Leanne Holiday
Encyclopedia
Leanne Holiday is a fictional character
from the British Channel 4
soap opera
Hollyoaks
and its Internet spin-off Hollyoaks: Freshers, played by Jessica Forrest. Forrest's casting was announced in July 2010 and she began filming her scenes in June. The actress originally commuted from Manchester to Liverpool for filming, before relocating there. Forrest was a drama and film studies student when she gained the role of Leanne. She made her first appearance in Hollyoaks: Freshers on 26 August 2010 before appearing in the main show.
Leanne was the girlfriend of long-running character, Lee Hunter
(Alex Carter
), and was introduced when Carter returned to the show after a five-year absence. Leanne is described as a "gorgeous babe" who is bubbly and a "sexy, sassy blonde". She is really sensible but a bit naive and has her heart set on marriage and her education. Forrest said that there is an element of Leanne being a bunny boiler and she also has a loopy side. The actress revealed that Leanne is fun to play and so different to her. Leanne's storylines have mainly focused on her relationship with Lee. Lee ends their relationship, beginning a romance with Amy Barnes
(Ashley Slanina-Davies
) which causes Leanne to become obsessed with him. Leanne turns into a "real bunny boiler" and develops a rivalry with Amy, doing "terrible things" to her.
(Alex Carter
), plan to move to Hollyoaks village. Leanne and Lee go to a music festival. Leanne leaves after Lee tells her they have to work at the festival to stay for free. Lee takes Leanne to stay at a hotel where he plans to propose marriage. However, his attempts fail after Leanne is unimpressed by the hotel room and they leave. Leanne goes to the village alone when she thinks that Lee has ended their relationship. She calls Lee's best friend, Bombhead (Lee Otway
), and explains that the incident was a misunderstanding. Bombhead asks Leanne if Lee has proposed yet, leaving her shocked. Lee propose to Leanne and she accepts.
Leanne overhears Jem Costello
(Helen Russell-Clark) calling her boring and kisses Doug Carter
(PJ Brennan). Leanne kisses Doug again after an argument with Lee. Lee admits that he kissed Amy Barnes
(Ashley Slanina-Davies
), but Leanne forgives him. Leanne notices Lee is spending time with Amy and she begins to organize their wedding. Lee realises he is in love with Amy and ends his relationship with Leanne. Amy is hospitalised after a fire and Leanne pretends to visit her. She returns and gives Lee a letter from Amy, which says Amy is ending their relationship. It transpires that Leanne wrote the letter. Leanne and Lee reconcile. Leanne admits that she kissed Doug and Lee forgives her. On Leanne and Lee's wedding day, Amy announces that she did not write the letter to Lee and reveals it was Leanne. Lee declares his love for Amy and refuses to marry Leanne, terminating their relationship.
Leanne changes her university course to be closer to Lee, but he avoids her. She sees a billboard of Amy and Lee's advertising campaign, leaving her angry. Leanne feigns an ankle injury and tells Lee that Amy attacked her. Leanne defaces the billboard and reports Amy to the police. Amy denies the attack and her statement is supported by a witness. Leanne goes to the filming of Lee and Amy's television advertisement at an indoor ski slope. Lee tells Leanne that he does not believe she was attacked and she pushes him down the ski slope. Lee and Amy begin a relationship. Leanne dates Jamil Fadel (Sikander Malik
) to make Lee jealous. Leanne argues with Amy and throws herself down a set of stairs. She tells Lee and Jamil that Amy pushed her. Leanne reports Amy to the police and Amy is arrested for assault. Leanne presses charges against Amy. Leanne is happy to discover that Amy has ended her relationship with Lee. Leanne withdraws her statement against Amy, hoping to reconcile with Lee. Lee turns against Leanne after he realises that she was lying about the assault. Leanne moves in with Doug and Ethan Scott (Craig Vye) after completing the first year of university. She fails in her attempts to begin a relationship with various men, including Louis Souyaye, Danny Lawrence and Matt Gill.
) and Doug Carter
(PJ Brennan). Newcomer Jessica Forrest was cast in the role having previously studied drama and film studies at the University of Manchester
. On joining the show, Forrest said: "I suppose I was quite scared. At first, I’d heard all this stuff about ‘the industry’, but I soon found out that Hollyoaks is a real team effort – and it’s actually the least intimidating place that I’ve ever worked. Everyone is so approachable and so friendly – you walk down the corridor, and people are smiling at you!" Forrest also commented that now she is acting, she feels she is where she "belongs". The character and casting were announced 15 July 2010. Anna Shaffer originally auditioned for the role of Leanne, but she was later cast as Ruby Button. Hollyoaks: Freshers was created due to the success of spin-off Hollyoaks: The Morning After The Night Before
in 2009. The shows executive producer, Lee Hardman, said "Hollyoaks: The Morning After The Night Before was a huge success for us and we hope to build on that success with Hollyoaks: Freshers, which will explore the concept of multi-layered storytelling - engaging the audience across multiple, digital platforms." Jody Smith, Channel 4's cross platform commissioner for drama, entertainment and comedy, added: "Freshers is an exciting new direction for Hollyoaks. We're introducing a batch of new characters with over 60 minutes of original online drama and social media, telling their back-stories and journey to Hollyoaks before they arrive on TV. It will be a fun, fast-moving adventure, featuring some cast favourites and many surprises along the way." Forrest began filming her scenes in June 2010. Forrest originally commuted from Manchester to Liverpool, where Hollyoaks is filmed, for the role. The actress later relocated to Liverpool.
's Holy Soap
website described her as a "sexy, sassy blonde". Channel 4
describe Leanne as "bright-eyed and bushy tailed". She is "really excited" about starting a new life. The Sun called Leanne "pushy". Forrest told The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
that Leanne is fun to play and so different to her. Leanne is "really sensible but a bit naive" and has her heart set on marriage and her education. Forrest explained to Digital Spy
that there is an element of Leanne being a bunny boiler. Leanne has a loopy side where she is "quirky but quite funny with it". She is trendy and has a unique fashion sense. Forrest went shopping with the wardrobe department and was told to "go mental". Leanne's style is "the vintage, bohemian look". Some of her clothes come from Topshop
.
, said that Lee would return with a new character, which was revealed to be Leanne. Leanne is Lee's new girlfriend. They are already an "established item" which Carter said was quite nice. Their relationship is established to viewers in Hollyoaks: Freshers, in which Leanne and Lee "provide the romantic element". Of their relationship, Carter said "It's good - Lee thinks he wears the trousers, but she's got them - it's one of those! It's great." Forrest called the relationship comical and opined that she and Carter have "good chemistry". Lee really wants to propose marriage to Leanne, but his plans fail to impress her. This makes Leanne upfront and impatient, but they eventually get engaged.
Leanne and Lee move to Hollyoaks village to study at Hollyoaks Community College. However, when they move to the village, their relationship starts to go wrong. Leanne kisses Doug Carter after she is called boring for being engaged to Lee. Forrest explained Leanne's storyline is all about being young and said it was "strange" having to kiss Brennan. Lee also strikes up a friendship with Amy Barnes and they kiss. This makes Leanne jealous because "she sees it and she doesn’t like it". Leanne and Lee are both having the same doubts about the seriousness of their relationship. Carter said that it could be the pressure of being in college with so many young, free and single people. In January 2011, Marquess told Digital Spy that Leanne would turn into a "real bunny boiler" and be involved in a serious storyline where she would do "terrible things" to Amy. The storyline developed naturally after the show's team liked Leanne being funny and they started "playing on that". Leanne becomes obsessed with Lee after he ends their relationship. Lee begins a relationship with Amy and Leanne develops a rivalry with her. Forrest said she enjoys Leanne's rivalry with Amy and that she and Slanina-Davies have "such a good laugh". Forrest said "We really go for it when we're doing the rivalry scenes on set. I love working with Ashley - she's ace."
(Jeff Rawle
). Leanne came first with 57% of the vote.
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 British 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...
and its Internet spin-off Hollyoaks: Freshers, played by Jessica Forrest. Forrest's casting was announced in July 2010 and she began filming her scenes in June. The actress originally commuted from Manchester to Liverpool for filming, before relocating there. Forrest was a drama and film studies student when she gained the role of Leanne. She made her first appearance in Hollyoaks: Freshers on 26 August 2010 before appearing in the main show.
Leanne was the girlfriend of long-running character, Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter was an automotive engineer.His inventions include the "Kwikurent" device for the rapid charging of a car battery, and a machine to balance car wheels while they spin. He founded Hunter Engineering Company in 1946...
(Alex Carter
Alex Carter (British actor)
Alex Carter is an English actor and radio presenter.Carter got his TV break in 1999 when he was cast as Craig Harrison in 9 episodes of the Sunday evening drama Where the Heart Is. He then had a small walk on role in Coronation Street...
), and was introduced when Carter returned to the show after a five-year absence. Leanne is described as a "gorgeous babe" who is bubbly and a "sexy, sassy blonde". She is really sensible but a bit naive and has her heart set on marriage and her education. Forrest said that there is an element of Leanne being a bunny boiler and she also has a loopy side. The actress revealed that Leanne is fun to play and so different to her. Leanne's storylines have mainly focused on her relationship with Lee. Lee ends their relationship, beginning a romance with Amy Barnes
Amy Barnes
Amy Barnes is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ashley Slanina-Davies. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 14 November 2005. Amy was created by executive producer David Hanson and Slanina-Davies was offered the role whilst looking for...
(Ashley Slanina-Davies
Ashley Slanina-Davies
Ashley Slanina-Davies is an English actress born in Standish, near Wigan, who is notable for playing the role of Amy Barnes on Channel 4's teen soap, Hollyoaks...
) which causes Leanne to become obsessed with him. Leanne turns into a "real bunny boiler" and develops a rivalry with Amy, doing "terrible things" to her.
Storylines
Leanne learns that she has passed her A-level examinations and is able to study at university. Leanne and her boyfriend, Lee HunterLee Hunter
Lee Hunter was an automotive engineer.His inventions include the "Kwikurent" device for the rapid charging of a car battery, and a machine to balance car wheels while they spin. He founded Hunter Engineering Company in 1946...
(Alex Carter
Alex Carter (British actor)
Alex Carter is an English actor and radio presenter.Carter got his TV break in 1999 when he was cast as Craig Harrison in 9 episodes of the Sunday evening drama Where the Heart Is. He then had a small walk on role in Coronation Street...
), plan to move to Hollyoaks village. Leanne and Lee go to a music festival. Leanne leaves after Lee tells her they have to work at the festival to stay for free. Lee takes Leanne to stay at a hotel where he plans to propose marriage. However, his attempts fail after Leanne is unimpressed by the hotel room and they leave. Leanne goes to the village alone when she thinks that Lee has ended their relationship. She calls Lee's best friend, Bombhead (Lee Otway
Lee Otway
Lee Otway is an English actor best known for his role as David "Bombhead" Burke in the British television drama Hollyoaks....
), and explains that the incident was a misunderstanding. Bombhead asks Leanne if Lee has proposed yet, leaving her shocked. Lee propose to Leanne and she accepts.
Leanne overhears Jem Costello
Jem Costello
Jem Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Helen Russell-Clark. She made her first on-screen appearance on 5 March 2010.-Character creation and casting:...
(Helen Russell-Clark) calling her boring and kisses Doug Carter
Doug Carter
Doug Carter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by PJ Brennan. He initially appeared in the programme's online spin-off series Hollyoaks: Freshers, before debuting in the main series in the episode airing 13 September 2010. He left on 17 September before returning...
(PJ Brennan). Leanne kisses Doug again after an argument with Lee. Lee admits that he kissed Amy Barnes
Amy Barnes
Amy Barnes is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ashley Slanina-Davies. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 14 November 2005. Amy was created by executive producer David Hanson and Slanina-Davies was offered the role whilst looking for...
(Ashley Slanina-Davies
Ashley Slanina-Davies
Ashley Slanina-Davies is an English actress born in Standish, near Wigan, who is notable for playing the role of Amy Barnes on Channel 4's teen soap, Hollyoaks...
), but Leanne forgives him. Leanne notices Lee is spending time with Amy and she begins to organize their wedding. Lee realises he is in love with Amy and ends his relationship with Leanne. Amy is hospitalised after a fire and Leanne pretends to visit her. She returns and gives Lee a letter from Amy, which says Amy is ending their relationship. It transpires that Leanne wrote the letter. Leanne and Lee reconcile. Leanne admits that she kissed Doug and Lee forgives her. On Leanne and Lee's wedding day, Amy announces that she did not write the letter to Lee and reveals it was Leanne. Lee declares his love for Amy and refuses to marry Leanne, terminating their relationship.
Leanne changes her university course to be closer to Lee, but he avoids her. She sees a billboard of Amy and Lee's advertising campaign, leaving her angry. Leanne feigns an ankle injury and tells Lee that Amy attacked her. Leanne defaces the billboard and reports Amy to the police. Amy denies the attack and her statement is supported by a witness. Leanne goes to the filming of Lee and Amy's television advertisement at an indoor ski slope. Lee tells Leanne that he does not believe she was attacked and she pushes him down the ski slope. Lee and Amy begin a relationship. Leanne dates Jamil Fadel (Sikander Malik
Sikander Malik
Sikander Ali Malik is a British actor who is best known for portraying Jamil Fadel in the teen soap opera Hollyoaks and its online spin-off Hollyoaks: Freshers.-Filmography:-References:...
) to make Lee jealous. Leanne argues with Amy and throws herself down a set of stairs. She tells Lee and Jamil that Amy pushed her. Leanne reports Amy to the police and Amy is arrested for assault. Leanne presses charges against Amy. Leanne is happy to discover that Amy has ended her relationship with Lee. Leanne withdraws her statement against Amy, hoping to reconcile with Lee. Lee turns against Leanne after he realises that she was lying about the assault. Leanne moves in with Doug and Ethan Scott (Craig Vye) after completing the first year of university. She fails in her attempts to begin a relationship with various men, including Louis Souyaye, Danny Lawrence and Matt Gill.
Casting
Leanne is one of three new characters created for the Hollyoaks online spin-off Hollyoaks: Freshers who also appear in the main show, along with Jamil Fadel (Sikander MalikSikander Malik
Sikander Ali Malik is a British actor who is best known for portraying Jamil Fadel in the teen soap opera Hollyoaks and its online spin-off Hollyoaks: Freshers.-Filmography:-References:...
) and Doug Carter
Doug Carter
Doug Carter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by PJ Brennan. He initially appeared in the programme's online spin-off series Hollyoaks: Freshers, before debuting in the main series in the episode airing 13 September 2010. He left on 17 September before returning...
(PJ Brennan). Newcomer Jessica Forrest was cast in the role having previously studied drama and film studies at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. On joining the show, Forrest said: "I suppose I was quite scared. At first, I’d heard all this stuff about ‘the industry’, but I soon found out that Hollyoaks is a real team effort – and it’s actually the least intimidating place that I’ve ever worked. Everyone is so approachable and so friendly – you walk down the corridor, and people are smiling at you!" Forrest also commented that now she is acting, she feels she is where she "belongs". The character and casting were announced 15 July 2010. Anna Shaffer originally auditioned for the role of Leanne, but she was later cast as Ruby Button. Hollyoaks: Freshers was created due to the success of spin-off Hollyoaks: The Morning After The Night Before
Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before
Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before was a British Internet Serial-Drama,which began airing on 6 July 2009. A spin-off from the established Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, it was set in the city of Manchester a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester...
in 2009. The shows executive producer, Lee Hardman, said "Hollyoaks: The Morning After The Night Before was a huge success for us and we hope to build on that success with Hollyoaks: Freshers, which will explore the concept of multi-layered storytelling - engaging the audience across multiple, digital platforms." Jody Smith, Channel 4's cross platform commissioner for drama, entertainment and comedy, added: "Freshers is an exciting new direction for Hollyoaks. We're introducing a batch of new characters with over 60 minutes of original online drama and social media, telling their back-stories and journey to Hollyoaks before they arrive on TV. It will be a fun, fast-moving adventure, featuring some cast favourites and many surprises along the way." Forrest began filming her scenes in June 2010. Forrest originally commuted from Manchester to Liverpool, where Hollyoaks is filmed, for the role. The actress later relocated to Liverpool.
Characterisation
Leanne is described as a "gorgeous babe" who is bubbly. Channel FiveChannel Five
Channel 5 is a television network that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1997, it was the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to launch. The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2010...
's Holy Soap
Holy Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
website described her as a "sexy, sassy blonde". 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...
describe Leanne as "bright-eyed and bushy tailed". She is "really excited" about starting a new life. The Sun called Leanne "pushy". Forrest told The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times is a weekly newspaper published every Thursday for readers in the area of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley, east Lancashire....
that Leanne is fun to play and so different to her. Leanne is "really sensible but a bit naive" and has her heart set on marriage and her education. Forrest explained to Digital Spy
Digital 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....
that there is an element of Leanne being a bunny boiler. Leanne has a loopy side where she is "quirky but quite funny with it". She is trendy and has a unique fashion sense. Forrest went shopping with the wardrobe department and was told to "go mental". Leanne's style is "the vintage, bohemian look". Some of her clothes come from Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
.
Relationship with Lee Hunter
In March 2010, it was announced that the character of Lee Hunter would return to Hollyoaks after a five-year absence. Hollyoaks series producer, Paul MarquessPaul Marquess
Paul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
, said that Lee would return with a new character, which was revealed to be Leanne. Leanne is Lee's new girlfriend. They are already an "established item" which Carter said was quite nice. Their relationship is established to viewers in Hollyoaks: Freshers, in which Leanne and Lee "provide the romantic element". Of their relationship, Carter said "It's good - Lee thinks he wears the trousers, but she's got them - it's one of those! It's great." Forrest called the relationship comical and opined that she and Carter have "good chemistry". Lee really wants to propose marriage to Leanne, but his plans fail to impress her. This makes Leanne upfront and impatient, but they eventually get engaged.
Leanne and Lee move to Hollyoaks village to study at Hollyoaks Community College. However, when they move to the village, their relationship starts to go wrong. Leanne kisses Doug Carter after she is called boring for being engaged to Lee. Forrest explained Leanne's storyline is all about being young and said it was "strange" having to kiss Brennan. Lee also strikes up a friendship with Amy Barnes and they kiss. This makes Leanne jealous because "she sees it and she doesn’t like it". Leanne and Lee are both having the same doubts about the seriousness of their relationship. Carter said that it could be the pressure of being in college with so many young, free and single people. In January 2011, Marquess told Digital Spy that Leanne would turn into a "real bunny boiler" and be involved in a serious storyline where she would do "terrible things" to Amy. The storyline developed naturally after the show's team liked Leanne being funny and they started "playing on that". Leanne becomes obsessed with Lee after he ends their relationship. Lee begins a relationship with Amy and Leanne develops a rivalry with her. Forrest said she enjoys Leanne's rivalry with Amy and that she and Slanina-Davies have "such a good laugh". Forrest said "We really go for it when we're doing the rivalry scenes on set. I love working with Ashley - she's ace."
Reception
A poll ran on the official Hollyoaks website asked viewers which new student was their favourite. Leanne received the fewest votes, with only 432 (7.91%) people voting for her. Marquess said that Leanne "is fast becoming one of [his] favourite characters". The official Hollyoaks website ran a poll on who Lee should be with and 478 votes were cast, with 72.18% of viewers choosing Amy over Leanne. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy said that Leanne has proved to be one of "the most memorable of last year's batch of new characters". Inside Soap conducted a poll to find out which Hollyoaks character the most wanted to be murdered by serial killer Silas BlissettSilas Blissett
Silas Blissett is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jeff Rawle. Rawle's casting was announced in December 2010 and it was revealed that he would portray a killer. Rawle was approached by Hollyoaks and met with series producer, Paul Marquess, who...
(Jeff Rawle
Jeff Rawle
Jeff Rawle is a British actor, perhaps best known for playing the long-suffering George in the news-gathering sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey...
). Leanne came first with 57% of the vote.