Hollyoaks’ Nicole Barber-Lane Unwraps Myra’s Dramatic Christmas Tale
"When Myra sees how unwell Mercy is, it's a big shock."
Hollyoaks welcomes back one of the show’s most popular characters next week as Myra McQueen returns to the village in time for Christmas.
Myra reappears alongside Nana McQueen, leading to emotional scenes as the pair discover that Mercedes has been diagnosed with cancer.
The Channel 4 soap has been exploring Mercedes’ illness since the one-year time jump in September, but she hasn’t confided in her mum until now.
Nicole Barber-Lane, who plays Myra, recently caught up with Digital Spy for an exclusive chat about the Christmas episodes.
How did your return to the show come about?
“There’s always an open channel between myself and the producers at Hollyoaks. If they fancy bringing me back and I’m available, that’s what we’ve been doing. So they asked if I was free and I agreed to do it! It was really sweet, really simple and really nice to go back to the show.”
Why does Myra come back to the village?
“Myra comes back because John Paul tells her: ‘Mum, you need to get back here, we need you. Get on the next plane, it’s an emergency’. So that’s what Myra does – she doesn’t need telling twice.
“John Paul doesn’t explain the situation, so Myra and Nana come back to find out what the emergency is. When Myra sees how unwell Mercy is, it’s a big shock.”
Is Myra hurt that Mercedes didn’t tell her before now?
“I don’t think Myra cares. She just wants Mercedes to be better. In those circumstances, it’s irrelevant. It’s just: ‘Okay, what can we do?’ Myra needs to understand what’s going on and then deal with the situation. It’s not about: ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
“There are lots of other occasions where Myra would be like that, but not with this. It’s a different situation – you just want your child to be better.”
Were you pleased to get this chance to support Mercedes’ big storyline?
“Yes, Jen Metcalfe [who plays Mercedes] has been so amazing on this storyline. She’s just done such a stunning job. Jen is a great actress anyway, but I think this has given an opportunity for people to understand just how deep she can go. I’m really honoured to be part of that story.”
How does Christmas go for the McQueens?
“They try to have a normal Christmas, bearing in mind that the family is all over the place! You’ve got half of the McQueens in Spain and half of them over here.
“It’s not as full and crazy without everyone there, but because Nana, Myra, Theresa, John Paul and Mercedes are all original type McQueens, I hope that chemistry comes through on screen.
“It was definitely there on the day, because filming together was just such a joy. Even though there were some melancholy moments, it was still fun. It’s definitely got that McQueen energy.
“I do miss the days when we had more McQueens – when there wasn’t enough room but they still managed to squeeze on the sofa and chairs together. I think we were the original Gogglebox – all sat watching the telly having a chippy tea!
“I miss that, but obviously the show is a bit more high drama now and everyone’s off doing different things.”
As Christmas progresses, Myra finds out that Mercedes is planning to flee on a romantic trip with Freddie. How does she react?
“Myra is just asking Mercedes: ‘What do you think you’re doing? You have got cancer and you need to stay and get it sorted. How can you leave? You can’t do that’.
“Myra just wants her daughter to get well, so she’s just absolutely fuming at the thought that she’s not taking it seriously.
“Then obviously Mercedes tries to explain to Myra exactly what is going on, because Myra is not 100% sure of what the deal is with the treatment and how it’s going.
“Myra wants her to stay – not because it’s Freddie, just because she wants Mercedes to get better.”
Are you liking the new McQueen house?
“They’ve got the biggest house on the set now! Although I miss the small little council house, me! I wait for the day where it all goes wrong and they have to live in a small place again! Or they’ll end up living in Casa McQueen! (Laughs.) That’d be fun.
“But it’s a lovely big set. It’s nice to work in, I have to admit. I’ve always been in envy of that, because when I started on Hollyoaks, that was the Ashworths’ house! Good old Suzanne – and now she’s popped her clogs!”
The show has changed significantly since you were last on screen in January. How was it to come back?
“I have been at Hollyoaks through lots of different phases and changes. I can honestly say that the first few years at Hollyoaks were probably the best of my life. The energy and feeling that I used to get was amazing. I feel so lucky to have been in that position.
“When I went back, it was lovely to see so many familiar faces from the cast and crew. Being back with the McQueens was just a joy. I can’t tell you the warmth that I felt – it was beautiful. And I think [executive producer] Hannah Cheers is doing an absolutely banging job.
“Can we just give kudos to everyone for the time jump? What an idea and what an episode. It was absolutely brilliant. My eyes were glued to the screen.”
Are you liking popping in and out of the show, or could they tempt you into something more permanent?
“I think that’d be lovely. For me, there’s so many things in life. When I’m at Hollyoaks, that’s all I do. I’m always thinking and dreaming about it. I don’t turn off – I can’t because it means a lot to me to make sure that what I’m delivering is what the fans expect. I really love it and it takes a lot of brainpower for me.
“Full-time, five days a week again would be a little bit of an overload for me at the moment. But I think if there was an opportunity where I could do it at a steady pace but still be around on that regular basis, that would be very appealing.
“Hollyoaks has got such a place in my heart that I would never turn my back fully on it. I hope I’m always going to be able to pop in and out. I do feel at home there and I have such love for it.”
Would you be interested in being part of the 30th anniversary this year?
“Of course I would! Myra needs to be there running the whole thing – never mind Tony! (Laughs.) No, I’m only joking – I love Nick Pickard to bits. I’d love to be part of that story.”
Would you ever like to work with Claire Cooper again? We’d love to see her character Jacqui McQueen back for more episodes…
“Did you see her new show The Hardacres? I was sat there watching and was so proud of her. It was like watching the McQueens in bygone days – that big family who were rough and ready but they made something of themselves.
“Claire did such a great job, I think she was absolutely brilliant. I think Claire’s fantastic and [Claire’s real-life husband] Emmett [J Scanlan, who played Brendan Brady] too. It’d be great to do some work with Claire again, definitely.”
