We must bid a sorrowful farewell to Scott Drinkwell as Hollyoaks star Ross Adams has announced that he would be leaving the show after ten years, signalling the end of an era.
The announcement follows a flurry of departures and Channel 4’s announcement that production would be reduced to three episodes per week.
Ross, who was first given the opportunity to accept a new contract, revealed to Metro.co.uk in an exclusive interview that he is now both anxious and thrilled to leave the position, which he would have gladly kept, and that he views the channel’s decision as a signal that it is time to pursue other opportunities.
Metro.co.uk has confirmed that Scott will not be eliminated, and Ross is hoping for a happy ending for his beloved character.
Here, Ross shares his thoughts on the condition of the soap industry as a whole, what Scott means to him, his worries about leaving the show and about change, and whether or not he would play the lead in another soap opera (spoiler alert: definitely).
You’ve announced that you’re leaving the show. Will it be weird to let go of Scott after 10 years and how do you think the fans will react?
It doesn’t feel real right now, but it will be really difficult. Now that I’ve made the announcement, I believe it will seem genuine. I’ve been thinking about this knowledge for a few weeks, and it’s strange because up until now, I’ve been able to put it off and tell myself that it will come up in the future.
One thing I want to say is how much of a family the cast and staff of Hollyoaks are, and I’m going to miss him and the entire show. One of the most committed and diligent groups of people ever is the crew.
The individuals and their faces, as well as the joy that Scott brought, the outrageous clothes, and spending two hours in the morning applying makeup to transform into “Anita Tinkle,” are all things I think I’ll miss. It feels very strange, very strange.
How did the decision come about?
Although I truly enjoyed working on the adoption documentary I did last year, Hollyoaks was gracious enough to offer me another contract. It was a chance for me to do something as myself in addition to doing some presenting, which is something I’ve always been eager to do.
Ross is not as well-known as Scott, despite the latter being a well-known persona. I have a slight taste for it from the documentary. You do become accustomed to the role after playing Scott for a while. I guess you have to push yourself periodically, but I would have happily lived there forever.
To be quite honest, I felt like maybe the recent news that we were going to be cutting back to three episodes was the impetus I needed to start to consider other options. I’m scared, I truly am, but I decided to give it a shot since I felt like it was either now or never.
People sometimes forget you’ve done some directing and written some episodes of Hollyoaks, you’ve got a lot of strings to your bow.
I’ve only ever truly worked in soap operas since, well, I was on Coronation Street. After that, I moved to Emmerdale to work as a script editor and storyliner, which is when the role of Scott became available.
I’ve been working on soap operas for a very long time, and because the genre and human drama are evolving so quickly, I really want to think that all of the soap operas will still be around in five or ten years, but right now it seems like a very different landscape than it did when I first started in the business.
That has, in my opinion, inspired me to pursue other endeavours. Last year, I had the incredible good fortune to write a script, which I thoroughly liked doing. It was such a delightful experience to write something I’ve always enjoyed for characters I knew so well in Hollyoaks. I’ve wondered, “Is it something I should focus on? Should I try to write more now?
I teach kids TV acting on Saturdays at a theatre school, and I work for an agency, so I’ll be busy, but this is a whole other universe.
Given that I’m not the type of person who adapts well to change, there are moments when I fear accepting change. But if I don’t take action now, I may never reach my 40th birthday in May. You must take the risk.
Do you think there’ll come a point where you see leaving as an adventure, amid the anxieties surrounding it?
Even just exploring what else is available excites me. I haven’t had an audition in almost ten years, so the idea of doing one again excites me. Additionally, you are their first call when you are at Hollyoaks; the show is your top priority. I’ve been unable to perform certain things in the past, but I’m willing to jump at the chance to take on new challenges and will be ready if needed.
I suppose everyone has the same fantasies of doing Strictly or the jungle [I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!], but I’m looking forward to opening myself up to other chances because I know I’d be hopeless there. I believe that the world should witness my pasodoble since I already have the tan and the sequins. I can learn the rest.
You’ve been in this role for 10 years, what does the character mean to you?
I cherish him. I hope he gets a nice ending because I think he’s had a pretty difficult journey and I’m not sure how I’m going to conclude it. He’s always wanted it and has never quite succeeded in achieving it.
Whether it’s because he’s a bit of a loner or because he married Mitchell, the love of his life, only for Mitchell to leave him. I would love for him to meet someone because he has never found true love. He truly needs Vicky and Miley more than anything, therefore I believe that becoming a foster parent has provided him a way to pour all of his love onto them. I consider him highly.
I was embraced by Julia in the press office as she remarked, “I was thinking of characters that embody Hollyoaks and Ross really does; he’s got heart, he’s unapologetically himself, and he’s got humour.” Julia had also heard that Ross was departing. Although I’ve always enjoyed acting comedic roles, he went through a tremendous journey in 2018 when I was given the depressive plot.
Remember that he was detested when he initially appeared on the show. In the first six months, he had abducted Rose, poisoned aunt Diane, and lied about having HIV. He was a very divisive figure who, inexplicably, evolved into a more humorous figure whose transgressions were justified by his adoption and upbringing.
I support Scott. In a perfect world, Jane McDonald would show up in the village and give him his dream job—that of becoming her PA on a cruise—because I want him to be okay and happy.
Though I doubt Jane would be available for my departure, I just want the best for him. After spending so much time in character, both the character and you become a part of each other. It will be strange to say goodbye to the show because it will feel like I’ve lost a little piece of myself.
Over the years the viewer’s reaction to Scott has dramatically changed, has the fan support meant a lot to you?
Sincerely. It’s true that soap opera enthusiasts are the most devoted of all fandoms. I never undervalue things like seeing the same faces supporting us when we attend the soap opera awards, which are held in different cities each year—Manchester in one year, London in another.
I’m so fortunate to have wonderful fans. It can take me some time to respond to tweets or messages from fans of Scott if he had major headlines or was involved in something, but it means a lot to me because I believe that if my followers are satisfied, I’m doing a good job.
Both the Hollyoaks and the Scott fan bases have been tremendous. Although I’ve been holding onto this knowledge, I thought they should be aware of it. I feel like they’ve been on this trip with me, so I would hate to walk off screen and say nothing.
Would you ever consider doing another soap should the opportunity arise?
In a heartbeat. When I was at drama school, I’d talk about what I’d want from my career and people would look down at me because I’d be open and say I wanted to be in a soap. It was my lifetime ambition.
We used to sit down and watch Corrie every day as kids. As I grew older and T4 came around, I would watch the Hollyoaks omnibus, and my family’s existence revolved around soap operas. After that peak viewing at 7:30, everything would halt, and the next day at school, I would discuss it.
My earliest memories are of Richard Hillman, telling these incredible tales about how he killed Maxine, and driving Gail, Sarah-Lou, and David into the canal in Corrie. Those were compelling stories. Things beneath the patio, like Trevor Jordache and Brookside. My desire to do soap operas was stifled by the compelling large stories.
As an actress from the North who wasn’t wealthy enough to attend a private school, I believe that some opportunities were lacking. This week, there was news in the press regarding the fact that 40% of British Oscar winners had their private education.
One of the few venues where performers from less affluent backgrounds, who may even be from the North rather than London or the Home Counties, may portray these incredible roles is in the soap operas.
When I worked as the producer’s PA on Coronation Street, I recall thinking, “I would do anything to be on the other side of the camera,” as we left for award shows.
Without sounding like an X Factor sob tale, Hollyoaks offered me the opportunity, and it was a dream come true. Actors who leave soap operas sometimes express a desire to work on films, but I’m a big fan of soap operas and believe there should be more possibilities for great authors and compelling characters.
I sincerely hope soap operas survive to continue providing such chances to people. If such a chance ever presents itself to me again, I would seize it.
Do you think soaps need to adapt?
They do, but I’m not sure how to solve that. It’s all about chasing audiences, in my opinion. If you’re chasing a younger audience and some shows are traditionally watched by older viewers, you should also consider your core fan base who have been with you for years in addition to the younger audience.
narrating tales with familiar characters who have been on television for ages, but also presenting new, genuine families and personalities.
Character is vital to me in a soap opera, so when I joined Hollyoaks and took on the character of Scott, I was certain that he had to have a personality. I was the one who thought of his outlandish clothing and tanned complexion.
It reminds me of either Kat Slater’s leopard print or Hayley Cropper’s red coat. Such matters are really significant. Character-driven storytelling with heart and humour must once again be the focus of soap operas.
The social topics Hollyoaks covers are excellent as well, including the narrative of #DontFilterFeelings and the radicalism of the far right. It’s such a fantastic forum for generating conversation and noise. It’s crucial that we maintain them going just so we can have those discussions.
Do you have any favourite storylines or moments from across the years?
My biggest story was Scott’s depression that sparked the #DontFilterFeelings campaign, and that’s what got me the soap award so that’ll always be special to me because that was the first time I was trusted with a major story.
If you remember, that was the episode that I had to film myself on a handheld camera as Scott was making a suicide video and so I had to think about the lighting and the angle, as well as the fact it was 14/15 pages of dialogue.
But there were also the little tales, like Scott’s friendship with Mercedes and their conversation about gossiping when Scott was getting his drag makeup done in the pub, which I believe we lost track of as the movie went on.
They made a strange couple, but I thought that was great. The family stuff was also so much fun. I was incredibly fortunate to spend time with Nick Pickard, Alex Fletcher, and Stephanie Davis in the early years. We laughed a lot.
There were certain moments, like in Diane’s place, when we were all just talking about normal things and it felt like a lovely family moment.
I have truly, truly enjoyed every second. I have never experienced any period of unhappiness or misery. It’s been incredible.
Is there a final sign off after 10 years you want to give to fans?
I would like to thank them all without crying. The fan support has meant so much to me, and I hope they will continue to be a part of my life’s journey. Yes, and continue to watch soap operas! They are nothing without viewers.
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