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Hollyoaks bringing in real-life families as extras for Christmas scenes

From Digital Spy

It's been revealed that real-life families are being brought in as extras to film festive Hollyoaks scenes.

The soap's bosses are keen to help preserve the magic of Christmas on screen by using household groups – so families, couples and housemates – in a way to safely get around COVID-19 social distancing restrictions on set.

In the same vein as seasonal favourite Love Actually's big finale, the soap aims to capture scenes including grandparents hugging their grandchildren and school friends hanging out together as they would in real life, as the cast themselves can't safely interact in that way at the moment.

Photo credit: Universal
Photo credit: Universal

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One full day of shooting has been put aside in the coming weeks for this heartwarming project, and will feature "diverse family groups or those in bubbles... going about their day-to-day lives".

Since Hollyoaks rebooted production after the coronavirus delay, extras, or supporting artists, haven't been part of any scenes due to strict safety measures which limit the number of people allowed on the set at any one time.

Photo credit: Lime Pictures
Photo credit: Lime Pictures

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In order to re-establish some normalcy on screen while remaining COVID-safe, camera trickery and green screen has been implemented by the Hollyoaks crew, as the cast have to stay two metres apart.

Cast members' real-life partners have also been invited on set to allow kissing scenes to take place.

The scenes from the supporting artists' filming day will be used in Christmas storylines and regular episodes.

Hollyoaks currently airs new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4. Classic episodes, titled Hollyoaks Favourites, air on Fridays at 7pm on E4.


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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