Carmel McQueen was something of a much-loved character in Hollyoaks, there is no doubt about it, but the young woman met a horrific — but spectacular — ending in 2014 when she was the victim of the famous train crash stunt — A moment that viewers had the chance to revisit on E4 this week as part of Hollyoaks Favourites. With d Hollyoaks being forced to shoot down production in the amid of the Coronavirus pandemic, the weekly episodes— all shot before the shutdown — have been reduced to just two in an effort to ensure that the show stays on the screen for as long as possible.
However, the Channel 4 serial drama quite cleverly showed viewers what they needed, as — in an attempt to make up for the lack of new installments on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday — they opted to screen classic fan-favorite outings.
Reflecting on the unforgettable episodes, actress Gemma Merna who played Carmel said, “It was unbelievable. It was shot like an action movie. Graeme Harper, our director, was great, and he let me get a lot of input into the episodes.’ ‘There was a shot I asked if we could bring in, of Carmel waving goodbye before she got on the train. I thought it was a way to say farewell to her. Also, her death scene was very emotional. We’ve all been crying all day! Ha. I am very proud of it. “The disaster arose on the day of Porsche (Twinnie Lee Moore) and Lockie’s wedding, and — while other lives were in danger — as Gemma said, it was Carmel who died in the tragedy.
Speaking of her character’s demise, Gemma said, “When you have a character who’s loved too much, it needs to be a big way out. When Bryan Kirkwood told me about this storyline, I was pleased that they were trusting me with it. I hope I’ve made everybody proud who had a vision of the episode. I know it was loved by the fans! ‘Gemma’s right, Carmel was a much-loved character, and in her time in the eponymous village, the young woman was part of a huge moment.
Reflecting on her soap moment, Gemma said: ‘Ah, my experience was amazing! The creation of Carmel McQueen was a dream come true. Indeed, winning the ‘Best Comedy’ at the 2007 British Soap Awards was probably the highlight.” ‘The first year of life was changing. I’m looking back now, and I’m very proud of what I’ve done. At the time, I don’t think that the rest of the family and I knew how famous the McQueen Family was in the world of soap. I’m so grateful that I was part of it
