Hollyoaks Partners with UK Home Office on Coercive Control Storyline

The British soap opera “Hollyoaks” has teamed up with the UK Home Office to focus on a storyline highlighting coercive control. The narrative will follow character Cleo McQueen, portrayed by Nadine Mulkerrin, as she becomes entangled in an abusive relationship with Abe Fielding, played by Tyler Conti. The storyline is designed to raise awareness of coercive control, part of the government’s Enough campaign against violence towards women and girls.

Home Secretary James Cleverly emphasized the priority of tackling violence against women and girls, noting the severe impact of controlling relationships. He stated that those convicted of such offenses are now monitored similarly to physically violent offenders to ensure public awareness and intervention.

The campaign encourages bystanders to challenge and safely intervene in abusive situations, which will be reflected in the show’s plot. Hollyoaks is also integrating educational content around this theme on its social media platforms.

This storyline follows a previous collaboration with the Home Office in 2022, which addressed women’s safety through the character Maxine Minniver, played by Nikki Sanderson.