Former Hollyoaks star Hollie-Jay Bowes has opened up about the downsides of fame, revealing that she was physically assaulted during her time playing Michaela McQueen.
Michaela was a fixture of the Hollyoaks village between 2006 and 2010, and again between 2011 and 2012, during which time she also appeared on the fourth series of Hollyoaks Later.
During that time, she was a big part of some of the major storylines for the McQueen family, having been one of the first family members to arrive in the village.
Michaela’s biggest stories included tracking down her father, who later devastated her by robbing from the family, and being kidnapped by long-lost brother Niall Rafferty.
Now, actress Hollie-Jay has spoken out about her experience growing up in the public eye, and how challenging it was.
Taking to TikTok, the actress responded to a comment from a fan who claimed to have met her outside a nightclub at the height of her Hollyoaks fame and suggested she was ‘rude’.
Alongside a video responding to the claim, Hollie-Jay wrote a lengthy caption clarifying the interaction.
‘I will never apologise for being rude to someone if I felt uneasy. In this particular situation, I’d have been 17-18, an undiagnosed Autistic girl who found “fame” quite overwhelming and hard to deal with,’ she explained.
‘The McQueens got a lot of attention. Attention I never knew we would get when signing up to my dream job. A job I’m extremely proud of but brought me a lot of social anxiety, that I spent years in therapy unwrapping.’
She continued: ‘I’ve been spat at, punched, kicked, grabbed, licked and verbally abused on nights out for being Michaela McQueen or simply, that girl from Hollyoaks.
‘I had to go to court and testify against a man who broke my old friend’s jaw in a town centre as I was getting in a taxi when I was a teen.
‘I have spent a lot of time forgiving myself for how I used to handle things as a teen. This isn’t one of them.’
She finished her statement with a message to women about safety.
‘No one has the right to speak to you. Ever. And women, remember that. You have every right to close yourself off, keep your guard up and your wits about you on a night out if a drunk man is trying to talk to you.’
Prior to her Hollyoaks role, Hollie-Jay starred in Grange Hill as Dawn O’Mally during series eight and nine.
Since her exit from the Channel 4 soap, the actress has taken on numerous projects, including episodes of Doctors, Cold Feet and After Hours.
Most recently, Hollie-Jay has been playing the role of Debs Rafferty in BBC school drama Waterloo Road.
She’s had some major storylines during her time on the show, including mending her relationship with sister Nicky Walters (Kym Marsh) before promptly falling out with her again over their inheritance.
Fortunately, they eventually made up, with Debs managing to also get a job at the school.
