Zoe Anderson
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Zoe Anderson is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''
Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...
'', played by Garcia Brown. She made her first appearance on the episode broadcast on 21 February 2022. Brown auditioned for the role after feeling very low about her career. Zoe was introduced as the granddaughter of Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope) and the new detective of the Hollyoaks village. Zoe is described as being dedicated to her job and not putting anything above it whilst also loving to party and have fun when not working, with Brown praising the two sides of the character. In addition to her work as a detective, Zoe's storylines have included developing a relationship with Sam Chen-Williams (Matthew McGivern), her fractured relationship with her mother
Sharon Bailey Sharon Bailey is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jamelia. Jamelia had previously appeared as herself in a 2003 episode of the soap. Sharon's character and casting was announced in August 2021 an ...
(
Jamelia Jamelia Niela Davis (born 11 January 1981) is a British singer, actress and television personality. Her three studio albums each peaked inside the Top 40 and they spawned eight top-10 singles. In addition, Jamelia has won four MOBO Awards, a Q ...
), discovering she is pregnant, breaking up with Sam and dealing with Sam's obsessive behaviour following their breakup. Zoe was also involved in a
knife crime Knife legislation is defined as the body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by a government or other governing jurisdiction that prohibits, criminalizes, or restricts the otherwise legal manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, po ...
storyline. Zoe later begins a relationship with
Hunter McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...
(
Theo Graham Theo Farris Lee Graham (born 20 June 1997) is a British actor. He gained prominence through his role as Hunter McQueen in the E4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2016–2018, 2022–2024), which earned him an award and a nomination at The British Soa ...
) and became a suspect in Rayne Royce's ( Jemma Donovan) murder, a relationship with
Prince McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...
(
Malique Thompson-Dwyer Malique Thompson-Dwyer (born 2 February 1998) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Prince McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 onwards. Career Thompson-Dwyer's first on-screen acting rol ...
). For her role as Zoe, Brown was longlisted for Best Newcomer at the 2022 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. However, Zoe's relationship with Sam has been criticised due to their lack of screentime.


Casting and characterisation

It was announced on 14 February 2022 that Garcia Brown had joined the cast of ''Hollyoaks'' as Zoe Anderson, a new detective and the granddaughter of Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope). Zoe's debut aired on 18 February on E4 and 21 February 2022 on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
. Of the casting process, Brown revealed in a podcast that she heard about the role from her agent shortly after being rejected from a role in another production, which had made her feel the "lowest" she had felt in her career. Brown initially did not known that the role was for ''Hollyoaks'', believing it was for a
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production instead. She analysed the script that she had been sent and "embodied the character" and recorded a tape the next day, which her agent sent off. The following week, her agent told her that ''Hollyoaks'' wanted her to do another audition process, where she learnt what show the role was for. She then went to do the final process in the studios before being offered the role. Brown started working on the soap in October 2021 but had to keep her casting a secret, having signed a
Non-Disclosure Agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement (CA), confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), proprietary information agreement (PIA), or secrecy agreement (SA), is a legal contract or part of a contract between at le ...
, and she struggled with not being able to tell those close to her and had to give excuses when asked to make plans by her friends. Producers later gave Brown some time off due to the deaths of two people close to her. Brown also revealed that she drives to the set. Prior to her debut, Stephen Patterson from ''
Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
'' noted that despite Zoe replacing a recently demoted
Saul Reeves ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's e ...
(Chris Charles), she "soon makes her presence felt and settles into the village nicely." Justin Harp from ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' speculated that Zoe would have conflict with Saul due to Saul trying to bring down
Felix Westwood ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(
Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter, and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Chan ...
), the son-in-law of
Walter Deveraux ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...
(Trevor A. Toussaint), who Pearl is living with. Harp also wrote that Zoe would "instantly put herself in the heart of the village" by making friends with
Cleo McQueen Cleo McQueen is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nadine Mulkerrin. Cleo is a member of the show's established McQueen family and was introduced as the younger sister of Porsche ( Twinnie-Lee Moore) and C ...
(
Nadine Mulkerrin Nadine Rose Mulkerrin (born 23 June 1993) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Cleo McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2015 until 2022 and since 2024. For her portrayal of Cleo, she has been nominated for ...
),
Verity Hutchinson ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(Eva O'Hara) and
Theresa McQueen Theresa McQueen is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jorgie Porter. She made her first appearance on 24 November 2008. The character was introduced as an extensio ...
(
Jorgie Porter Jorgina Alexandra Porter (born 25 December 1987) is an English actress and model. She is known for portraying the role of Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2008 until 2016 and again from 2020. Early life Jorgina Ale ...
). Brown said that Zoe's bond with the other girls is "friendship goals" and that the actress was close to Porter and Jorgie from the cast, in addition to Hope. Brown has noted that Zoe is serious about her job and would not put it "in jeopardy for anyone" but also wants to "go out and paint the town red". Brown called the cast and production team of the soap "a family", with everyone being very "warm" and "welcoming". She revealed that she used to watch the soap when she was in school and "that "Everytime someone asks me about Hollyoaks, I can't help but smile!" She said that joining the ''Hollyoaks'' "family" had been "super exhilarating", adding that:
"I didn't know what to expect coming into the show but I felt right at home the moment I got here, and I'm super excited for what's in store...There's more than meets the eye to my character Zoe – she has a lot of exciting moments on screen! I've had the pleasure of joining the Deveraux family and working with such warm and talented individuals like
Kéllé Bryan Kéllé Bryan (born 12 March 1975) is an English singer and actress. Known as one of the founding members of girl group Eternal, she sold more than 10 million records and achieved the UK number-one single, " I Wanna Be The Only One" alongside ...
,
Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter, and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Chan ...
, Jorgie Porter,
Jennifer Metcalfe Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe (born 4 September 1983) is a British actress from Bradford, England. She is known for her role as Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', which she has appeared in since 2006. Her portrayal of the ch ...
, Eva O'Hara and more! I'm so eager for everyone to see what I've been up to."
Brown has said that she likes that there are two sides to the character, with one being a "workaholic" that "won't let anything come in the way of what she has built herself up to" and the other being a character who "loves to party", let loose and be "around her friends." Brown called her "headstrong" and commented that Zoe won't back down for anyone, and that Zoe has had "a lot to prove" due to becoming a DS at a young age. Brown also joked that Zoe has "a lot of crime-stopping to do" due to the number of crimes that occur in the soap. Brown said that she enjoys playing the character and relates to Zoe a lot, saying that she portrays elements of herself when playing the character, though joked that she "does like to party" but not as much as Zoe. She also called the character "all round fun", "loving" and "outgoing". Brown also revealed that she often adds elements that she experiences everyday herself to the character. In 2023, Brown told ''
Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly soap opera and television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine is currently released every Tuesday. It covers storylines featured in British and Australian soap operas that are broadcast in t ...
'' that "Zoe is big into visualisation and manifesting, and so am I. It definitely helped in my ''Hollyoaks'' audition, and I got the part!"


Development


Introduction and early storylines

Shortly after the character's debut, Zoe was involved in a special episode focusing on
International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
. In July 2022, Zoe was involved in a
knife crime Knife legislation is defined as the body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by a government or other governing jurisdiction that prohibits, criminalizes, or restricts the otherwise legal manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, po ...
storyline following the stabbing and death of Saul. Brown revealed that Zoe has a "rather frantic and emotional" reaction to Saul's stabbing and that due to "Saul being her friend and colleague", Zoe "jumps into action immediately when receiving the bad news." Brown said that she felt "grateful" to be involved in the storyline, adding that "To be able to shed light on conversations that happen behind closed doors and all the layers that go into these experiences for everyone involved is definitely something" and that she could not wait for viewers "to see the emotional roller coaster". Garcia also teased that viewers would be "holding on to their seats and shouting at the television when watching the knife crime story unravel." In the storyline,
DeMarcus Westwood ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's e ...
(Tomi Ade), who Zoe and Pearl live with, is wrongfully implicated of fatally stabbing Saul, which leaves Zoe "torn" between her job in the police and her loyalty to her family. Zoe attempts to arrest DeMarcus when his prints are found on the knife and the family break into an argument, with Zoe saying that DeMarcus should trust the legal process and give himself to the police; however, DeMarcus ends up running away as his father
Felix Westwood ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(
Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter, and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Chan ...
) restrains Zoe.


Relationship with Sam Chen-Williams

Upon her debut, Brown teased a romance with Sam Chen-Williams (Matthew McGivern), saying that "Sam very much catches Zoe off-guard. She never thought it would come to anything, but the attraction keeps growing." Brown also commented that Zoe "likes" that Sam is a "mystery" and that the pair play "hard to get" with each other, noting that "it's a case of cat and mouse!" and that Zoe being Sam's boss is a problem. The following year, Sam tries to repeatedly catch criminal
Warren Fox Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', portrayed by Jamie Lomas. The character and casting were announced on 12 May 2006, and Warren made his first appearance on 26 June. He was introduced as an old acqua ...
(
Jamie Lomas James Lomas (born 21 April 1975) is an English actor, known for his soap opera roles as Warren Fox in ''Hollyoaks'' and Jake Stone in ''EastEnders''. Early life Jamie Lomas was born on 21 April 1975 in Manchester. Career Before joining ''Ho ...
). Zoe warns Sam to stop but Sam plants drugs on him, leading to Zoe breaking up with Sam. Patterson from ''Metro'' wrote that Zoe is "somewhat unsettled" by Sam's change of behaviour, and that Sam was going "to the extreme" to "prove his devotion to Zoe" as he does not want the relationship to end. Zoe then finds out that she is pregnant after taking a test. When Sam finds out, he makes several attempts to win Zoe back, who tells him that she will not get back with even regardless of whether she is pregnant or not. Zoe plans to have an abortion due to not feeling ready to be a mother yet, and continues to deal with Sam's obsession over getting back together with her, who refuses to accept that the relationship is over. Sam pleads with Zoe to not go through with the termination but she tells him that work is her focus. Speaking to ''Inside Soap'', Brown ruled out the possibility of Sam and Zoe getting back together, saying that she did not think that there was "anything left." She added that "For Zoe, they are completely done. Let's leave this alone, it's gone far enough and they weren't even supposed to be together in the first place because they worked together." Brown also noted that Zoe is not ready to have children due to her "career", as she "has built herself up to be one of the youngest detective inspectors out there - if she pauses now she risks losing all of that." Brown also speculated that Zoe would have her eye on another guy in the village, and noted that she was getting closer to Sam's uncle, Ethan Williams (Matthew James-Bailey), having confided in him about the pregnancy, though noted that it would be weird due to Zoe investigating him for murder the previous year. Sam's behaviour then gets worse when he sends Zoe a book on being a parent and managing a career. Zoe is then uncomfortable when she comes home to find Sam in her flat, who has broken in. She threatens to take legal action but agrees to give him five minutes to explain himself and tells him that she no longer loves him and is not keeping the baby. Sam's half-sister and Zoe's friend
Maxine Minniver Maxine Minniver (also Blake, Donovan and Kinsella) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nikki Sanderson. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 6 November 2012. Maxine's storylines have inclu ...
(
Nikki Sanderson Nikki Sanderson (born 28 March 1984) is an English actress who is known for playing Candice Stowe in the television soap opera ''Coronation Street'', Dawn Bellamy in '' Heartbeat'' and Maxine Minniver in ''Hollyoaks''. During her time at ''Co ...
), who had assured Zoe that she would help with the situation after becoming concerned at Sam's obsessive behaviour, tells the police about Sam breaking in.


Relationship with mother

Zoe's mother,
Sharon Bailey Sharon Bailey is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jamelia. Jamelia had previously appeared as herself in a 2003 episode of the soap. Sharon's character and casting was announced in August 2021 an ...
, played by
Jamelia Jamelia Niela Davis (born 11 January 1981) is a British singer, actress and television personality. Her three studio albums each peaked inside the Top 40 and they spawned eight top-10 singles. In addition, Jamelia has won four MOBO Awards, a Q ...
, was reintroduced in 2023, following a brief appearance in October 2021. Brown has previously told ''Inside Soap'' that she hoped that Jamelia would return to ''Hollyoaks'' as she wanted to have the opportunity to work together. Brown watched Jamelia on television when she was younger and was excited to work with her, and revealed that she developed a bond with her offscreen and called Jamelia her "soul family". Brown revealed that she developed a bond with her offscreen and called Jamelia her "soul family". Jamelia revealed that Sharon's return would "unsettle the family dynamic", saying that "Sharon hasn't always prioritised her daughter and her mum
earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...
is stuck in the middle. There’s a lot for them to work through and I can't wait for viewers to see how that plays out on screen." The relationship is tested when it is revealed that Sharon told Sam about Zoe's pregnancy and her decision to have an abortion, which makes Zoe furious. Referring to the situation, Brown told ''Inside Soap'':
"Zoe feels betrayed by Sharon and can't believe she told her business to the person she had asked her to keep it from. They don't have the best mother-daughter relationship, Zoe was practically raised by her grandma Pearl as Sharon put her career before being a parent. I actually don't agree with Zoe hiding the pregnancy from Sam, they should've had a conversation. But Zoe thought it was easier not to tell him and get his hopes up, and she was making that decision for herself."
In 2024, Jamelia chose to leave ''Hollyoaks'' and Zoe was involved in Sharon's exit story, which aired in April 2024. In the storyline, Sharon decides to move to
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
and tries to persuade Zoe to leave with her, but Zoe does not want to leave her friends and family in the village. Zoe then tells Sharon that she needs her to be proud of who she is now rather than taking her to Dubai to make up for being absent during her childhood. When Sharon leaves, Zoe tells "tearfully" tells Pearl that leaving is "just" what Sharon does.


Relationship with Hunter and Rayne's murder

Zoe later starts dating
Hunter McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...
(
Theo Graham Theo Farris Lee Graham (born 20 June 1997) is a British actor. He gained prominence through his role as Hunter McQueen in the E4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2016–2018, 2022–2024), which earned him an award and a nomination at The British Soa ...
), with Brown saying that the "relationship between Zoe and Hunter is easy going, a safe space and someone she can let her guard down around." The relationship is challenged when Rayne Royce ( Jemma Donovan) edits a video to make it look like Hunter is having an illegal relationship with a student, which leads to a brief break up between Zoe and Hunter. Zoe later finds herself on "the wrong side of the law" when she is considered a suspect of Rayne's murder due to having been at the scene with other character when Rayne was murdered. Speaking to the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'', Brown said that Zoe "won't be involved as much as she would like to be, with being in the manor at the time of Rayne’s death, she's now been forced on the other side of the law." Speaking about filming the scenes at the mansion, Brown said that it "was a beautiful location" and that she and the other cast members had "as much fun as
hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...
could", although noted that due to bad weather they spent many days inside when it was raining rather than by the pool. Brown also revealed that she hoped that Zoe would "just have happiness" and "to let love in all whilst balancing that with a kickass career". Zoe was considered a suspect, with Brown citing Zoe's devotion to Hunter as the potential motive, commenting that "Rayne has done some really bad things to Hunter, someone she really cares about and is practically in love with now. If she did have a motive to kill Rayne it was to protect the ones that she loves". Zoe becomes frustrated that she is unable to work and breaks up with Hunter, blaming him for being part of the murder investigation. When Hunter's friends, such as
Peri Lomax Peri Lomax is a fictional character from the British Channel 4, E4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and is portrayed by Ruby O'Donnell. Peri made her first on-screen appearance in episode 3705, originally broadcast on 4 October 2013. After being introduc ...
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Ruby O'Donnell Ruby Victoria O'Donnell (born 26 October 2000) is an English actress. Since 2013, O'Donnell has portrayed the role of Peri Lomax in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. For her portrayal of Peri, she won the award for Best Young Performance a ...
), accuse Zoe of murdering Rayne, Hunter choses Zoe over them and tells Zoe that she is his girlfriend; however, Zoe then makes an "incriminating discovery" when she finds the edited the video of Peri admitting to Rayne's murder on Hunter's brother,
Prince McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...
's (
Malique Thompson-Dwyer Malique Thompson-Dwyer (born 2 February 1998) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Prince McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2016 to 2019 and 2021 onwards. Career Thompson-Dwyer's first on-screen acting rol ...
), laptop, though it is unclear whether he made it or if there is another explanation. Zoe becomes "implicated" when she overhears a conversation between Hunter and Prince revealing that Hunter believes he killed Rayne. Zoe later offers Hunter an "olive branch" and tells him that she wants to regain his trust following the tension between them, which leads him to admit to her that he stole Rayne's phone on the night of her murder. Zoe wants to give the phone to her police colleagues but Hunter asks her not, which "once again" leaves Zoe "torn" between her loyalty to her friends and her job.


Storylines

Zoe arrives in Hollyoaks and accepts a job as a Detective Sergeant at Dee Valley University Hospital, replacing
Saul Reeves ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's e ...
(Chris Charles). She moves in with her grandmother, Pearl, who is living with
Walter Deveraux ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that have appeared or will appear in the serial in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters were introdu ...
(Trevor A. Toussaint) and his family. Zoe becomes friends with
Cleo McQueen Cleo McQueen is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nadine Mulkerrin. Cleo is a member of the show's established McQueen family and was introduced as the younger sister of Porsche ( Twinnie-Lee Moore) and C ...
(
Nadine Mulkerrin Nadine Rose Mulkerrin (born 23 June 1993) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Cleo McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2015 until 2022 and since 2024. For her portrayal of Cleo, she has been nominated for ...
),
Verity Hutchinson ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2020, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer, Bryan Kirk ...
(Eva O'Hara) and
Theresa McQueen Theresa McQueen is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jorgie Porter. She made her first appearance on 24 November 2008. The character was introduced as an extensio ...
(
Jorgie Porter Jorgina Alexandra Porter (born 25 December 1987) is an English actress and model. She is known for portraying the role of Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2008 until 2016 and again from 2020. Early life Jorgina Ale ...
). Zoe begins falling for Sam Chen-Williams (Matthew McGivern) and is injured at his boot camp when
Bobby Costello The following is a list of characters who first appeared or were due to appear in the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' during 2011, listed in order of their first appearance. In January 2011, it was announced that Gareth Philips woul ...
(Jayden Fox) tampers with the weights. Sam and Zoe initially have a fling and later begin getting serious but the relationship is complicated when Sam's uncle, Ethan Williams (
Matthew James-Bailey Matthew James-Bailey (born 13 April 1995) is a British actor. He is most known for portraying the role of Ethan Williams in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2021–2024). Life and career Matthew James-Bailey was born on 13 April 1995 Lond ...
), is accused of killing Maya Harkwell (Ky Discala). Zoe is removed from the case but continues seeing Sam. Zoe reveals to Sam that she was a victim of
revenge porn Revenge porn is the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent, with the punitive intention to create public humiliation or character assassination out of revenge against the victim. The material ma ...
. When Saul is killed in a knife crime attack, Zoe is determined to find the killer but is put in the middle of her job and family when
DeMarcus Westwood ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that first appear in the show in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's e ...
(Tomi Ade), who is living with Zoe, is accused of killing him. However, it is revealed that
Joseph Holmes Joseph or Joe Holmes may refer to: * Joseph Holmes (New Jersey politician) (1736–1809), American politician * Joseph Erskine Holmes (born 1940), Northern Irish politician * Joseph John Holmes (1866–1942), Australian politician * Joseph Warren ...
(Olly Rhodes) is the culprit and he confesses after Zoe interrogates him. Zoe's friendship with Sam's half-sister
Maxine Minniver Maxine Minniver (also Blake, Donovan and Kinsella) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nikki Sanderson. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 6 November 2012. Maxine's storylines have inclu ...
(
Nikki Sanderson Nikki Sanderson (born 28 March 1984) is an English actress who is known for playing Candice Stowe in the television soap opera ''Coronation Street'', Dawn Bellamy in '' Heartbeat'' and Maxine Minniver in ''Hollyoaks''. During her time at ''Co ...
) is tested when Maxine accuses Verity's brother Eric Foster ( Angus Castle-Doughty) of being the culprit who is spiking people in the village, and Zoe does not believe her, though Maxine is later proven right. Zoe is devastated when Verity is killed by Bobby and Zoe is involved in the case against him. Zoe is unhappy when her mother
Sharon Bailey Sharon Bailey is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Jamelia. Jamelia had previously appeared as herself in a 2003 episode of the soap. Sharon's character and casting was announced in August 2021 an ...
(
Jamelia Jamelia Niela Davis (born 11 January 1981) is a British singer, actress and television personality. Her three studio albums each peaked inside the Top 40 and they spawned eight top-10 singles. In addition, Jamelia has won four MOBO Awards, a Q ...
) moves to the village, though they begin to reconnect when Sharon tells her that her fiancé has left her. Zoe and Sam try to prove that criminal
Warren Fox Warren Fox is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', portrayed by Jamie Lomas. The character and casting were announced on 12 May 2006, and Warren made his first appearance on 26 June. He was introduced as an old acqua ...
(
Jamie Lomas James Lomas (born 21 April 1975) is an English actor, known for his soap opera roles as Warren Fox in ''Hollyoaks'' and Jake Stone in ''EastEnders''. Early life Jamie Lomas was born on 21 April 1975 in Manchester. Career Before joining ''Ho ...
) is running an illegal business but they fail to do so, with Warren threatening Zoe and warning her to leave him alone. Sam, who wants to impress Zoe and help her get a promotion, continues to try to catch Warren, with Zoe repeatedly telling him to stop. Sam goes as far as planting drugs on him which leads to Zoe, who is unsettled by his behaviour, breaking up with Sam. Sam refuses to accept the end of the relationship. Zoe finds out that she is pregnant and plans to have an abortion, not wanting to jeopardise her career. Sam pleads with her to not go through with the termination but Zoe refuses, telling him that it is her choice and that she does not want her child growing up like Zoe, who did receive enough attention from Sharon due to her dedication to her job. Zoe is angry at her mother for having told Sam about the pregnancy and threatens to report her for breaking patient confidentiality. Zoe is accidentally hit when she tries to break up a fight between Sam and Ethan due to Ethan having known that Zoe was pregnant and planning to have an abortion. Sam's obsessive behaviour grows worse, even going as far as sending Zoe a book on how to handle parenting whilst having a career. Sam then breaks into Zoe's flat to talk to her and she threatens legal action but agrees to hear him out. Zoe tells Sam that she no longer loves him and will not keep the baby. Zoe is accused of calling the police on a remorseful Sam but it is revealed that it was Maxine who actually did so. Zoe goes on a date with
Hunter McQueen ''Hollyoaks'' is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on 23 October 1995. The following is a list of characters that appeared in the serial in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive prod ...
(
Theo Graham Theo Farris Lee Graham (born 20 June 1997) is a British actor. He gained prominence through his role as Hunter McQueen in the E4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2016–2018, 2022–2024), which earned him an award and a nomination at The British Soa ...
) and the pair begin dating.


Reception

Garcia Brown was longlisted for Best Newcomer at the 2022 ''Inside Soap'' Awards for her role as Zoe, although she did not make the shortlist. At the 2022 ''
Digital Spy Reader Awards Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'', she came third for the Best Soap Newcomer accolade. A month after her debut, Joe Anderton from ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' wrote that Zoe had "already made quite the impression as someone who is dedicated to her job". The following year, Anderton's colleague, Daniel Kilkelly, wrote that Zoe's relationship with Sam was "oddly portrayed" due to the characters "hardly ever sharing romantic scenes (or any screen time at all, for that matter) when they're supposed to be a couple." Alice Penwill from ''Inside Soap'' agreed, commenting that their romance "does seem to have taken a back seat". Penwill also wrote that she wanted to see more of the "Anderson ladies" as she believed that Pearl, Zoe and Sharon were all "brilliant". Johnathon Hughes from ''Inside Soap'' called Zoe a "glamorous cop desperate to prove herself" and added that she had made a "big" impact on ''Hollyoaks'', and believed that Brown was one of the soap's "Rising stars". Following the end of Zoe and Sam's relationship, Hughes' colleague Sarah Ellis questioned whether Zoe would end up with Ethan and joked that Zoe should "Cop a load of anyone else" that is not Sam. In 2023, Charlotte Tutton from the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' called Zoe a "surprising suspect" in Rayne's murder and that "viewers will no doubt be hoping Zoe isn't the killer", as well as adding that Zoe being the killer would "certainly be quite the twist". Sophie Dainty from ''Digital Spy'' placed Zoe fifth on her list of the biggest suspects of Rayne's murder and noted that she could not see Zoe killing Rayne, but added that "stranger things have certainly happened in ''Hollyoaks''". Dainty also called Zoe "level-headed". Chris Newbould from ''Prolific North'' believed that Zoe had played a "prominent role" in the 2022–23 "Long Walk Home" storyline.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Zoe Hollyoaks characters British female characters in soap operas Fictional Black British people Fictional British police detectives Television characters introduced in 2022 Fictional crime victims Fictional Jamaican people