Tony Cowell chats to Alex Fletcher
Soap star Alex Fletcher first shot to fame over 30 years ago, as 12-year-old Jacqui Dixon in Liverpool’s Brookside – a role she played right up until 2003, when the soap ended. But now she’s equally well-known for her role as Diane O’Connor in Hollyoaks. Over the past 10 years, her character’s dramatic storylines have included an IVF struggle, having her baby daughter swapped and, most recently, struggling to support her husband, Tony (played by Nick
Pickard), who’s been coping with erratic behaviour and mood swings, after being spiked with testosterone – by his own dad! You really need to watch it… Here, Alex – who lives with her actor husband, Neil Davies, and children Yasmin, 15, and Hanson, four – explains the cast’s emotional return to filming after lockdown, and how she struggled when her mum and dad got Coronavirus…
You must be happy to be back filming
Hollyoaks... Yes. It’s such a relief, it really is. I was very nervous about going back, because I got so used to working 12-hour days then, suddenly, I had all this time on my hands. It was hard to get back to a normal working routine. But we had a big wedding scene to film.
Did you keep in touch with other cast members during lockdown?
I did, yes. It was such a worrying time, so it was nice to keep chatting, because we just didn’t know if we would ever start filming again. I live quite close to the studio so every day I would jog past the gates and look in; wondering when I could start work again.
How difficult was lockdown for you?
I have to take my hat off to my 15-yearold because she coped so well with her classes online – but Hanson, my four-year-old, found it difficult, because he didn’t understand why he couldn’t go to playschool. Then
I had to prepare him for his first day at school this month. I’m not going to lie; it was very challenging.
You also had a worrying time with your mum and dad, didn’t you?
I did. Both my parents caught Covid-19 right at the start of lockdown. They are both in their 60s and my mum had it for over eight weeks. It was very scary because you could see she was struggling. Dad, I think, was a bit stronger and he got better in three or four weeks. They are both doing OK now, but, looking back, I had a lot of anxiety. It all feels like a bad dream.
What has been going on with your character, Diane?
Diane had an affair with her husband’s (Tony) dad, (Edward) – which sounds a bit crazy and wrong. But Edward is quite sinister and, in a bid to win Diane back, he pretended to give Tony an operation on a fake brain tumour, but actually didn’t go through with it. Although everyone else thinks that he
did and puts this down to Tony’s changed behaviour, as he becomes really aggressive towards Diane.
What do you like most about playing her?
It’s such a challenging role. I got a bit fed up with her last year because she just has no luck at all. Diane has had so much heartache in her life. She deserves a little happiness, because she’s had a tough few years. But, of course, I love playing her.
What did you do, between Brookside and Hollyoaks?
I wanted to have a baby so I had my daughter, Jasmine – that was 2005 – and I wanted to be there for her, so I turned down a part in The Bill. I just wasn’t prepared to be a working mum back then. By 2010, I was ready to get back to work – and I was lucky to be offered the role of Diane in Hollyoaks.
Does it seem like a million years ago?
Of course, it does. TV was such a different world back then. I am very grateful to Brookside because older people still recognise me in the street at Jacqui Dixon. Brookside was edgy, and the show broke down some big barriers in television – it was very brave. I do miss being in ‘The Close’.
What took you into acting so young?
I was a freestyle dancer first of all. Then I got a presenting job on a kids’ TV show called Why Don’t You? That’s how I got the audition for Brookside. I had no real acting training, but I suppose being a dancer gave me confidence. When I joined Brookside, I was learning on the job. It was a huge opportunity for me.
Is it true you recently auditioned for Dancing on Ice?
Yes, I did. And I’m not even joking when I say I was awful – which is probably why I haven’t heard back! To be honest, it was an opportunity that got me out of the house during lockdown. I’m quite competitive so I was always going to give it a go.
Hollyoaks is now back on Channel 4.
‘I’m not going to lie, lockdown was very challenging’