John Paul McQueen
| John Paul McQueen | |
|---|---|
| File:JpSept1.JPG | |
| First appearance | September 2006 |
| Portrayed by | James Sutton |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | J.P. |
John Paul "J.P." McQueen is a fictional character in the long-running British Channel 4 television soap opera Hollyoaks who first appeared in September 2006. He is played by actor James Sutton.
John Paul is the only male in the McQueen family. Most of his storylines have revolved around his sexuality and have evolved from his uncertainty in a heterosexual relationship with Hannah, through to homosexual relationships with Spike and a pursuit of his best friend Craig Dean. John Paul is a part time DJ who plays in The Loft and is a fan of football and Liverpool F.C. in particular.
Character history
John Paul made his debut in September 2006 when the McQueen family moved to Hollyoaks. At school he became friends with Craig Dean but did not get on with Sonny Valentine. He began dating schoolmate Hannah Ashworth and somewhat reluctantly on John Paul's part, the pair eventually ended up sleeping together. They split up when John Paul revealed he was harbouring affections for someone else, which was mistakenly believed to be Craig's girlfriend Sarah Barnes. After John Paul struggled with the truth for some time, it was eventually revealed to viewers that John Paul had strong romantic feelings for Craig. John Paul initially tried to hide his feelings for Craig and slept with his ex-girlfriend Hannah again, before coming out to Craig on Hannah's 18th birthday party.
On reflection John Paul was horrified at what he confessed and told Craig he was sorry and would leave him alone, Craig however refuted this idea, telling him he was the best friend he had ever had and didn’t want that friendship to end. John Paul and Craig shared a kiss at a school dance-off competition which was seen by Hannah, who, in shock, told everyone at the dance. The next day Hannah went to confront John Paul. He finally told her that he was gay and had feelings for Craig; this has the added effect of ending Sarah and Craig's relationship. John Paul then came out to his family, receiving a mixed reaction.
After a confrontation with Sonny over his sexuality, John Paul formally came out to his classmates and informed them that if they had a problem with his sexuality they could take it up with him. However following this event, during a 5-a-side football practice with Sonny and Craig, John Paul was teased and bullied by Craig who eventually attacked John Paul physically. John Paul punched Craig and, after a violent threat to anyone else who wished to bully him, ran off. Later Craig felt remorse for how he treated John Paul and wanted to talk it through with him. John Paul made it clear that Craig was no longer his friend and did not accept his apology.
John Paul embarked on a relationship with a DJ who is simply known as Spike, after a first date together at the Dog. However, Hannah, still believing herself to be in love with John Paul, purposefully sabotaged the date. Spike and John Paul shared their first kiss after a DJ competition in The Dog and gradually their relationship looked to be becoming sexual, as well as being strengthened by Spike meeting (and getting on well with) John Paul's family.
John Paul and Spike's relationship was the source of much jealousy from Craig Dean. He immediately took a disliking to Spike and grew furious when John Paul tried to speak about his fears about having sex with Spike. On May 15th, Craig had trouble concentrating during an exam, as all he could think about was John Paul and Spike. Craig stormed out of the exam and went to John Paul's house. After having a conversation in which each revealed their true feelings for the other, the couple slept together. However, in the morning, Craig got out of the bed and then said to John Paul "Get your hands off me...FAGGOT!" before storming out. His anger at his own actions being taken out mistakenly on John Paul.
Relationship with Craig becomes sexual
Subsequently, Craig's relationship with Sarah began to deteriorate, as Craig stuggled with his apparent homosexual tendencies. Unwilling to come out, Craig denied to himself that he was gay, believing instead that he only had feelings for John Paul rather than actually being gay. Craig negotiated an uneasy few months with Sarah, at times crazed by the situation he is in and at times a functional happy couple. This situation was further exacerbated by Sarah's modelling career, the source of even more jealousy from Craig.
Eventually John-Paul convinced Craig to leave Sarah whilst in the Dog, and in turn he promises to leave Spike. Whilst John-Paul and Spike did break up, Craig and Sarah did not, leaving John-Paul frustrated and furious. Craig and Sarah left to go on holiday together, unbeknownst to John Paul until the last minute. Angry and upset, John Paul wrote a letter to Frankie Osborne saying that he had been sleeping with her son and that he was sorry that she had to hear about it from him. However, realising his mistake, he managed to retrieve it with Spike's help (Spike being unaware of the letter's true contents).
In John Paul's bedroom the next day, he and Spike shared a kiss. However, when lying on the bed together after spotting the picture of him and Craig together, John Paul realised he no longer had feelings for Spike despite Craigs betrayal and told him to leave. When he had gone he got the picture of him and Craig out of the bin and stared at it longingly.
Craig returned from his holiday, and made it clear that he still had feelings for John Paul, insisting that he thought about him all the time while on holiday. John-Paul snapped back that he'd had enough and intended to end it with Craig for good, however, Craig couldn't stay away, and they are both continuing their relationship, unable to resist each other.
The Affair is Revealed
When Spike found out about John-Paul and Craig's secret relationship, he teased and mocked Craig about it. When Craig confronted him, Sarah overheard and thought he was having an affair. In an attempt to convince her that he loved her, Craig proposed to Sarah, which she accepted. Craig asked her to keep it a secret.
In the meantime he continued to see John-Paul. Craig even comforted John-Paul when he felt guilty for causing Hannah's bulimia/anorexia, giving him an expensive watch, once belonging to his grandmother. However John-Paul still felt jealous of him and Sarah.
When he discovered the truth about Craig and Sarah's engagement, he became convinced Craig would never leave Sarah for him. He brought it upstairs and the two began to kiss. When Craig stepped out of the room, John-Paul texted Sarah on Craig's phone and told her to come upstairs. Sarah walked in on the two of them kissing. John-Paul looked on as Sarah and Craig both looked at each other, horrified. John Paul immediately regretted sending the text. When Sarah outed Craig to the partygoers in the Dog, John Paul had to face the wrath of the Dean family and Mike Barnes. He tried to explain but was ordered to leave by Frankie. He left with Mercedes but later tried to apologize to Sarah. She demanded to know the details of the affair. After telling her, Sarah said she could never forgive him. John Paul waited outside the Dog until Craig came out to confront him. Craig demanded to know why he done it. John-Paul responded he was sorry he sent the text but had no sympathy for Craig, calling him a coward for not accepting his sexuality.
The next morning John Paul continued to regret his actions. He tried to ring Craig but then couldn't bring himself to talk to him. Later John Paul was confronted by an angry Nancy. John Paul was in no mood to listen to Nancy and became upset when Nancy said he was selfish, saying he couldn't help loving Craig and despite hurting Sarah, he didn't think he should miss out because of his feelings for Craig. When Nancy demanded he stay away from Craig he responded that he can't and is then shocked and hurt when Nancy tells him that Craig is at Sarah's and that the two will get back together. What John Paul and Nancy don't know is that Craig tells Sarah, after she has told him she can forgive him and they can move on, that although he loves her, he LOVES John Paul and wants to be with him. Later when Craig tries to talk to him, John Paul refuses to open the door as he still believes mistakenly that Craig tried to reconcile with Sarah. Whilst John Paul is crying, Craig returns home. Frankie sees he is upset and when he starts crying saying 'Its over mum', she mistakenly believes he is crying about him and Sarah when it is in fact John Paul's rejection he cant get over.
The next day both Myra and Mercedes try to convince John Paul that he should forget about Craig and let him go but John Paul says he doesn't think he can. At the same time in The Dog Frankie and Jake are pressuring Craig, with Jake taunting Craig about his sexuality and his mother insisting he sort things out with Sarah. In a fit of frustration Craig shouts that he doesn't want Sarah! Steph then enters during the argument, having been away, and Frankie is still pressuring Craig, reminding him that he proposed to Sarah to which Craig replies that he was stupid, he never should have done it and only did it because he couldn't admit to how he felt. Steph carries on talking whle Craig and Frankie are arguing, Craig getting even more frustrated with Frankie shouting she isnt listening to him. Frankie insists that Craig loves Sarah. He then shouts back in a moment of pure honesty 'No - I LOVE John Paul'! Steph is gobsmacked, but is later the only one in that family to support her brother and John Paul without hesitation. Later in the village, the McQueen and the Dean family came face to face in a showdown. While throwing insults and accusation at each other, only Michaela notices that having gazed at each other longingly throughout the argument and not saying a word, John Paul and Craig have run off together. The two talk and John Paul is shocked when Craig told him that loved him, he wanted him and not Sarah and he didn't want to waste any more time. The two support each other when they revealed their relationship to their families. Craig denies being labelled gay with the words that 'its not about being gay, its about who you fall in love with' looking adoringly and John Paul. Frankie tries to convince Craig to as he's moving to Dublin he should make a fresh start, but Craig confirms that it wont make any difference - he will still love John Paul, to Frankie and Jakes disapproval. Only Steph is pleased, telling her grateful brother that its all dead romantic. Despite being close in each others company, John Paul soon realised that Craig was still scared to display their relationship in public. Initially frustrated, John Paul was happy when Craig asked him to come to Dublin with him and make a fresh start together and John Paul agreed to go.
At the airport, an encounter with Craig's brother was to turn the relationship sour. In order to salvage his relationship, Craig tried to convince his brother that he still liked girls, though fell in love with John Paul by coincidence as he cannot help who he loves. John Paul, who overheard the exchange, soon taunted Craig whilst in the line to board the aircraft. Craig could not bring himself to kiss or hold John Paul in public, much to his distress. John Paul insisted that Craig had only chosen him because he had forced him too, little knowing that Craig had twice had the chance to return to 'normality' with Sarah after their relationship was exposed but had chosen to be with John Paul of his own free will, insisting that he loved John Paul and couldn't live a lie any longer. Upset, John Paul stated that loved Craig with his whole heart, but that Craig didn't know who he was, and he deserved more than being with a man who could not even display mere affection towards him in public. Craig, in grief, said to John Paul: "Don't leave me".
John Paul left Craig devastated, clearly torn between Dublin and his feelings for John Paul. At one point while leaving for the airplane, Craig decides he wants John Paul regardless, and runs down the escalator back towards the airport concourse to try and find John Paul, but he has already left. Tearfully, Craig returns to board the plane.
John Paul returned home in tears, where his mother grasped her devastated son in her arms. (Most fans feel the story hasn't ended there, and are hopeful for a reunion between the two in the future.)
Life after Craig
Now back at home with his family, John Paul felt that he should go and try to apologise to Sarah and Hannah for what he had done. Having gone to see Hannah, he found that Sarah was already there and started to argue with him over his relationship with Craig. This caused Hannah to pass out, and he was ejected from the house by Sarah. Returning home, he was comforted by Myra and he suggested that he might like to attend a university away from Hollyoaks.
Family
- Father: Ricky Bowen
- Mother: Myra McQueen
- Sisters: Carmel McQueen Michaela McQueen
- Half sisters: Mercedes Owen, Jacqui Malota, Tina Reilly
Relationships
- Craig Dean (Boyfriend, Best Friend)
- Spike (Ex-Boyfriend, Friend)
External links
- Green, Kris (2007-03-07). "Gay relationship for *Hollyoaks' John Paul and Craig". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 2007-03-07.