Nick O'Connor

Nicholas "Nick" O'Connor is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Darren Bransford. He made his first appearance in 2001 before leaving in 2004.

Character development

The character's style was changed and the wardrobe department started to dress Nick in hats. Bransford was delighted with the change because he could have messy hair and just take a hat from the department. The character was written out in 2004.

Storylines

Wacky, gregarious and sensitive, Nick arrived as a fresher with best friend Jodie Nash. He was immediately involved in controversy when he was attacked outside The Dog in The Pond for being gay. Yet Nick coped well with the situation, thanks to the help of Jodie. Nick began dating Greg, whom he met at a gay club, but it was over when Nick discovered that he was two-timing him. Nick went on to become confused about his sexuality after he had doubts about being gay.

With Jodie upset when her brother Jamie had died, Nick tried to comfort her and the pair ended up sleeping together. Jodie went away from Hollyoaks to clear her head, and Nick began to date Nathan Rogers, who worked at Il Gnosh. Yet, when Jodie returned, the pair decided to be just friends. Nick realised that he felt comfortable being gay after having strong feelings for Nathan. Yet there was only one problem, Nick’s parents did not know about his sexuality. Nathan encouraged Nick to come clean and the pair went together to Nick’s farmhouse to confess the truth. However, Nick's father's reaction was bad as he forced Nick and Nathan out of the house. This left Nick shattered and terribly upset, despite Nathan trying to comfort him.