Kate Garraway talks Hollyoaks cameo role

August 29, 2017

ITV presenter Kate Garraway has swapped the breakfast sofa for a reporters microphone in forthcoming episodes of Hollyoaks.

Good Morning Britain, GMB Today and former GMTV presenter Kate Garraway has spoken about her soon-to-air cameo in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. The plot sees Kate reporting from the village.

Garraway is reporting on the case following the murder of Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) who was killed on her wedding day, and in this week’s episodes – starting Friday 1^st Sept on E4 and Monday 4^th Sept on Channel 4 the trial begins, with Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) the prime suspect.

The other suspects include: James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) who is representing Ste in court, but also framing him; Ryan Knight (Duncan James) – Amy’s husband who was having an affair with Kyle Kelly (Adam Rickitt) behind her back; Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) – Ste’s fiancé; and DS Armstrong (Andrew Hayden Smith) who has a history of terrorising young women and stalked Amy before her death.

More familiar surroundings with Richard Madeley on GMB Today for ITV.

What was your reaction when Hollyoaks approached you to be part of this storyline?

It’s all Duncan James’ (AKA Ryan Knight) fault. He came on to the GMB sofa, we were chatting and I said how much I love Hollyoaks. He asked if I would like to go and visit the set, which of course I said yes to. I couldn’t believe it when he came back and said not only was I going to get to visit but have a part too – very exciting!

Is this your first time acting?

You mean you missed my extraordinary performance in the cult hit, Sharknado 5?! I can’t believe it – where have you been? In that I ended up getting eaten by a shark in the GMB studio, so I guess after that anything the Hollyoaks crew could do to me would be better.

What’s more nerve wracking, Hollyoaks, Strictly or sitting next to Piers Morgan?

Well they all have their own risks don’t they. With Strictly I ended up on crutches, with Piers it’s like being in the centre of a tornado, and having seen Hollyoaks storylines where literally anything could happen, I was prepared for the worst but actually everyone was so lovely, it was great fun.

Hollyoaks actor, and former Blue singer, Duncan James made the the cameo appearance happen for Kate on Hollyoaks.

Do you have any line-learning tips?

I think I am a bit new to this line learning business to be giving out tips! As a journalist on shows like Good Morning Britain of course you have to learn the details of stories you are covering and the important facts off by heart, but the precise wording of every line is left to us to adlib. But with a script the writers want you to say it exactly as it’s written because they know what is coming next and know the precise wording will lead to a specific plotline developing – so I had to just keep going over and over it again and again in my head until I got it.

And of course there is the extra pressure of not mucking up because you know your line might be feeding a specific response from another character – so you don’t want to muck it up for them as well.

Who do you think killed Amy and why: Ste, James, Harry, Ryan, DS Armstrong?

I have absolutely no idea, and that is what I love about Hollyoaks, you never know what is coming next!

Back to her roots: Kate on Hollyoaks reporting on the Amy Barnes case. Garraway began her TV career with Central Television in the Midlands as a reporter in 1994.

Has this made you a life-long fan of Hollyoaks?

I have always been a fan of Hollyoaks – I’ve watched for years, especially the omnibus edition and before I had kids I used to love lying in bed watching it on a Sunday morning. I’m now even more keen because I feel like I know the characters that much better after meeting them, also seeing how amazing the whole production is – you can have 6 or 7 scenes going on at once.

Also every bit of the studios is used on the show, even the corridor from the canteen to the dressing room will all of a sudden be turned into a corridor at the school, it’s quite fascinating.

Would you like to come back to Hollyoaks and if so, what part would you like to play?

Yes I would love to come back if they will have me. I have always loved the idea of playing a villain! Maybe Linda Gray and I could be rivals…