Aedan Duckworth has signed a new ‘Hollyoaks’ deal to keep him on the soap.
The young actor has earned plaudits – and a Best Newcomer nomination for the upcoming National Television Awards – for his performance as Ollie Morgan during the show’s dark sexual abuse storyline.
He told the Daily Star Sunday: "I’ve just signed a new contract so I’ll definitely be around for the near future."
He added that viewers could expect some more positive storylines for Ollie, now that his abuser Buster Smith (Nathan Sussex) is behind bars after the trial.
He said: "The trial is over and we will see Ollie trying to move on from it all. Of course, it’s something that will always be with him.
"But I’ve got some lighter stuff coming up with Brooke [Hathaway], which has been nice."
Viewers have praised the show for the way it handled such a sensitive subject during the on-screen trial, and Aedan recently admitted he was glad it has been able to help people.
He explained: "The main reaction, which is the reason we do it, is that there’s been a spike in people coming forward. We’ve been working with Survivors Manchester and I know they’d back me up on that.
"The wider reaction from viewers is that they’ve loved the storyline. They’ve liked how real it’s been – and I really hope they’ve liked the outcome in the end."
The star also opened up on how the storyline had changed his perspective after he initially just thought about the "cool" side of joining a soap, such as impressing his friends and learning "new things".
However, he admitted: "Through my journey at ‘Hollyoaks’, I’ve realised that it’s about more than just being on screen. If you’re giving someone the confidence to come forward, it’s surreal and different in its own way. If I could do that again with another storyline in the future, I’d absolutely love to do it."
Aedan Duckworth signs new Hollyoaks contract
