Carl Costello
Encyclopedia
Carl Costello, is a fictional character
from the British Channel 4
soap opera
Hollyoaks
, played by Paul Opacic
. The character was introduced by executive producer Paul Marquess
and debuted onscreen during the episode airing on 19 July 2010. He came to the village as the new owner of The Dog in the Pond
and father of already established character Jem Costello
. Carl departed from Hollyoaks
on 1 December 2011 with his son Jason.
quit the role of executive producer in January 2010, Paul Marquess
is then quickly employed as her replacement. Marquess revealed his plans to give Hollyoaks a "shake up", and initiated a cast cull along with the introduction of several new characters. In April 2010 Marquees announced his intentions to introduce the Costello family. Speaking about the new family Marquees stated "They're only one of three families. They're family number two. The thing about the Costellos is that The Dog has to be somewhere the audience wants to be. [...] I'm not saying the Costellos won't have serious stories but I think you'll want to be there. He branded Carl and Heidi Costello
(Kim Tiddy
) as good looking. The Costellos were a built on family to the all ready established Jem Costello
(Helen Russell-Clark).
Actor Paul Opacic had been cast in the role and during an interview with E4 he stated: "It's a very exciting time at Hollyoaks right now. Paul Marquess has got a proven track record, and I think it's turned the whole thing around. [...] It seems like a re-birth of Hollyoaks."
(Rob Norbury), Seth
(Miles Higson) and Jasmine
(Victoria Atkin
).
Carl first arrives in Hollyoaks after buying The Dog. Jem is not happy to discover her father has moved to Hollyoaks, but agrees to forgive him for breaking her ex-boyfriend Liam's legs, which ended his football career, and for having numerous affairs. Carl is shocked to see his previous fling, glamour model Mitzeee Minniver
(Rachel Shenton
) in the village. Mitzeee, who is Heidi's cousin, begins to flirt with Carl, who rejects her. When Mitzeee reveals Jasmine's relationship with Bart McQueen
(Jonny Clarke
), Carl is angry and threatens him. However, Jem convinces him to calm down. Carl becomes suspicious of Doug Carter
(PJ Brennan), believing he is dealing drugs. When this is proved true, Carl forces him to move away from Hollyoaks. Mitzeee reveals to Heidi that she slept with Carl. Jem rejects her father, and is angered when Heidi forgives him.
It's later revealed Carl broke Jem's ex-boyfriend Liam McAllister's (Chris Overton) leg to ruin his football career, Jem could not cope with this and left to go travelling. Carl continues to push Riley into training for football. Riley and Seth go cage fighting with Liam and his brother Nathan McAllister (Michael Bisping
), they go to a party where they lock them in a cage. They kidnap Carl and make him watch his children beat each other, whilst Carl stands on a box with a rope around his neck. He escapes and Nathan dies.
Jem decides to leave the village when she tries and fails to set Carl up with Mitzeee Carl finally lets her go. With Jem gone Carl becomes more obsessive of his other children. Over Christmas Carl's daughter Jasmine reveals she wants to be a boy called Jason. Carl is upset about it at first but soon begins to accept Jason.
Carl is unhappy when Riley starts dating new barmaid, Mercedes Fisher. Carl kisses Mercedes and later offers her money to stop seeing Riley which she rejects. Carl begins sleeping with Mercedes until Carl finds out Heidi has also been having an affair with Gaz Bennett
. Carl forgives Heidi after threatening Gaz. Seth finds out about Carl's own affair but is stopped revealing all to Heidi and Riley by Mercedes lying that she's pregnant. Mercedes sister, Jacqui McQueen, also finds out about the affair but Carl manages her to convince her to keep quiet by offering her husband, Rhys Ashworth
, a job.
Warren Fox
also finds out about the affair and blackmails Carl. The truth about the affair does still come out at Riley's wedding when Mercedes confesses. Carl is thrown out of his home by Riley. Shortly after Heidi is killed by her dad, Silas Blissett
, who is also keeping Mercedes hostage because of the affair.Riley and Carl find Mercedes just as she is about to give birth but it's a race against time for her baby to be delivered safely.
describe Carl's most memorable moment as being: "When his wife Heidi was left devastated when it emerged he had slept with Cheryl Cole lookalike Mitzeee." E4 ran a poll asking viewers if they think Carl can be trusted, the results showed that more than half felt he couldn't.
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 Paul Opacic
Paul Opacic
Paul Opacic is an English actor. He is currently best known for his role as Carl Costello in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:...
. The character was introduced by executive 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...
and debuted onscreen during the episode airing on 19 July 2010. He came to the village as the new owner of The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond
The Dog in the Pond is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995. The pub was burnt down in episodes airing in September 2006 during the 'Fire at The Dog', which killed five regular characters...
and father of already established character Jem Costello
Jem Costello
Jem Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Helen Russell-Clark. She made her first on-screen appearance on 5 March 2010.-Character creation and casting:...
. Carl departed from 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...
on 1 December 2011 with his son Jason.
Character creation
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....
quit the role of executive producer in January 2010, 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...
is then quickly employed as her replacement. Marquess revealed his plans to give Hollyoaks a "shake up", and initiated a cast cull along with the introduction of several new characters. In April 2010 Marquees announced his intentions to introduce the Costello family. Speaking about the new family Marquees stated "They're only one of three families. They're family number two. The thing about the Costellos is that The Dog has to be somewhere the audience wants to be. [...] I'm not saying the Costellos won't have serious stories but I think you'll want to be there. He branded Carl and Heidi Costello
Heidi Costello
Heidi Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kim Tiddy. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 July 2010 and made her final appearance in the series on 1 November 2011, after the character was accidentally murdered by her father, Silas...
(Kim Tiddy
Kim Tiddy
Kim Tiddy , is an English actress, is known for playing the part of PC Honey Harman, in the ITV soap opera The Bill, and Heidi Costello in the British Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.-Personal life:...
) as good looking. The Costellos were a built on family to the all ready established Jem Costello
Jem Costello
Jem Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Helen Russell-Clark. She made her first on-screen appearance on 5 March 2010.-Character creation and casting:...
(Helen Russell-Clark).
Actor Paul Opacic had been cast in the role and during an interview with E4 he stated: "It's a very exciting time at Hollyoaks right now. Paul Marquess has got a proven track record, and I think it's turned the whole thing around. [...] It seems like a re-birth of Hollyoaks."
Characterisation
E4 publicity describe him as being "self-assured smooth operator who's charming, but will play things underhand." Opacic brands Carl a "legendary philanderer" and a "naughty boy" but defends him stating "He would never leave Heidi, he loves her enormously, but he just can't help himself." He also calls Carl a "bit of a dinosaur" when it comes to sensitive issues such as Jamine's identity issues. Remaining optimistic of Carl's views he stated: "He might become a new man and start to be more understanding, I'm sure it will be a huge learning process for him." E4 later shed more light on Carl during the third series of Hollyoaks Later adding that he "is known for his fiery temper."Storylines
Carl is an ex-premiership footballer, whose first wife died when Jem was young, he then went on to marry Heidi, to which he has three more children, RileyRiley Costello
Riley Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Rob Norbury. Riley was introduced in July 2010 with his on-screen family by series producer Paul Marquess as part of a cast overhaul of the series....
(Rob Norbury), Seth
Seth Costello
Seth Costello is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Miles Higson. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 July 2010. His first major storyline was in 2011 when he was the centre of a Steroids plot...
(Miles Higson) and Jasmine
Jasmine Costello
Jason Costello is a fictional character from the English Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Victoria Atkin. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 2 August 2010 and was introduced by series producer Paul Marquess as a member of the yet to be established Costello family...
(Victoria Atkin
Victoria Atkin
Victoria Atkin is an English actress best known for playing the character Jason Costello, previously known as Jasmine, in the British soap opera Hollyoaks and Hollyoaks Later as the soap's first character with Gender Identity Disorder. Hollyoaks is Atkin's first television role...
).
Carl first arrives in Hollyoaks after buying The Dog. Jem is not happy to discover her father has moved to Hollyoaks, but agrees to forgive him for breaking her ex-boyfriend Liam's legs, which ended his football career, and for having numerous affairs. Carl is shocked to see his previous fling, glamour model Mitzeee Minniver
Mitzeee Minniver
Ann "Mitzeee" Minniver is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Rachel Shenton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 23 July 2010. Mitzeee was created by series producer Paul Marquess for a different television series which was...
(Rachel Shenton
Rachel Shenton
Rachel Shenton, , is an English actress, who has appeared in a number of British television series, commercials, films and has also done voice overs. She is currently portraying Mitzeee on Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:Shenton was born in Stoke-on-Trent on the 6 November 1987 and has lived...
) in the village. Mitzeee, who is Heidi's cousin, begins to flirt with Carl, who rejects her. When Mitzeee reveals Jasmine's relationship with Bart McQueen
Bart McQueen
Bartholomew "Bart" McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jonny Clarke. He first appeared onscreen at his stepmother's funeral in August 2010, introduced by producer Paul Marquess as a member of the McQueen family...
(Jonny Clarke
Jonny Clarke
Jonny Clarke, is an English actor. He is best known for playing the character of Bart McQueen in the channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:...
), Carl is angry and threatens him. However, Jem convinces him to calm down. Carl becomes suspicious of Doug Carter
Doug Carter
Doug Carter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by PJ Brennan. He initially appeared in the programme's online spin-off series Hollyoaks: Freshers, before debuting in the main series in the episode airing 13 September 2010. He left on 17 September before returning...
(PJ Brennan), believing he is dealing drugs. When this is proved true, Carl forces him to move away from Hollyoaks. Mitzeee reveals to Heidi that she slept with Carl. Jem rejects her father, and is angered when Heidi forgives him.
It's later revealed Carl broke Jem's ex-boyfriend Liam McAllister's (Chris Overton) leg to ruin his football career, Jem could not cope with this and left to go travelling. Carl continues to push Riley into training for football. Riley and Seth go cage fighting with Liam and his brother Nathan McAllister (Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
), they go to a party where they lock them in a cage. They kidnap Carl and make him watch his children beat each other, whilst Carl stands on a box with a rope around his neck. He escapes and Nathan dies.
Jem decides to leave the village when she tries and fails to set Carl up with Mitzeee Carl finally lets her go. With Jem gone Carl becomes more obsessive of his other children. Over Christmas Carl's daughter Jasmine reveals she wants to be a boy called Jason. Carl is upset about it at first but soon begins to accept Jason.
Carl is unhappy when Riley starts dating new barmaid, Mercedes Fisher. Carl kisses Mercedes and later offers her money to stop seeing Riley which she rejects. Carl begins sleeping with Mercedes until Carl finds out Heidi has also been having an affair with Gaz Bennett
Gaz Bennett
Gary "Gaz" Bennett is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Joel Goonan. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 25 November 2008. Goonan took a break from filming during 2010, and returned on-screen on 19 January 2011. Goonan announced his...
. Carl forgives Heidi after threatening Gaz. Seth finds out about Carl's own affair but is stopped revealing all to Heidi and Riley by Mercedes lying that she's pregnant. Mercedes sister, Jacqui McQueen, also finds out about the affair but Carl manages her to convince her to keep quiet by offering her husband, Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Lesley Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 October 2005.-Character creation and casting:...
, a job.
Warren Fox
Warren Fox
Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jamie Lomas. He first arrived in 2006 as an old acquaintance of Sean Kennedy and quickly became known as the show's main villain...
also finds out about the affair and blackmails Carl. The truth about the affair does still come out at Riley's wedding when Mercedes confesses. Carl is thrown out of his home by Riley. Shortly after Heidi is killed by her dad, Silas Blissett
Silas Blissett
Silas Blissett is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jeff Rawle. Rawle's casting was announced in December 2010 and it was revealed that he would portray a killer. Rawle was approached by Hollyoaks and met with series producer, Paul Marquess, who...
, who is also keeping Mercedes hostage because of the affair.Riley and Carl find Mercedes just as she is about to give birth but it's a race against time for her baby to be delivered safely.
Reception
Soap opera reporting website 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 Carl's most memorable moment as being: "When his wife Heidi was left devastated when it emerged he had slept with Cheryl Cole lookalike Mitzeee." E4 ran a poll asking viewers if they think Carl can be trusted, the results showed that more than half felt he couldn't.
External links
- Character profile on the E4 website
- Character profile on the Holy Soap website
- Character profile on the Hollyoaks Later website