As ever, Hollyoaks is proving once again that they are at the forefront of story-telling. This time, they are taking a deep exploration of cross-dressing, as Jonny Labey’s Rex Gallagher receives support from caring trans teenager Ro Hutchinson, played by Leo Cole.
With Ro having had experiences of gender identity and struggles with himself mentally, he becomes an unexpected friend – or, as Leo puts it, a ‘pillar of support’ – for Rex after working out his secret.
It’s a pairing that neither actor expected to hit the screen but they both are thrilled by how well it works, how much fun they have working together and the sheer amount they are learning from one another.
It’s a topic that Hollyoaks are again working with the LGBT Foundation on, and Jonny insists that he pitched the idea to bosses, determined that it be covered in a sensitive and meaningful way.
Soap fans may recall Coronation Street and EastEnders covering cross-dressing in the past, both with later-aged men, but these stories were sensationalised and almost mocked in some of their ‘comedic’ presentation. Perhaps a product of the time as well as a misunderstanding of cross-dressing, but as such, the topic hasn’t represented the audience who can relate to it – until now.
As part of a vast, varied and welcoming LGBTQI+ community, Jonny – who talks of his ‘beautiful, rich and diverse trans, cross-dressing, non-binary and bisexual friends – told me that he wanted the show to have this conversation and laid the case out for what could happen with Rex.
As we chatted in an interview for Metro – described kindly and accurate by the show as the ideal outlet to cover LGBTQI+ representation – Jonny took me through his thinking.
‘Within the soap dynamic it’s not veering off into shock factor because there’s a very complex and rooted thing in itself with the storyline but there’s also the storyline that makes sense for Rex.
Join Metro’s LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp
With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community.
Simply click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don’t forget to turn on notifications!
‘I didn’t want it to be a storyline where they just decided, “Now it’s this,” because it has to make sure it’s also coherent to what Rex has been through and make sense to that.
‘When I spoke about the storyline initially and when I suggested it, it was the sense of him having a lost identity from when he was a lot younger. Being involved in gangs and being involved in sex trafficking rings and being sold and being part of these really toxic masculine circles of men – I think I’ve counted something like 33 fights I’ve been in since I started the show and I’ve not once thrown a single punch. Rex is not a fighter. He’s a weird Rottweiler character.
‘He’s got all of this bite and all of this stuff he does love about himself. He loves the cars and the suits he gets given, he loves the mod style and he prides himself on being the cock of the walk.’
Discovering Grace Black – a femme fatale with a very distinctive fashion style and owning her own control – was his mum very much changed Rex. Jonny suggests that losing her is both causing him to spiral, but also explore this dormant side to himself.
‘I thought there needed to be something where he was able to express his freedom,’ he continued. ‘I thought that as a gay younger boy and teenager, Rex probably was very dancey and liberal and a lot more queer in terms of his acceptance and how he physicalised himself and presented himself. Then all of these layers of gangs and stuff was built on top of it.
‘I thought there needed to be something else that connected with his past but established him going forwards. That’s the reason why I thought it would work beautifully and it would play into such beautiful storylines and also represent a corner and shine a light into another part of the room.’
One of the most fascinating yet fitting parts of the storyline comes with the inclusion of Ro, who, for a very long time, is the only person to know about Rex’s cross-dressing.
It becomes a relationship of kindness and understanding as well as patience – and Leo is keen to get across that the main aspect is non-judgement, a running theme throughout this storyline and Hollyoaks’ many others.
It was not long ago that I spoke to Leo when he first joined the cast late last year. He was as eloquent and passionate now about this – effectively his first storyline to get his teeth into – and delighted to be involved.
‘It’s brilliant to be around and it’s been brilliant to work on,’ he said with a smile. ‘It’s been really nice since the recast to have something to dig my nails into and be able to relate to it so closely with my community. It’s been kind of sweet, kind of wholesome and relatable and has moments of everyday life while humanising the LGBT community – people who cross dress, people who don’t, anybody.
‘It’s been educational for me as well. I’ve learned a few different things through the scripts and things like that. The aim is to show the audience that this is totally fine. I’m really confident in the show to be able to take this story.
‘Hollyoaks has done similar things before, so it’s nice to see the progression as a show and see how the progression of such a pinnacle character can be doing something like cross dressing and it be absolutely fine, to go through the trials and tribulations and eventually get to a secure point.’
Asked what the experience is like to work with Jonny, the answer is immediate and leaves no doubt – both actors are having a great time.
Leo enthused: ‘Jonny’s amazing. It’s been a really cool experience and I see him a bit like an older brother. He’s mentoring me and helping me but also I’m having moments of mentoring him and helping him with the LGBTQ side of it, so it’s really lovely to have that balance. And we’ve got good banter as well, which always helps.
‘I think we manage to support each other and it leads to some really fun and expressive things. I’m really looking forward to it. You can see Rex and Ro’s friendship form and progress and I think that’s beautiful in itself.’
Jonny interjected to agree whole-heartedly, adding: ‘I’m learning so much from Leo. It’s a world I’ve always been a part of but I don’t actually know that much about cross-dressing, so it’s fascinating.
‘Leo put me in touch with a friend of his yesterday and said he does cross-dressing for adrenaline reasons. He’s an adrenaline junkie and he loves that persona. I thought that would never be the reason.’
Matthew James Belfield of LGBT Foundation gives more details
I was lucky enough to have Matthew, Head of Marketing, Communications and Editorial at LGBT Foundation, on the call to add an external and expert output on why this storyline is so vital – and why Hollyoaks is the right medium to tell it.
‘We’ve had a really good history of working with Hollyoaks and we were delighted when they came to us about this particular storyline. It’s something that we feel like, as a national health and wellbeing charity, isn’t spoken about and it hasn’t been done in quite this way.
‘We really trust Hollyoaks because of the pedigree they’ve got of exploring gender diversity and LGBTQ+ issues, that they are the right people to do it. For us, what we found incredibly interesting about this is that idea that LGBTQ+ people and trans people can be pillars of strength. That’s something that’s never spoken about and never really shown on screen, so we were absolutely delighted.
‘The ethos of us as an organisation is all about hope and joy and that’s what this storyline is about, so it just is an incredibly natural fit for us and we’re incredibly proud to be on board and playing our part to make the story what it needs to be.
Did you have to make sure you knew where this story was going and how it would be treated before you got fully on board?
‘What we didn’t want with this storyline, and what Hollyoaks were really open about, was that they were really keen to avoid falling into tropes and things like that. They were really open about the feedback and really wanted to work with LGBTQ+ people, non-binary people and gender diverse people as well to get this right. They were very open about where they needed our support, our knowledge and our lived experience as well.
‘It’s really exciting and interesting to see where this storyline is going. It’s good for me to know that but it’s something I think a lot of people will resonate with the ups and downs and it will really show how important support is to people exploring their identity as well.
‘It’s not always easy to get this right, the journey is never easy, but having those pillars of strength really gets people to where they need to be to accept who they are and be their authentic selves.’
As the storyline goes on, we see Jonny dismiss Ro as ‘just a kid’, but gradually sees how he could potentially the best person to confide in.
A long-term friendship soon blossoms and the story, which promises not to be rushed, focuses not only on Rex’s struggles, but also on the more light-hearted side of the relationship, with Leo commenting that it feels really nice to see his alter-ego smiling after the hardship he has endured on his journey.
As for Rex, things remain turbulent, not least of all due to his sometimes destructive, sometimes loving relationship with Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson).
‘There’s certain ways I feel Rex deals with things,’ he mused. With Ste cheating on him, for example, and he’s been a part of sex trafficking rings.
‘In terms of exploring himself, I don’t think he actually gives that many f*cks. The only person he really cares about who would is Ste – the only person, in his mind, that loves him, the only person who sees him for who he is – but that “who he is” is someone who plays footy and fixes cars.
‘He’s treading water to find out who and what he is and that’s where the joining of my character with Ro’s is somewhat genius. I adored that idea, and also working with Leo. It’s presented at such an interesting angle because you’ve got two people going through two different things in the world of identity.
‘I think he’s going through a lot – he’s lost his mum. He’s feeling this thing that’s nice again, this goodness.
‘I think there could be a lot of scope to do flashbacks of Rex’s past or find that little boy, really fully picture the story where it starts to make sense for now by seeing the past or seeing certain scenarios where people go, “Oh, that’s why!”‘
‘It’s not a random decision, it was in my DNA that that was something I needed to do. I didn’t just wake up on a Sunday and decide to wear a dress, it connects to something.’
