Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks star Gemma Bissix has confirmed that her character Clare Devine’s exit story was originally very different, before a key change was made to the outome of the dramatic 30th anniversary episodes.
Villain Clare was recently caught and sent to prison for killing her sister Grace, after a huge week of episodes that also saw the deaths of Peri and Jez.
This means that Clare is set to serve a sentence for murder, though it’s likely we’ll see her character back in the village soon. But as Gemma told Inside Soap’s weekly Soap Scoop podcast, this wasn’t quite how Clare’s exit was first imagined…
"The thing was, when they wrote the storyline, Clare was going to go to prison," Gemma explained. "That was always the thing, it was only a six-month stint.
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"But she was supposed to be arrested for shooting Tony, then when they decided Grace was going to die, now I’m actually in prison for murder. So, I don’t know how Clare’s going to get out."
Gemma appeared on the podcast alongside her real-life bestie Tamara Wall, who recently departed her role as Grace after the character was surprisingly killed off in a devastating twist.
However, as Hollyoaks fans know very well, characters can very easily be brought back to life – after all, Clare herself was sensationally resurrected earlier this year!
"Maybe she’s not dead!" Tamara wondered, speculating about Grace’s fate. "Never say never, because it’s happens all the time."
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Gemma and Tamara have some big ideas about how they could return to the show in the future, and even have a suggestion about a spin-off for the iconic sister duo.
Tamara said: "What should happen is in a few years’ time, I turn out to be alive. I come in [prison], do the big escape somehow, disguise myself as a prison guard or something, get [Clare] out…"
"Or you just end up in prison for doing something," Gemma added, "and then we have a spin off show! Instead of Orange Is the New Black, Black is the New Black!"
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The pair even have ambitions to show up in a rival soap together, amid speculation that Gemma could return to her role as Clare Bates for her dad Nigel’s dementia story.
"I think that Clare should go back to EastEnders to see Nigel," Gemma suggested, "and then Tamara comes back as Martina [Quinn, the character she played], and then we actually end up working together again, just as different characters. I think it’s a brilliant idea."
The chaotic and hilarious full interview with Gemma and Tamara, about their time in Hollyoaks and their real-life friendship, is available to watch at the top of the page.
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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