Despite Luke Morgan having met a tragic end, Hollyoaks is bringing the popular character back in upcoming scenes as part of Cindy Cunningham’s (Stephanie Waring) storyline.
Cindy, as viewers know, has been struggling to cope over the past year, following the death of her beloved fiancé Luke, who fell to his demise while on holiday in Mallorca amid a battle with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).
The entrepreneur was desperate to find a solution to save the market, which was Luke’s pride and joy, after it was wrecked on Mother’s Day courtesy of Norma Crow (Glynis Barber), who drove her vehicle into the complex.
With no legal options available to her since she stopped paying the insurance, Cindy decided on taking part in a bank heist, with her loved ones starting to significantly worry about her mental health.
It was later confirmed that Cindy had stopped taking her bipolar medication, and upcoming scenes will see reality start to slip further and further away for her, as she believes dead husband Luke is with her.
The storyline in question will see actor Gary Lucy reprise his role as Luke, as viewers experience the world through Cindy’s eyes.
With Gary back on our screens, Metro.co.uk thought it only fitting to catch up with the actor, who has been at the centre of some Hollyoaks’ most iconic moments, for a chat about how this return came about – and what’s next for him after Hollyoaks.
Hi Gary! I didn’t think when we spoke last year about your exit that, in a year’s time, we’d be doing a chat about your return! How did this come about?
It was a no brainer. I got a call from Peter Hunt in casting – the wonderful Peter, Hunt, he’s amazing. I have so much respect for him on a professional level but he’s also a really good friend. He called my agent and said: “How would you feel about coming back for a few episodes? We’ve got this idea that ties to Cindy’s storyline”.
I said: “Absolutely. If we can make it work, I’d love to!” To have an opportunity to come and see everyone and have a great time with them – it is like a home from home up there. They made it work, and it was lovely to catch up with everyone and give everyone a cuddle – to get a bit of attention and love and then back out the door again! [laughs].
What was it like being back on set?
It’s just lovely. Though it also gave me a chance to be mischievous because I could just go onto sets and cause a bit of trouble, knowing full well they couldn’t do anything [laughs]. What are they going to do? I was going to be out of there in a month!
I was particularly [mischievous] with [1st Assistant Director] Colin Melia. I mean, I do learn my lines but my memory isn’t the best [laughs]. Colin was first in on another unit so I went out and said: ‘Learn your f***ing lines!’ because that’s what he used to say to me [laughs].
But it was really lovely to see everyone!
Cindy has stopped taking her bipolar medication, as revealed on-screen last month. Is this how she sees Luke?
Basically, yes. It spreads out over about four episodes and Cindy thinks he’s there. He is revealed in one episode, and there is a bit of a dream-like sequence, where he slots in too.
It was lovely to film. I reckon Steph [Waring] was probably missing me! She probably went up [to bosses] and was like: “If you don’t bring Gary back I’m leaving!”. And Obviously I wouldn’t want Steph to leave, so I just basically did what I should’ve done [laughs].
It’s been one year since you properly said goodbye to Hollyoaks – have you missed it?
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I miss the people and I miss the place. It was ’98 when I first started there and, I don’t need to say it… if you’d ask me about other shows I might tell you different, but [Hollyoaks] is just a really, really lovely place to be.
When I first started I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but they supported everyone and trained us on the job. If you put the graft in, you get something out of it. As a company, from the Phil Redmond days at Mersey TV to now with my experience at Lime, it’s a family. I’ve worked in many many places, but [Hollyoaks] is exactly that. They’re behind you. When you fall they’ll catch you and when you fly they’ll watch you go, it’s a fantastic place to be. Anytime they’ve asked me to go back I haven’t thought twice about it. And it isn’t for the money trust me. It costs me more money to be there! [laughs].
You were part of so many incredible storylines in your time on the show
They’ve given me gifts all the way through, and I really mean that. From the opportunity to do the job in the first place, which was Jo Hallows and Phil Redmond. Then the male rape storyline, which was groundbreaking.
Everyone was a little bit nervous about that, but we just put everything into it, and look what we achieved? It was amazing.
I left and went off and did a lot of other things, but Bryan Kirkwood called me – wonderful Bryan – who said he wanted to show that after all these years if you have gone through a trauma and haven’t dealt with it then its okay to not be okay – and it’s okay to talk. He wanted to show the effects of someone who hasn’t [dealt with it], and that’s why I came back.
I then left again and Bryan said he’d love for me to come back. I said if I was going to come back it would have to be for a reason and to give it a proper end – something that hasn’t been done before.
Dementia had been covered before but FTD hadn’t, so we did that – which was amazing. It’s something that’s really close to my heart. It’s important to highlight and cover it – as Hollyoaks always do – in a responsible way. Obviously, it had to end, which it did – but then they called me back in! [laughs].
Even though its been a year since Luke died, he’s still very much a presence in the show through Cindy and Zara’s grief – and the phone box dedicated in his memory!
I’m really pleased you mentioned the phone box. If they ever get rid of that phone box, you need to call me. If that phone call ever goes in one of those big stunts, I will be fuming. Call me! [laughs].
No I’m joking, it’s lovely – you’d think they’d want to get rid of me without a trace, you know what I mean? But that’s really, really sweet.
What’s next for you? Have you anything in the pipeline that you’re working on?
Yes, I’m in the middle of filming something at the minute. I can’t say what it is. I’m in the middle of it, but it’s really lovely because its based around kids – and now I’m old and gray!
No you’re not!
I am! Trust me [laughs]. I think it might come out next year, that’s normally what they do – when everything is a bit grim they bring out something that’s nice and lovely. Beautiful, I would say, actually – but not because I’m in it!
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6:30pm on Channel 4 with first look episodes airing at 7pm on E4, or watch first from midnight on All4.
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