Amber Sharpe
Encyclopedia
Amber Sharpe is a fictional character
from the British Channel 4
soap opera
Hollyoaks
, played by Lydia Lloyd-Henry. The character was introduced as a member of the new Sharpe family, as part of series producer Paul Marquess
' rejuvenation of the serial in 2010. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 June 2010. Amber's storylines have included sleeping with Finn O'Connor
and subsequently discovering she is pregnant.
had stepped down from the position of series producer and that Paul Marquess
had taken over the role. It was soon revealed that Marquess planned to give Hollyoaks a "shake up", changing the productions team and beginning a cast cull by axing three established characters. Stephanie Waring
(who portrays Cindy Hutchinson) then revealed that all remaining cast members feared their character would be axed. One month later, Marquess announced his plans to axe a further eleven characters, who would leave at the end of their current contracts. Marquess later announced that he would introduce lots of "fantastic" new characters to replace those who were departing. In March 2010, it was announced that Marquess would introduce a new family due to the show. Speaking about the family Marquess stated: "We're particularly excited about the new family that will join the show in the summer -and guarantee they'll bring glitz, glamour and great stories to the Hollyoaks village!" The name of the family was later revealed to be Sharpe, a new mixed race family of four members.
On 12 April 2010, it was announced that soap newcomer Lydia Lloyd-Henry had been cast in Hollyoaks as youngest child Amber of the Sharpe family, and would be joined by mother Gabby
(Phina Oruche
), father Phil (Andonis Anthony) and brother Taylor (Shaun Blackstock). Of the families arrival, Marquess said: "We will meet Gabby Sharpe – and her teenage children Taylor and Amber – in dramatic circumstances. Their arrival in Hollyoaks will change the life of a much loved character forever." In an interview with Digital Spy
, Phina Oruche spoke about Lloyd-Henry, commenting: "The actors that are playing them [Amber and Taylor] are both brilliant, the kids themselves are really energetic."
publicity describe Amber as "a real live wire". She's a "spitfire" who questions everything and rarely takes no for an answer. Amber is incredibly driven and does all she can to get what she wants, despite her age.
(Connor Wilkinson). It was also revealed that the storyline would lead to Amber's pregnancy. Explaining the storyline, series producer Marquess said: "Hollyoaks has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way. I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity. And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine." The idea for the storyline was conceptualised by Hollyoaks producers, when they heard about Abbie Louise Davies Battlefront campaign to encourage young people not to feel pressurised into sex. Lucy Willis, executive producer of Battlefront, added: "Battlefront gives young people an opportunity to run campaigns about subjects they feel passionately about. Abbie Louise’s campaign Where Is The Love tackles an incredibly important issue which affects many young people today, who feel huge peer pressure to have sex before they are ready, often without the help and advice of adequate sex education at school."
(Nick Pickard
) telling her that her mother Gabby has been in a car accident. Amber feels uncomfortable around Tony and believes he was the one who ran her mother down, before he tells her he had just seen the accident. Amber and brother Taylor are confused when they return home with Tony and their belongings are missing, not realising that Gabby had planned to take her children and run away while Phil was gone. Amber is next seen relunctantly leaving her house in Wales by order of her mother. They arrive in Hollyoaks to stay with Tony, much to Amber's disgust. In an attempt to return to her home, Amber gives Phil the address of Tony's house, resulting in him being confronted by Phil. Amber pleads to stay with Phil, but he does not allow it. Amber joins Hollyoaks High school and befriends Sinead O'Connor
(Stephanie Davis
). After they catch Tony and Gabby kissing, Amber calls Phil and tells him that Gabby and Tony are having an affair, with Sinead agreeing with her. Phil then punches Tony, but Gabby tells him they are not having an affair. After the argument, Amber tells Sinead that she won't give up until her parents are back together.
Taylor tells Amber that Phil has another family, but she refuses to believe him. Due to her family problems, Amber turns to Finn O'Connor
(Connor Wilkinson) for support. They have sex and Amber tells Finn not to mention it to anyone. Later, Amber discovers she is pregnant and tells a shocked Finn. They talk as a fire breaks out at Il Gnosh, spreading to the upstairs flat. Amber tries to leave her bedroom and is trapped by the fire. She escapes onto the rooftop with Finn and slips as she tries to get to safety and Tony rescues her. Amber begs Finn not to tell anyone about her pregnancy, which he agrees. When Gabby talks to Frankie Osborne
(Helen Pearson
), she tells her that Amber stole a pregnancy test from Drive 'n' Buy. Gabby confronts Amber and she tells Gabby that the test was for her and that she is pregnant.
When Amber moves into the O'Connor's house following the fire, Diane O'Connor
(Alexandra Fletcher
) discovers she is pregnant and Amber is pregnant and is going to have an abortion. Diane comforts Amber and tells her that she does not have to have an abortion. The next day, Amber tells Gabby that she is going to keep the baby. Hollyoaks High School headmaster Rob O'Connor (Gary Cargill) finds out that Amber is pregnant and asks her to see a professional councillor, which she agrees. Diane then asks Amber if she could bring the baby up as her own, as she is unlikely conceive.
It is agreed that Diane will bring up the baby as her own however Amber grows close to Rob. Amber kisses Rob however he pushes her away. The kiss is seen by Eva Strong
(Sheree Murphy
) who gets the wrong idea. Eventually Sinead and Dianne find out about the kiss and suspect Rob is the father of Ambers baby. Amber admits the father is Finn. Due to all these events Dianne decides she does not want Ambers baby. Amber leaves the village with her mum and brother.
In July 2011 Finn receives a text from her showing a picture of their daughter Bella.
describe Amber's most memorable moment as being: "Lying to dad Phil about her mum's relationship with Tony." The official Hollyoaks website ran a poll asking viewers who their favourite member of the Sharpe family was. The results showed that Amber was their second favourite family member with 421 votes (33.68%).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
, played by Lydia Lloyd-Henry. The character was introduced as a member of the new Sharpe family, as part of series producer Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
' rejuvenation of the serial in 2010. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 June 2010. Amber's storylines have included sleeping with Finn O'Connor
Finn O'Connor (Hollyoaks)
Finn O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Connor Wilkinson. The character was introduced during a "shake-up" of the show by new series producer Paul Marquess during 2010 as a member of the O'Connor family, and has since been at the centre of...
and subsequently discovering she is pregnant.
Character creation and casting
In January 2010, it was announced that Lucy AllanLucy Allan (producer)
Lucy Jane Allan is a British television producer, best known for her work on Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.Allan's other credited work include a script editor for Dream Team and assistant to director in Chica de Río....
had stepped down from the position of series producer and that Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
had taken over the role. It was soon revealed that Marquess planned to give Hollyoaks a "shake up", changing the productions team and beginning a cast cull by axing three established characters. Stephanie Waring
Stephanie Waring
Stephanie Waring Stephanie Waring Stephanie Waring (born 19 February 1978; Urmston, Greater Manchester, England is an English actress, best known for portraying Cindy Cunningham in the early evening soap opera Hollyoaks.-Personal life:...
(who portrays Cindy Hutchinson) then revealed that all remaining cast members feared their character would be axed. One month later, Marquess announced his plans to axe a further eleven characters, who would leave at the end of their current contracts. Marquess later announced that he would introduce lots of "fantastic" new characters to replace those who were departing. In March 2010, it was announced that Marquess would introduce a new family due to the show. Speaking about the family Marquess stated: "We're particularly excited about the new family that will join the show in the summer -and guarantee they'll bring glitz, glamour and great stories to the Hollyoaks village!" The name of the family was later revealed to be Sharpe, a new mixed race family of four members.
On 12 April 2010, it was announced that soap newcomer Lydia Lloyd-Henry had been cast in Hollyoaks as youngest child Amber of the Sharpe family, and would be joined by mother Gabby
Gabby Sharpe
Gabriella "Gabby" Sharpe is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Phina Oruche. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 June 2010.-Character creation and casting:...
(Phina Oruche
Phina Oruche
Phina Oruche is a British actress, radio presenter and former model best known for her performances as Liberty Baker in ITV's Footballers' Wives, for which she won a Screen Nations Award for Favourite TV Star....
), father Phil (Andonis Anthony) and brother Taylor (Shaun Blackstock). Of the families arrival, Marquess said: "We will meet Gabby Sharpe – and her teenage children Taylor and Amber – in dramatic circumstances. Their arrival in Hollyoaks will change the life of a much loved character forever." In an interview with Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, Phina Oruche spoke about Lloyd-Henry, commenting: "The actors that are playing them [Amber and Taylor] are both brilliant, the kids themselves are really energetic."
Characterisation
Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
publicity describe Amber as "a real live wire". She's a "spitfire" who questions everything and rarely takes no for an answer. Amber is incredibly driven and does all she can to get what she wants, despite her age.
Teen pregnancy
In September 2010, it was announced that Hollyoaks, teaming up with Channel 4 Education's Battlefront, would explore an underage sex storyline involving 12 year-old Amber and Finn O'ConnorFinn O'Connor (Hollyoaks)
Finn O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Connor Wilkinson. The character was introduced during a "shake-up" of the show by new series producer Paul Marquess during 2010 as a member of the O'Connor family, and has since been at the centre of...
(Connor Wilkinson). It was also revealed that the storyline would lead to Amber's pregnancy. Explaining the storyline, series producer Marquess said: "Hollyoaks has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way. I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity. And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine." The idea for the storyline was conceptualised by Hollyoaks producers, when they heard about Abbie Louise Davies Battlefront campaign to encourage young people not to feel pressurised into sex. Lucy Willis, executive producer of Battlefront, added: "Battlefront gives young people an opportunity to run campaigns about subjects they feel passionately about. Abbie Louise’s campaign Where Is The Love tackles an incredibly important issue which affects many young people today, who feel huge peer pressure to have sex before they are ready, often without the help and advice of adequate sex education at school."
2010
Amber first appears on 21 June 2010, when she receives a call from Tony HutchinsonTony Hutchinson
Anthony "Tony" Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nick Pickard. Tony first appeared on-screen on 23 October 1995, the first episode of the series, and is the only original character still on the show to the present day...
(Nick Pickard
Nick Pickard
Nicholas "Nick" Pickard is an English actor, best known for his role as Tony Hutchinson on soap opera Hollyoaks.He is currently the longest serving cast member and appeared in the very first episode in 1995...
) telling her that her mother Gabby has been in a car accident. Amber feels uncomfortable around Tony and believes he was the one who ran her mother down, before he tells her he had just seen the accident. Amber and brother Taylor are confused when they return home with Tony and their belongings are missing, not realising that Gabby had planned to take her children and run away while Phil was gone. Amber is next seen relunctantly leaving her house in Wales by order of her mother. They arrive in Hollyoaks to stay with Tony, much to Amber's disgust. In an attempt to return to her home, Amber gives Phil the address of Tony's house, resulting in him being confronted by Phil. Amber pleads to stay with Phil, but he does not allow it. Amber joins Hollyoaks High school and befriends Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O'Connor (Hollyoaks)
Sinead O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Stephanie Davis. The character first appeared on 1 September 2010 as a member of the new O'Connor family, introduced as part of the show's overhaul by series producer Paul Marquess.-Casting:Details...
(Stephanie Davis
Stephanie Davis
Stephanie Davis is a Montana-based singer-songwriter, poet, and musician. Her songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Joey and Rory, and others. She is a frequent performer on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and at cowboy poetry gatherings and...
). After they catch Tony and Gabby kissing, Amber calls Phil and tells him that Gabby and Tony are having an affair, with Sinead agreeing with her. Phil then punches Tony, but Gabby tells him they are not having an affair. After the argument, Amber tells Sinead that she won't give up until her parents are back together.
Taylor tells Amber that Phil has another family, but she refuses to believe him. Due to her family problems, Amber turns to Finn O'Connor
Finn O'Connor (Hollyoaks)
Finn O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Connor Wilkinson. The character was introduced during a "shake-up" of the show by new series producer Paul Marquess during 2010 as a member of the O'Connor family, and has since been at the centre of...
(Connor Wilkinson) for support. They have sex and Amber tells Finn not to mention it to anyone. Later, Amber discovers she is pregnant and tells a shocked Finn. They talk as a fire breaks out at Il Gnosh, spreading to the upstairs flat. Amber tries to leave her bedroom and is trapped by the fire. She escapes onto the rooftop with Finn and slips as she tries to get to safety and Tony rescues her. Amber begs Finn not to tell anyone about her pregnancy, which he agrees. When Gabby talks to Frankie Osborne
Frankie Osborne
Francine "Frankie" Osborne is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Helen Pearson. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2002...
(Helen Pearson
Helen Pearson
Helen Pearson is an English television actress, currently seen as Frankie Osborne in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks....
), she tells her that Amber stole a pregnancy test from Drive 'n' Buy. Gabby confronts Amber and she tells Gabby that the test was for her and that she is pregnant.
When Amber moves into the O'Connor's house following the fire, Diane O'Connor
Diane O'Connor
Diane O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Alex Fletcher. In 2010, Hollyoaks series producer, Paul Marquess, embarked on the show's rejuvenation and axed a number of cast members. To compensate for the departures, the character of Diane and...
(Alexandra Fletcher
Alexandra Fletcher
Alexandra Fletcher sometimes credited as Alex Fletcher is a British actress best known for her role as Jacqui Farnham in the now defunct soap Brookside.-Career:...
) discovers she is pregnant and Amber is pregnant and is going to have an abortion. Diane comforts Amber and tells her that she does not have to have an abortion. The next day, Amber tells Gabby that she is going to keep the baby. Hollyoaks High School headmaster Rob O'Connor (Gary Cargill) finds out that Amber is pregnant and asks her to see a professional councillor, which she agrees. Diane then asks Amber if she could bring the baby up as her own, as she is unlikely conceive.
It is agreed that Diane will bring up the baby as her own however Amber grows close to Rob. Amber kisses Rob however he pushes her away. The kiss is seen by Eva Strong
Eva Strong
Tania Evette "Eva" Strong is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sheree Murphy. She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 April 2010.-Character creation and casting:...
(Sheree Murphy
Sheree Murphy
Sheree Murphy is an English actress and television presenter. A former student of the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Murphy placed second on the fifth series of the Reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!...
) who gets the wrong idea. Eventually Sinead and Dianne find out about the kiss and suspect Rob is the father of Ambers baby. Amber admits the father is Finn. Due to all these events Dianne decides she does not want Ambers baby. Amber leaves the village with her mum and brother.
In July 2011 Finn receives a text from her showing a picture of their daughter Bella.
Reception
Holy SoapHoly Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
describe Amber's most memorable moment as being: "Lying to dad Phil about her mum's relationship with Tony." The official Hollyoaks website ran a poll asking viewers who their favourite member of the Sharpe family was. The results showed that Amber was their second favourite family member with 421 votes (33.68%).
External Links
- Character profile on the E4 website
- Character profile on the Five website