Hollyoaks is dedicating an entire episode to the lives of disabled people \u2013 showing their intimate, ordinary and staring-you-right-in-the-face experiences. This episode has been part of a process undertaken by the actors, writers and production team to craft a broader narrative around disability to unravel some truths \u2013 and some untruths \u2013 away from stunts and sensationalism. It was written by Jonathan Boam, who is neurodivergent, and directed by Bim Ajadi, who is deaf.<\/p>\n
When I spoke with actors and production behind-the-scenes of the special, it was clear they wanted it to be an up-close, personal experience. They have skin in the game, as illustrated by Rory Douglas-Speed\u2019s experience of having diabetes.<\/p>\n
Douglas-Speed recalls: \u201cI actually flagged up a few years ago [when Joel had a drug addiction]. I thought, \u2018OK, it may tie in quite nicely\u2019, because when you have diabetes, obviously you take insulin to live every day. And when he was a heroin addict, he was almost taking something to die every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea didn\u2019t get picked up until later; as he tells the story, his excitement is palpable, \u201cI went in for a meeting this time. And I\u2019m told, \u2018Oh, we\u2019re making Joel diabetic.\u2019 I was buzzing.\u201d<\/p>
In the episode, Joel has been feeling unwell for a while and after collapsing, is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He struggles to come to terms with it and doesn\u2019t want to be seen differently by his friends and family. So, he keeps it a secret.<\/p>\n
For both the writer and actor, it was important to capture that transition, show the vulnerability and the effort of acceptance, and show why he needs that layer of secrecy \u2013 and protection \u2013 as he goes through it.<\/p>\n
The actor reflects: \u201cSo many things can be misconstrued, or there are extremes. And I think, \u2018How accurate is the information out there?\u2019 But what we can bring to the table is the real life of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The importance of this realism is later unmistakable on set when someone suggests ways to appear as if he is injecting insulin. With a hint of amusement, he instinctively responds: \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\""Hollyoaks:\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/06\/hollyoaks-4-fe1078c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Hollyoaks:\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>With all this life experience that Rory has, it feels like he can take everything he is and has been and put it into this character. \u201cI was on death\u2019s door half the time. I experienced some crazy things when I was younger, but as part of the learning curve, because I was eight years old when I was diagnosed.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many disabled people, this simple, restrained account will be familiar: quietly accepting and at times yelling, screaming and fighting our way through.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lot, to be honest. I sort of took it all on board easy enough. It did have a huge impact\u2026 I had to sort of shift my mentality from being a child to then, I suppose, having ownership on what I\u2019m doing with my life because every decision I made was key to whether I live or die, essentially.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other small details that make up a disabled life can be written into scripts, those moments from direct experience \u2013 some of the in-jokes and culture of our community: \u201cIf Joel and Leela were to go upstairs, and do what they need to do<\/i>, you\u2019re coming back downstairs and getting some Lucozade or whatever. Like, that\u2019s just a little authentic thing. Only people with diabetes will know what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sitting down with Annabelle Davis at a time when it often feels like, as a disabled woman, you don\u2019t get the final say in your identity is a reassurance. She has a distinctive vision of how she wants to present herself, her body, her voice and perspective in character, while representing the views and experiences of so many others.<\/p>\n
When it came to reshaping the early ideas for her character, Lacey, she was committed to fleshing her out, making her a woman other disabled women would see themselves in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a few meetings discussing the character, and we\u2019ve had to tweak it a bit. I wanted it to be different.\u201d She was keen for Lacey to be a professional: \u201cLittle people in certain professions, you don\u2019t see it, and you don\u2019t think it and see that on screen. \u2018It\u2019s like, Oh, wow. Yeah, of course. Why? Why not?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Part of her vision for her character is to embody a sense of ordinariness. \u201cPart of my discussion with the disability episode is that with soaps, every storyline is a little bit more sensationalised. But when doing some of the disabled storylines, it brings it back, really, to that kind of ground base level \u2013 and it works.\u201d<\/p>\n
In scenes from the episode, Minnie Minniver (Eva Lorente), who has Down\u2019s Syndrome, is not allowed to join in with swimming lessons, so her mum Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) seeks legal advice.<\/p>\n
Paralegal Lacey helps Maxine and takes her to the leisure centre to help educate them and represent the case, having faced similar problems herself growing up as a disabled person. This storyline echoes that of Shauna Hogan, who has since become a Special Olympian and appears in the episode.<\/p>\n
By stripping back these simple moments and echoing reality, the focus is placed on the core of humanity, staring you right in the face and highlighting the profound impact of discrimination and stigma. Maxine\u2019s wish to take legal action against the leisure centre resonates as a human response to discrimination.<\/p>\n
Next week on #Hollyoaks<\/a> we have a very special episode, surrounding accessibility awareness called, ‘What’s Your Normal?’ \u2764\ufe0f Annabelle is here to tell us a bit more about it and why it’s important. #WhatsYourNormal<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GkIVkwO4v1<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Hollyoaks (@Hollyoaks) June 26, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>