Jack Osborne
Encyclopedia
Jack William Osborne is a fictional character
from the long-running Channel 4
soap opera
Hollyoaks
, played by Jimmy McKenna. He first appeared on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest serving character although Cindy Longford and Mandy Richardson
both appeared before him both have taken considerable breaks before they returned full time. He was introduced as part of the Osborne family
along with son Darren
and wife Celia who joined daughter Ruth
to live at Hollyoaks. His storylines have included three marriages and an insurance scam which saw him fake his own death. He has also been the landlord of The Dog in the Pond
between 1996-2008.
who said McKenna joined "about 20 or 30 episodes. I started in October and he came in at Christmas".
described him as "Jack the hero!" The Daily Record
described him as "an ex-copper who takes no nonsense from his regulars - although most of them seem to be underage".
saying "Jack's at an all-time low and the finding of a dead body is too good an opportunity for him and Darren to pass up. They swap the dead man's identity with Jack's, forcing Jack to slope off into the night. Darren's then left with the formidable task of telling step-mum Frankie of the 'death'. As Darren's tangled web of lies continues to grow, he's left in an extremely tricky position when he learns that Kris and brother Malachy are searching for their father. It's only then that Darren discovers the true identity of the corpse. Will Darren be able to keep his cool, or will he crack under the pressure? It's only when Jack turns up at his own funeral that Darren realises that the situation has truly spiralled out of control".
. Jack became a police officer. In the 1980s, Jack arrested Martin Brownlow, who later died in prison. Martin was the former love-interest of Myra McQueen
and father to Niall Rafferty
.
, where they join Jack's daughter Ruth
. Jack becomes the landlord of The Dog in the Pond
, after brother-in-law Greg decides to sell up following the death of his daughter Natasha. Jack immediately causes a stir when it is revealed that he is the father of teenager Dawn Cunningham
's child Bethany, who needs a kidney transplant. Jack donates one of his kidneys to the daughter he has never known. Dawn's sister Jude tries to blackmail Jack about Bethany. However, she ends up telling everyone in The Dog. Jack tries to explain to Celia, who leaves for America
.
Jack's love life takes another twist when new barmaid Jill Patrick arrives with her children Kate
, Gina
and Sol
. Jack and Jill end up in a relationship, eventually getting married. The marriage goes well, despite a feud between the Patrick children and the Osborne children. Jack is then devastated when Jill reveals she has a fatal brain tumour. He then agrees to look after her children when she dies. When Jill does die, Jack keeps his promise and cares for her children, helping Sol flee from the police abroad. Jack embarks on several other relationships after Jill, including Geri Hudson
's mother Jacqui and Izzy Cornwell mother Patty. Natalie Osborne
, Jack's troubled niece, arrives from Scotland
for the half-term after her parents have marital trouble. Natalie starts at Hollyoaks High School. However, her older sister Rachel arrives and tells Jack that Natalie is hiding that she has not got good grades at school in Scotland. For her own good, Jack sends her back home.
Jack provides a home for the Deans after their eviction from their home. After first being sceptical, he soon warms to the family. Jack then begins a relationship with Frankie Dean after the collpase of her marriage to Johnno
, and the pair later marry. Jack and Frankie decide to enter foster care. They foster Barry Newton. Darren sells Frankie's jewellery to a pawn shop, and blames it on Newt. After threatening to send him back to care, Darren is finally caught out. Darren starts having a gambling addiction. During a game of poker with Mike Barnes
, Tony Hutchinson
and Warren Fox
, he bets his half of The Dog, which Warren wins. After finding this out, Jack suffers a heart attack and Darren is told to leave the house. Warren then signs his half of The Dog over to Jack again for a low price. Despite this low price, Jack goes through money worries, and begins to water down drinks. An inspector finds this out and declares he is to take him to court. Seeing no other way, Jack decides to commit suicide so his family can claim his life insurance money. However, Darren stops him. They then discover the body of Eamon Fisher. Darren tells Jack that they could fake his death, claiming Jack is the deceased body. Jack goes along with this and his family are horrified at his apparent death. Frankie discovers Jack is alive and the pair agree to flee to Spain
. Niall Rafferty
, the secret son of Myra McQueen
, finds out Jack is still alive and hiding in the attic of The Dog. Niall's father Martin was arrested and sent to prison by Jack. He later died. Niall attacks Jack, holding him responsible for it. He then confesses he is Myra's son and that he is going to kill his family. Jack then alerts Darren as the pair rush to find them. Tony and Dom Reilly, who are also trying to find the McQueens, are shocked, and angry, to see Jack. The four head to an abandoned church. Jack bursts in and tells Niall it is over, however Niall detonates explosives, which eventually kills Tina Reilly. Jack is then arrested and Darren admits he knew of the fake death. They are both imprisoned. During his time in prison, the Osbornes are forced to sell The Dog to the Ashworths.
Jack is released from prison four months later. Upon his return, Frankie, Steph, Newt and Darren throw a party for him. He visits Eamon's sons, Kris
and Malachy Fisher
, where he learns that Darren had only offered to buy them a drink as an apology. He then kicks Darren out of the flat. Jack grows depressed, and he does not want to leave the house. After learning that Darren took £100, 000 from Warren Fox
to get stepbrother Jake
to confess to Sean Kennedy
's murder, before gambling the money away, Jack disowns him.
Jack gets a manager job in the dog thanks to Darren. When Jack sees that Darren has become close friends with teenager Duncan Button
, he realises that he has changed, so decides to reconcile with him and offers him to move in with him, which he wants to include Duncan. Darren is delighted and happily accepts.
Jack supports Frankie when Steph reveals she is dying from cervical cancer. When Steph dies in a fire at Il Gnosh, he gets deeply concerned for Frankie when she sets a table for Steph for Christmas dinner. On Christmas Eve, while taking his dog for a walk with Duncan in a nearby woods, they both discover India Longford
's body, leading Jack to call the police.
said "I love Jack and Frankie – they're essentially the heart of the show". Temporary workplace provider Regus carried out a survey in 2010 and found that Jack Osborne was the third most popular boss from Soaps. On how she would write character's exits if she were to axe them Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail
said "Hollyoaks' Jack could just disappear in a puff of smoke, because who would notice anyway?". Stephens also added "Oh, not again. Maybe, this time, Jack could actually die for real? Please. real? Please" on the announcement Jack would have more money problems. Due to his role of Jack McKenna has been referred to as the "grandfather of Hollyoaks".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the long-running Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
, played by Jimmy McKenna. He first appeared on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest serving character although Cindy Longford and Mandy Richardson
Mandy Richardson
Mandy Richardson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sarah Jayne Dunn...
both appeared before him both have taken considerable breaks before they returned full time. He was introduced as part of the Osborne family
Osborne family
The Osborne family are a fictional family in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks. Introduced to the show in 1996, The family moved to Hollyoaks village in 1996, although Ruth Osborne had previously lived in the Village...
along with son Darren
Darren Osborne
Darren Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. Darren was introduced by executive producer Phil Redmond as part of the Osborne family. Darren made his first on-screen appearance on 18 November 1996 and was initially played by Adam Booth, before the Booth...
and wife Celia who joined daughter Ruth
Ruth Osborne
Ruth Osborne is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Terri Dwyer. She first appeared in 1995 as part of the Osborne family before leaving in 2001. Since then, she has made guest appearances between 2003–2004 and 2008. In 2009 Dwyer said she'd return...
to live at Hollyoaks. His storylines have included three marriages and an insurance scam which saw him fake his own death. He has also been the landlord of The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995. The pub was burnt down in episodes airing in September 2006 during the 'Fire at The Dog', which killed five regular characters...
between 1996-2008.
Casting
McKenna is the serial's second longest serving cast member having appeared consecutively since 1996. The Daily Record initially said he'd been "drafted in to quicken the pace" of the soap. McKenna started soon after Nick PickardNick Pickard
Nicholas "Nick" Pickard is an English actor, best known for his role as Tony Hutchinson on soap opera Hollyoaks.He is currently the longest serving cast member and appeared in the very first episode in 1995...
who said McKenna joined "about 20 or 30 episodes. I started in October and he came in at Christmas".
Characterisation
Lucy AllanLucy Allan (producer)
Lucy Jane Allan is a British television producer, best known for her work on Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.Allan's other credited work include a script editor for Dream Team and assistant to director in Chica de Río....
described him as "Jack the hero!" The Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
described him as "an ex-copper who takes no nonsense from his regulars - although most of them seem to be underage".
Financial issues
The Osbornes suffered financial crisis when Darren's gambling addiction grew out of control. It was announced that Jack would fake his own death to claim on the life insurance. Darren found Jack about to commit suicide, before finding the body of Eamon Fisher. Darren and Jack decide to fake Jack's death, which Jack reluctantly agreed to. A Hollyoaks spokesperson spoke to Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
saying "Jack's at an all-time low and the finding of a dead body is too good an opportunity for him and Darren to pass up. They swap the dead man's identity with Jack's, forcing Jack to slope off into the night. Darren's then left with the formidable task of telling step-mum Frankie of the 'death'. As Darren's tangled web of lies continues to grow, he's left in an extremely tricky position when he learns that Kris and brother Malachy are searching for their father. It's only then that Darren discovers the true identity of the corpse. Will Darren be able to keep his cool, or will he crack under the pressure? It's only when Jack turns up at his own funeral that Darren realises that the situation has truly spiralled out of control".
Backstory
Jack's mother walked out on him and his brother when they were young. Growing up, Jack's father died on Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
. Jack became a police officer. In the 1980s, Jack arrested Martin Brownlow, who later died in prison. Martin was the former love-interest of Myra McQueen
Myra McQueen
Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family.-Character development:The...
and father to Niall Rafferty
Niall Rafferty
Niall Rafferty is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Barry Sloane. He first appeared during an episode broadcast on 3 December 2007. Former Brookside actor Sloane was cast as the "mysterious" hairdresser Niall and was introduced by the series' producer...
.
1996-
Jack arrives in Hollyoaks with his wife Celia and son DarrenDarren Osborne
Darren Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. Darren was introduced by executive producer Phil Redmond as part of the Osborne family. Darren made his first on-screen appearance on 18 November 1996 and was initially played by Adam Booth, before the Booth...
, where they join Jack's daughter Ruth
Ruth Osborne
Ruth Osborne is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Terri Dwyer. She first appeared in 1995 as part of the Osborne family before leaving in 2001. Since then, she has made guest appearances between 2003–2004 and 2008. In 2009 Dwyer said she'd return...
. Jack becomes the landlord of The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995. The pub was burnt down in episodes airing in September 2006 during the 'Fire at The Dog', which killed five regular characters...
, after brother-in-law Greg decides to sell up following the death of his daughter Natasha. Jack immediately causes a stir when it is revealed that he is the father of teenager Dawn Cunningham
Dawn Cunningham
Dawn Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lisa Williamson. Williamson was cast as one of the original characters on Hollyoaks in 1995, however she left in 1997 when the character died....
's child Bethany, who needs a kidney transplant. Jack donates one of his kidneys to the daughter he has never known. Dawn's sister Jude tries to blackmail Jack about Bethany. However, she ends up telling everyone in The Dog. Jack tries to explain to Celia, who leaves for America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Jack's love life takes another twist when new barmaid Jill Patrick arrives with her children Kate
Kate Patrick
Kate Patrick is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Natasha Symms. She debuted on-screen during the episodes airing in 1997...
, Gina
Gina Patrick
Gina Patrick is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Dannielle Brent. She debuted on-screen during the episodes airing in 1997. Brent secured the role after originally auditioning for the role of Gina's sister Kate Patrick. Gina was initially a recurring...
and Sol
Sol Patrick
Sol Patrick is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Paul Danan.-Storylines:Sol arrived in Hollyoaks with his mother Jill Patrick , and sisters Kate and Gina...
. Jack and Jill end up in a relationship, eventually getting married. The marriage goes well, despite a feud between the Patrick children and the Osborne children. Jack is then devastated when Jill reveals she has a fatal brain tumour. He then agrees to look after her children when she dies. When Jill does die, Jack keeps his promise and cares for her children, helping Sol flee from the police abroad. Jack embarks on several other relationships after Jill, including Geri Hudson
Geri Hudson
Geri Hudson is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Joanna Taylor. She first appeared in 1999 before leaving in 2001 after two years in the show.-Storylines:...
's mother Jacqui and Izzy Cornwell mother Patty. Natalie Osborne
Natalie Osborne
Natalie Osborne is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Tiffany Mulheron. Natalie first appeared in 2003 and left in 2004.-Storylines:...
, Jack's troubled niece, arrives from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for the half-term after her parents have marital trouble. Natalie starts at Hollyoaks High School. However, her older sister Rachel arrives and tells Jack that Natalie is hiding that she has not got good grades at school in Scotland. For her own good, Jack sends her back home.
Jack provides a home for the Deans after their eviction from their home. After first being sceptical, he soon warms to the family. Jack then begins a relationship with Frankie Dean after the collpase of her marriage to Johnno
Johnno Dean
John "Johnno" Dean is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera Hollyoaks, played originally by Mark Powley. He first appeared in October 2002, and from April 2003 was replaced by Colin Wells until his exit in July 2005.-Storylines:The Deans were a very...
, and the pair later marry. Jack and Frankie decide to enter foster care. They foster Barry Newton. Darren sells Frankie's jewellery to a pawn shop, and blames it on Newt. After threatening to send him back to care, Darren is finally caught out. Darren starts having a gambling addiction. During a game of poker with Mike Barnes
Mike Barnes (Hollyoaks)
Michael "Mike" Barnes is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Tony Hirst. He first appeared in 2006. In 2010, soap opera magazine Inside Soap reported that the character would leave in late January with love interest Zoe Carpenter...
, Tony Hutchinson
Tony Hutchinson
Anthony "Tony" Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nick Pickard. Tony first appeared on-screen on 23 October 1995, the first episode of the series, and is the only original character still on the show to the present day...
and Warren Fox
Warren Fox
Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jamie Lomas. He first arrived in 2006 as an old acquaintance of Sean Kennedy and quickly became known as the show's main villain...
, he bets his half of The Dog, which Warren wins. After finding this out, Jack suffers a heart attack and Darren is told to leave the house. Warren then signs his half of The Dog over to Jack again for a low price. Despite this low price, Jack goes through money worries, and begins to water down drinks. An inspector finds this out and declares he is to take him to court. Seeing no other way, Jack decides to commit suicide so his family can claim his life insurance money. However, Darren stops him. They then discover the body of Eamon Fisher. Darren tells Jack that they could fake his death, claiming Jack is the deceased body. Jack goes along with this and his family are horrified at his apparent death. Frankie discovers Jack is alive and the pair agree to flee to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Niall Rafferty
Niall Rafferty
Niall Rafferty is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Barry Sloane. He first appeared during an episode broadcast on 3 December 2007. Former Brookside actor Sloane was cast as the "mysterious" hairdresser Niall and was introduced by the series' producer...
, the secret son of Myra McQueen
Myra McQueen
Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family.-Character development:The...
, finds out Jack is still alive and hiding in the attic of The Dog. Niall's father Martin was arrested and sent to prison by Jack. He later died. Niall attacks Jack, holding him responsible for it. He then confesses he is Myra's son and that he is going to kill his family. Jack then alerts Darren as the pair rush to find them. Tony and Dom Reilly, who are also trying to find the McQueens, are shocked, and angry, to see Jack. The four head to an abandoned church. Jack bursts in and tells Niall it is over, however Niall detonates explosives, which eventually kills Tina Reilly. Jack is then arrested and Darren admits he knew of the fake death. They are both imprisoned. During his time in prison, the Osbornes are forced to sell The Dog to the Ashworths.
Jack is released from prison four months later. Upon his return, Frankie, Steph, Newt and Darren throw a party for him. He visits Eamon's sons, Kris
Kris Fisher
Francis "Kris" Fisher is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Gerard McCarthy. The character first appeared on-screen in September 2006 and left in August 2010 after McCarthy quit the show...
and Malachy Fisher
Malachy Fisher
Malachy "Mal" Fisher is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Glen Wallace. Malachy first appeared in 2007 on a recurring basis and became a permanent character in 2008. The character has been noted for being at the centre of a HIV plot...
, where he learns that Darren had only offered to buy them a drink as an apology. He then kicks Darren out of the flat. Jack grows depressed, and he does not want to leave the house. After learning that Darren took £100, 000 from Warren Fox
Warren Fox
Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jamie Lomas. He first arrived in 2006 as an old acquaintance of Sean Kennedy and quickly became known as the show's main villain...
to get stepbrother Jake
Jake Dean
Jake Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kevin Sacre. Sacre portrayed the character between 2002 and 2008, before making a return on 5 October 2009. In March 2010, Sacre was axed from the series by Paul Marquess during his major revamp and cast...
to confess to Sean Kennedy
Sean Kennedy (Hollyoaks)
Sean Kennedy is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Matthew Jay Lewis. He first appeared in 2006 and briefly in 2007.- Storylines :...
's murder, before gambling the money away, Jack disowns him.
Jack gets a manager job in the dog thanks to Darren. When Jack sees that Darren has become close friends with teenager Duncan Button
Duncan Button
Duncan Button is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Dean Aspen. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 2 November 2009. Duncan was originally credited as Duncan Smith until he was credited with Button...
, he realises that he has changed, so decides to reconcile with him and offers him to move in with him, which he wants to include Duncan. Darren is delighted and happily accepts.
Jack supports Frankie when Steph reveals she is dying from cervical cancer. When Steph dies in a fire at Il Gnosh, he gets deeply concerned for Frankie when she sets a table for Steph for Christmas dinner. On Christmas Eve, while taking his dog for a walk with Duncan in a nearby woods, they both discover India Longford
India Longford
India Longford is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Beth Kingston. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 September 2009 and was introduced by series producer Lucy Allan as a new student at Hollyoaks Community College...
's body, leading Jack to call the police.
Reception
Bryan KirkwoodBryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
said "I love Jack and Frankie – they're essentially the heart of the show". Temporary workplace provider Regus carried out a survey in 2010 and found that Jack Osborne was the third most popular boss from Soaps. On how she would write character's exits if she were to axe them Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
said "Hollyoaks' Jack could just disappear in a puff of smoke, because who would notice anyway?". Stephens also added "Oh, not again. Maybe, this time, Jack could actually die for real? Please. real? Please" on the announcement Jack would have more money problems. Due to his role of Jack McKenna has been referred to as the "grandfather of Hollyoaks".
External links
- Jack Osborne on the E4 website