Exclusive: Hollyoaks’ Donny not done yet as star hints at dramatic villain showdown
"There is maybe somebody from his past…"
Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks star Louis Emerick has hinted that his character Donny Clark could soon have a new nemesis in his sights.
Detective Donny is currently closing in on Grace Black and Clare Devine – as pressure grows to finally bring them to justice over their role in the teen exploitation operation.
Next week’s episodes see the scheming sisters finally face arrest for their crimes, but fans will have to stay tuned to find out whether they’ll really get their comeuppance or if they’ll wriggle their way out of trouble again.
Louis spoke exclusively to us at a photoshoot for the Inside Soap Awards 2025. He and co-star Harvey Virdi (Misbah Maalik) are up for the Best Partnership prize at the annual ceremony.
In a fun twist mirroring the soap’s fictional dramas, the category sees the pair go head-to-head with Tamara Wall and Gemma Bissix, who play Grace and Clare.
“If I lost to them I wouldn’t mind because they are amazing,” Louis laughed.
“Part of my storyline as Donny is tracking them down. I love the scenes I do with those two. They are brilliant and if we lost out to them, it’d still be a Hollyoaks win!
“You’ll have to keep watching to see if Donny catches them, I can’t give that away! But he’s doggedly determined to get them…”
Asked whether there’s any other villains in the village he’d like Donny to target next, Louis teased: “There is maybe somebody from his past… Maybe things might be getting resurrected there and we’ll see what happens there.”
Louis went on to reflect on the awards recognition and why Donny and Misbah’s relationship has become so popular with fans.
On how it feels to be nominated this year, he smiled: “It’s amazing – you’re lying if you act cool [about it]! We’re buzzing.
“I really struck gold in getting to work with H, as I call her. You don’t know if it’s going to work out before you actually get on set doing it. To get some sort of recognition – whether it’s going to go further or not – is fantastic.
“I think what might have helped is that when I did my screen test for Hollyoaks, it was with H. I don’t know whether that gave them the idea of putting us together or whether they already had it in mind.
“But we seemed to get on at that point. You either hit it off or you don’t and I think that’s carried on with the writers.”
On whether Donny and Misbah’s relationship is really for keeps, he added: “I really hope so – at the moment it’s the longest engagement going! I hope so.
“Soaps tend to do the dominant matriarch and put-upon male, but with us it’s not. It’s a 50/50 coming together. They enjoy each other’s company, they’re still attracted to each other, they like going to bed together – not just at night! So I hope it’s for keeps.”
