Yahoo News Exclusive: Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson calls for soap to avoid coronavirus storylines
Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson would rather the soap didn't introduce any coronavirus storylines when filming starts up again.
Competitors such as EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale are all opening their doors to the health crisis – writing it into episodes – but Kieron believes Hollyoaks would be better off straying from the pack.
In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, the Ste Hay star explained: "I think we're living it now. It's already too much seeing it on television. I listen to the news conferences every day to find out what's going on.
"If we are trying to escape reality and what's happening in the world, we know it's there and we don't have to see it too much on television.
Related: 7 huge Hollyoaks spoilers for next week
"From what I've heard, the other soaps are going to explore it, but I always feel like Hollyoaks is a little bit different with our approach compared to the other soaps."
He continued: "I think we've got a winning formula so why change it now? We might talk about it – I don't know what the future holds – but it'd be nice if we didn't."
Kieron also revealed that he's looking forward to returning to filming after so much time away, and is interested to see how the new social distancing rules will impact his portrayal of the character.
"I've not been there since September so it's been a long time not playing Ste. I'm also wondering 'How can I do it like I did it before?'. But in other ways I don't want to do it like I did it before.
Related: Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks furlough hundreds of staff amid coronavirus pandemic
"It's a great opportunity to have had this time away, come back fresh, but working with a different experience because we're not going to be able to do kissing or fighting scenes. I'm excited to get back and see how Ste will be in a two-metre distance! Maybe other characters will be keen to keep a two-metre distance from Ste anyway, after his last storyline!"
As Emmerdale is running two hander episodes (featuring just two cast members for the duration), which Hollyoaks character would Kieron most like to work with?
"Mercedes – Jen Metcalfe. I would say Ashley Taylor Dawson but we're not allowed to do kissing scenes so there's no point! So I'll go for Jen!"
Hollyoaks airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing on E4 at 7pm. Wednesdays through Fridays on E4 feature classic episodes called Hollyoaks Favourites to compensate for the soap suspending filming.
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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