Hollyoaks’ Gregory Finnegan and Jude Monk McGowan were surprised to find out Liam Donovan was "gay or bisexual" when he hooked up with James Nightingale.
The two characters engaged in a shock smooch in December which led to a short fling, and Greg – who plays James – has "really enjoyed" working with Jude (Liam) a lot more since their alter-egos got together.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "When we got told that was happening we were like, ‘Oh, OK.’ We didn’t know Liam was gay or bisexual, so we had to sort of work through that.
"What Jude has done with that character is brilliant.
"It does lend itself naturally to comedy, but it was really getting involved and doing the scenes that these things come up.
"It was a lot of fun. I’ve really enjoyed working with him.
"It’s an interesting relationship."
While James can be Mr. Nasty in the village, he also has a vulnerable side to him, and Greg admits acting out emotional scenes for a week can be "trying and tiring", so he prefers the "variety" that comes with his character.
He added: "Most actors would say it’s the variety of it.
"If you spend a week crying it gets pretty trying and tiring.
"At first, it’s great you’re getting all these emotional scenes, but to have the mix and be able to do the comedy, and the light and the shade, and all that kind of stuff keeps me excited about the character.
"It doesn’t feel like you ever get stuck in a rut doing the same things.
"With James there’s always something different coming up each episode, so it’s fun in that respect."
Greg previously praised Jude for turning Liam into a "wonderfully layered character".
He said: "It’s been great fun. He’s turned Liam into a wonderfully layered character and I’ve enjoyed our scenes very much."
Hollyoaks’ Gregory Finnegan was surprised about James and Liam plot
