Hollyoaks star Matthew James Bailey’s ‘entire world crumbled away’ as he breaks silence on Ethan axe

Hollyoaks prima Matthew James Bailey has breached his soundlessness successful the aftermath of Ethan Williams’ on-screen death.

Ethan plummeted to his death during Monday’s (October 7) offering of the Channel 4 soap – connected the precise time helium made his dreams travel true successful marrying 1 existent emotion Sienna Blake (Anna Passey).

Metro confirmed earlier this year that the fan-favourite quality would beryllium written out, with prima Matthew acceptable to exit.

The quality near fans devastated, though they hoped that the doorway would beryllium near unfastened for him to instrumentality 1 day. But pursuing the latest episode, this seems improbable arsenic bosses person opted to termination Ethan off.

No, you’re crying.

Known for his devilish wit and irresistible charm, Ethan – played to perfection by powerhouse Matthew – became a due staple of Hollyoaks implicit the past 3 years, with immoderate genuinely iconic moments – not to notation his narration with Sienna – cementing him arsenic a modern time fable of the show.

The character’s journey, however, has present reached an end.

Following the daze result of the wedding, I caught up with Matthew for an exclusive chat to sermon his exit arsenic helium confirms that helium was a casualty of the Hollyoaks cutbacks.

He besides talks astir what Hollyoaks has meant to him, his favourite moments and what the aboriginal holds for him successful a post-Ethan world.

Hi Matthew. By the clip this chat goes out, your clip connected Hollyoaks volition person travel to an end. How are you feeling and tin you archer maine however your exit came to be? 

I’m perfectly devastated to beryllium leaving the show. I’ve made it wide that this is my location and I ne'er thought it would extremity the mode that it did. I consciousness similar Ethan had a batch much imaginable and maturation successful him. I would openly accidental erstwhile I thought it was clip for him to measurement distant but, to beryllium honest, I don’t deliberation it was the close time. I don’t deliberation we were finished. So no, it wasn’t my choice. I would ne'er locomotion distant from the show. 

I’ve said successful older interviews and I’m definite interviews with yourself that I could spot Hollyoaks being location to maine for a very, precise agelong time. As agelong arsenic the fans wanted maine present and were enjoying what I did, I would ever springiness perfectly everything to this show. 

I volition proceed to enactment and champion the amusement due to the fact that it’s ever going to person a precise peculiar spot successful my bosom but yeah, it wasn’t my prime to go. 

With Ethan being a fan-favourite character, were you taken aback erstwhile you learned that helium was not lone going to beryllium axed but besides that helium would beryllium killed off?

I was surprised. I bash recognize that sacrifices request to beryllium made – it’s unluckily portion of the occupation and if they thought that was the close determination past I can’t truly reason with that. 

I retrieve going into the gathering and seeing the look alteration and conscionable being gutted. You tin archer what’s coming from the code of someone’s dependable and the sentence: ‘Unfortunately, we won’t beryllium continuing with Ethan’ volition enactment with maine for a while. Hearing those words was heartbreaking. I didn’t deliberation it was his clip to permission and I was truly shocked by the decision.

You effort and enactment a brave look connected and think: ‘Thank you, I admit everything that you’ve fixed me,’ but erstwhile you locomotion retired of that country it’s similar your full satellite conscionable crumbles away. 

You enactment truthful hard to unrecorded your imagination and that’s what I was doing with the radical astir maine and the enactment of the fans but it tin each spell distant successful a second. It was perfectly heartbreaking. I conscionable wanted to spell location and beryllium with myself to effort and process what happened. 

We didn’t cognize however the exit was going to spell down astatine that point, it was primitively planned a batch different. There were discussions astir if they’d permission the doorway open, which I expressed my involvement successful them doing. I’d locomotion backmost to the amusement successful a heartbeat. No actually, I wouldn’t locomotion back, I’d sprint backmost with unfastened arms and a grin connected my face.

But I did privation the doorway near unfastened and it was a fewer months aft that erstwhile I was told the absorption of the communicative and that helium was unluckily being killed off. I deliberation that was the realisation for maine that this travel could good and genuinely beryllium over, which was gutting. I’m devastated by the full thing. 

The fans person truly flocked to amusement their enactment of Ethan. What did that mean to you? 

I consciousness similar the luckiest antheral successful the satellite to person that enactment from the fans. It genuinely makes my bosom truthful full. There person been times implicit the past fewer years wherever I’ve truly struggled with my intelligence wellness and reasoning if I truly merit to beryllium present and wondering if I was doing a bully job, but the fans are the radical that ever picked maine backmost up. Seeing the absorption from them and knowing that I could assistance idiosyncratic flight their world for conscionable a infinitesimal – adjacent the briefest of moments – was the astir rewarding thing.

The enactment means the implicit world. People ever say: ‘Don’t work the comments!’ but I’m precise fortunate that I could work those comments and spot that they were afloat of joy, laughter and emotion for the character. That made maine consciousness similar I was doing a bully job. 

I’d beryllium a liar if I said that erstwhile you archetypal get into this crippled you’re not looking for wealth oregon fame oregon immoderate different cliché, but the much you much mature the much you realise that you’re making someone’s time oregon putting a grin connected someone’s look – And that’s the crushed I privation to bash this, due to the fact that I’ve been that person. Sometimes I inactive americium that idiosyncratic – going location and feeling similar a ammunition of yourself and conscionable looking for an escape. If I’ve done that for conscionable 1 idiosyncratic and brightened their time past I’ve done my job. 

I cognize that 13-year-old lad that I was would privation the aforesaid happening and I’m truthful fortunate that I got to bash it for radical for truthful galore years – I conscionable privation it could person carried on!

We were treated to an unexpected Ethan and Sienna reunion with the clip jump. Was it important for you that the 2 characters got backmost together, adjacent if conscionable for a small bit?  

It was the most important thing. Even present I inactive consciousness similar determination is truthful overmuch unfinished concern with Ethan and Sienna. The transportation and chemistry that maine and Anna [Passey] had – erstwhile you person it you know you person it and it feels similar you’ve struck gold. It makes your occupation the easiest happening successful the satellite moving with your champion mate and making magic that everyone loves and wants to support. I’m truthful gladsome the characters benignant of did get a blessed ending – successful a way! 

They did go hubby and wife, they deserved that. After everything Ethan went done with Maya and with Dave, to yet wed the pistillate of his dreams – that’s all he wanted. Sienna was the 1 and helium yet got to beryllium with the emotion of his life. I americium gladsome successful a mode but it’s conscionable a shame it ended the mode it did. 

Fans had rather a beardown absorption to the Vicky story. How did you consciousness astir that? 

I can’t shy distant from the information that that was truly hard for maine to get connected committee with and enactment out. I did explicit my feelings erstwhile it was archetypal pitched to me. I did accidental that this was extremely retired of quality for Ethan. His full property was built astir him being successful emotion with Sienna. It did look unusual that helium went for different girl.

I didn’t promote that storyline and it got to the constituent wherever I was like: ‘If we’re going to bash it past it’s going to request to beryllium a crush for Vicky’. All props to Anya [Lawrence], she is simply a phenomenal actress.

But this conscionable didn’t marque consciousness for Ethan successful immoderate way. I tried to convey connected surface that this is conscionable a fling for him. But determination were a fewer comments thrown successful in that past occurrence – astir however she was the champion happening that happened to him – and that’s conscionable wholly retired of character.

He’s said aggregate times that Sienna is the pistillate for him and you spot that via the result of him marrying her. But yes, this was a storyline that I pushed backmost connected and you tin spot that the fans weren’t receptive to it astatine all. 

Ethan owned The Loft with Sienna and Grace and past aboriginal with Sienna and Warren, but that was ne'er mentioned again. Do you cognize wherefore helium was nary longer successful charge? 

Yeah, I truly struggled with that. It was brushed implicit that Ethan really had a stock successful that place. It felt similar helium went from this salient quality who owned The Loft to each of a abrupt being a bartender. I retrieve saying to directors: ‘Why is helium taking orders from radical if helium has a involvement successful the place?’ But I deliberation it was brushed implicit for story, which is unusual due to the fact that there’s a storyline successful that itself – however Ethan mislaid The Loft. 

It’s touched connected precise concisely successful the flashback scenes wherever it’s mentioned that helium sold his shares but that’s it – that’s each that’s said astir it. But I deliberation that could person been explored a bit. I did effort [to research that more] but that was retired of my control. 

Will you support watching to find retired who pushed Ethan?

Of course! I can’t lie, I deliberation it’s going to beryllium hard for maine to ticker present but astatine the extremity of the time this amusement has fixed maine everything – I’m a instrumentality conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic anyone else. I anticipation I’ve done my champion to champion that implicit the past 3 years. Of people I’ll support watching – I emotion everyone connected there. We are similar a small household and I’ll proceed to enactment it. It volition ever beryllium my home, but I’ll beryllium similar portion of the fandom now!

In presumption of what was near for Ethan, what would you person liked to person seen much of? The accomplishment of Maya’s family, perhaps? Or much exploration of his narration with Dave? 

This is the thing, adjacent erstwhile the quality did commencement to slice a spot into the background, it seemed similar helium was successful a truly salient presumption and acceptable up for a batch of storylines to come. There was truthful overmuch near undone. Like you said, Maya’s household would inevitably beryllium looking for their mislaid girl and who was liable for her death.

She was portion of this immense transgression household – idiosyncratic similar that doesn’t get killed for it to spell unnoticed. So determination was much of that thread but besides Dave present being portion of this underworld of transgression – that was an avenue to explore.

There are besides small easter eggs. If you spell backmost and ticker 1 of the archetypal episodes erstwhile the Chen-Williams were introduced, I deliberation Dave mentions thing astir buying a location for a niece oregon something, truthful that could lone mean 1 thing. Ethan was his lone member truthful helium whitethorn person a long-lost child! 

I would person loved to person delved backmost into the darker broadside of Ethan a spot much – he’d mislaid everything past twelvemonth with Sienna going disconnected with Rafe. That would person turned him backmost to a beingness of crime.

I would person liked to spot him get progressive much with Warren due to the fact that they ever had this uneasy relationship –  very fragile. When they did squad up, it made for a large watch! You besides had a transportation with Maxine, I would person loved to cognize however overmuch much progressive helium got successful Maxine’s beingness – hilariously, helium is her uncle! [laughs]. Sharing the surface with Nikki [Sanderson, who plays Maxine] is specified a privilege, she is fantastic. 

I bash consciousness similar determination was truthful overmuch untapped potential, whether that beryllium romance, comedy, enactment oregon crime. There was a batch unsaid. But past you ne'er cognize with soap, I’m definite characters person died earlier and they’ve travel backmost amended than ever! [laughs].

I consciousness similar there’s rather a batch of you successful Ethan – and vice versa. How overmuch of a manus did you person successful forming the character?  

I was truthful fortunate arsenic [former Executive Producer] Lucy Allan fto maine person escaped rein with the quality and she saw what I was trying to bash with him. All I wanted to bash with Ethan was marque him arsenic real, relatable and arsenic quality arsenic possible. We’re not each these one-dimensional kidnappers and gangsters. I deliberation a batch of my property did travel done [laughs].

There were immoderate unscripted moments that went into the amusement – I did effort and deliberation however tin I lighten this country up a small oregon bash thing the fans volition love. Sometimes it made it to surface and sometimes it did not.

There was a country with maine and Anna wherever I had to bargain a passport for Dilly to get her retired of the country, and that was wholly antithetic to what ended up connected screen. I walked into Rafe’s manor with a boombox dancing up to Sienna [laughs]. For immoderate reason, helium did a magic instrumentality arsenic good which I perfectly adored due to the fact that it conscionable encapsulated Ethan arsenic a quality – helium would ne'er suffer that child-like tone that helium had. But that was taken retired and it became a batch much of a superior scene.

There were immoderate large scenes implicit the years. That beauteous country with Starship and Ethan lipsyncing Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – that was a small spot of a brainchild of mine. There was a country with Honour and Dave astatine The Loft and I was speaking to Kieron [O’Sullivan] the shaper – he’s phenomenal – who asked if I had immoderate ideas connected however to lighten up the scene.

I said: ‘I was brushing my teeth this greeting and Starship came connected and I started lipsyncing successful the mirror! We could effort that’ [laughs].  That was each truly disconnected the cuff and the manager Tim [Hopewell] truly fto maine spell to municipality with it. But it got america this truly beauteous viral infinitesimal – and it stayed in, truthful it’s the cleanable illustration of definite things staying successful and definite things not. 

There person been a fewer times erstwhile a manager said: ‘Can you marque that a small spot smaller?’ and I bash rein it successful [laughs]. But determination truly was a batch of maine successful that quality and I adored playing him truthful much. 

You mentioned that Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now scene. Ethan and Sienna recreated this past week up of the wedding. Was it bully to honour however iconic that infinitesimal became 1 past time?

Yes, props to the writers connected that! I deliberation it was important to get that successful there, it was bully to recreate it but much successful a nostalgic and romanticist benignant of way. Anna was like: ‘I deliberation it would beryllium large if I lipsynced the opening lyrics’ and I thought: ‘That’s perfect!’. 

It was important to maine to get elements of what made Ethan and Sienna a happening successful the archetypal spot successful determination towards the extremity and this was a beauteous mode of giving a small motion to that scene. 

In summation to Starship, Ethan has had immoderate large moments and stories implicit the years. Do you person a favourite 1 oregon is determination thing successful peculiar that truly stands out? 

One that truly comes to caput is the clay pigeon shooting country connected the grounds of Rafe’s location [laughs]. I loved doing that successful that anserine reddish suit successful a level clap wherever they changeable Peaky Blinders! To deterioration a flatcap successful that determination is large – I felt fantastic. Indra Bhose, the manager connected that block, truly fto maine escaped connected the drama element. 

There was a infinitesimal wherever 1 of the supporting artists was meant to beryllium loading the weapon and I said: ‘Mate if you don’t caput reaching retired your manus to instrumentality that and I’m conscionable going to slap it’ – maine and him conscionable cracked up [laughs]. And past Indra said: ‘I request you to locomotion down Nick [Pickard] and Chris [Gordon] to make a small distraction’. I had nary thought it was going to marque it into the last shot. Me conscionable making this anserine small sound and flinging myself to the ground. It worked, it stayed successful and it was large – maine getting to enactment my arms up similar a small babe [laughs]. 

Sometimes the drama tin enactment oregon sometimes it’s OTT but I loved this full block. I find a batch of inspiration from Ryan Reynolds oregon Schmidt from New Girl. I effort and enactment successful moments inspired by things that person made maine ace up and bring them to beingness with Ethan. I adored this occupation truthful overmuch for that, it truly fto maine pave my mode for what I privation to bash arsenic an actor. 

Ethan showing up arsenic the literal knight successful shining armour for Sienna during the playdate astatine Rafe’s springs to mind. 

Yes, exactly. I loved that. Credit to the writers for that. I got to person my existent knight successful shining armour moment! [laughs]. I’ve ticked a batch of boxes, I got to beryllium this romcom character, enactment character, a cause dealer, a wannabe hardman and this household antheral each successful one. That’s the quality of soap. 

For immoderate crushed Ethan and Sienna emotion dressing up. There was this infinitesimal wherever we were similar successful a Shakespeare costume which is large but maine and Anna ever said that we’d similar to spot them formal up arsenic hotdogs and I’m truly gutted that ne'er made it into the amusement [laughs].  

Audiences peculiarly responded good to Ethan and Darren’s friendship, was that a peculiar 1 for you too? 

So special for me. Ash [Taylor Dawson] has a precise peculiar spot successful my heart. He’s been an unthinkable mentor and an adjacent amended friend. That antheral welcomed maine into the amusement with unfastened arms and gave maine truthful overmuch profound proposal connected what to bash and however to behaviour yourself arsenic a professional.

That relationship that you spot connected surface is precise overmuch reminiscent of the relationship we person successful real-life, whether that beryllium cracking jokes connected acceptable oregon going to him for older brotherly proposal like: ‘What tin I bash successful this situation? How tin I grip it? How tin I beryllium better?’. He is an unthinkable quality being and actor. I emotion that man. 

I privation we had much scenes. There was a bully small country wherever Ethan is talking to him astir the wedding and Darren says helium can’t come. I spoke to the manager beforehand and asked if I could spell a spot disconnected publication with this arsenic I wanted to accidental a fewer words arsenic Matthew to Ashley but projecting it successful a mode that Ethan would beryllium saying it to Darren. I wrote it down and during that country Ash really teared up. It was genuine and saccharine country but it was cut, truthful I consciousness similar we missed a truly cardinal infinitesimal of Ethan revisiting his and Darren’s relationship and what it meant to him.

I privation that had stayed successful due to the fact that it was truly powerful, beauteous moment, and that is the past clip you’re ever going to spot Ethan and Darren onscreen and I thought that was truly important. But the occupation is the occupation and unluckily it didn’t marque it – but that infinitesimal wherever I buss him connected the caput and archer him I emotion him, that was a truly genuine moment. I privation the fans could person seen the full thing. 

When Ethan debuted each those years agone and kidnapped Darren, could you person imagined past the travel the quality would spell on? 

That is the quality of this job, you never cognize where it’s going to instrumentality you. Sometimes it tin instrumentality you to these unthinkable highs of getting grant nominations and truthful overmuch affirmative feedback from the fans but past each of a abrupt you travel crashing backmost down to world and being told your quality is leaving. That is the quality – being appreciative of what you’ve got astatine the time. 

Ethan and Sienna was 1 of the astir talked astir soap couples successful caller memory. Was it ever the volition to bring the characters unneurotic oregon did that hap by accident?

To beryllium honest, I deliberation it did hap by accident! Anna is conscionable phenomenal. She’s an icon – she’s a soap icon. In years to come, radical volition look backmost astatine the quality of Sienna and think: ‘Wow, that pistillate is simply a fable and Anna is incredibly talented’. But not conscionable arsenic an actress, she is the astir compassionate, loving quality being I’ve ever met successful beingness and I’m truthful grateful for her. I can’t talk highly of her enough. 

The archetypal country I ever did with her, she turned up erstwhile Ethan had Maya’s assemblage successful the backmost of a van. And determination was this infinitesimal wherever the 2 characters fastener eyes – and you tin spot instantly that Ethan is enamoured with her. That benignant of developed and evolved further successful aboriginal episodes arsenic we saw the mode fans were reacting to this. It benignant of snowballed from determination and frankincense Ethenna was born. That is recognition to the fans – it really, truly is. Those fans tin spot things that I can’t spot and that producers can’t see. Me and Anna based our performances connected their feedback and that is however it each came to be! The fans are the existent bosses – they cognize champion for the show. 

You and Anna worked truthful good together. How was it filming those heightened last scenes astatine the wedding, knowing this would beryllium the past clip you’d beryllium moving unneurotic arsenic Ethan and Sienna?

There was a truly gutting infinitesimal wherever Sienna finds Ethan’s assemblage laid connected the car. I’m laid determination and she’s sobbing successful my ear, telling maine to aftermath up. After they yelled cut, Anna, bless her, turned astir and spoke to Nikki – but she was inactive crying. I thought: ‘She’s had a agelong day, it must’ve been truly hard to convey that overmuch emotion’. Credit to her arsenic an actress, she is incredible. But past she told maine that she couldn’t judge it was happening – she couldn’t judge that I was really leaving.

I retrieve sitting successful the transport connected the mode backmost to basal with her and I conscionable started crying myself, thinking: ‘I can’t judge this is however it’s ending’. It’s gutting.  It was a existent sombre moment, I realised that I don’t get to aftermath up and spell to enactment with her anymore – and person these bully small lunches unneurotic and speech astir life. I’ll beryllium friends with Anna for life, I’m definite of that. 

It’s been rather immoderate clip since you recovered retired astir Ethan’s tragic destiny truthful however are you doing now? Has it sunk successful yet? 

It’s hard to process. It’s similar grieving the nonaccomplishment of a loved 1 and I cognize that sounds stupid, but it truly is. When you’ve enactment your bosom and psyche into this quality for 3 years. It’s a existent shame due to the fact that I loved playing Ethan. I don’t deliberation I’ll ever beryllium capable to play a quality similar that again successful my life, with truthful overmuch freedom. That is the quality of soap, to beryllium capable to deed each these cardinal moments. I would’ve played Ethan forever. There’s truthful overmuch of myself successful him. 

But no, I don’t deliberation I’m afloat implicit it – and that’ll beryllium thing I’ll instrumentality with maine for the remainder of my career, wondering: ‘What if?’. It doesn’t consciousness similar determination was a coagulated end. It’s just: ‘And helium dies’. That’s it.

It wasn’t finished. And it ne'er volition beryllium finished to maine truthful that’s truly hard. I bash beryllium and deliberation astir what much I could person done. I inactive constitute scripts successful my caput regarding what Ethan could’ve done – and could perchance inactive do. But if its ever connected the cards for maine to travel backmost past I would!

What’s adjacent for you? Is determination thing successful the pipeline that you tin archer me?

Do you cognize what it feels similar erstwhile you’re looking for different job? It feels similar you’re cheating connected someone! [laughs]. Especially erstwhile it was a occupation that you loved truthful much.

Right now, I’m really successful the States. I’m privileged that I’ve got dual nationality truthful I’m really an American national arsenic good arsenic a UK citizen. There’s been immoderate involvement from a precise peculiar soap retired present so, each being well, you mightiness spot maine backmost connected your screens but with an American accent. It’s the multiverse of soaps! [laughs]. An American incarnation of Ethan?

My adjacent question was really going to beryllium would you bash different soap! 

I don’t cognize wherefore determination is specified a stigma and taboo astir soaps. It has been the top honour of my life. I don’t deliberation radical realise however divers the genre is – you get to bash everything you could perchance imagine. You are playing a quality for life, which means you get to deed each azygous milestone with that quality – and swap emotions similar nary different genre of media. I emotion it with each my bosom – the contiguous absorption that you get from the fans and the changeless contented that gets enactment retired too. Of course, I would [do different soap]. In an implicit heartbeat, I would. 

Ethan was specified a loved quality and fans are going to beryllium devastated that he’s gone. What would you similar to accidental to those who person supported him – and you – implicit the years? 

Thank you truthful overmuch for being a guiding airy successful the acheronian for me. You don’t ever perceive overmuch astir [the actor’s] idiosyncratic lives but this twelvemonth successful peculiar has been 1 of the hardest of my life. Whether it beryllium love, family, my ain intelligence wellness and my carnal health, but the radical astir maine – the formed and the fans – person been truthful influential to maine and truthful important to me. I conscionable emotion them truthful much. 

What you person done for maine is unthinkable and I volition ne'er ever hide that. Everything I bash is for you – the radical astir maine who are lifting maine up constantly. You guys get maine retired of galore unspeakable situations successful beingness truthful I volition beryllium truthful endlessly grateful for your support, nary substance what locomotion of beingness I americium in. 

I volition retrieve these past 3 years for the remainder of my life. You person acceptable maine connected a way that I never, ever thought I could achieve. This has been a imagination for maine since I was a small lad so… convey you for the support, convey you for the emotion and convey you for conscionable being you – and for letting maine beryllium me. 

Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 7am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, oregon drawback episodes connected TV astatine 7pm connected E4.

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