Darcy Wilde
Darcy Wilde is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Aisling Jarrett-Gavin. Her casting and the introduction of Darcy was announced in January 2017, with the character making her first appearance on the episode broadcast on 13 March 2017. Darcy has been characterised as scheming, which has earned the character a reputation for being devious in British media, with the character been referred to as Devious Darcy in Hollyoaks media and by critics. Darcy was first mentioned in 2016 as the former fiancée of Adam Donovan, who had disappeared and was presumed dead. Adam's new girlfriend, Maxine Minniver, begins digging into Darcy's disappearance and tracks Darcy down, which leads to Darcy moving to Hollyoaks in order to win Adam back.
Jarrett-Gavin revealed that Adam is the love of Darcy's life and that she is working to get him back. Darcy tries to get Adam back by telling him that he is the father of her son, Toby Wilde, though Adam stays loyal to Maxine. She continues scheming by meddling in their wedding and engagement party, and she later begins a relationship and engagement with Adam's brother, Jesse Donovan, in order to get closer to Adam and win him back. Darcy's plan is successful when Adam gets back together with her, but their happiness is threatened when she accidentally kills Adam and Jesse's mother, Tracey Donovan, who had found out that Adam was not the biological father of Toby. Adam then breaks up with Darcy when he finds out that his own father, Glenn Donovan, is Toby's true biological father.
Following the end of her storyline with Adam, Darcy was not written out, with the actress revealing that Darcy would get involved with another Hollyoaks family. This was revealed to be the Osborne family family, which begins when Jack Osborne takes Darcy under his wing. Darcy then tries to con Tom Cunningham out of his money, but she is thwarted. Thinking that Jack is dying, Darcy manipulates Jack into thinking that he has feelings for her and the two begin a relationship, much to the anger of Jack's family, who try to unsuccessfully expose Darcy's antics. Jarrett-Gavin explained that Darcy is trying to take Jack's money in order to provide the best possible life for Toby. The actress enjoyed working with McKenna and revealed that it was her favourite experience on the soap. When Darcy finds out that Jack is no longer dying, she attempts to poison him. Despite having second thoughts, the plan puts Esther Bloom in hospital when she consumes the poisoned drink intended for Jack. This ends Darcy and Jack's short marriage and leads to Darcy's departure, who leaves with Toby in order to escape paying for her crimes. Darcy made her last appearance on 26 April 2018, which was not announced prior.
Darcy has received a mixed reception. Some critics were excited for Darcy's arrival and the storylines it would create. Jarrett-Gavin revealed that viewers had mixed reactions towards Darcy, and she explained that she did not mind that some viewers hated Darcy as it meant that she had completed her portrayal of the character right. Critics and fans expressed disgust at Darcy's age-gap relationship with Jack, with Hollyoaks cast member Jessica Fox also disliking their relationship. Some fans expressed happiness over Darcy's departure, whilst several critics and fans expressed joy when Darcy was caught out and exposed during her time on the soap.
Casting and creation
In 2016, episodes "indicated" that newly established character Adam Donovan had a "dark" and "traumatic" backstory, which was demonstrated when Adam's girlfriend Maxine Minniver finds an engagement ring in Adam's possessions, leading to Adam revealing that it belongs to his former fiancée. A Hollyoaks trailer released in November 2016 showed a newspaper cutting referring to Adam's fiancée, Darcy Wilde, with it revealing that she had disappeared in "suspicious circumstances" whilst on holiday with Adam, who was suspected of being involved in the disappearance. Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy called the spoiler "ominous" and speculated that "some very big secrets could be about to unravel", and questioned whether Darcy was dead or alive and whether Adam's family would be involved. It was later revealed that Adam's brother, Liam Donovan, is "harbouring" a "huge secret" about Darcy and that their other brother, Jesse Donovan, had an "unhealthy infatuation" with Darcy, with it also being suggested that the brothers' half-sister Grace Black and their mother Tracey Donovan are hiding something about it as well. In January 2017, it was announced that the "currently presumed dead" Darcy is would debut in the soap in an "explosive twist" that would bring "answers" that viewers and critics have been "longing" for. It was announced that actress Aisling Jarrett-Gavin had been cast in the regular role, with the news being announced by her talent agency, The Narrow Road Co. Aisling Jarrett-Gavin made her first appearance as Darcy in the episode that originally aired on 13 March 2017.Characterisation
Speaking in a 2017 #HollyGoss YouTube video about Darcy's introduction, Jarrett-Gavin described the character as "Adam's nightmare ex" who is "really clever" and has "a good style". Jarrett-Gavin also explained that Darcy can be "quite scheming" and sometimes lies, which Jarrett-Gavin explained comes from the character's "insecurity". She also commented that the character likes things to be "neutral and classic". Jarrett-Gavin explained that there are not many similarities between her and Darcy other than them both being from London and a bit of their style, though commented that Darcy is more "girly" than herself. She also joked that Darcy would not "approve" of Adam living in a messy house and would have "kept him on the straight and narrow". Speaking of the character's backstory, Jarrett-Gavin explained that Darcy did not "make much of a good impression" when she was originally with Adam, as she "wanted to have this fast paced lifestyle in London, very cool and wild" which ended up setting "the whole family". The actress noted that Darcy had never loved anyone else like she loved Adam, saying the characters were "school sweethearts", and that Darcy still "100 percent she has feelings for Adam" and "is ready to get her claws into the love of her life". When asked what Jarrett-Gavin would get Darcy for Christmas, the actress replied "A million pounds and a drop of kindness".In the media, and by Hollyoaks itself, such as in YouTube videos and hashtags, the character has been referred to as "Devious Darcy". Darcy has also been described as a "schemer". In 2018, the actress called Darcy a "great character" to play and revealed that her favourite quality of Darcy's is her vulnerability, saying that Darcy "might seem like a villain to most, but she has an emotional soft and scared side", which the actress believes makes Darcy "really interesting to play". The actress also added that Darcy "lives her life in fear" and is "always scared" that she will be caught, but "luckily" is "very good at deception".
Development
Introduction
Darcy first appears when Maxine tracks down "Rebecca", who Maxine believes know something about Darcy. "Rebecca" lies and claims she does not anything about Darcy's disappearance, but Maxine later realises that "Rebecca" is actually Darcy when she sees Darcy's picture in an old newspaper. Hollyoaks had teased Maxine's meeting with "Rebecca" but it was not revealed that she was Darcy until the episode aired. Maxine, wanting to confirm her suspicions, then confronts Darcy a second time, this time with Tracey. A heated confrontation then occurs between Maxine and Darcy. Nikki Sanderson, Maxine's portrayer, revealed that Maxine is "nervous" over the outcome of Maxine's findings as she is worried about whether Darcy's reappearance in Adam's life will affect his relationship with her, explaining that "Obviously Maxine knows that Darcy was the love of Adam's life and he still doesn't have closure on that, so she questions where it would leave her if Darcy did ever come back. She's nervous and scared about that but also, curiosity killed the cat. She wants to know and she wants closure on it too". Sanderson explained that Maxine is "infatuated" as she wants to find closure for Adam as there is always "a little bit of Darcy hanging in the background" of their relationship, which she wants to get rid of. The actress revealed that whilst Maxine knows that bringing back Darcy can cause potential problems, she is more focussing on getting Darcy out of Adam's thoughts. She added:"The ideal outcome would be that if Darcy is dead then her and Adam can move forward together as a couple and become stronger and happier together. If she isn't and she comes back, the ideal outcome would be that Adam gets final closure on her and it gives Adam and Maxine the push to move forward with their relationship knowing that Adam does truly love Maxine and would choose her over Darcy."
Although Maxine is confident that she knows the truth about Darcy, she struggles to tell Adam. Darcy then reappears at Maxine and Adam's engagement party, with Jarrett-Gavin reflecting that Darcy's appearance was a "huge shock" for Adam due to everyone believing that she was dead. Darcy later begins her plan of trying to get Adam back by kissing him on the bridge in front of "everyone", including Maxine.
Scheming and introduction of son
Following Darcy's arrival, it was revealed that Adam would receive a "life-changing shock" when Darcy tells Adam that he is the father of her previously unknown son, Toby Wilde. She reveals this to Adam when he makes a decision to be with Maxine over Darcy, and then brings Toby to the village when the couple struggle to believe her. Katy Brent from Closer called this a "shock revelation" and revealed that Maxine would not be happy about the news. Essex, Adam's portrayer, revealed that this leaves Adam in "shock" as he has "missed out on so much with Darcy already, and this is now a little insight into what she's probably been up to this whole time." He also revealed that Adam is also "excited" but "going through a lot", adding that "To find out the person you love is now alive and now has a son – there's a lot of pressure on him. His decision-making is going to be quite clouded at the moment. He's actually really torn – there's no clear decision for him yet." Essex also revealed that he believed that Adam should be with Maxine over Darcy due to him being happier with Maxine, but the actor acknowledged that Darcy knows Adam better than Maxine, and revealed that he now had a slower-paced life than he did with Maxine. Speaking of their backstory, Essex explained that Darcy used to "mess him around and keep him on his toes a little bit", though admitted that Adam had gotten over it due to being a bit older now. Essex teased that Adam would take "a long time" to make his decision between the two women and that they would both do things that will "push Adam away". The actor also noted that the decision is "really difficult" for Adam due to not wanting to upset anyone, with the character wishing that Darcy had "never showed up at all".Darcy then causes trouble by ruining Maxine and Aam's engagement party by arranging Toby's birthday party on the same day, which leads to Maxine drinking too much due to struggling with Darcy's "mean meddling". Darcy continues to try splitting Maxine and Adam up, and uses Toby as a "pawn" in her games when she orders Toby to ruin Maxine's wedding dress, which angers a "horrified" Maxine. Following the "shocking move", Darcy orders Toby to give her an apology, despite having given him "strict instructions" over what to say.
Darcy later begins a relationship with Adam's brother, Jesse, in an attempt to win Adam back, and she later proposes to him in order to get closer to the family. The proposal "sparks outrage" from Tracey and Adam. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy noted that not everyone is "happy over the impending nuptials" and speculated that Jesse is "a pawn" in Darcy's games". Tracey, who has now served time in prison for pushing Darcy, "can't believe her eyes" due to seeing Darcy "so close to her sons" upon her return. Jarrett-Gavin commented on Darcy's "survival skills" and concluded that Darcy's belief is that getting together with Jesse would be "the one thing" that would "get" to Adam as it would potentially make him realise that he is not over her. Jarrett-Gavin also noted that Darcy did not think she would be able to get Adam back and thus was using "any tactic" to achieve the goal. She also commented that "Poor Jesse" did not deserve the treatment he received.
Adam and Darcy eventually rekindle their relationship, which leaves Maxine heartbroken and leads to her temporarily leaving the village.