Exclusive: 'Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe talks Mercedes stabbing aftermath

Published Jun 26 2012, 19:00 BST  |  By Daniel Kilkelly

Hollyoaks aired an explosive storyline twist on Channel 4 this evening (June 26) as scheming Mercedes McQueen stabbed herself in a desperate bid to frame her love rival Mitzeee Minniver.

Mercedes committed the shocking act after knocking Mitzeee (Rachel Shenton) unconscious during a dramatic showdown over the ongoing stalker situation.

With Riley and Lynsey heading for the flat, Mercedes took drastic action to discredit Mitzeee once and for all - plunging a kitchen knife into herself.

Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes, recently caught up with Digital Spy for an exclusive reaction chat about the episode.

What was going through Mercedes's mind when she stabbed herself?
"I think it was pure desperation - the thought of Mitzeee, Riley and Bobby as a family together was too much for her to take, and she just saw red. I don't think it's something that Mercedes thought about or planned - she wouldn't have even dreamed of doing it to herself. But at the time, she saw it as the only way out of the situation."

Were you shocked by the story, or do Mercedes's antics never surprise you now?
"It's always shocking, but then it takes about two seconds for me to snap back to reality and say, 'Do you know what, it really doesn't surprise me - that girl can do anything!'"

Is it complicated to film a stabbing scene, with fake blood to deal with?
"Not really - for one thing, we've got a great continuity team here. But also, as we're a 6.30pm show, there's very little that we can see, so there wasn't loads of blood when we were filming the scenes - they had to pull back on that. So the fake blood was a bit sticky, but it was cool."



How bad is the injury?
"It's pretty bad, and Mercedes is hospitalised. But she does start to feel better and that's when she starts putting it on to get sympathy. She's determined to get what she wants…"

Does Mitzeee get a chance to confront Mercedes over her lies?
"Mitzeee does come to the hospital, but Mercedes is still passed out at that point. By the time Mercedes has woken up, Mitzeee has had to face questioning and go to court."

Does Mercedes feel any guilt? How easy is it for her to keep lying to everyone?
"Mercedes doesn't feel guilt at all - she just wants Riley back and she'll do whatever it takes to get him. I think she finds it easy to lie - hence why she does it so much and so well! She can't tell anybody the truth, so she has no option but to lie. When she needs to turn on the tears, she'll turn them on - especially if it will benefit her."

How does Riley feel about the situation?
"Riley's really sad for Mercedes, but at the same time, he knows Mitzeee. He doesn't think that Mitzeee would do anything like this, but Mercedes is very, very persuasive. Riley is going to be pretty torn and confused over the whole thing."



Does that mean Mercedes might win Riley back?
"I don't know - she's doing her utmost, we can say that! I think in soapland there's always a chance for anything…"

Do you think the viewers will ever forgive Mercedes for this?
"I don't know - it's pretty ruthless! I've been very careful with how I've played some of the scenes, as I don't want to be hated and I don't think Mercedes is a character to be hated. I hope I've done a good job and people still feel sorry for her.

"Mercedes is completely broken over the Riley and Mitzeee situation. It's so funny - I don't know how I do it sometimes, but over the past few weeks the viewers have still been feeling some sympathy for Mercedes. I was getting lots of tweets saying, 'I feel so sorry for Mercedes, she needs to get back with Riley' and 'Mitzeee is being a bitch'. I just thought, 'Oh my God, do you really think that, because even I don't - and I love the character!'"

Do you get on well with Rachel Shenton when filming these scenes?
"Oh, we've got a really good friendship. She's a great girl and I think that's why it makes the scenes so powerful. We'll both get in the zone and talk about everything off-set as well - we try to discuss what we both want to get out of the scenes before we film them."



Does Mercedes dump Rob after the stabbing, or is he still in the mix?
"Rob does send her a message asking if she fancies hooking up again, but Mercedes basically tells him to take the hint and get lost. She's staying with Riley for a little while after the stabbing, and after a while he says, 'Why don't you start staying at Rob's now?' But Mercedes claims that Rob doesn't want to know and turns on the tears again. So Riley thinks that Rob has dumped Mercedes!"

Doctor Browning is also causing some more trouble, isn't he?
"Yeah, and Joe Thompson who plays him is great. He came in about six months ago now, when we established the escorting storyline in the hospital. We loved that block - it was brilliant to film. He came back a little bit later and I always thought that he's a really good addition to the Hollyoaks cast. He's come back for a little bit longer this time to stir things up!"

Away from her own dramas, will Mercedes be supporting Carmel?
"She does a little bit. I think at first, Mercedes felt really sorry for Carmel and gave her lots of sympathy. But as time goes on, her problems are bigger than Carmel's - in her eyes! Mercedes is like, 'Right, come on now, get a grip - it's fine and it's only a little scratch'."

Do you think the McQueens are struggling without Myra around?
"I think it's definitely felt like a loss on-screen and in the family. But that's what the writers wanted it to feel like, so I think they've got out of it what they wanted. It's also put Jacqui in a good position so her character can be explored a bit more. But Myra is definitely coming back."

If things don't work out with Riley, who else might Mercedes be interested in?
"Anybody - absolutely anybody! I think all of her exes have just been so different, so it could be any man in the village. Who the next target would be, I don't know!"

> Read Rachel Shenton's recent Digital Spy interview about the storyline
> Read more 'Hollyoaks' spoilers and news

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look screenings at 7pm on E4.