Hollyoaks' Ashley likes playing happy families

Hollyoaks' Ashley likes playing happy families
Hollyoaks' Ashley likes playing happy families

Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson has revealed he prefers Darren Osborne now he has settled down. The former bad boy has had a string of flings but now lives with fiancee Nancy and wants to tie the knot. Ashley said: "It's nice having a strong relationship. You have so many relationships in soaps that don't last and you have the obvious affairs and things like that. "It's nice to see what couples actually go through realistically. Instead of just the affairs. It's nice to see the nice times." Darren's idea of asking ex-girlfriend Cindy to help him plan a secret Valentine's Day wedding for Nancy could have ruined everything as Nancy thinks they are having an affair. But Ashley doesn't see any future for Darren and Cindy. He said: "Cindy's the fun... it's more sexual frustration between Cindy and Darren, whereas with Nancy it's the whole shebang." It is not known if the wedding will go ahead, but Ashley thinks Darren is ready to be a husband. He revealed: "Darren has matured. He's got rid of his string vests and his gold chains and he's been through thick and thin and it looks like he might have learned a few things, at last."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.