With 15 years of experience working on soaps from the story room to producing, series producer Emily Gascoyne exclaims she “couldn’t be happier” that Hollyoaks is nominated for Soap and Continuing Drama Award at the RTS Programme Awards 2017.

The soap veteran has worked on all three of the soaps nominated in the category, to which she laughs she has “absolutely no problem at all!” being nominated against the soaps she has previously worked on.

“I think it’s wonderful that Hollyoaks is there alongside EastEnders and Emmerdale…I have a huge affection for [soap]” she says fondly. “I love the fact that we do speak to our audiences every single night.”

Social media and online content is a big part of the show due to it’s younger demographic, using the platforms to support the show by posting videos and clips that become, “stories that exist in their own right,” says Gascoyne.

An online page ‘MyJadeIs…’ was created in support of last year’s major storyline that saw teenagers Jade and Alfie diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, which gave viewers the opportunity to send and share their own experiences with cancer.

“We encouraged our young audience to send in pictures, stories or videos relating their own experiences of cancer to Jade,” says Gascoyne.

“It was a way of making sure our audience don’t feel alone and that there are people who understand what [they] are going through.”

The team worked with Stand Up To Cancer and the charity Cancer Research to ensure that the portrayal of cancer was sensitive and realistic, “we found a way through the story that they were happy with and they felt would speak to our young audience.”

“That might have been the first indirect experience of death that [the audience] have ever had, so I don’t think we should shy away from those really tough subjects.”

Gascoyne expresses her pride for the depiction of the storyline, stating that “there were a lot of uncomfortable truths within it…but there were some moments of real inspiration that the audience could take from that.”

She concludes, “we did feel like it was an important story to tell.”

The soap has never been one to shy away from these hard-hitting topics, Gascoyne explains, "[with] difficult subjects like sex abuse and male rape, there is a way to tell that story at 6.30...we have to find more unique ways to have that dialogue with the audience.”

What sets Hollyoaks apart from the other soaps is that "it speaks to a slightly younger audience, it's very fast-paced and energetic," says Gascoyne.

"We are single camera so its got quite a distinctive, quite filmic look and we also use music and graphics to supplement the drama."

Often ideas for stories come from peoples real life experiences, "having worked in the story office you spend a lot of time over-sharing and discussing things that have happened to you or your annonymous friend," she laughs.

"The strangest conversations will start a storyline."

It is clear Gascoyne has a fondness for all of the characters in the show, especially the ones that have had a tough ride along the way.

"I love Ste, he's a survivor. He's told some cutting-edge issue stories," she says of the long-serving cast member.

"[He's] a storyliner's dream because he's so damaged and he can get away with anything and you still love him."

Hollyoaks is never short of a story. 

"Our stories fall into three categories," she summarises. "We have big plot busters that have gobsmacking twists and turns, we have our really aspirational romances, and the third type are agenda setting issue stories."

"The stories resonate with our young audience and those are the ones that i'm most proud of really."

Gasycone assures, "there's always something to talk about at the end of an episode of Hollyoaks."

Hollyoaks is nominated alongside EastEnders and Emmerdale for Soap and Continuing Drama Award at the RTS Programme Awards 2017.