Exclusive: Hollyoaks star Billy Price on the show's County Lines drugs storyline
Hollyoaks star Billy Price has revealed more about his character Sid Sumner's involvement in the show's dark new drugs storyline.
The Channel 4 soap has started to explore the topical issue of County Lines drug dealing, when gangs from big cities exploit young people and vulnerable adults to expand their illegal operations into smaller towns and villages.
Sid's menacing cousin Jordan (Connor Calland) has come to Hollyoaks with this plan and is about to get Juliet Nightingale (Niamh Blackshaw) on board as his first official helper.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about the possible danger ahead for Sid's girlfriend, Billy explained: "There was a line when Jordan first joined the village where Sid said: 'Promise me you'll never get Juliet involved in anything'.
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"Now Jordan is doing that. Juliet is looking up to him and giving him more attention than she gives to Sid. Sid is feeling a bit jealous and worried about what might happen next.
"Sid doesn't really want this to be happening and he fears that he's losing Juliet to the world of drugs. She's being manipulated, so Sid does try to warn Juliet that it's not a good idea.
"Even to this day, with the stuff I'm filming now, Sid is still trying to warn Juliet. He thinks she needs to watch herself and watch out for Jordan. But she gets manipulated, she falls in love with that lifestyle and she's trapped in this bubble. Trying to get her out of it is very difficult."
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On the impact for Sid and Jordan's relationship as cousins, Billy continued: "There's a weird power dynamic between those two. Sid tells Jordan that he needs to stop doing it. He tries to talk back to his older cousin, but Jordan gives him that one look and then he's right back to where he was! It's back to that hierarchy where Jordan is at the top and Sid is at the bottom.
"I think in order to protect certain people, Sid will have to get closer to Jordan. The nice thing about the episodes coming up is that Sid does do that, but in other ways he's keeping his distance. He keeps trying to get out of the situation, but then is drawn straight back into it. He's not a willing volunteer at all!
"Sid also starts to focus more on his hobby, the guitar, and starts to get better. To start with he's not great, but he gets there. He needs to choose between the two, the good life or the bad life."
Billy also praised Hollyoaks bosses for taking on the challenge of exploring another big issue.
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He said: "Before I did any research on County Lines myself, I knew quite a lot about it because it's so relevant these days. I've been talking to other people about things like this going on at their school. It's such a relevant topic and one I'm really happy to be involved in.
"I'm enjoying working with Connor as he's a really good actor and a credit to the show. We try to make the scenes as real and fresh as possible. The story needs to be real, because it's such a relevant thing."
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.
The Children's Society, which supports children affected by criminal exploitation, is advising Hollyoaks writers and cast members on the storyline. For more information, visit the charity's county lines webpage.
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