Former Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn says female cast were ‘pitted against each other’

Sarah Jayne Dunn has claimed that female cast members were “pitted against each different” all through her time on Hollyoaks.

The actor performed Mandy Richardson on the Channel 4 cleaning soap from 1996 to 2011, earlier than returning in 2017.

Dunn, 41, parted methods with the programme in 2021 after producers took challenge together with her showing on the personalised content material subscription website, OnlyFans.

In a brand new interview, Dunn opened up concerning the “strain” she felt whereas a part of the cast, as Hollyoaks was thought of “the attractive cleaning soap”.

“The women were pitted against each different,” she stated on the The Matt Haycox Present podcast. “I didn’t realise on the time how a lot it affected me and the opposite actresses on the present.

“There was a variety of strain placed on us, there were a variety of expectations, and there was no care bundle put in place.”

Dunn recalled doing calendar and photoshoots together with her female co-stars for the present, and being instructed it was “a part of the contract”.

She added: “Among the ladies were actually upset, not desirous to do the shoots, not desirous to be there, and feeling actually uncomfortable with what was anticipated of us.

“A few the women stated ‘I don’t wish to be part of this. We’re not fashions, we’re actors – we don’t wish to get in bikinis and be on a seashore having our images taken.’

“They were mainly instructed ‘as a part of the contract it’s a must to do this stuff’ and ‘when you don’t do these shoots then you definately received’t be given different alternatives’.”

She added: “I believe we were made to really feel disposable. It was a case of, when you received’t do it – another person will.”

In an announcement, Lime Footage said that “no person was compelled” to be part of the photoshoots.

Their crew message reads: “Obligation of look after our cast and crew is of paramount significance to us. Hollyoaks adheres to strict protocols on set to guard and safeguard our crew and we’re unaware of any complaints from Sarah Jayne Dunn referring to the time she describes on the Hollyoaks set.

“The choice to stop Hollyoaks calendars was taken greater than 10 years in the past in 2013. Previous to 2013, no person was compelled to participate within the calendar shoot. Hollyoaks cast who wished to take part were in a position to take action on business phrases.”

As Mandy, Dunn was one in all Hollyoaks’s most recognisable faces. Nevertheless, she left the programme after making an OnlyFans account, on which paying subscribers can entry unique content material – a few of which is of an grownup nature.

Quickly after she joined the positioning in October 2021, Hollyoaks cast members were instructed they were not allowed “to be energetic on sure 18+ web sites”. It was then confirmed Dunn was departing the cleaning soap.

Dunn claimed to have spoken to the present’s manufacturing firm, Lime Footage, “which they’ve denied”, however was not given a response earlier than she launched the account.

“I didn’t wish to jeopardise my job,” she stated on the podcast. After being instructed that her participation was going to be “OK-ed internally”, Dunn obtained “an ultimatum” after her OnlyFans profile went dwell.

“I used to be instructed ‘pull that down, or there will likely be penalties’,” she claimed. “The implications were by no means made clear. It was like, ‘you are taking it down, or else’.

“I stated I wouldn’t take it down till they gave me a purpose to. This was on the Thursday, they usually stated all of us wanted the weekend to consider it. The next week I obtained an e-mail terminating my contract with fast impact.”

She continued: “I didn’t even get to return to wrap up the storyline or give some closure to my character. I didn’t get the possibility to say goodbye to folks I’d identified for years, they only minimize the wire like that.”

On the time of Dunn’s departure, the cleaning soap launched an announcement that defined their resolution to half methods with the actor was as a result of programme being a “youth-facing drama with many younger viewers”.

The assertion continued: “We take our accountability to our younger viewers very significantly and due to this fact the present doesn’t permit any Hollyoaks cast members to be energetic on sure 18+ web sites.

“We had hoped we may attain a decision with Sarah that might permit her to stay in her function as Mandy, however we respect her option to proceed to supply content material on OnlyFans.”

Further reporting from the Press Affiliation