Anthony Quinlan (Gilly Roach, 'Hollyoaks')

Gilly Roach has been at the centre of Hollyoaks' biggest story of the year so far in recent weeks following Jacqui McQueen's accusation that he raped her on Valentine's night. This week's episodes see the personal trainer stand trial over the charge, reliving the night in question and facing up to his past as a surprise witness takes the stand. Viewers will discover Gilly's fate in Friday's episode, when a verdict of either guilty or not guilty will be announced - as decided by a real-life 'jury' of 12 people who have been examining the case. Here, Anthony Quinlan - who plays Gilly - chats to Digital Spy about the trial.

What has it been like to film this big storyline for Gilly and Jacqui?
"It's been really challenging because of the difficult content. It's obviously a gripping storyline and it's been quite intense to film as well because of the situation that both characters are in. It's been quite a gruelling process - filming solid for about three and a half weeks. Ten of those days were filmed in a courtroom with my character in the dock, completely separate from the jury and the gallery - he's just stuck in there with the security guard. So it was really quite intense and emotions were running high, but it was really good to film."

What do you think of the decision to recruit a real-life jury to decide Gilly's fate?
"I think it's really interesting that they've explored the story in this way, allowing a jury of viewers to decide the outcome of the trial. They've been given the opportunity to explore the situation, come up with a verdict and ultimately decide Gilly's fate. I think it's a brilliant way to explore the issues around a rape trial."

What kind of feedback have you had from viewers over the storyline?
"All of the feedback that I've had has been absolutely outstanding. I think it's got a lot of people interested because, by recruiting the jury, we are giving the public the chance to explore the situation. I think the storyline has got people hooked and I've not had any negative feedback over it - I just get people constantly asking, 'Did he do it, or did he not?' But obviously we don't know."

Are you glad to see that the storyline is provoking discussion about the complex issues of rape and consent?
"Yeah, of course, because people need to know that there's a line you don't cross and they need to take precautions. It's such a sensitive subject and I just feel honoured that we've been able to portray it in the way that we have."

Did you have any reservations about exploring this story with Gilly, or were you happy about it from the start?
"I was all for it from the start, just because it's such a big storyline and the producers have instilled their faith in me to explore it with Claire Cooper and Andy Moss. I was really grateful for the opportunity to do that."

How does Gilly cope with being cross-examined at the trial?
"It's massively intense. In Gilly's head, he's innocent, but in Jacqui's head, she's adamant that he's raped her. So it's really intense as there's the possibility that Gilly could be sent to jail over this, and I think the minimum for a rape charge is two and a half years, so you can imagine the emotions that are going around in his head - he doesn't know whether he's coming or going."

What can you tell us about how the trial unfolds?
"There's a few things that get dragged up about both characters. Among those is a girl from Gilly's past who nobody is aware of, and a character gets brought in from Jacqui's past as well. So basically the audience will be going back and forth throughout the week - one minute you think Gilly is guilty, one minute you think he's not. It's been filmed very cleverly, as remember no-one but those two people know what actually happened in that room that night. We also see Tom appear as a witness - he's just trying to tell the truth about that night, and the fact that all he saw was Jacqui and Gilly kissing. But it's not really fair for a young lad to be caught up in a situation like this, especially as he's had such a traumatic life."

What kind of research did you do for the storyline?
"I did quite a lot of research. We worked with Rape Crisis, and I also did an interview with a police officer from the Hampshire Constabulary and the Thames Valley Police, about a campaign they've been running called Don't Cross The Line. It's aimed towards men and it's all about knowing when you are crossing that line, what you should do to make sure that you do have consent, and making sure you do have a definite 'yes' before getting involved in sexual activity. So we did a lot of research and I think it paid off."

As well as provoking discussion, is there any other impact that you'd like this storyline to have?
"I don't really think it's for me to advise people, but after hearing about the Don't Cross The Line campaign, all I would say is make sure you do get consent and that you're in a fit state when it comes to a situation like this. I just hope people really sit back and take notice of what's going on with these two characters, because rape is such a serious offence and it could be a very difficult situation that you get yourself involved in if things go wrong."

> Click here to read the second part of our interview with Anthony Quinlan in Soap Scoop