'Oaks actor happy over character impact

Hollyoaks star Gerard McCarthy has revealed that he is proud of the positive impact his character Kris Fisher has had in recent years.

Speaking in an interview with Fate magazine, the actor explained that he has received letters from fans who have been touched by the cross dresser's storylines.

McCarthy commented: "When I first started, I got an awful lot of letters from kids who just didn't fit in for whatever reason - they were the fat kid, or the ginger kid, or the kid who never got picked for the football team.

"I think they identify with Kris, they can relate to him as he never fitted in but he still has a strong sense of self and is pretty opinionated. If that helps any kid come to terms with who they are, then I'm really happy about that."

The 29-year-old also claimed that creating the character was a bold decision which marked a turning point for the Channel 4 soap.

He said: "At that time, four years ago, Hollyoaks had this reputation as being full of beautiful people so it was a big departure for them. In all honesty I didn't know whether the character of Kris would fit in, it was a risky move, but that was four years ago and I'm still here!"

McCarthy is bowing out of Hollyoaks later this year to take on a role in Flashdance - The Musical.