“I still get a buzz coming into work every day!”
As Hollyoaks is battered by a freak storm, Nick Pickard is proud to still be standing as the show’s only original cast member…
“We all spend more time together than we do with our real families!”
When Nick Pickard joins Inside Soap for a long overdue catch-up, he’s a little sleepy – and not just because he’s been working through the night for
Hollyoaks’ ‘Storm Week’.
“I took my mum to the airport at
5am, as she’s off to Las Vegas!” reveals the 43-year-old star, who’s been playing Tony Hutchinson for the past 23 years. “I’ve never been myself, but I’d like to go. Maybe I’ll go if I ever have a stag do. I’ve been married five times on this show, yet never in real life!”
We assure Nick that Tony’s colourful track record with women is nothing to feel envious of, and the actor is happy to share that he has a new girlfriend who he’s been dating for six months. Meanwhile in Chester,
Nick is hopeful that happier times lie ahead for his alter ego, who is back to stay in the village despite his recent family dramas…
It’s been a very traumatic time for Tony, Diane and the children. How has it been to film?
It’s been a right old roller coaster, hasn’t it? Lots of ups and downs with Dee Dee’s illness and lots of turmoil – but the episodes have been really great, and they are coming across lovely.
It’s so hard, though – horrible for anyone to think of a kid being so poorly. It makes you want to go home after filming and have a big glass of scotch!
Did you enjoy having some time away from the show while Tony was off screen?
Well, it wasn’t planned like that, but yes, I did. There was also time for me to go off and grow a bit of a beard, as we’ve had some issues with my beards in the past. We’ve used a stick-on one before, and I don’t think the bosses wanted to do that again!
Diane and Tony agree to try again this week. Are you pleased?
I am! I think everyone wants him to be happy with his missus, as he’s had a few in the past! And I love being with my on-screen family,
Alex [Fletcher, who plays Diane], Lauren [Mcqueen, aka Lily] and
Ross Adams [Scott]. We spend more time together than with our real-life families, so it makes a difference when you have genuine chemistry and banter. I probably irritate them all!
Everyone we speak to is always so complimentary about you!
Are they? Suck-ups! I don’t know about that – myself and Alex were shooting a scene today and she said to me, “Your concentration levels are terrible”! But you know, I still get a buzz when I come into work. Even now, I appreciate how lucky I am.
Having appeared in Hollyoaks since the very first episode way back in 1995, you’d think that Nick must have seen it all.
But even his jaw hit the floor when the cast learned that this year’s autumn stunt would be a freak storm in the village! Coupled with Ste and Harry’s wedding, it’s a huge week for the show that Nick insists we won’t want to miss…
Parry Glasspool has dropped a few hints (on p12) about what viewers can expect from Ste and Harry’s wedding. What extra information can you tell us?
The episodes are going to be fantastic! It’s not so much a big spectacular stunt this time, but more of an emotional roller coaster. The stunt looks beautiful, and it’s going to be one of our best.
How devastating an impact will the storm have?
Put it this way, the village will look destroyed! I felt so sorry for little Steph [Davis], who plays Sinead. The boys were lucky in that we wore wet suits underneath our wedding outfits – but the girls are all in skimpy numbers, and Sinead’s is even skimpier. Steph took it like a trooper, though. There is nothing worse than being freezing and wet for 12 hours straight!
How does Tony react to Sinead’s return, given that the two of them once had an affair?
Oh, God, yeah, that! She’s his flipping stepdaughter, so it was very naughty! But I’m so long in the tooth now
that I’m not really surprised by what the bosses throw my way. I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the pitch meetings they have! But no, I don’t think Tony and Sinead will be doing that again. It’ll definitely be over between Tony and Diane if they do!
It’s no secret that Stephanie’s personal life hit the headlines when she was out of the show. Were you and Alex pleased to welcome her back?
Yeah, I really missed her. She’s great to work with is Steph – she’s a good laugh and having her on set is great fun. She’s not changed in that sense, but I think she’s a bit more grounded now – she’s had a baby and that makes a lot of difference. I don’t think there is anyone in life who hasn’t made a few mistakes when they’ve been younger, and it’s nice that our guv’nor [series producer Bryan Kirkwood] has given her an opportunity to come back – and I think she is very grateful.
You’ve been in the show for 23 years – did you ever envisage staying as long as you have?
No! When I started, I signed for 23 weeks! I have a pub in London, and I nearly didn’t come for my second recall because I had a plasterer coming to the bar. It was my mum who actually convinced me to go along to the audition! Life could easily have been so different.
People think of you as ‘Mr Hollyoaks’. Is that something you’ve come to embrace over the years?
I don’t know about that, but you can’t really argue when you’ve been here this long! It’s weird, I was out at the weekend and someone said to me, “I’ve been watching you since I was three”! I was 20 when I started and now I’m 43, so when you hear stuff like that you think, ‘God, I’m old’!
William Roache (Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow) has been in his soap for nearly 60 years. Can you see yourself being in for as long as that?
Hollyoaks
Well, I never imagined it being this long, so you never know! 60 years? Shut up – that’s another 40… which means I’ll be 80… Deary me!
“Someone said to me, ‘I’ve been watching you since I was three’. It made me think, ‘God, I’m old’!”