“Breda unravels after killing Harry” says Hollyoaks' Moya Brady after murder twist
The nasty nanny’s latest victim is a game-changer, reveals the actress
Hollyoaks fans are reeling after Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) became the surprise latest victim of serial killer Breda McQueen (Moya Brady) on Monday 22nd July’s E4 showing.
Glasspool’s exit after six years in the role was kept under wraps until the shocking moment where the chilling childminder stabbed him to death, unaware he was en route to the police with evidence proving Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) was responsible for the hit and run Harry was prime suspect for.
- Hollyoaks teases new love triangle for Luke, Mandy – and Cindy
- Hollyoaks summer 2019 trailer teases Breda’s next victim, Mercedes’ secret and Laurie’s return
- Hollyoaks boss teases shock return and more in our big summer preview interview
Believing Harry fell into her ‘bad dad’ category as he was planning to abandon newborn son Isaac, Breda saw red and dispatched her eighth (assuming there are no more in her past…) local she believes are endangering their kids.
Bumping off a beloved character such as Harry is a far cry from ridding the world of genuine villains such as Mac Nightingale and Glenn Donovan, so where does baddie Breda go from here? RadioTimes.com asked Moya Brady herself:
Why was Harry in Breda’s sights?
She was at Sadie’s side and delivered his baby and that changed everything. Breda feels very protective of this little cub she has brought into the world and a responsibility similar to when she rescued Sylver as a baby.
More like this
Do you think killing him is her most shocking murder yet?
I think they are all pretty shocking! Making that executive decision to bludgeon Sylver’s dad with a Christmas decoration all those years ago and take this baby, it’s outrageous, as they all were. That might not even have been her first kill, I think there are other bodies buried we don’t yet know about…
How do you approach playing such a twisted character?
From the outside it is completely insane but I understand her motives as an actress, and how they sit in the character’s mind. I have to so I can play it. There’s that moment in us all where you lose your grip so you just connect to that and make it much bigger than it is.
Do you enjoy playing her?
Even though what she’s doing is so deeply wrong, it’s exciting to see a little middle-aged woman have so much power – we are the real silent minority. I’d like to see her smash the patriarchy to be honest! No one has time for older women but she’s like a ninja, and you don’t see a woman of her age wielding this power anywhere else. Bless Hollyoaks for taking the lead as it does in so many areas other soaps don’t.
What reaction do you get from the public?
Strangely they love her for killing baddies like Mac, but I know they’ll turn against her after Harry as he was so loved. I like that it’s complex and that the audience shouldn’t be on her side but find themselves supporting her at times, and it has to be snakes and ladders in soap. It’s not morally right what she’s doing but interesting that it’s not black and white. People ask me in supermarkets who she’s going to kill next, I just smile and say ‘If I told you that I’d have to kill you, so you could be next luv!’
What is the impact of Harry’s death on Breda?
She is unravelling now and gets very nasty, her MO and methods become darker and everything ramps up. She is insane, but I think she’s scarier the sweeter she is – it’s easy to dismiss her when she’s raging and losing it, but I prefer sweet old Breda tottering around with her sausage dog helping everyone.
Is Jack in danger of being her next victim?
She loves Jack but would prefer not to as it complicates things – he’s an ex-copper after all! I love working with Jimmy McKenna, we come from the background and school of acting. Jack has done some bad things but once he explained himself to Breda, she understood. However, if he found out she was a killer it would be a conflict of interest – and I think her survival skills and belief she’s on this mission to protect children would kick in.
Who could save Breda from herself?
Sylver. He stirred something in her when she was young, seeing this helpless little boy in a terrible situation that shadowed her own abusive childhood. She saw herself in him and took him away. Sylver symbolises what she wants to protect, he’s a jolly good person and the only one who could get through to her. Or he could end up buried in a pig farm, it could change at any moment!
Visit our dedicated Hollyoaks page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
