Hollyoaks star Matthew McGivern explains Sam's dark story

Hollyoaks spoilers follow.

Hollyoaks' Sam Chen-Williams has taken a dark turn recently. After his girlfriend Zoe Williams called time on their relationship, he started harassing her and the obsessive behaviour got even worse when he learned that she was pregnant and planning a termination.

Not only has he pushed Zoe away even further, but he's also lost his job. While his actions were deplorable, actor Matthew McGivern explained why Sam's behaviour has got so extreme.

sam chenwilliams and mercedes mcqueen in hollyoaks

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"I kept in my head the reasons why he ended up in this state," McGivern told Inside Soap. "He's gone through a series of abandonments, from his biological mum's death and Honour leaving. He doesn't want any more broken relationships, and everything's taken a massive toll on him.

"The deeper we got into the storyline, the more I had to intensify his fear and abandonment to justify his behaviour. Sam was so frightened at the thought of losing everything, the way he acted was purely out of desperation."

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He added that seeing Dave and Honour's relationship fall apart brought Sam's insecurities to the surface, and made him think that having a family with Zoe would create a sense of stability that would keep them together.

zoe anderson and sam chen williams in hollyoaks

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"He latched onto the idea of having a child so there would be someone who needs him," McGivern said in summation.

So where does Sam go from here? "The next chapter for Sam will be about the process of him trying to move on," the actor said, but stated that it won't be easy for Sam or Zoe to get on with their lives when they live in the same village.

Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 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.