth-form college students. George is homosexual and is characterised as a "sharp tongued fashionista" with an unusual dress sense. He is best friends with Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) and Tilly Evans (Lucy Dixon), Roberts has said that George acts like their "lap-dog". However, George lacks confidence around the series' male characters.
George was brought to the forefront of the series when he features in a homelessness storyline. Hollyoaks worked with the charities Centrepoint and Shelter to conduct research into the issue. Roberts said the storyline raised awareness of a taboo subject in the media. The storyline portrayed George dealing with various aspects of homelessness and offered viewers an insight to the character. He has an "unlikely" friendship with Callum and his dynamic with Phoebe Jackson (Mandip Gill) reveals that George puts up an act around others to fit in. Anthony D. Langford of AfterElton.com has praised the storyline for highlighting the issue of homeless gay teenagers, while a columnist for Soaplife has embraced George's openness about his sexuality.
Roberts left his role in 2014 and George made a surprise exit in the E4 episode on 17 September 2014. [1]
The character was introduced as one of six new sixth-form students who arrive to study in Hollyoaks. The character was announced on 25 August 2011 with actor Steven Roberts taking the role. George was introduced alongside two other new characters Neil Cooper (Tosin Cole) and Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan). Completing the set of new students were the three previously seen characters of Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman), Tilly Evans (Lucy Dixon) and Jono (Dylan Llewellyn). [2] Roberts made his first on-screen appearance as George in the episode broadcast on 5 September 2011. [3]
OMG! If you're ever in need of fashion advice or a shopping companion, then look no further than George! Determined to bring style to the corridors of Hollyoaks 6th Form, this sharp tongued fashionista will tell you what not to wear - whether you want to know or not. Best mates with Maddie and Tilly, George likes nothing more than hanging out with his girls, but when it comes to romance he lacks the confidence to make a move on boys - not that this stops him crushing on lots of them! .
George was described by in a press release as being the best friend and "fashionista" to Maddie and Tilly. George gives out fashion advice to his friends even if they do not like it. George does not have any confidence around men and despite his many "crushes" he is too afraid to act on them. Roberts told AGENT2 magazine that George is the "gay best friend" and a "good friend" who follows the girls around like "their lap dog". George "tells them what they want to hear and dresses them." [5] George knows a great deal about fashion, but Roberts said did not know as much and had to take a more "active interest" in fashion trends. He branded George's own attire as "very out there" because his outfits are "very colourful and cool". Roberts did not like many of his outfits because they were too colourful. [5] He later told Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that he did not mind the clothing because it is part of George's character. Roberts said that the fact George enjoys his clothes was a good quality. [6] Will Martin of Cultbox said that George is "outspoken and catty"; which makes males "wary of his oozing self-confidence". [7]
"Imagine living in a dirty, damp, cold squat. Too embarrassed to tell any of your friends. No heating, no running water, no food or bed. Poor George is in a real rut. He's terrified his friends will find out his homeless secret and he's struggling to afford to eat. Those living conditions and his poor diet are a recipe for ill health."
—E4.com on George's situation. (2012) [8]
George was brought to the forefront of the series when he was featured in a storyline focusing on homelessness. Roberts told Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly that the serial's producer Emma Smithwick talked him through their plans for the storyline. He was "really excited" at the prospect of portraying "hard-hitting" issue lead story. [6] Hollyoaks worked with the charities Centrepoint and Shelter to conduct research for the storyline. They aimed to raise awareness of homeless teenagers. Roberts was not very aware of the issue to begin with. He said that it was nice of the series to highlight a real issue that "you don't really see it in the papers". [6]
In December 2011, Smithwick told Digital Spy that she "loved" George and was excited about a storyline that the production team had planned for him. [9] Later that month Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy revealed that George was hiding a "huge secret" and questioned how long George could keep it hidden from his friends. [10] In January 2012, Smithwick told Inside Soap that she was finding George an interesting character and still "loved" to watch him. [11] The storyline then began to play out on-screen and viewers discovered that George had no fixed address and had been squatting in a house. Press spoilers released on 8 January 2012 revealed that George's storyline would come to front of storylines over the weeks that followed. Mandip Gill was cast as Phoebe Jackson; a fellow squatter who lives with George. While fellow sixth-form student Callum discovers George's secret and tries to help him. [12]
Gill told TV Times that her Phoebe had been squatting for longer than George and he is not as "streetwise" as she is. As Callum is George's friend she does not trust him because she views outsiders as "trouble". [13] Phoebe fears that she will lose George and both end up in care if Callum reports them. Gill said that "George and her dog Thunder are all she has". This causes tension between Phoebe and George and he decides to move out. Phoebe feels "guilty" because George is unwell. Gill said that George's illness forces Phoebe to put her own feeling aside to ask Callum for help. Gill said that "George is very ill and she knows it'd be on her conscience if anything happened to him." [13] Roberts' take on the friendship George and Phoebe share, echoed Gill's previous statement. He felt that George is inexperienced in being homeless compared to her; having only been homeless for eight months. [6] In his backstory; George became dependent on Phoebe as his situation became desperate, while in the storyline she is his source for advice on "what to do and where to go". However, their friendship leads them into "quite awkward situations" where they act as one another's "lifelines". When George is around Phoebe he is serious and "down-to-earth", which forges a "brilliant" friendship. Roberts indicated that this was in stark contrast to his behaviour around his sixth-form friends. George creates a bravado to fit in with them and he pretends all is fine, "while being quite camp and outrageous". [6]
In one scene Callum asks George whether his parents disowned him because he is homosexual. George did not confirm the details of their estrangement. Roberts told Kilkelly that at that point, George does not feel he needs to discuss his family life because he has moved on. Roberts said that the storyline helped convey an insight to why George acts the way he does. As the storyline developed, more details surrounding George are revealed and audience was given the chance to see how George deals with the various situations of homelessness. The storyline became "a lot darker" as it became more serious. [6] As the storyline progressed; George and Phoebe are forced to live on the streets after other squatters steal their living space. Roberts said that the squat provided George with a platform to attend college and put up a front. Now he sleeps on cardboard in the streets. Roberts said that George starts to look "rougher because it's cold, damp and very bleak". They receive help from Deena Hardman (Sian Breckin). Roberts described her as "very manipulative character and she hasn't got their best interests at heart". [6]
George arrives at Hollyoaks Sixth Form College with his friends Maddie, Tilly, Jono and Neil. George reveals he has crushes on many of the local males and offers advice to his friends. Maddie and Tilly convince George to go on a night out with Bart McQueen (Jonny Clarke), Jono and Neil while they have a girl's night. George finds it hard to bond with the guys until he manages to steal a beer pump for the local pub. He tells Maddie that she should get together with Callum. Maddie accuses George of gossiping and lying, and then refuses to include him. Tilly comforts George while he cries in the toilets. George gets a job at the Price Slice shop.
George then begins stealing scraps of food from people when they are not looking. He continues to act secretive and goes to a house where he is squatting. While Maddie is away on holiday, George is paired with Callum in an assignment for General Studies. In the SU Bar, Callum convinces George to buy the drinks to improve his confidence. A group of revellers push George around because he is gay. Callum defends George by fighting the group off. After George refuses to let Callum take him home; he lets George stay at his house. Callum becomes suspicious of George's home life and follows him back to his squat. Callum tries to help George by providing him with food. Phoebe tells Callum not to trust him. Callum spends the night in the squat to find out what George lives like. George falls ill and refuses help from Callum. George chases shoplifters who attack him, he tells Callum he needs the job to survive. When he goes to stay at Callum's again, Maddie nearly catches him. George finds that his squat has been taken over and is scared away. He and Phoebe are forced to live on the streets and beg. Maddie quips George over his messy appearance, which results in him losing his temper with her. He again refuses help from Callum and accepts money from Deena Hardman (Sian Breckin). Phoebe is then attacked by a thug.
Phoebe is attacked by a thug and is saved by Deena who takes Phoebe and George back to her home. Phoebe thinks that Deena has an ulterior motive, while George thinks she is being friendly. Phoebe finds a photograph of a missing boy she knows and realises that Deena is involved in human trafficking. Deena and Graham Hardman (Steve Marsh) become violent in their attempts to stop George and Phoebe escaping. George escapes and tells Callum that he thinks Phoebe did not. George later finds Phoebe's bracelet and assumes she is safe. He then agrees to stay at Callum's for a while. George struggles to get along with Lacey Kane (Georgia Bourke). Phoebe returns and tells George that Deena and Graham are watching him. Phoebe leads George to Deena, who takes him back to her house and locks him up. Phoebe tells him that she betrayed him to save her dog's life. Deena arranges for George to have sex with a man, who turns out to be an under cover police officer. Phoebe and George decide to run away from the police to avoid being sent into care. Maddie and Callum take George to see his parents. George reveals that he was bullied which eventually led to him leaving home. After he threw his old identity off a cliff, George realises that his family presumed that he killed himself. George reveals that his name is actually Andrew Palmer and returns to his parents who are shocked that he is alive. George plans to go to Jono and Ruby Button's (Anna Shaffer) wedding. Maddie steals a mini van and plans to drive them so they can elope to Gretna Green. They discover the van they have stolen has the wedding cakes from Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard), Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring), Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and Doug Carter's (PJ Brennan) double wedding. George feels ill and the sight of the cake makes him feel worse so he switches seats with Neil. On their way to drop the wedding cakes off, Bart and Esther try to drive them off the road so they can stop the wedding. Maddie realises the brakes are not working and has to swerve off the road to avoid Leah Barnes (Ela-May Demirican). Maddie crashes in to the wedding venue of the double wedding and the car is upturned. Neil is killed. Maddie helps George escape and he helps her free herself. George thanks Maddie for saving his life and then realises that if he had not switches seats with Neil, Neil would not have died. The van explodes and the flaming mini bus door falls out of the sky hitting Maddie and killing her instantly.
For his portrayal of George, Roberts was nominated for "Best Actor" at the 2012 British Soap Awards. [14] He was later nominated in the categories of "Best Actor" and "Best Newcomer" at the 2012 TV Choice Awards. [15] At the 2012 Inside Soap Awards Roberts was nominated for "Best Newcomer". [16]
Anthony D. Langford of AfterElton.com admitted that he did not see George's homeless storyline coming. He said that it would be "interesting to see where this reality-based storyline is headed" because "there are a lot of homeless gay teens". [17] Langford later said that he was intrigued by where the serial were taking the storyline. He opined that a relationship between George and Callum would be credible given the serial's history concerning homosexual characters. He described their scenes as "very sweet"; and opined that a love triangle between George, Callum and Maddie would make a "great story". [18] Langford said it was a "good decision by the writers" to pair the two characters in a "topical storyline". He stated his surprise to his enjoyment of the storyline because initially "couldn’t stand" the character of George. [19] Langford later criticised what he thought was the climax of the human trafficking storyline. He bemoaned the dearth of realism when George assumed Phoebe was safe because he found her bracelet. Langford also felt that Hollyoaks wanted the storyline to end quickly and branded it as a ploy to get George and Callum living together. [20]
A columnist for Soaplife defended George after he was involved in a homophobic attack in the SU Bar. They said that "George has made no secret of the fact he's gay to his mates, and why should he? They rightly don't care if he's gay, straight or bi." They added that they were wrong to do so and branded Callum protecting George as "cute and courageous". [21] When George is forced to live on the streets, a columnist for TV Buzz said that he was "lucky" to have Phoebe; especially after a tramp attacks them. They added that they were happy that Deena saves George, but questioned her motives for helping him. [22] Sarah Ellis from Inside Soap said "George's story proved that sexual exploitation can affect anyone". She was also "relieved" that George managed to escape before anything "truly terrible" happened to him. [23]
Texas Savage is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 17 May 2010. Texas was introduced by producer Paul Marquess as the on-screen sister of India Longford. Texas was initially portrayed as a "quite light and quite daft" character. Her first main storyline began in the aftermath of India's murder, her subsequent grief storyline and later being targeted by Silas Blissett. Texas has also featured in the online spin-off series, Hollyoaks: Freshers. In February 2013 it was announced that Texas would depart the serial as she was murdered in a "whodunit" storyline. She departed in a flashback on 13 May 2013 after it was revealed her husband, Will Savage, had pushed her out of the window at the wedding venue.
Lynsey Nolan is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Karen Hassan. The character originally appeared in the first series of the Hollyoaks spin-off Hollyoaks Later. In 2010, Hollyoaks series producer Paul Marquess asked Hassan to join Hollyoaks as part of the soap's ongoing rejuvenation, to which she agreed and the character began appearing in the main show from 11 August 2010. Hassan left Hollyoaks in 2012 when her character was killed off during a "dramatic cliffhanger" episode. To surprise the audience, the actress's exit was not announced beforehand. Hassan's final scenes were broadcast on 21 August 2012, giving viewers the "ending they were looking for".
Maddison "Maddie" Morrison is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Scarlett Bowman. Maddie is an old friend of Bart McQueen. Bowman's casting was announced in June 2011. Maddie was introduced to Hollyoaks along with her friends, Tilly Evans and Jono. Maddie made her first appearance in the episode broadcast on 21 June 2011 and departed on 15 November 2012 when the character was killed in the highly publicised Enjoy The Ride storyline.
Doug Carter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by PJ Brennan. Brennan initially appeared as Doug in the programme's online spin-off series Hollyoaks: Freshers, before his debut in the main show on 13 September 2010. He appeared in 5 episodes before returning on 13 January 2011 as a regular character.
Emma Smithwick is an Irish television producer. Smithwick worked at the BBC for six years where she was involved with several shows for the teen brand BBC Switch and moved on to write for its in-house teen soap The Cut. For the final year of BBC Switch, Smithwick was a commissioning editor. In 2011 Smithwick moved to Hollyoaks to take on the role as Series Editor and later replaced Gareth Philips as the series producer of the soap opera Hollyoaks.
Joel Dexter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks. The character made his debut during the episode broadcast on 22 November 2011, portrayed by Andrew Still. Still was attending the Scottish Youth Theatre when Lime Pictures presented the establishment with a casting opportunity for Hollyoaks. The actor secured two auditions for the role and after the second audition he was offered the part. Joel has been characterised through themes of violence. He is on probation for assault, and he loses his temper with various characters. Despite this, Joel does not like domestic violence because his stepfather hit his mother. His dislike of such violence played a role in his early storylines. He was written out of the series in 2012 and departed on 9 January 2013. On 18 August 2016, it was confirmed that Joel would be returning to Hollyoaks with the role recast to Rory Douglas-Speed; he returned on 8 September 2016.
Martha Kane is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Carli Norris. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 18 January 2012. The character was introduced as the mother of Ash, Callum and Lacey Kane. Martha is portrayed as a feisty female and a liberal parent. Martha is an alcoholic and has been used to portray the effects the issue has on involved family members. Her addiction causes trouble and affects her youngest daughter, Lacey, following a violent altercation. Despite attempting to overcome her addiction, Martha failed to stop drinking.
Phoebe McQueen is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Mandip Gill. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 January 2012. Phoebe was involved in many of the shows main storyline, such as her friendship with fellow homeless teen George Smith, her relationship with gay refugee Vincent Elegba, being involved in the 2014 train crash which killed Carmel McQueen and being accused of murdering her aunt Mercedes McQueen. Gill left the role in 2015 and Phoebe made her last appearance on 16 June 2015 when she was killed by the Gloved Hand Killer, Lindsey Roscoe.
Mark "Dodger" Savage is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 serial drama, Hollyoaks, played by Danny Mac. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 April 2011 and was introduced as part of the Savage family by creator Paul Marquess. Dodger is played as being a bit "cocky" and as thinking he has "got it all". For his portrayal, Mac has won and been nominated for various awards. In November 2014 Mac opted to leave the role and Dodger on screen on 20 January 2015. Dodger was the biological son of Patrick Blake and Anna Blake, the twin brother of Sienna Blake, the adoptive son of Anna's husband Dirk Savage, the half-brother of Will Savage, Liberty Savage and Minnie Minniver and the father of Nico Blake and Myra-Pocahontas Savage-McQueen.
Ally Gorman is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Dan O'Connor. The actor's casting was announced in December 2011. O'Connor originally auditioned for a different role, before being asked to audition for the part of Ally. O'Connor was given the part and began filming his scenes three days later. Hollyoaks' series producer, Emma Smithwick, said that O'Connor "nailed" his audition. O'Connor signed up for an initial twelve episode stint, but his contract was extended and he became a regular cast member. The actor commutes from London to Liverpool for filming. O'Connor made his debut screen appearance as Ally during the episode broadcast on 31 January 2012. O'Connor departed Hollyoaks on 27 November 2012.
Ash Kane is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Holly Weston. Ash debuted on-screen on 28 September 2011. Weston attended a late audition for the role and was later told she had secured the part. Weston was signed to the serial on an initial six-month contract which was later extended by impressed producers.
Paul Browning is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Joseph Thompson. He made his debut screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 2012 and was introduced by Emma Smithwick. Doctor Browning was introduced as part of a storyline featuring Mercedes McQueen in which he "shows her the benefits of 'selling her services'". Doctor Browning and Mercedes later begin a relationship, which Smithwick called a "union of the dark soul mates". Thompson said that Doctor Browning and Mercedes "are excited by how dangerous the other is" and are "kindred spirits" who have an "undeniable connection between them". When Lynsey Nolan is murdered in a whodunnit plot Doctor Browning becomes a suspect before it is later revealed he had killed Lynsey. Doctor Browning is described as having an "incredible capacity for Sleaze" and as someone who "needs to be in control and is not afraid to use underhand tactics".
Esther Bloom is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actor Jazmine Franks. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 2011. Franks had previously auditioned for roles in the show. She did not think that she had secured the part of Esther and concentrated on her studies until she was informed. As an open lesbian, Esther is comfortable with her sexuality. Since her inception she has shared a friendship with the character Ruby Button but has long been subjected to her "bitchy" comments. She is characterised as having a "selfless consideration for others" despite being a "proverbial punchbag" for many characters. Esther found confidence when she decided to pursue a fashion career. Franks has said that upon doing so Esther's style also changed.
"Enjoy the Ride" is a storyline from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, broadcast between 12 and 16 November 2012 on Channel 4. The storyline focuses on the double wedding of Tony Hutchinson and Cindy Cunningham alongside Ste Hay and Doug Carter. Jono and Ruby Button plan to elope to Gretna Green so Maddie Morrison steals a minibus. Bart McQueen and Esther Bloom plan to stop the wedding. They momentarily distract Maddie, causing her to swerve off the road. Maddie is unable to stop due to the minibus' faulty brakes and crashes into the venue of the double wedding, endangering the wedding party and the occupants of the minibus. The minibus later explodes, causing further danger for the characters. The storyline was announced by the Daily Star on 21 October 2012. They reported that the disaster is the biggest in Hollyoaks yet. Steven Roberts, who plays George Smith, said that after the crash "no one will be the same, everyone is going to be affected by it in some way". To promote the storyline a televised advertisement was shown, featuring clips filmed specifically for the trailer. It revealed no details about the plot and was instead about the subtext of the storyline. Filming took place on location at Knowsley Hall, which Pickard described as a "very grand setting for a big Hollyoaks disaster". The scenes were filmed over a full week with two days dedicated to the stunt sequences. The filming of the stunts used dummies and stunt doubles and employed a mix of CGI effects and live action.
Tilly Evans is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lucy Dixon. The actress announced her casting on 30 May 2011. Tilly was introduced to the show, along with two other characters, during a special storyline shot and set in Abersoch, North Wales. She made her first screen appearance on 21 June 2011. Dixon announced her departure in December 2013 and Tilly made her last appearance on 3 January 2014.
The sixth series of Hollyoaks Later is a British television series and late night spin-off of Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. The series consists of five episodes, which aired from 7 October to 11 October 2013, on E4. The series transmitted to concur with the main show's eighteenth anniversary and acted as "a celebration of Hollyoaks past and present". These celebrations included several former cast members returning for the series as part of original character Tony Hutchinson's storyline. These returns included Jeremy Edwards, James Redmond, John Pickard and Sarah Jayne Dunn.
Callum Kane is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Laurie Duncan. The character and Duncan's casting was announced on 25 August 2011. Callum was introduced to the show along with five other regular characters. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 September 2011. While appearing in the sixth series of Hollyoaks Later in October 2013, Callum was killed off. His exit came as part of a "cast cull", which coincided with the show's 18th anniversary. Duncan's departure from the show was kept secret to ensure viewers would be surprised. The actor later admitted that he cried when he learned that he was leaving.
Vincent Elegba is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by John Omole. The character made his first screen appearance on 16 April 2013. Vincent is an illegal immigrant from Nigeria. He left the country to seek refuge fearing persecution because he is gay. The storyline has been described as an original by those involved. The show worked closely with LGBT charity Stonewall to portray the issue. His main scene partners have been Phoebe McQueen and George Smith. His friendship with Phoebe explored unrequited love as she pursued a relationship while Vincent fell in love with George. His subsequent detaining by immigration officials found him placed on remand and becoming the victim of homophobic violence. The character has proved unpopular with critic Anthony D. Langford from TheBacklot.com who has often deemed his relationship with George as implausible.