DIARYDIANNE Ross earns praise for heartbreaking Hollyoaks scenes
ACTOR Ross Adams has been praised by fans and co-stars for a ‘heartbreaking’ new Hollyoaks storyline exploring suicide and depression. Ross plays lovable Scott Drinkwell in the Channel Four soap, whose flamboyant personality has sometimes led him to be pushed away and ridiculed by neighbours and isolated by some of the LGBT community.
In shocking scenes shown this week it was revealed that Scott had attempted to take his own life.
In a powerful episode told through Scott’s eyes as he spoke to a camcorder, he started imagining a life where he was in a happy gay relationship and with a family. And he spoke about being bullied at school and about his upset at being rejected by John Paul McQueen after they had a fling.
He added: “Even now at my age, you still get picked on.
“What is it about someone different that offends other people so much? I can’t change the way I walk, and talk, and act and I can’t change the way that they think.”
Viewers were moved to tears to learn how unhappy and fragile Scott had been feeling as best friend Mercedes McQueen and auntie Diane Hutchinson watched back a video diary made by Scott for a time capsule.
And co-stars of former University of Salford student Ross praised him for his work on the storyline with Samaritans and the mental health charity Mind.
According to the LGBT foundation, lesbian, gay or bisexual people are twice as likely as heterosexual people to have suicidal thoughts or make suicide attempts, and are two to three times more likely to suffer from depression.
Fan Effie tweeted: “Scott’s storyline is so heartbreaking. Brought me to tears! Such amazing acting.”
Jackie said: “Yesterday’s episode of @Hollyoaks absolutely heartbreaking. Poor Scott thinking like this. He is good enough. Please let him be ok.”
And another fan @Claire BrownleeX applauded: “In tears watching Hollyoaks. Scott’s story was absolutely heartbreaking. Amazing acting from @ross_adams.”
Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes, tweeted: “Wow, very proud of my friend @ross_adams .. such challenging material and he owned it.”