Zack Hudson | |||||||||||||||||||||
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EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Portrayed by | James Farrar | ||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 6237 16 March 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Zack Hudson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by James Farrar. [1] He first appears in episode 6237, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021. [1] The character and Farrar's casting details were announced on 31 January 2021. [2] Zack is initially introduced as the estranged son of Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) and the half-brother of Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
Zack’s storylines have included a tumultuous relationship with Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill) and a feud with her father Mick (Danny Dyer), a fling with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), learning that he has HIV, [3] losing daughter Peach with Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), [4] and then deciding to foster after struggling with the initial thought of raising a child that is not his own. [5] He later takes on legal responsibility for his on-screen nephew Albie Watts (Arthur Gentleman) and Britney Wainwright (Lola Campbell) - albeit illegally. Zack later cheats on Whitney with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), causing her to leave Walford with their daughter Dolly.
Zack attends Gavin Sullivan's (Paul Nicholas) cremation and at the wake, he raises a scathing toast to Gavin and is chased by his cousins. Zack hides out in Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) and Sharon Watts' (Letitia Dean) car until the coast is clear and when Sharon asks about his identity, he tells her that Gavin was his father. [1] Zack later arrives in Walford after receiving a call from Sharon's friend, Jean Slater (Gillian Wright). He reveals he has nowhere to live and has been sleeping his car. He is then rude to Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol). Zack tells Sharon about his abusive childhood with Gavin, detailing how he hit him and Sharon tells him he did the same thing to her son Dennis Rickman Jnr (Bleu Landau). Zack then takes Sharon's keys and sneaks into her flat looking for something but is caught by Sharon. Zack tells her that he is looking for a safety deposit box, left to Sharon in Gavin's will, which Gavin left him the key for. Sharon accuses Zack of being like Gavin and he says he is nothing like their father. They then agree to share whatever is in the box. Zack opens it and is enraged to find a birthday card he made for Gavin as a child and little else of value. He throws the box on the floor, frightening Sharon. [6] Zack tells Sharon about a time when he baked Gavin some cakes at school but he was unappreciative and stubbed out his cigarette in one, leaving him humiliated. As he goes to leave, Sharon tells him that Dennis died the previous year and asks Zack to stay, to which he initially refuses, although returns later with food and wine for them both. Zack finds himself on the wrong side of Martin Fowler (James Bye), who punches him when he believes that he has been sleeping with his wife Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton). He later becomes friends with Martin and starts working as a barman at The Queen Victoria public house.
Zack starts dating Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill) and also flirts with her half-sister Frankie Lewis (Rose Ayling-Ellis). He gives Frankie driving lessons and in one of the lessons, he stops off at the Queen Vic to have a drink and continues. Zack resumes flirting with Frankie and winds her up, causing her to take her eyes off the road. They are involved in a hit-and-run accident, in which Nancy gets hit by the car. Zack persuades Frankie to cover up the accident but it proves too daunting for her and she confesses to Nancy's father Mick (Danny Dyer). Mick agrees to hide it from Nancy and warns Zack away. However he cannot resist and continues to see Nancy, keeping it a secret from Mick. Whilst upstairs in The Queen Vic, Nancy's mother Linda (Kellie Bright) is threatened by burglars who attempt to steal money, but Zack stands up to them and they leave. Mick discovers that Zack is sleeping with Nancy, but he ignores Mick's threats to leave her. Zack then admits the truth to Nancy and she subsequently ends their relationship. After this, Zack sleeps with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) but realises he loves Nancy and attempts to make amends. When Alyssa is left on Sharon's doorstep, both Zack and Martin believe that they could be her father, however when Alyssa's mother Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) arrives in Walford, she reveals that Zack's late nephew, Dennis , is Alyssa's father. Jada moves in with Sharon and Zack soon realises that Sharon and her ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) are planning on battling Jada for custody of Alyssa. He tells Jada and she flees with Alyssa. When Sharon finds out that Zack told Jada about her intentions, she evicts him and he is left homeless. He manages to find Jada and convinces her to return with Alyssa, and they all move into 43 Albert Square with Sharon.
Zack builds his relationship with Nancy, and she supports him when he has the opportunity to participate in a cooking competition, letting him use The Queen Vic's kitchen for practice. They grow closer and resume their relationship. He supports Nancy when she learns that her aunt Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) – who is thought to have been on the run – has been murdered by Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith). Zack and Nancy decide to open a restaurant together, and they meet with Melissa (Hannah Bennett-Fox), who they believe is an investor. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Melissa is working with Janine to swindle the pair, so she can use the money to pay Linda into leaving Walford. Melissa tricks Nancy into transferring money into her account, and they become suspicious when they do not hear back from the investor; they later discover that Nancy has been conned. Zack bonds with Jada and she tries to kiss him, but Zack rebuffs her advances. She lies to Sharon that Zack tried to kiss her, and Sharon threatens to throw Zack out in order for Jada to admit the truth. Jada later admits to Sharon that she lied. During a stormy time with Nancy, Zack drowns his sorrows at the club, where he sleeps with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf). Nancy finds out and after much consideration, she decides to make a fresh start by leaving Walford without Zack, thus ending their relationship. Soon after, Zack and Sam begin a fling and when Sam's ex-boyfriend Don (Nick Nevern) arrives in Walford, she claims that she is pregnant with Zack's child. Sam later reveals that she lied to drive Don away, and when she asks Zack to begin a serious relationship, he turns her down.
Zack becomes close to Whitney Dean and they have a one-night stand. Zack is surprised when Whitney reveals that she is pregnant. [4] At first, Zack does not want to become a father due to his bad experiences with Gavin as a child, [5] but changes his mind, and agrees to support her. [5] He contemplates taking a job as a chef on a cruise ship, but decides to stay when Whitney's friend Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) tells him that Whitney needs him to be around. Zack's former friend, Brett Nelson (Fabrizio Santino), arrives in Walford and applies to become a personal trainer at Sharon's gym. Zack is wary of Brett and reveals to Sharon that Brett had previously introduced him to steroids in the past, which led him to be violent and aggressive. Zack tries to warn Brett away but he returns and reveals to Zack that he may have HIV after they shared a needle whilst taking steroids. [7] [3] Zack becomes depressed and pushes Whitney away and tells her that he wants nothing to do with their child. He begins drinking heavily and smashes Peggy's wine bar, cutting his hand in the process. After messing up an opportunity to become a head chef at Walford East, he sees Brett who encourages him to get checked at a sexual health clinic. Zack begrudgingly gets himself checked, and is mortified to discover that he is HIV positive. He tells Brett that he is worried that he may have passed it on to his unborn child. He decides to tell Whitney but is relieved when she reveals that her blood test has been fine. Zack later gives the clinic a list of all the women that he has slept with and they contact them to get checked. Zack and Whitney later lose the baby as it could be born with a dangerously low mortality rate due to omphaloceles, [8] and Zack struggles with the loss of their daughter who they later named Peach. Whitney and Zack slowly discuss plans for other children and they decide to adopt to Zack's initial dismay. Whitney and Zack move into their own apartment and start going through assessments to start fostering. [9] He later takes on legal responsibility for his on-screen nephew Albie Watts (Arthur Gentleman) after Sharon can not trust Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) to raise Albie alone after a very public bust-up with Peter Beale (Thomas Law).
Zack is introduced as the son of Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) and half-brother of established character Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), although this is embargoed until his first appearance. [10] The character is billed as a "unpredictable troublemaker who lives life in the fast lane". [2] He is described as "forever the ladies' man" and Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, called him a "charming rogue". [2] Farrar noted that Zack becomes a "heartthrob" who causes tension with the Carter family. [10] The character's backstory states that he experienced a challenging childhood which gave him attachment issues and turned him into a "lone wolf". [2] Farrar expressed his delight at joining EastEnders and hoped to bring his experience as "a born and bred Londoner" to the role. [2] He liked Zack's backstory and commented, "there is a real depth to him that I can't wait to explore." [2] He found the role of Zack different to other roles he has portrayed. [10] Sen dubbed Farrar "a wonderful addition" and teased that "trouble is always just round the corner" for Zack. [2]
Farrar began filming in February 2021, [11] while the show was produced under socially distanced filming restrictions. Consequently, his wife was hired to be a stand-in for any scenes requiring actors to be closer than two metres. [2] Zack is introduced to the soap at Gavin's funeral, where he makes a "scathing toast" and is chased out by Gavin's cousins. [12] He catches up with Sharon and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) afterwards, where he reveals he is Gavin's son. [10] [1] Zack later visits Albert Square, where Sharon lives, to build a relationship with her. Farrar explained that Zack wants to support Sharon, which he related to, having come from a family of "very strong women". [10] However, Zack struggles not to cause problems for them. Farrar confirmed that he had been involved in five stunts in his first few weeks of filming. [10]
In January 2023, it was announced that Zack would be at the centre of an issue-led storyline when he discovered that he was HIV-positive. [13] The storyline begins when a face from Zack's past, Brett Nelson, played by former Hollyoaks actor Fabrizio Santino, arrives in Walford in search of employment at the local gym. [14] On the storyline, executive producer Chris Clenshaw addressed, "EastEnders has never shied away from covering sensitive issues and Zack's story is one of these. There are so many myths and disinformation surrounding HIV, so working closely with Terrence Higgins Trust has enabled us to really understand what it is like for those that are diagnosed with HIV and we hope that this storyline will bring more awareness of HIV and what it is like to live with the virus in 2023". [7] [8] The storyline also covers HIV and pregnancy, as Zack is diagnosed with the virus shortly after impregnating Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). On this, Dr. Kate Nembiar from Terrence Higgins Trust added, "All pregnant people are offered an HIV test to reduce the number of babies born with the virus. Thanks to this and the incredible treatment advances, vertical HIV transmission rarely happens in the UK now. People living with HIV do give birth to HIV negative children. If someone who is pregnant tests positive for HIV, they'll be advised to start treatment straight away. This is a crucial way to prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or birth." [7] [4] [3]
James who plays Zack on-screen won Best Newcomer in 2021 in the Digital Spy Reader awards for his portrayal of Zack. [15] Zack is loved by the fans, though most of his storylines are that of sad. [7] [4] [8] [3] Zack and Whitney's relationship has proved popular with fans, though Shona McGarty quit the soap opera in 2023 to pursue other projects. [16] He also is pending for the award of Best Soap Actor in the British Soap Awards.
Sharon Ann Watts is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of EastEnders' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. She first appeared in the first episode broadcast on 19 February 1985 as the teenage adopted daughter of pub landlords Den and Angie Watts. Dean originally quit the role in 1995 after ten years, with Sharon departing following the breakdown of her marriage. In May 2001, Sharon was reintroduced by producer John Yorke, before departing in January 2006. Dean's return was announced in February 2012, and she later made her on-screen return on 13 August 2012 in a special week of episodes. Dean took a temporary break from the show and departed on 9 January 2024, and Sharon returned on 1 April 2024.
Janine Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie Brooks from 1999 to 2022. Brooks initially departed on 7 May 2004. She returned for a three episode guest stint in April 2008 before returning permanently on 18 December of that year. Brooks later took a break from September 2012 until April 2013, then departed again on 20 March 2014. In April 2021, it was announced that Brooks would reprise the role once again and return later in the year. She returned on 6 September 2021. It was announced on 24 September 2022 that Brooks had only agreed to reprise the role for 12 months and would depart again at the conclusion of her storyline, with her final scenes airing on 26 December 2022.
Dean Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters of Deano and his sister Carly Wicks were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer. Deano made his final appearance on 7 February 2008. On 15 January 2014, it was announced that Deano, now called Dean, would be returning and he first reappeared on 11 April of that year. Di Angelo took a three-month break from the soap from January to April 2015, with a one-off appearance in February to tie in with the show's 30th anniversary celebrations. In October 2015, it was announced that Di Angelo would leave the show in early 2016. The character is arrested for attempted rape with his final scenes set in court airing on 4 and 5 February 2016. On 19 August 2016, Dean is acquitted of attempted rape after standing trial off-screen. On 30 October 2023, Di Angelo made an unannounced return as Dean. On 15 July 2024, it was confirmed that Di Angelo had finished filming with the show, with Dean set to leave later in the year.
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and he is played by Thomas Law. Peter makes his first appearance in episode 926, originally broadcast on 16 December 1993. Peter has been played by seven actors since being introduced in 1993. Francis Brittin-Snell portrayed the role from 1993 to 1996, followed by Alex Stevens from 1997 to 1998 and Joseph Shade from 1998 to 2004. James Martin took over and played the role from 2004 to 2006. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010, when the character departed the series. In April 2013, it was announced that Peter would return, played by Ben Hardy who made his first appearance on 7 June 2013. Hardy announced his departure from the role in November 2014, making his final on-screen appearance on 24 February 2015.
Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sonny Bottomley for two months in 1998 and 1999, twins Jack and Tom Godolphin from 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to 2004. Upon his reintroduction in 2008, the character was portrayed by James Forde. Liam is the son of Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher and his stories have mostly revolved around his family. The character took a six-month break in 2012 for story purposes. Following his return, producers used Liam in a story about gangs, working with the charity Comic Relief. Forde was written out permanently in 2015 and Liam departs in the episode first broadcast on 17 August 2015. Liam was reintroduced for a short stint in 2021, with the role recast to Alfie Deegan.
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The role was originated by Madeline Duggan, who first appeared on 3 July 2006. Duggan played the role for four years until her exit on 23 June 2010. Three months later, on 27 September 2010, the role was recast to new actress, Jacqueline Jossa. In August 2014, Jossa announced that she was expecting her first child. In December 2014, Jossa filmed her final scenes prior to taking maternity leave, which aired on 24 February 2015, following the show's 30th anniversary celebrations. She returned temporarily on 14 September 2015 for her father's murder trial before departing again on 2 October 2015. Lauren made a permanent return on 27 May 2016. In September 2017, it was announced that Jossa and Lorna Fitzgerald, who plays Lauren's sister Abi, had been axed by executive consultant John Yorke. Jossa finished filming with the show on 11 January 2018, and Lauren departed on 16 February 2018. Lauren returned to the show on 12 December 2022 for the funeral of her step-grandmother Dot Cotton before departing again in the following episode. Lauren made an unannounced appearance alongside Peter Beale during the episode broadcast on 22 June 2023. On 30 September 2023, it was announced Jossa will return to the role in the New Year. Lauren’s return scenes aired on 1 January 2024.
Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the ward of long-running character Bianca Jackson and was introduced on 1 April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a nine-year absence. Whitney is described by executive producer Diederick Santer as both an equal to, and younger version of Bianca, and is the oldest of Bianca's four children. Whitney was absent from the soap across four weeks in 2012 when McGarty was suspended for repeated lateness. McGarty took a short break in 2017 and Whitney departed on 29 May and returned on 31 July of that year. On 1 June 2018, McGarty filmed her 1,000th episode as Whitney. On 29 July 2023, it was announced that McGarty had resigned from her role after fifteen years, and Whitney departed from the soap on 23 May 2024.
Shona Bernadette McGarty is an English actress and singer, known for her portrayal of Whitney Dean in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2008 to 2024.
Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell, Casey Anne Rothery, Melissa Suffield, and Hetti Bywater. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the baby daughter of Ian and Cindy Beale. She was the twin sister of Peter Beale, and had three half siblings, older brother Steven Beale, younger sister Cindy Williams and younger brother Bobby Beale.
The Watts family are a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The family consists of Den, Angie, Sharon, Dennis, Chrissie, Vicki, Dennis Jnr, Albie and Alyssa. Sharon's half-brother Zack Hudson is also considered to be part of the family.
Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months, until he was revealed as the half-brother of established character, Whitney Dean. Ryan departed on 26 August 2011, and made a surprise guest appearance on 2 September 2014. Following his former lover, Stacey Slater, being sectioned in the episode that aired on 22 January 2016, he then made a surprise cameo for a short stint to look after his daughter Lily Slater, before departing again on 11 February 2016. Seven months later, Ryan returned on 20 September 2016 after he was released from prison. Ryan returned again on 4 November for Whitney and Lee Carter's wedding. On 28 January 2023, it was announced that Ryan would return to EastEnders for a brief stint in February. He returned on 13 February 2023 and departed once again on 16 February 2023.
Tyler Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tony Discipline. Tyler is the son of Eddie Moon, half brother of Michael and Craig Moon, brother of Anthony Moon and cousin of Alfie Moon. He made his first appearance in the episode broadcast on 27 June 2011.
Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter. Linda was introduced as the new landlady of the Queen Victoria pub by new executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins as part of the Carter family. The introduction of Dyer and Bright was part of a large cast shake-up planned by new executive producer Treadwell-Collins in an attempt to improve ratings. Linda became landlady of The Queen Victoria public house and moved there with her family from her mother's pub in Watford. She has been compared to original landlady Angie Watts, and Bright has said that she had based her portrayal of Linda on Angie.
Nancy Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Maddy Hill. Nancy's first appearance is in a combination of the show's 4775th and 4776th episodes, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2014. A member of the Carter family, Nancy is the daughter of Mick Carter and Linda Carter. Her storylines include relationships with Wayne Ladlow, Dexter Hartman and Tamwar Masood, coping with the aftermath of her mother's rape, having epilepsy and a feud with her older brother Lee Carter. It was announced that Maddy Hill would be leaving the show, with Nancy departing alongside Tamwar Masood on 22 April 2016. Hill’s return was announced in February 2021, and Nancy reappeared between 13 April 2021 and 23 June 2022, when Hill decided to leave the show once again.
Mick Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Danny Dyer, making his first appearance in the show in the episode originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2013. Dyer's casting was announced on 1 October 2013 with that of his on-screen partner, Linda Carter, played by Kellie Bright. He is the son of established character Shirley Carter and is a member of the Carter family. Mick immediately becomes the new landlord of The Queen Victoria public house, bringing Linda, their son Johnny Carter and pet bulldog Lady Di with him. They are later joined by daughter Nancy Carter, son Lee Carter and other members of the extended family. In January 2022, it was announced that Dyer had quit the show after nine years in the role of Mick, and his final scenes aired on 25 December 2022.
Gavin Sullivan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholas. He first appeared on 21 August 2015. Gavin is the third husband of Kathy Beale and is also revealed as the biological father of Sharon Watts. He is first mentioned as Sharon's father in 1990 and as Kathy's husband in 2001, but does not appear on screen until 2015 and it is not known that Sharon's father and Kathy's husband are the same Gavin until October 2015. Viewers are informed in a 2006 episode that Kathy and Gavin are dead, but Kathy returns in February 2015, revealing that Gavin is also alive. Billed as "an EastEnders villain like no other", Gavin has been described as "dangerous", "sinister", "nasty" and "evil". His storylines include his "abusive", "controlling" and "manipulative" relationship with Kathy, kidnapping recovering alcoholic Phil Mitchell and getting him drinking again, and blackmailing Claudette Hubbard. His departure involves kidnapping Kathy, causing the death of his sister Margaret Midhurst and being arrested after threatening to kill himself and Sharon. He appeared in 30 episodes, and his final appearance is on 8 July 2016. In January 2021, Gavin was killed-off off-screen.
Episode 6867 is the 6867th episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It originally aired on 4 March 2024. The episode was the first of a two-part special set in Milton Keynes. In the episode, Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson go there to visit Bianca Jackson. They are soon introduced to a neglected young girl, Britney Wainwright. Whitney forms a bond with Britney and becomes increasingly concerned for her welfare and tries to help her.