Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe reveals how Mercedes McQueen comes to get shot as a gripping whodunit storyline gets underway....
There's gripping drama in Hollyoaks next week (see our TV Guide for full listings) when the soap launches a huge whodunit storyline and Mercedes McQueen is gunned down in cold blood by one of her enemies.
Cheating mum Mercedes becomes the most hated person in the village when Grace Black exposes her as the culprit who left her for dead in the terrible hit and run accident that put her in a wheelchair.
And it's not long before everyone also starts to believe Mercedes could have killed Harry Thompson who she framed for the horror smash. But things are about to get even worse when her passionate affair with bad boy Liam Donovan is also revealed leaving Mercedes' husband Sylver utterly devastated.
Here Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes in Hollyoaks, reveals the chain of events that lead to the horror shooting and why she loves playing her...
Mercedes is shot next week, what was your reaction when you heard what was going to happen?
I thought “It’s about bloomin’ time” – she’s an absolute wrong one, she rubs everyone up the wrong way and I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner...
Can you tell us why people might want Mercedes dead?
Because she’s done a lot of wrong things to a lot of people. Grace has just found out she was responsible for the hit and run that put her in a wheelchair; James – he’s after her because he thinks she killed Harry, so he’s on her case; Sylver – because she’s had an affair and kept the hit and run away from him; Diane – I mean Mercedes absolutely attacks her in the big scene where it all comes out. I absolutely loved doing it, it was like a six-page scene where I literally attacked everyone, so pretty much everyone’s got a good reason why they want to shoot her!
Were you worried that Mercedes might get killed off?
No! Mercedes is never going to die, she can’t die, I don’t think it’s possible, she’ll be the first person to live forever! I think she’s immortal!
Can you tell us about the moment that Grace plays Mercedes’ confession to everyone?
It’s absolutely brilliant. I think everyone is shocked at first because they don’t have Mercedes down as anything to do with Grace’s hit and run, and literally when Grace does it, Mercedes’ face falls, she can’t believe it, she’s right in the middle of everyone and there’s no getting out of it – the bitch is getting her comeuppance. Mercedes always finds a way to worm her way out of everything, but there’s no getting away with this, it is what it is and it looks like she killed Harry too.
Is this the moment she’s been dreading since the hit and run happened?
Yes, she’s had so much anxiety about Sylver finding out, about everyone discovering the truth. It’s been months and months of lying and hiding secrets with Liam, which also involves the affair, so this moment is her worst nightmare.
WHAT IS ON TONIGHT? Check out our NEW and improved TV Guide
Have you had fun playing bad Mercedes this year?
I’ve absolutely loved it, I always love it like this, I just think she’s the best when she’s being like this. I do like it when she’s with Sylver and the kids and she plays the whole mum and wife role, but to come into work each day and play a character so far from yourself is complete escapism. I get a lot out of my days when she’s being like this!
Playing the family Mercedes and the bad Mercedes, is it like playing two different characters?
Yes and I think that’s the good thing about the character and why I’m so in love with her 13 years later because I can explore all these different avenues and it’s like having loads of different characters, but within the one. That’s what keeps me interested and what keeps her so interesting.
Why for Mercedes is the affair worse than Sylver knowing about the hit and run?
I think because she knows deep down that a mistake is a mistake, but a calculated affair is something different. The affair is directed at Sylver, the hit and run is not directed at him. She knows that he’s very kind, very gentle and the last thing she wants to do is hurt him.
If you could bring any character in from another TV show to play Mercedes’ next love interest, who would it be?
The last thing I ever watched was Grey’s Anatomy so, go on then I’ll have McDreamy; I think she’d run rings round him though.
Hollyoaks is shown weekdays on C4 at 6.30pm with the next episode following on E4
