Actor Jennifer Metcalfe from the series Hollyoaks opens up about getting emotional during the heart-wrenching cancer storyline for her character, Mercedes.
In a heartfelt revelation, actress Jennifer Metcalfe, known for her role as Mercedes McQueen in "Hollyoaks", spoke about being moved to tears watching a pivotal and groundbreaking scene in the soap series. Metcalfe's emotional response came during an exclusive interview with TV Times magazine, which features four leading ladies from the soap world, including Metcalfe, Channique Sterling-Brown from "Coronation Street", Diane Parish from "EastEnders", and Beth Cordingly from "Emmerdale". The interview is part of the celebration for the British Soap Awards 2025.
Back in September, "Hollyoaks" took viewers on a dramatic turn when it introduced a 12-month time jump, revealing that Mercedes had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. In a particularly poignant scene, Mercedes, a mother of three, was informed that the chemotherapy treatment she received was unsuccessful, and a potentially life-saving drug was unavailable to her. Facing a grim prognosis of unlikely survival beyond 12 months, Mercedes retreated to her bedroom, removing her wig and dancing in her underwear, with her stoma bag and chemotherapy port on display.
Metcalfe shared her feelings about rewatching this scene, "I didn't watch the scene for a long time, but then we had a screening. It made me feel very sad. It wasn't like I was watching myself. I found it really difficult to watch. I think it's quite indulgent when you cry at your own stuff, but I definitely cried at that."
The uncompromising footage from "Hollyoaks" is nominated for Scene of the Year at the British Soap Awards, which will be held at London's Hackney Empire this Saturday, 31st May. Other nominees for the prestigious award include "Coronation Street" for "Mason's Death", "EastEnders" for "Angie Watts' Shock Return", and "Emmerdale" for "'Amy's deathly plunge reveals a grisly secret'".
If Metcalfe wins, it will mark her first individual Soap Award during her 19-year reign as Mercedes. The storyline has held a personal significance for Metcalfe, as she lost her father, Colin, to bowel cancer when she was only 15. On the day she filmed the emotional scene, she felt her late father's presence, recalling, "I'm thankful for my dad and I feel he helped me get through it, because it was raw emotion and there was no dialogue. I was sat there for four hours in prosthetics. But at the end of the day, I could take all that off, whereas this is some people's reality. When I got home, I put my little boy Daye to bed, feeling very thankful for my health and my life...and then I stared at the wall!"
Read Jennifer's interview in the latest issue of TV Times magazine, available now. The British Soap Awards 2025, presented by Jane McDonald, will be broadcast on ITV1 on Thursday, 5th June, at 8 pm.
[1] Enrichment Data: The nominees for Scene of the Year at the British Soap Awards 2025 are:- "Coronation Street": Mason's Death- "EastEnders": Angie Watts' Shock Return- "Emmerdale": Amy's Deathly Plunge Reveals A Grisly Secret- "Hollyoaks" (implied to be part of the nominees but no specific scene is mentioned in the provided sources)
- Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes McQueen in "Hollyoaks", confessed that she was moved to tears watching a powerful scene from the soap series, which is nominated for Scene of the Year at the British Soap Awards 2025.
- In an exclusive interview with TV Times magazine, Metcalfe revealed that she found it challenging to watch the emotional scene, where her character is diagnosed with an unsuccessful treatment for bowel cancer and faces a grim prognosis.
- The cast of "Hollyoaks" is also competing in the entertainment category at the British Soap Awards 2025, alongside the casts of "Coronation Street", "EastEnders", and "Emmerdale".
- If Metcalfe wins the award for Scene of the Year, it will be her first individual Soap Award during her 19-year tenure as Mercedes, heavily influenced by her personal experience of losing her father to bowel cancer.
