Niall Rafferty | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hollyoaks character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Barry Sloane Devon Jackson (flashback) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 2007–2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | 3 December 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | 27 November 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Bryan Kirkwood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spin-off appearances | Hollyoaks Later (2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Niall Rafferty (born Matthew McQueen) is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks , played by Barry Sloane. [1] He first appeared during an episode broadcast on 3 December 2007. [2] 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 (Nicole Barber-Lane). 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 (Leah Hackett). Niall was portrayed by upcoming actor Devon Jackson, the older brother of Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson, in flashback scenes depicting Niall's childhood. [3]
Niall's other storylines included his relationship with Steph Cunningham (Carley Stenson). Sloane made his final appearance as Niall during Hollyoaks late-night special series Hollyoaks Later in November 2008. Sloane has been nominated for several awards for his portrayal of the character.
The character of Niall was first announced in November 2007. Kirkwood discussed Niall in an interview with Digital Spy: "A tall stranger who walks into the village — a guy called Niall. He sets himself up as a hair stylist in the salon and he's very ambiguous and mysterious. Viewers will be wondering 'Is he gay? Is he straight? Is he a drugsman?' " He would soon be revealed as, "the big storyline of 2008 — Myra [McQueen]'s secret and abandoned son is back to wreak revenge on each of the McQueens in turn." [4] Niall's backstory was revealed as his storyline continued through 2008. It was revealed he had been given up by a 14-year-old Myra and abandoned at a church a day after the birth. Niall then spent the rest of his childhood in care.
As 2008 progressed, Niall was distracted by his love for Steph Dean (Carley Stenson), but continued to commit a series of violent and manipulative acts against the McQueen family. Barry Sloane said, "When I started, Bryan said to me 'you have to come and see me and say if you feel it's going too far'. We've tried as hard as we can to keep him within the bounds of reality. We know that it has to come to an end eventually. I don't know when that's going to be, but fingers crossed that we can ride the wave as long as possible." [5] Niall was also inadvertently responsible for the death of one of Hollyoaks most iconic characters, Max Cunningham (Matt Littler). [6] Sloane said the scenes were some of the "best material he's done," and that Niall was full of remorse. He also remarked on the irony of Niall attempting to damage the McQueens, but then killing Max completely by accident. [5]
In 2010, Sloane joked that his character could be resurrected after Jamie Lomas' return to the series as his character Warren Fox, despite his death in 2009. [7]
Niall arrives as a new hairdresser at beauty salon, Evissa. He helps Evissa owner Louise Summers (Roxanne McKee) and attacks her fiancé Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), who assumes Niall is mugging her. Niall befriends co-worker Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna) and her family. Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper) is suspicious of Niall, who claims to have two sisters. Niall soon becomes friends with Myra McQueen (Nicole Barber-Lane), who is unaware of his identity, and is invited for Christmas. Overwhelmed, Niall steals a picture from the McQueens and burns it. Niall attempts to become closer to his mother and begins encouraging her to be stricter with her youngest daughter, Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes). Niall gets Michaela drunk at a party and injects her with heroin, which causes her to overdose and makes the McQueens believe she is addicted. Niall continues his revenge on the McQueens by ruining their lives in small ways; reporting Myra for benefit fraud, pushing Carmel and boyfriend Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle) apart and attacking his grandmother, Nana McQueen (Diane Langton).
Niall grows closer to Steph Dean (Carley Stenson), following her split with boyfriend Max Cunningham (Matt Littler). Niall falls in love with Steph, and is devastated when she and Max get back together and agree to marry. On their wedding day, Niall speeds off in his car, angered that Steph married Max. Unknown to Niall, his car is in the path of Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins). Realising Tom is about to be hit, Max pushes him out the way of the car, but is run over and killed himself. Niall feels guilty for causing Max's death and is pushed away by Steph. Niall reveals an affair between John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) and Kieron Hobbs (Jake Hendriks). Niall overhears Tina Reilly (Leah Hackett) telling Jacqui over the phone she wants to give her unborn child up for adoption. Out of anger, Niall pushes Tina down a flight of stairs, which causes her to have to undergo an emergency hysterectomy and give birth to her son Max prematurely. Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher (Sam Darbyshire) witnesses Niall's assault, but due to his drug addiction, Niall convinces everyone that Fletch pushed Tina down the stairs.
Niall convinces Kieron to leave John Paul and the village, to get him out of the way. Niall bonds with John Paul in Kieron's absence, but is annoyed when he returns. Kieron tracks down Myra's long-lost son and discovers Niall's secret. After confronting him, Niall admits the truth, but drugs Kieron's beer. Kieron is killed and Niall uses his phone to text John Paul to make him think Kieron committed suicide. Niall later tries to drug John Paul in the same way, but discovers John Paul switched their drinks. John Paul eventually leaves the village with ex-boyfriend Craig Dean (Guy Burnet). Niall's life begins to go wrong after Steph tells him she cannot love him. Niall decides to begin his plot of revenge. He kidnaps each of the McQueen children, leaving notes for Myra, who becomes suspicious after discovering baby Max with a note which mirrors the one she left with a newborn Niall. Niall then confronts Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) after learning he was the police officer who arrested Niall's biological father, who died in prison. Niall tells Jack the truth and attacks him. Myra tracks her children down to the same church she left Niall in, and is shocked when Niall reveals the truth. Niall tells her she has to answer six questions, and for each she gets wrong, one of her children will be killed. Myra gets two questions correct and is forced to choose between her children. Tina and Michaela are allowed to live. However, Jack, Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson), Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) and Dominic Reilly (John Pickard) arrive to save the McQueens. Realising his plan may be stopped, Niall detonates explosives and the church explodes. In the wreckage, the floor collapses and Niall finds Myra caught under rubble and attempts to free her with help from John Paul. She explains if Niall had told the truth, she would have accepted him. Feeling guilty, Niall pushes Myra out the way as more rubble falls. As the McQueens escape the church, Tina dies from her injuries. As an ambulance drives away, Niall's reflection appears in the window, revealing him to have survived. The McQueens believe Niall is dead. However, the police tell them that Niall's body was never recovered and that he is still alive.
Niall arrives back in the village, with the McQueens no longer his target. He follows Steph and Tom to Scotland, where Craig takes them for a break. In the hills, Niall spies on Steph and after a day of waiting, kidnaps Tom. Niall reveals himself and tells Steph he wants to talk. Niall traps Steph on a cliff edge and fights with Craig, who he attempts to kill. However, Craig makes Niall look at a terrified Steph. Realising everything he has done, Niall says goodbye to Steph and falls backwards over the cliff. Several days later, the McQueens are told of Niall's death, but agree not to mourn him.
In December 2012, a newborn baby boy is abandoned on the McQueens' doorstep on Christmas Day. After learning that the baby is John Paul's son, he names his son in honour of Niall, but by his real name, Matthew.
At the 2008 National Television Awards, Barry Sloane was nominated for the award of 'Most Popular Newcomer' along with three characters from other soaps; Sloane did not win the award for his role as Niall. He was also nominated in the British Soap Awards for 'Sexiest Male' in 2009 and 'Villain of the Year' in 2008 and 2009. [8] In 2009, the church explosion received a nomination for 'Most Spectacular Scene'. [9] In 2009, Virgin Media named Niall as one of British soap's top ten villain in a feature in which he came ninth. [10] Adam Beresford from Digital Spy noted that whilst the character only appeared for a short stint, he made a "huge impact by terrorising his entire family, killing his sister Tina and then dying in a proper cliffhanger". [11]
Jack Osborne is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jimmy McKenna. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest featured character in the show. He was introduced as part of the Osborne family, which also consisted of Jack's wife Celia and their children Darren and Ruth. His storylines include an affair with Dawn Cunningham, four marriages and faking his own death in an insurance scam. For numerous years, Jack's role in the show is the landlord of the pub, The Dog in the Pond.
Craig Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Guy Burnet. The character was introduced as a youngest brother of established character Steph Dean. He made his first appearance on 24 October 2002. Burnet has won and been nominated for several awards for this role. Burnet departed the role in September 2007 and returned to the show on 3 September 2008 in a storyline which saw Craig secure a "sunset ending" with John Paul McQueen. He made another appearance after his departure in spin-off show Hollyoaks Later in November 2008. The character is regarded as one of Hollyoaks most iconic characters.
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.
Dominic "Dom" Reilly is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by John Pickard. Dom made his first appearance on 13 September 2005 as the estranged half-brother of Tony Hutchinson, whose portrayer, Nick Pickard, is John Pickard's brother. In July 2010, it was announced that the character was to leave the show which he did on 24 November 2010. Pickard reprised the role during the sixth series of Hollyoaks Later.
Tina Reilly is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Leah Hackett. Since making her first appearance in August 2006 as part of the McQueen family, Tina has been involved in storylines including sexual harassment and surrogacy. Tina was killed off in a church explosion on 17 October 2008, shortly after Hackett decided to leave the serial. Tina briefly appeared in a flashback on 20 November 2014 when the McQueen family remember her half-sister Carmel Valentine at her funeral.
Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She made her first screen appearance during episode 1796, originally broadcast on 12 June 2006 and was introduced by producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family. The character is initially designed to play a supporting role in her family's stories. She is characterised as a no-nonsense matriarch who is "fiercely protective" of her family and puts her children first. Myra has a series of failed relationship, leading to her many children. One of her early stories introduces Niall Rafferty, Myra's abandoned son who returns for revenge on his mother. The story concludes in a stunt when Niall explodes a church, killing Myra's daughter Tina Reilly. Barber-Lane left the soap in 2013 and Myra fakes her death after being shot.
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.
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 6 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.
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.
Theresa McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jorgie Porter. She made her first appearance on 24 November 2008. The character was introduced as an extension of already established McQueen family and quickly became a fan favourite for her cute, bubbly personality and dark storylines. During her first five years on the show, Porter was featured in numerous high-profile storylines, including: underage sex; the murder of Calvin Valentine ; teenage pregnancy; being the target of serial killer Silas Blissett ; falling down a lift shaft; discovering her boyfriend, Ethan Scott was dating two other women and forming a friendship with the girls; finding her long-lost father; relationships with Dodger Savage, Will Savage and Joel Dexter ; and her arrest for Calvin's murder. Porter announced her departure from the soap in October 2013 so she could focus on Dancing on Ice. Her exit scenes aired on 9 January 2014.
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.
The McQueen family is a fictional family in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. The family first appeared in 2006 and the family have been involved in a number of the show's most high-profile storylines, most notably John Paul McQueen's affair with Craig Dean ; Jacqui McQueen's whirlwind relationship with Tony Hutchinson ; Myra McQueen's long-lost son Niall Rafferty's revenge on his family by holding them hostage in an abandoned church and blowing it up, ultimately killing his half-sister Tina Reilly ; Theresa McQueen's pregnancy by her cousin Carmel McQueen's fiancé Calvin Valentine and later shooting him dead on their wedding day; Mercedes McQueen's affair with her fiancé Riley Costello's father Carl ; being kidnapped by Riley's grandfather Silas Blissett, Jacqui coping with the death of her husband Rhys Ashworth in a bus crash, learning that he had been having an affair with Cindy Cunningham and that he got Sinead O'Connor pregnant; Mercedes stalking Mitzeee and stabbing herself and framing her; Carmel's facial disfigurement; Myra faking her own death to escape her daughter Mercedes' evil husband, Dr. Paul Browning ; Mercedes killing her husband Doctor Browning by striking him over the head with a shovel; John Paul's male rape at the hands of his pupil Finn O'Connor ; the train crash which ultimately killed Carmel; Mercedes faking her death to help Grace Black get revenge on Freddie Roscoe ; Theresa donating her kidney to Nico Blake ; Porsche and Cleo McQueen's sexual abuse at the hands of their mother Reenie McQueen's fiancé Pete Buchanan ; Phoebe McQueen's murder in hospital by the Gloved Hand Killer; the stillbirth of Mercedes' baby Gabriel; John Paul's transgender boss Sally St. Claire being revealed as his biological father, Mercedes being framed for drugs by Joanne Cardsley, Celine McQueen and Diego Salvador Martinez Hernandez De La Cruz's sham wedding for money; Celine being murdered by her ex-boyfriend and serial killer Cameron Campbell after discover he causes the fire at the fair on Halloween 2016; Hunter affair with his teacher Neeta Kaur, leads his feud with his fiance Mac Nightingale ; Prince marriage to Lily Drinkwell and Breda turning out to be a serial killer.
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.
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.
Jem Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Helen Russell-Clark. She made her first on-screen appearance on 5 March 2010. It was later announced that Jem had been written out of the serial, and the character would leave in November 2010. Russell-Clark made her final appearance as Jem on 30 November 2010.
Hollyoaks began airing on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 23 October 1995. The target audience was that of teenagers and it initially dramatised the lives of seven of that age group who lived in Hollyoaks, a fictional suburb in the city of Chester in Cheshire, England.