Hollyoaks welcomes back another familiar face this week, as Joe Tracini reprises his role as funnyman Dennis Savage after four years away from the village.
Dennis is back in Chester for the funeral of his uncle Dirk and will be thrown straight into some dramatic scenes when the Savages and the Cunninghams finally uncover Milo Entwistle’s role in what happened.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Joe for a chat about his return stint, which begins in Tuesday’s E4 first look episode (August 14).
How did it feel to be asked back to Hollyoaks for this storyline?
“Well, I was working under the assumption that I was there because Danny Mac (Dodger) was busy, but it’s always nice to be wanted.”
It was your choice to leave last time, but had you missed being part of the show over the years?
“I was very lucky to be a part of the show, and even luckier that I ended up making some of my closest friends in the world there. So I got to take the best bits into my real life, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Was there an element of sadness knowing that you were coming back for Dirk’s funeral and wouldn’t be working with David Kennedy this time?
“I was gutted Dave’s gone. He is a kind-hearted, genuine, beautiful man, and a consummate professional. Everybody loves the bloke, so I was incredibly sad to hear he wasn’t going to be a part of the show anymore, and that I didn’t get any time mucking about with him like the old days.”
Is Dennis still the same fun-loving joker he always was?
“Well he’s back for a funeral, so I didn’t get as much of an opportunity to joke as I would’ve liked, but he’s still an idiot at heart.”
Is Dennis still with Blessing?
“No. I imagine Modupe Adeyeye was busy as well.”
Can you tease Dennis’s return storyline for us? We’ve heard that he gets quite involved in the Milo saga…
“Dirk is dead and Dennis kind of finds out it was Milo – I’m not sure, he wasn’t really paying attention – and it gets a little bit messy. He hates Milo, though. Us geeks are generally threatened by other geeks.
“If I’m honest it was all very confusing and Dennis was mainly concerned about the fact his house has been sold and his dad died three years ago and nobody had told him about either.”
What was it like to work with Jessamy Stoddart, aka the new-look Liberty Savage?
“She’s got a new look? I hadn’t noticed. I certainly didn’t mention it. Jessamy was, and is, brilliant. She takes her work really seriously, and has fun at the same time. Something that’s rare and much needed.”
Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been up to since leaving Hollyoaks?
“Sure! I’ve done a few musicals which is where my heart always lives, and I’ve just wrapped presenting my second series of The Dengineers for the BBC which is a lot of fun, that’ll be on in November.
“I play various animals with Keith Lemon in his sketch show, which nobody ever notices and is kind of the point of this acting lark so yay, and I’m writing. I write a lot.”
We miss Dennis! Would you be interested in coming back more permanently if the opportunity was offered?
“Ah thank you, I’m sure he’s missed you too but he’s fictional and has no emotions. I don’t know if there’s room for Dennis in the village anymore! It’s filled up with all these lovely young people that aren’t short and chubby like myself, so I don’t know if I’d fit.”
What’s the reaction been like to the news of your return?
“I think good? Most people are hoping I’ll be bringing Danny Mac with me. Spoiler alert: I’m not. Refer to my earlier answer. If anybody’s missing him though, I might have written something special that will satisfy anybody’s Danny Mac withdrawal symptoms. Keep an eye on my Twitter for it.”
What’s next for you?
“I’m about to go on tour actually. Not in a show or anything, I’m just gonna go around high streets shouting at people about how I wish The Bill hadn’t been cancelled so I could do something with my life.”
You recently wrote a very moving article about your mental health. Can you tell us a bit about the reaction you received?
“Thanks for taking the time to read it, I really appreciate that. My experience of social media has always been about retweets and likes, and it’s something I’ve really quietened down on over the last few years because it’s become slightly toxic, and given that I used it as a platform for jokes, and jokes aren’t jokes anymore, I’ve come away from it.
“But the reaction from the article was incredibly heartening. What pleased me most was that people opened up to me, a complete stranger, about their own struggles. It was a pleasure to talk to them about the common ground we share. It’s a terrifying thing to list all the bad things I’ve done, felt and feel, but that’s the point. The more we do it, the less terrifying it will become for others to do the same.
“I get angry at people that say stuff like ‘I wish I could reply to you all’. You can, you’ve got thumbs, you used them to write your thing, so use them to talk to the people that have taken time to tell them they appreciated you.”
Can you tell us how you’re doing at the moment and has the outpouring of support you received helped?
“I wrote the piece primarily as a commitment to my own mental health. All mental health sufferers can do is talk, that’s our medicine. It’s a pain, but it is what it is. I’m in a position to be able to talk to lots of people about mine, which helps me get through a day, and if I can help someone along the way then it’s even more worth it.
“I’ve got a few more articles due to be published in the coming months, and will be talking and raising as much awareness as I can on #worldsuicidepreventionday on September 10. Thanks again for asking, you are very nice people.”
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest Hollyoaksspoilers, as the McQueens visit Magaluf and Milo gets arrested.
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