Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Note: This article contains discussion of topics including postpartum psychosis.
Hollyoaks’ Cleo McQueen is diagnosed with postpartum psychosis next week, after her behaviour becomes increasingly more concerning. Since giving birth, Cleo has struggled to bond with her baby and has begun to act out of character, alarming Sienna Blake.
Unable to talk round Cleo alone, Sienna enlists her twin brother Dodger’s assistance to get Cleo the help that she needs – and the worried siblings take her to the Dee Valley Hospital psychiatric unit together, where she is finally diagnosed with postpartum psychosis…
“Cleo is admitted to the psychiatric unit thanks to Sienna, and her psychosis is confirmed,” shares our Hollyoaks source.
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“Even though she’s done the right thing, the diagnosis is too much for Sienna and she breaks down to her sister Liberty, who vows to give her more support and stay with baby Joseph in hospital while Cleo is admitted. The family have gone through so much lately, and staying strong feels impossible for Sienna right now.”
The lead up to Cleo’s diagnosis unfolds earlier in the week, when concerned Sienna tries her best to get through to her girlfriend, but has her attempts thwarted when Cleo snaps at her and shoots down her support.
When disturbed Sienna finds Cleo talking to herself, she asks who she’s talking to but receives a stony response once again – and after Sienna makes a very worrying discovery, there’s no denying that Cleo needs professional help.
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“Cleo had been trying to contact Dodger over the baby monitor for a few weeks, and now she’s talking to herself – in the wake of her traumatic premature labour, she’s totally lost her grip on reality,” observes our insider.
“Poor Sienna is horrified to find the same sentence written over and over again in Cleo’s notepad, and the total shift in Cleo’s demeanour is troubling enough that Sienna seeks out help from the McQueen family…”
When Sienna voices her concerns to Cleo’s cousin John Paul, he calls in the rest of the clan for help. At the McQueen house, the family waits for Cleo to return home, and when she does, they explain that they’re all there to support her.
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But how will struggling Cleo handle the full force of the McQueen intervention, especially when they arrive to visit her in hospital?
“Her loved ones only have her best interests at heart, but Cleo might not see it that way,” notes our source. “Being admitted to hospital and separated from her baby will be heartbreaking for the new mum, however, it’s the only way she’s going to get better.”
With Cleo being cared for on the psychiatric ward and Sienna at breaking point, will Cleo receive the help that she needs to overcome her tragic struggles and unite the family once again?
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.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Hollyoaks are working closely with Action on Postpartum Psychosis to tell Cleo’s story, the national charity for mums and families affected by postpartum psychosis – a severe but treatable mental illness.
Visit app-network.org for more information about postpartum psychosis, and to access urgent help and peer support.