'Hollyoaks' Kieron Richardson wants Ste, Brendan plot to have "positive impact"

Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson has shared his hope that the soap's gay domestic abuse storyline will have a "positive" effect.

Viewers have seen the 25-year-old's character Ste Hay embark upon a violent relationship with villainous bar owner Brendan Brady (Emmett Scanlan) in a plot that has since come to the fore of the Channel 4 soap.

Speaking to Pink News, Richardson declared his aim to dispel the myth that homosexual men "should be able to handle" aggressive partners.

"The thing is, some people think just because two guys love each other, [if there's domestic abuse] they should be able to handle it," he said. "That's not the message we're trying to give, we're trying to give a positive one out that, if you are going through it, no matter what, you should go to the police and get something done about it.

"Whether you're gay, straight, whatever, and you are going through it, it's just about finding the courage to go and tell someone about it. I know it's hard and I can't really give advice or say, 'Go and do this', so I just hope the storyline is making an impact."

Richardson previously described the Ste-Brendan romance as "a cracking storyline" that could "make a difference to others who are suffering".

Watch Kieron Richardson discuss Ste and Brendan's future with Digital Spy below: