Hollyoaks Star Jessica Fox Advocates for Gender Equality On Set
Hollyoaks favourite Jessica Fox, who has portrayed Nancy Osborne for over two decades, has opened up about the subtle ways she challenges gender stereotypes during filming. In an exclusive interview ahead of International Women's Day, the 42-year-old actress emphasised the critical importance of supporting women amid ongoing inequality and health negligence.
Two Decades in Hollyoaks Village
After 21 years on the Channel 4 soap, Jessica Fox's character Nancy Osborne remains a firm fan favourite. Throughout her tenure, Nancy has been at the centre of numerous dramatic storylines, including the prison death of her sister Becca Dean, a harrowing sexual assault ordeal, and her tumultuous on-and-off romance with husband Darren Osborne spanning more than ten years.
Despite her professional success, Fox recently experienced a humbling moment when introducing her three-year-old son River to her famous character. The young boy, impressed by his musician father's YouTube performances, showed little interest in his mother's television career.
"I showed him me and he went, 'no mummy,' and turned it off! I got pied," Fox revealed. "He doesn't want to know about that but I have explained to him that every day, mummy has to put on a different outfit. Now I have to take a picture of whatever I'm wearing and I have to show him what I was wearing that day. He gets very confused when it's the same thing."
Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Scenes
Ahead of International Women's Day, Fox explained why celebrating women has become more crucial than ever. She detailed the small but significant changes she requests to scenes to highlight equality across different aspects of life.
"The world we live in is terrifying and I think it's more important than ever to highlight women in work, women at home and the lives they lead and to keep questioning gender stereotypes," Fox stated. "Also to keep celebrating women when they're wins and keep pulling them up where we're still behind. We still don't have equal pay, still women are doing the lion's share of domestic work at home and are working full-time and are the full-time care givers."
Fox continued: "We are not in an equal fitting yet and the world is even trying to roll back women's rights so it's now more important than ever, particularly when you have a show that tells young people stories, that women are at the forefront and they are telling their own stories, not just facilitating men's."
Subtle On-Set Changes
The actress described the specific tweaks she often makes during filming, acknowledging that while some might roll their eyes, production teams generally listen and implement changes.
"People roll their eyes at me but I'm forever challenging it. Even at work, and they do listen and they do change things, there's just certain funny things that in our world, we just accept as normal," Fox explained. "So if we're doing a family scene or we need someone to set the table it will be Nancy, or Nancy's loading the washing, she's cleaning the table and I go, why isn't Darren doing that? Nancy's got a full-time job, and they'll go, 'oh yeah, we'll swap it around,' and I think that's really important that we notice those unconscious moments where we can show women being powerful and independent and in charge."
Reflections on Nancy Osborne
After more than two decades playing the same character, Fox still loves portraying Nancy Osborne but admitted she wouldn't want to be like her in real life.
"I love that she is an ultimate boss b***h. She is in charge, she runs the whole school and she is very much head of her family, but she also is funny, silly, vulnerable and she's a whole person with all the colours that go with that," Fox said. "She's not perfect, because perfect is boring. She does lose her temper and does get it wrong, and she does always believe the wrong person. In all honesty, I think she is the best and worst of me in some places."
The actress added: "I wish she'd just sometimes know when to shut up, and to let someone else talk. It's not her strong point. We do love her though, she has lots of good points, she's a bit of a marmite character isn't she. I think one thing I always like about her is she's not afraid to be unlikeable and that's important. To tell interesting stories sometimes you have to be the bad guy."
Evolving Relationships On Set
Fox expressed gratitude for the friendships she has developed on the Hollyoaks set over the years, noting how these relationships have evolved as she has grown older and become a mother.
"I've been working with Ashley Taylor Dawson who plays Darren for 15 years, so we are incredibly close at work and we have this weird unspoken chat with just our eyebrows," she shared. "I also adore Izzy Smith who plays Frankie. I see a lot of myself in her. She's just so talented, so hardworking and her work ethic is incredible, and she is so funny and silly and gives a s**t."
Fox continued: "I'm great friends with Tam [Tamara Wall] who played Grace. We used to do a lot of living room karaoke together pre-baby, she was a very good friend on set with me and Anna [Passey]. Also, friendships evolve as you grow as a woman. I started that show when I was 22, and we'd go out, it was the noughties, we were in the clubs dropping it like it's hot. Now I'm in my early 40s, and now I'm messaging Jessamy [Stoddart] about nappies and potty training and my child refusing to eat anything other than cheese."
Addressing Women's Health Issues
The soap is currently tackling a devastating storyline that sees Alex Fletcher's character Diane Hutchinson diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. Sadly, Diane will be told she is terminal, leading to Fletcher's exit from the Channel 4 programme.
Fox highlighted the importance of raising awareness about issues women face, hoping the storyline would spotlight women's health negligence following Diane's late diagnosis.
"I think people see themselves in the characters on the screen and women's health negligence and women being fobbed off and not listened to is a chronic problem," Fox emphasised. "It's an epidemic really, and so having someone who's been feeling bit off, has been to their GP, been told they're tired, stressed, to lose weight or drink more water, or get more sleep, and then it actually be something, people will feel very validated by that story."
She added: "It's important to show the impact that the illness and the missed steps have on everyone around her, not just the person suffering. She's got these children who are gonna lose their mother and a husband who will lose his wife. This is a massive impact and I think whenever there's an illness like this, you think what if they'd caught it earlier? Would I have had more time? That's a really terrifying question to be faced with."
Hollyoaks is available to stream on Channel 4's streaming service and airs Mondays to Wednesdays on E4 at 7PM.
