Trigger warning: This article contains discussion of child sexual abuse and self-harm.
Hollyoaks spoilers follow for Tuesday’s (June 4) episode that is now available to view on Channel 4 streaming. The episode in question will air on E4 on Wednesday June 5 at 7pm.
Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith) was left fighting for her life after twin brother JJ (Ryan Mulvey) attacked her with his football boots.
The teen, as viewers know, has been subjected to sexual abuse at JJ’s hands, with the long-running soap tackling a storyline that explores the common but under-recognised form of child sibling sexual abuse.
The ordeal came to light months ago after JJ snuck into his sister’s room and made inappropriate advances, with subsequent scenes confirming that Frankie has been subjected to such abuse on and off since she was very little.
Devastated by JJ’s actions, Frankie turned to alcohol, which resulted in her being hospitalised twice. What’s more, she started to self-harm, leaving her loved ones concerned as they booked her in to see a counsellor.
JJ, meanwhile, promised to stop the abuse if Frankie refrained from self-harming but it proved to be another sick lie, with the abuser later raping her.
Dancing has proven to be Frankie’s sole source of joy and therefore – determined to break free from JJ’s abuse – she headed to Manchester to audition for a prestigious dance school in London.
JJ, however, told Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and Nancy (Jessica Fox) about her trip, which resulted in them forbidding her from going to London, believing that she’s not ready to leave home.
Frankie lashed out, accusing them of only caring about JJ’s dreams and not hers. Amid her outburst, however, she accidentally revealed that she was to blame for Morgan’s hospitalisation a number of weeks ago.
Fans will recall that Morgan was rushed to hospital after Frankie accidentally gave her an overdose of medication. The teen was simply trying to ensure that Morgan slept the whole night through so that Nancy would sleep in her room with her – which would keep JJ at bay.
Without knowing the context, however, Nancy saw red and lashed out at Frankie for putting Morgan in danger, with Darren intervening as he took Nancy out for a birthday drink.
But as Nancy sought solace in the bottom of a bottle, she thought more and more about the situation – and made it her mission to get to the bottom of why Frankie endangered Morgan.
At 17 Basswood Road, Frankie took advantage of the empty house as she danced around the living room, with her tablet recording her while doing so.
JJ interrupted and proceeded to grab Frankie. Frankie pushed back, branding him a ‘freak’, telling him to stay away from her. Enraged, JJ grabbed his football boot and hit Frankie across the back of the head, drawing blood.
A disoriented Frankie got to her feet and made her way up the stairs, determined to get away from her brother. Nancy, however, entered – and not realising what had unfolded – followed the teen upstairs, where she demanded answers.
But Frankie was struggling to stay conscious and, in upsetting scenes, she fell down the stairs. Nancy watched in horror, unable to do anything at all to prevent the atrocity that unfolded.
JJ feigned concern, telling Nancy that his sister isn’t moving. Will Frankie be okay? What’s more, will Nancy receive the blame for what has transpired?
And finally, will the recording prove to be the evidence Frankie needed in order to show her family that JJ isn’t the golden boy that they all believe him to be?
For more information on sibling sexual abuse, visit SARSAS or Sibling Sexual Abuse support, a website designed by and for Survivors of SSA.
Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
