It's not every day you stand trial on suspicion of killing your best friend in a freak parachute incident, but Hollyoaks' Zoe Carpenter - played by 27-year-old Zoë Lister - finds herself in exactly that predicament as she faces action over the attempted murder of Sarah Barnes. Zoe finally has her day in court next week and while her friends and family turn out in force to support her, she's resigned herself to a long stretch in prison. Lydia's (Lydia Kelly) account is thoroughly convincing, but when Charlotte (Amy Yamazaki) makes a sudden realisation about a certain sharp object and a new piece of evidence comes to light, will justice be served and Zoe be found not guilty? Or will she be sent down for a murder she didn't commit? We dropped by the Hollyoaks set in Liverpool to catch up with Zoë to find out more.
What did you think of the parachute jump episode in Hollyoaks Later when you watched it back?
"I loved it! I was so proud when I watched it back. It was so powerful. The whole sequence was amazing, with the music. It was such a long sequence and even though you knew what was going to happen, it was great to watch."
How's Zoe been coping with prison life?
"Not very well! It's all completely overwhelming for her. She can't get her head around the fact that her best friend's dead and the fact that she's being accused of murdering her is ridiculous. She's worried that because it's got this far its ludicrous, so who's to say that she won't be sent down?"
Who turns out to support her during the trial?
"Archie, her brother, has been a really great support throughout the whole thing. Kris is there shouting away in court, Nancy's also there. Zak's there, too, and he has a bit of a hard time dealing with it all. Zoe's father is there, too, as is her mum. Her mum's only there for the first day, though - after that, she disowns her a little. Zoe's mum's a very proud woman and she's ashamed that her daughter's in prison. That on top of the lesbian issue is too much for her."
Kris has an interesting view on it all, doesn't he?
"Definitely. Kris is a massive supporter of Zoe's but while everyone else is telling her that she'll be found not guilty, Kris tells Archie that although he loves Zoe to bits and knows she didn't kill Sarah, he insists that she'll be found guilty because that's how the justice system works."
How does Zoe feel when Lydia takes the stand?
"Zoe knows that Lydia's going to stand there and lie to Zoe, it's obvious that Lydia planted the knife. Zoe's just wondering what lies Lydia's going to come up with next. Lydia's actually really convincing and after the first day, Zoe almost resigns herself to the fact that she's going to prison. Zoe knows the truth, though - she knows she's innocent, so she really has to fight for justice for Sarah and herself."
The knife plays an important role during trial week, too…
"Yeah, the evidence that the prosecution has is that the knife used to cut Sarah's parachute cords was found in Zoe's back pack. Charlotte, though, recognises the knife and realises that it's Lydia's, so that all spirals out of court. It's a question of whether Charlotte will come clean as to the identity of the knife's real owner."
How does Zoe cope while she's giving evidence?
"It's not great at all. The prosecution rip her to bits and she comes across as this unhinged obsessed girl who's very capable of cutting the parachute cords."
How can people get Zoe and Lydia so wrong?
"I don't know! Lydia's just wheedled in there with Mike and it's just made Zoe look like the bad person. Zoe has got herself into a bit of trouble throughout the year and now it's all come together to make her look like a woman on the edge!"
How does Sarah's diary come to light?
"Lydia has this old diary of Sarah's and Charlotte finds it on the last day of the trial. But because of Lydia's threats to kill herself if the truth comes out, Charlotte gives it to Mike and takes it into court. Zoe's panicking about the verdict in court and all of a sudden a new witness comes to light and Mike walks into the courtroom with the diary. So that's a bit of a lifeline for Zoe, but will it be enough to save her from a long spell in prison?"
Jx.
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