Grace is determined to be top dog behind bars - but she has to overcome Reenie first… And Hollyoaks star Tamara Wall tells Soaplife how Grace goes about it.
Grace Black knew that being banged up would be no picnic. But when she ends up sharing a cell with Reenie McQueen, it seems that her prison stay is going to be very uncomfortable… Reenie is Mercedes’ aunt, remember - and Grace is banged up for Mercedes’ murder.
“Reenie makes Grace’s life hell,” Tamara tells Soaplife. “She gets other people to be nasty to Grace and she’s basically getting on her nerves.” But when Reenie (Zoe Lucker) gets moved and Kim becomes Grace’s cellmate, things get even worse…
Bet Grace regrets trying to frame Freddie (Charlie Clapham) now!
“No. She’s certain everything is going to be OK. They won’t find a body and Grace is putting all her faith in the justice system. Besides, she’d rather be in prison for 10 years and have a child at the end of it than have no kid at all. She’s sure that Esther [Jazmine Franks] will not hand over the baby if she finds out the truth.”
How are things with Trevor?
“Basically, he tells Grace he needs to find Mercedes so Grace can be freed. He says he doesn’t care about Esther. That isn’t what Grace wants to hear and she screams at him and says the baby means more to her than anything. She thinks she’s got through to Trevor [Greg Wood], but she hasn’t.”
Why can’t Grace tell Esther the truth?
“Esther’s forgiven Grace for so many things that this would be the final straw. The whole Mercedes [Jennifer Metcalfe] plot involves so many other people that Esther cares about as well.”
How does Kim (Daisy Wood-Davis) end up sharing a cell with Grace?
“She gets herself arrested, then spikes Reenie’s drink with laxatives, so that she gets moved out of the cell.”
Is Grace pleased?
“Kim’s the last person Grace wanted to see, but she’s pleased Reenie is out of the way.”
And she does something silly…
“There’s a part of Grace that thinks, ‘At least I’ve got somebody in here who likes me’. But they cross a line and spend the night together. It’s a power trip for Grace. She doesn’t have feelings for Kim. She knows Kim fancies her and it makes her feel better about herself. Grace has no idea how insane Kim is!”
And sleeping with Kim could upset Esther…
“Grace feels all powerful. She doesn’t think anyone will tell on her. She also believes if she has Kim on her side, she won’t let that baby or Esther go anywhere. She’ll go to any lengths to keep that baby and anybody who gets in her way is not safe.”
How does she end up framing Reenie?
“Porsche [Twinnie Lee Moore] asks her to do it as a favour. She doesn’t want her mum to be released. So Grace hides drugs in Reenie’s moisturiser and Reenie’s busted.”
If you put Reenie and Grace in the ring, who’d win?
“I think they’d kill each other! Reenie’s more than a match for Grace. I was really nervous about working with Zoe [Lucker, who playes Reenie], but it’s been a hoot.”
Hollyoaks, C4.
