Hollyoaks will tackle child criminal and sexual exploitation as part of a new storyline, it has been announced.
Developed with modern slavery charity Causeway, the plot will involve best friends Frankie (Isabelle Smith) and Dillon (Nathaniel Dass) being lured into a supposedly-glamorous lifestyle by underworld figure Rex (Jonny Labey).
Frankie is a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of her twin brother JJ (Ryan Mulvey), while Dillon has been battling with his sexuality and abandonment issues, making them prime targets for Rex.
Initially Rex will manipulate the pair into dealing drugs for him but over time it will lead to them being sexually exploited.
"Frankie post-trial is on a journey of rebuilding her life and that must be filled with hope and potential, but also reality," explained exec producer Hannah Cheers. "With the trauma that Frankie's been through, there's a lot to navigate in life.
"She has this incredibly strong bond with Darren and Nancy now, however, her understanding and experience of trust is still one that needs to be worked out. We test the relationship between Frankie and Darren and the way that Frankie copes with that is we will see her try to make a go of it on her own and end up potentially in danger.
"Her best friend Dillon has also experienced a difficult upbringing, from being ostracised from his family home at 15 for being expelled, leaving him estranged from his parents, to becoming a teenage dad last year. Challenging upbringings make young people more susceptible to grooming.
"We want this story to shed a light on a very real problem that manifests in different ways for different individuals as we will see through the eyes of best friends."
Hollyoaks continues Mondays to Wednesdays from 7am on Channel 4 streaming and at 7pm on E4.
Neil Wilkes
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