Hayley Ramsey
Encyclopedia
Hayley Ramsey is a fictional character
from the British Channel 4
soap opera
Hollyoaks
, played by Kelly-Marie Stewart
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 28 January 2009 as the sister of already established character Zak Ramsey
(Kent Riley
). Hayley is notably the first prominent disabled character in Hollyoaks, and like Stewart, suffers from Guillain–Barré syndrome. In December 2009, it was announced that Stewart's real-life pregnancy would be written into the show and that Hayley would become pregnant. Making her final on-screen appearance on 22 February 2010, the character did not return after Stewart's maternity leave ended.
. The character's back history with Zak is that of a close brother and sister relationship, but at the time of Hayley's condition developing, he could not deal with it and thought she would need constant care.
didn't realise that she was in a wheelchair, Stewart said that it was a positive message the character was giving out as it meant that people can get to know a person without just thinking they are indifferent because of a wheelchair. Although Rhys then avoided her and said it was because she was disabled, Stewart spoke about the reaction and abuse, stating it was unfair treatment. Speaking about how her condition fitted in with her character she said: "Hayley is going to fall into things quite normally, she'll become part of the furniture. She actually ends up with a love interest. It just had to be addressed initially in the same was as any other new character's background would be."
(Hollie-Jay Bowes
), who assumes she is sleeping with Zak. However, Hayley soon reveals that she is Zak's sister. She then sleeps with Archie Carpenter
(Stephen Beard
). She later wants to find a date when Zak, believing that she cannot get one by herself, pays Elliot Bevan
(Garnon Davies
) money to make her feel special. However, she later finds out. An angry Hayley runs over Zak's foot and keeps the money for herself. Later in the month, she secures a date with Rhys Ashworth
(Andrew Moss
), who is initially unaware she is a wheelchair user. On discovering this, Rhys does not appear.
Hayley joins a band called 'The Somethings'. After arguing with Rhys, Josh Ashworth
(Sonny Flood
) tells them to either sort it out or they are both out of the band. After leaving them alone for a short while, Josh and Kris Fisher
(Gerard McCarthy
) find Hayley and Rhys kissing and undressing each other. Soon after, Hayley and the band are approached by a manager. Josh fires Hayley, thinking the manager dislikes her due to her disability. However, Josh is in fact wrong.
After Hayley and Rhys finally get together, she begins to have feelings for Josh. Hayley eventually dumps Rhys after he begins talking about their future, her excuse being he was moving too fast for her. Hayley remains living in the student halls, and in September is joined by new students Dave Colburn
(Elliot James Langridge), India Longford
(Beth Kingston), Charlotte Lau
(Amy Yamazaki
) and Josh himself. Hayley takes an instant dislike to India, feeling she is judging her. Hayley tries to cheer India up after she sleeps with Archie, but ends up making the situation worse and embarrassing India even more. Hayley accuses India of stealing her food from the refrigerator, and in an attempt to catch her out, laces her food with laxatives. After India and Dave eat the food to wind Hayley up, the five students compete in a competition to win a car by touching it for the most amount of time. The students are all in the car when India soils herself, causing the other four to get out, and India to subsequently win despite massive embarrassment. After returning from a Christmas break, Hayley reveals that she is five months pregnant, and denies either Rhys or Josh being the father. Hayley then leaves to live with her family. She later gives birth off-screen to a baby boy, who she named Caleb, after her older brother Caleb (Michael Ryan) who died in Afghanistan
.
, a magazine aimed at disabled people praised Hollyoaks for writing in Stewart's real life pregnancy into her stroylines, also adding it was positive they treat her like any other member of the cast. They also criticised her character along with fellow disabled characters from other UK soap operas including, Adam Best
(David Proud
), Lizzie Lakely (Kitty McGeever
) and Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston) for all being portrayed as vengeful and personality-driven, stating that the soap opera's need to portray some disabled character's as 'normal' good people. However they praised Hayley as being the least troubled character of Adam and Lizzie, despite the amount of onscreen enemies she made.
Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture
praised Hayley's storylines and personality stating: "Amidst all the dross, it’s worth pointing out there are some things Hollyoaks is doing well. Clumsy storylining aside, it’s good to see a disabled actress and disabled character in a mainstream show, and due to the fact she can actually act and seems to have a personality (the opposite to Spencer) she’s even achieved the near-impossible feat of making brother Zak seem somewhat likeable."
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...
, played by Kelly-Marie Stewart
Kelly-Marie Stewart
Kelly-Marie Stuart is a British Actress, best known for playing Hayley Ramsey, the younger sister of already established character, Zak Ramsey, in teen Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks....
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 28 January 2009 as the sister of already established character Zak Ramsey
Zak Ramsey
Zak Timothy Ramsey is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kent Riley. Zak first appeared in 2004, when he was credited as 'Zak Barnes'. After only four months, Riley was dropped from the programme. The character received a revival 18 months later...
(Kent Riley
Kent Riley
Kentigan Peter "Kent" Riley is an English actor, born in Fazakerley, Liverpool, & brought up in Lydiate, where he attended St Gregory's Junior School, where he caught the bug for acting, starring in many of the schools performing arts projects...
). Hayley is notably the first prominent disabled character in Hollyoaks, and like Stewart, suffers from Guillain–Barré syndrome. In December 2009, it was announced that Stewart's real-life pregnancy would be written into the show and that Hayley would become pregnant. Making her final on-screen appearance on 22 February 2010, the character did not return after Stewart's maternity leave ended.
Background
The character of Hayley was in development for over 18 months prior to filming. The casting was made public in December 2008 along with details of the character, revealing she was to be the sister of already established character Zak RamseyZak Ramsey
Zak Timothy Ramsey is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kent Riley. Zak first appeared in 2004, when he was credited as 'Zak Barnes'. After only four months, Riley was dropped from the programme. The character received a revival 18 months later...
. The character's back history with Zak is that of a close brother and sister relationship, but at the time of Hayley's condition developing, he could not deal with it and thought she would need constant care.
Casting
Auditions were held for the part of a new disabled character in 2007. Initially there was males and females that auditioned for the role. After a long audition process actress Kelly-Marie Stewart and two other actresses, all of whom where wheelchair users were in the running for the part. Stewart was offered the role in August 2008. The casting process had taken nearly 18 months and producers created the Character of Hayley for Stewart, they also had to write all the scripts before she began filming in November 2008. The actress suffers from Guillain-Barre Syndrome like her character and stated she hopes to walk again one day. She spoke of how the it is her dream role and hopes to break down the barriers for disabled people. Of this she said "Some people find it hard speaking to disabled people but hopefully I am showing I am just a normal girl like all the others on the show."Personality and identity
Hayley's character has been described as a "bubbly, fun-loving practical joker". Actress Kelly-Marie Stewart also said of her character: "Hayley's very feisty and has the right attitude that if anyone is not cool enough to see her for who she actually is, it's their problem, not hers." Speaking on how her character's personality would be received Stewart said: "I think I'm quite lucky because she is, although she's feisty and although she stands up for herself, she is quite a nice character, so hopefully the things should be quite positive." The official Hollyoaks website described the fact that she has proven she can look out for herself despite her disability.Disability
Some of the characters on-screen storylines have seen her disability come under fire and receiving unfair treatment, as the character progressed it was evident she could stand up for herself and does not take kindly to people judging her. Stewart was keen to portray the character as real as possible and made sure that scripts included her out of her wheelchair in scenes including sitting on couches and chairs. Set designers also made the sets accessible for Stewart so Hayley could be seen moving around independently while on-screen, with all of one set being converted. On-screen the character has had storylines involving verbal abuse of her condition when Rhys AshworthRhys Ashworth
Rhys Lesley Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 October 2005.-Character creation and casting:...
didn't realise that she was in a wheelchair, Stewart said that it was a positive message the character was giving out as it meant that people can get to know a person without just thinking they are indifferent because of a wheelchair. Although Rhys then avoided her and said it was because she was disabled, Stewart spoke about the reaction and abuse, stating it was unfair treatment. Speaking about how her condition fitted in with her character she said: "Hayley is going to fall into things quite normally, she'll become part of the furniture. She actually ends up with a love interest. It just had to be addressed initially in the same was as any other new character's background would be."
Storylines
Hayley first appears when she clashes with Michaela McQueenMichaela McQueen
Michaela McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Hollie-Jay Bowes. Michaela was the first of the McQueen family to be seen on-screen in 2006, when she was credited as Michaela Jones. On 8 June 2010, Hollie-Jay Bowes announced that she had quit...
(Hollie-Jay Bowes
Hollie-Jay Bowes
Hollie-Jay Bowes is an English actress best known for her role as Michaela McQueen in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. Her parents changed her name from Billie Jean to Hollie Jean as her father thought she would get bullied at school and be called 'Billie Bowes', and at 13, she changed her name to...
), who assumes she is sleeping with Zak. However, Hayley soon reveals that she is Zak's sister. She then sleeps with Archie Carpenter
Archie Carpenter
Archie Carpenter is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Stephen Beard. The character first appeared on-screen on 3 November 2008 until his exit on 28 May 2010. He was introduced as the younger brother of then established Zoe Carpenter, when he moved...
(Stephen Beard
Stephen Beard
Stephen David T. Beard is a reality TV participant and actor, playing Archie Carpenter in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Living on the Edge:...
). She later wants to find a date when Zak, believing that she cannot get one by herself, pays Elliot Bevan
Elliot Bevan
Elliot Bevan is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Garnon Davies. He first appeared on 9 January 2007 as a new student. In July 2010, it was announced that Davies would be leaving the show. He made his final appearance on 15 November 2010...
(Garnon Davies
Garnon Davies
Garnon Davies is a Welsh actor who was born in Pyle , South Wales on the 16th December 1982. He attended Ysgol Y ferch O'r Sger primary school and then went on to Welsh speaking secondary school Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari...
) money to make her feel special. However, she later finds out. An angry Hayley runs over Zak's foot and keeps the money for herself. Later in the month, she secures a date with Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Lesley Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 October 2005.-Character creation and casting:...
(Andrew Moss
Andrew Moss
Andrew "Andy" Moss is an English television actor. He is currently best known for playing Rhys Ashworth in the Channel 4 teenage soap opera Hollyoaks since 2005.-TV credits:...
), who is initially unaware she is a wheelchair user. On discovering this, Rhys does not appear.
Hayley joins a band called 'The Somethings'. After arguing with Rhys, Josh Ashworth
Josh Ashworth
Joshua Josh Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sonny Flood. He dedbuted on-screen during the episode airing on 3 October 2005 and left on 14 July 2010, after his character was axed by executive producer Paul Marquess...
(Sonny Flood
Sonny Flood
-Background:Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, Flood was educated at Rossall School, near Fleetwood. In 2006 Flood passed ten GCSE exams all at either A or A*. In 2007, he achieved 4 'A's at AS level, in English Literature, History, Media Studies and Philosophy, and in 2008 he achieved a grade 'A' in...
) tells them to either sort it out or they are both out of the band. After leaving them alone for a short while, Josh and Kris Fisher
Kris Fisher
Francis "Kris" Fisher is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Gerard McCarthy. The character first appeared on-screen in September 2006 and left in August 2010 after McCarthy quit the show...
(Gerard McCarthy
Gerard McCarthy
Gerard McCarthy is an actor, best known to television viewers for his award-winning performance as Kris Fisher on the British soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2010, to theatres-goers for his performances on the West End and at Shakespeare's Globe, and to film geeks for his role in Belonging to...
) find Hayley and Rhys kissing and undressing each other. Soon after, Hayley and the band are approached by a manager. Josh fires Hayley, thinking the manager dislikes her due to her disability. However, Josh is in fact wrong.
After Hayley and Rhys finally get together, she begins to have feelings for Josh. Hayley eventually dumps Rhys after he begins talking about their future, her excuse being he was moving too fast for her. Hayley remains living in the student halls, and in September is joined by new students Dave Colburn
Dave Colburn
David "Dave" Colburn is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Elliot James Langridge. He first appeared in Hollyoaks online spin-off, Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before, which explored the dangers of binge drinking...
(Elliot James Langridge), India Longford
India Longford
India Longford is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Beth Kingston. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 September 2009 and was introduced by series producer Lucy Allan as a new student at Hollyoaks Community College...
(Beth Kingston), Charlotte Lau
Charlotte Lau
Charlotte Lau is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Amy Yamazaki. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 9 June 2009 and was introduced by series producer Lucy Allan as the ex-girlfriend of Lydia Hart...
(Amy Yamazaki
Amy Yamazaki
Amy Yamazaki is a British actress best known for her portrayal of Charlotte Lau in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:...
) and Josh himself. Hayley takes an instant dislike to India, feeling she is judging her. Hayley tries to cheer India up after she sleeps with Archie, but ends up making the situation worse and embarrassing India even more. Hayley accuses India of stealing her food from the refrigerator, and in an attempt to catch her out, laces her food with laxatives. After India and Dave eat the food to wind Hayley up, the five students compete in a competition to win a car by touching it for the most amount of time. The students are all in the car when India soils herself, causing the other four to get out, and India to subsequently win despite massive embarrassment. After returning from a Christmas break, Hayley reveals that she is five months pregnant, and denies either Rhys or Josh being the father. Hayley then leaves to live with her family. She later gives birth off-screen to a baby boy, who she named Caleb, after her older brother Caleb (Michael Ryan) who died in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Reception
Disability NowDisability Now
Disability Now is a UK magazine for disabled people, published by UK disability charity Scope.It was first published in 1984 as a newspaper and continued in that form until 2008, when it was redesigned as an A4 magazine with a greater emphasis on lifestyle and features...
, a magazine aimed at disabled people praised Hollyoaks for writing in Stewart's real life pregnancy into her stroylines, also adding it was positive they treat her like any other member of the cast. They also criticised her character along with fellow disabled characters from other UK soap operas including, Adam Best
Adam Best (EastEnders)
Adam Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Proud, the first adult actor with a visible disability to appear regularly in the soap. Both Proud and his character live with spina bifida...
(David Proud
David Proud
David Proud is an English actor. He was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. He only began his acting career during his early twenties, having previously believed that it would be impossible for him to have a career in that field. His first professional acting role was as a wheelchair...
), Lizzie Lakely (Kitty McGeever
Kitty McGeever
Kitty McGeever is a British actress, the first blind actress to be cast in a British soap opera. Since April 2009 she has played the fictional character Lizzie Lakely in Emmerdale.-Biography:McGeever was trained at RADA, and became diabetic at age 19....
) and Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston) for all being portrayed as vengeful and personality-driven, stating that the soap opera's need to portray some disabled character's as 'normal' good people. However they praised Hayley as being the least troubled character of Adam and Lizzie, despite the amount of onscreen enemies she made.
Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
praised Hayley's storylines and personality stating: "Amidst all the dross, it’s worth pointing out there are some things Hollyoaks is doing well. Clumsy storylining aside, it’s good to see a disabled actress and disabled character in a mainstream show, and due to the fact she can actually act and seems to have a personality (the opposite to Spencer) she’s even achieved the near-impossible feat of making brother Zak seem somewhat likeable."
External links
- Character profile on the E4 website