Exclusive: Hollyoaks star Alex Fletcher shares shock over Diane horror in hour-long special

Hollyoaks spoilers follow.

Hollyoaks star Alex Fletcher has shared more details of the tragic times ahead for the Hutchinson family as Eric Foster goes on the attack next week.

Alex's character Diane Hutchinson will be among those taking centre stage in an hour-long special, which sees Eric's issue-based storyline come to a head.

Hollyoaks has been exploring the topic of radicalised misogyny with the character of Eric, who has posed a sinister threat to the village's female residents in recent months.

Next week, Eric arms himself with a crossbow and sparks a siege situation at The Dog during his late sister Verity's wake. A recent Hollyoaks trailer hinted at a tragic outcome for Diane, with preview footage showing Tony Hutchinson crying out that his wife is dead after Eric shoots her with the crossbow.

What to Read Next

Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about the storyline, Alex admitted: "It was actually terrifying to film! I was shaking for real.

"Beforehand, I had a meeting about it with the big bosses. We did laugh about it, but I think it was a nervous laugh on my part. I said: 'I've done a few storylines in my time, but I've never done that one before!'

"I just had to rely on the fact that I knew I'd be filming with Nick Pickard (Tony) and Angus (Eric), who are amazing. We also had an amazing crew and director. I kept everything crossed that the performance would just come to me in the moment – and thankfully it did."

Explaining how the high-stakes scenes were filmed, Alex continued: "We actually had a crossbow handler on set, so the tone was there and there was no messing about with this scene.

diane hutchinson and tony hutchinson in hollyoaks

Lime Pictures

"We also had a dummy crossbow and arrow, which was pointed at me in the scene. The real one couldn't be pointed at us, but having it there on set made all the difference for the scenes.

"At first I thought it'd just be like Robin Hood with a little bow and arrow, but the reality once you see it is very different.

"We had to be careful of compliance, so once Diane gets shot, we didn't want it to look too distressing for the audience. It was trying to find that balance of making it look amazing, but also to tread carefully because this is going out on telly at 6pm.

Lime Pictures

"It didn't feel like Hollyoaks – it felt like we were working on a film. I felt a bit out of my depth, I'm not going to lie!

"But in the moment, we just did it. From the feedback we've had from people who've seen the episode, it's all gone down really well."

Alex went on to praise Angus Castle-Doughty, who joined the cast as Eric last year.

She said: "I don't think any of the other soaps have tackled this storyline before. It's all been a bit heavy, but Angus has absolutely smashed it out of the park. He's been unbelievable.

Lime Pictures

"Angus has just worked so hard, so hats off to him. He really cares and he's absolutely brilliant, which made it easier when we had to do this heavy scene.

"Angus gave me a big hug afterwards. He was all teary. We'd all busted a gut, so it just felt really good.

"So much work has gone into this episode, so I just hope it gets some positive recognition. I know it's a really scary storyline and it's something that people don't really want to talk about, but we never shy away from things like that at Hollyoaks. I'm sure Eric will get his comeuppance but I can't say any more!"

Alex also discussed the social media reaction since Diane's shock story was previewed in the Channel 4 soap's trailer earlier this week.

Lime Pictures

She laughed: "As I've got a bit older, I'm not that active on social media anymore because I've got a daughter and she's like: 'Mum, you can't put that!' I've always got to be conscious of that!

"But I saw the trailer and thought it was brilliant how it's been put together. I couldn't help myself when it came to looking at the reaction and I thought: 'I hope people are gutted!'

"The general reaction was people saying they don't want Diane to go. She's part of me, so I was pleased about that.

"I think the fans should be pretty concerned for Diane as they go into this episode. It's a really sad time for the whole family. Tony has already lost Verity and he's lost a couple of children, so it's heartbreaking. The audience will have to wait and see whether it's the end, but what a way to go if it is!"

Hollyoaks streams first on All 4, with new episodes dropping each weekday morning. The show airs Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, and at 7pm on E4.

Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.