Note: The following article contains discussion of themes including suicide.
Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks has aired a distressing development in the storyline between Ste, Lucas, and Dillon, leading to consequences for another one of the soap’s major plotlines.
On Monday’s episode, things got passionate between Ste and Dillon with the later unaware that he had accidentally dialled Lucas’ number just as him and Ste were getting steamy.
Answering his phone, Lucas heard Dillon with another man but had no idea that the man in question was his father Ste.
On tonight’s episode (Tuesday 9 December), Lucas paid an unexpected visit to his dad’s home the morning after, as Ste was lying on the sofa with a half-naked Dillon.
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Dillon ran into the other room to hide before Ste let his distraught son in. Lucas told Ste he’d been unable to sleep all night after he heard Dillon with another man.
Ste told his son that, since the pair had broken up, Dillon was free to see whoever he wanted and Lucas had to realise that. But Lucas was upset and angry, telling his dad he wanted to “kill” whoever Dillon was with, adding that he still loves him.
Later at The Hutch, Lucas was seen calling Dillon but getting no response before he smashed a bowl on the ground in anger. Meanwhile, Dillon told Vicky he’s had enough of Lucas’ constant calls and messages.
The pair then went to The Hutch to confront him but when they walked into the kitchen they found Lucas crying on the floor with a towel wrapped around his arm, having self-harmed.
He told them he “didn’t know what to do,” before turning to Dillon and saying “you slept with someone else, you broke my heart.”
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Dillon and Vicky then took Lucas to hospital, with Dillon telling Misbah that he had threatened to harm himself over their relationship before.
After Lucas had been examined, Dillon went to see him in his room. Lucas apologised for what he’d done but told Dillon he’d been upset after hearing him with another man.
Dillon told Lucas that he needed help and he had to stop calling and harassing him. As Dillon walked out, an angry Lucas followed him, before setting off the hospital fire alarm.
Lucas soon caught up with Dillon and pushed him into a lift saying, “you aren’t leaving me,” as the alarm sounded in the hospital.
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However Lucas’ actions didn’t just have consequences for Dillon.
As hospital staff were seen rushing around to deal with the fire alarm Cleo McQueen, who has been receiving treatment for postpartum psychosis, decided to made a break for it, leaving her room and walking up the stairs.
Earlier in the episode Cleo had been informed by Sienna, Misbah and her psychiatric nurse that her baby was well enough to go home, however she still needed to stay for further treatment.
The news caused Cleo’s psychosis to once again take over, as she began to believe Sienna was plotting to steal her baby from her.
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, organisations who can offer support include the NHS, Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393. Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov.