Niamh Blackshaw says Hollyoaks’ Juliet Quinn is set to go down a "dark path" after being betrayed by Romeo Quinn.
The teen was left devastated when she discovered James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) and Marnie Nightingale (Lysette Anthony) framed her mum Donna-Marie Quinn (Lucy-Jo Hudson) for Mac Nightingale’s (David Easter) murder, and after realising her brother Romeo (Owen Warner) has "betrayed" her she is left with no one to trust.
Niamh said: "The fact that Romeo betrayed her hit her the hardest, because she expects that behaviour from adults, but he’s always been on the same level as her. He’s been her rock and now she’s been betrayed by him as well.
"It’s like the final loss in her life, and it just drives her down a dark path, because she’s got no one left.
"Marnie and James are kind of new in her life and she doesn’t really think adults are going to stand by her anyway, so it’s been very much her and Romeo.
"Adults have always messed things up and lied to her and let her down, but I think she kind of wanted this to be a new relationship where there are no betrayals of trust, so she’s just disappointed."
And Niamh admits Juliet’s relationship with Jordan Price (Connor Calland) will get "a little darker" as the Channel 4 soap’s County Lines storyline gathers pace.
She added: "The relationship with Jordan will develop, and get a little darker and not as happy and jolly and exciting as it seems at the minute… it’ll just go on from there."
Former ‘Doctors’ actor Connor recently took on the role of Jordan, the older cousin of Sid Sumner (Billy Price), and he is to be heavily involved in the Channel 4 soap’s County Lines storyline next year.
He said: "I’m really excited to come into the Hollyoaks village and work with the loveliest, and most talented, bunch of people; even more so, coming in with such a hard hitting and relevant storyline."
Jordan has lived a life of crime for the past few years and he targets, manipulates and exploits vulnerable teens to sell drugs for him.
But actor Connor hopes the hard-hitting County Lines plot will raise awareness of the issue.
He said: "Hopefully with this opportunity, we can help bring some light to the issue in real life."
Connor first appeared on screen in the hour-long New Year’s Eve flash-forward episode, which zoomed forward 12 months into the future in the village to see how the County Lines plot has affected several characters.
Niamh Blackshaw: Juliet will go down ‘dark path’
