Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyaoks star Alex Fletcher has explained the importance of Ro Hutchinson's storyline, which has seen the teenager explore his gender identity.
The storyline has seen Diane struggle to come to terms with her son's identity, though the events at Pride Festival represented an important moment for the pair as Diane began to accept Ro's decision.
Despite coming closer to fully accepting her son, Diane has privately struggled to keep a lid on her emotions, with the character resorting to alcohol to quell her anxieties.
Ahead of the upcoming scenes, which sees Diane's alcohol dependency worsen, Fletcher spoke about her character's decisions, revealing that she could empathise with all members of the Hutchinson family.
Related: Best streaming service UK 2024
What to Read Next
"Diane is obviously struggling with Ro's transition and sadly she turns to alcohol to self-medicate and numb the pain in the hope that it will go away," said Fletcher. "It doesn't help that she's got a few friends around her that encourage her to drink.
"On her birthday it comes to a bit of a head because she's hiding the alcohol in her mug. I felt really sorry for her in that instance and that just causes a big uproar with Tony because that's when he realises it's a problem.
"I just don’t think she's had anybody to turn to, I think Tony from the beginning has come across as backing Ro 100% - he totally gets him. Diane has always been the same, she's never not wanted to back Ro, but she's just going through what any parent would do when their child is experiencing something so huge and life-changing. She's always there for Ro but she's not doing herself any favours by how she's behaving."
Related: Hollyoaks' Jeremy takes drastic action as he reveals deadly plan
Diane's drinking comes to the fore in upcoming scenes when Tony throws a surprise party, but Diane arrives to it slurring her words and yells at everyone to leave.
The events will place a strain on the already tense relationship between Diane and Tony, which has seen Ro gravitate towards Kitty Draper for guidance. Fletcher, who debuted as Diane in 2010, spoke about Diane and Tony's struggling relationship, and how Kitty has helped the family.
"I think that Tony and Diane are different people so maybe it's a case of opposites attract. Tony can be a bit ditsy whilst Diane's a bit more intense. As a family, they're going through a transitional period shall we say, with the kids all growing up as well. I think they're just growing apart a little bit but we will have to wait and see where they go from here.
"Kitty is like Ro's ride or die as he was able to relate to her, so when Kitty said she was going, Ro was heartbroken, he didn't know what he was going to do without her. Diane genuinely thinks the world of Kitty [too].
"It's only when she finds out about Kitty's past that Diane's like, 'hang on a minute, what is going on here?' Aside from all of that, I think Diane loves Kitty to bits and looks to her for guidance because she just doesn’t know what to do."
Related: Hollyoaks fans disappointed over Scott Drinkwell's strange exit scenes
Whilst Diane may have been slow to fully accept Ro, Fletcher emphasised the importance of the storyline as a whole, saying the sensitive portrayal would hopefully inform viewers at home.
"The good thing about the storyline is when we did a big scene in the hospital - it showed that in reality there isn't much anybody can do. If you've got a child who's wanting to transition, you are a little bit left in the dark really.
"The storyline has been so informative and organic because Ava [Webster] plays Ro so naturally and beautifully it's just added that air of honesty and naivety. I hope when people watch it, they don't just feel sorry for the character but are a little bit less dismissive of what people go through.
"Diane is just terrified of what the future might hold for her own child. People aren't always going to be as understanding. She's trying to wake Ro up a lot of the time. As parents you don't get everything right, so that's been really refreshing to make me think about the scripts that way."
Related: Hollyoaks airs shock collapse for JJ Osborne
Whilst the storyline still has plenty to offer, Fletcher outlined her own hopes for Diane and Ro, proclaiming that she would like to see her character be happy for herself as well as her son so their relationship could heal.
"I'd like to see her and Ro's relationship as tight as anything," stated Fletcher. "She's on this journey and this is the way it's going. I'd like to see Diane happy – I'm looking forward to her having a bit of fun and seeing her comfortable rather than being anxious the whole time."
Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Alcohol Change UK offers information, advice and support with their questions about drinking and the problems that can sometimes be caused by alcohol. For more information, visit Alcohol Change UK's website. Drinkline also offers free, confidential advice to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's drinking on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).
Readers can also contact Drinkaware.
