Hollyoaks star Gary Lucy got viewers talking as he appeared on Loose Women. The actor showed up on the ITV lunchtime show on Monday (May 30) ahead of his Channel 4 soap exit.
Gary, who has played Luke Morgan in the soap on and off for more than 20 years, will leave the show in the coming weeks, two years since his character was diagnosed with Frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Back in March, a flash-forward aired in an episode of Hollyoaks seemingly confirmed that Luke will die in June or July this year.
The scene showed Luke's son Ollie finding an old video camera, which he then used to record video messages from Luke’s nearest and dearest, as they fondly reminisced about the good old days. Then, fans watched as Ollie watched back the footage he recorded from the day in question in over two months down the line.
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Dressed in funeral attire, Ollie was in tears as he headed into the kitchen where a coffin was placed. There was also an order of service for the funeral which implies that Luke’s funeral service will take place on the very day he was due to marry Cindy, July 7. "I love you dad," Ollie said before bursting into tears.
Gary, who first made his debut as Luke in Hollyoaks in 1999, appeared on Loose Women to chat about his emotional storyline. When asked by Jane Moore what it was like filming his final scenes, the soap star said: "It was really emotional. I started [Hollyoaks] when I was 17. It was my second job after Dream Team...
"And the director who worked on my last every episode on Hollyoaks was the second assistant director on Dream Team back in the day. So all these years later it was just really emotional, really amazing." Carol McGiffin asked if he cried to which Gary confirmed he did, "a lot!"
Gary explained how his fellow cast members kept telling him it was their last scene with him and he had to get them to stop because he 'couldn't do it every time'. "It was amazing, I can't say how amazing that place is. I've made friends for life there and I'll never ever forget the experience I had and the opportunities it gave me."
But Loose Women viewers were distracted by the 40-year-old TV star, who has also had roles in Footballers Wives, The Bill, and EastEnders to name but a few.
@BeddoesJill tweeted: "I think Gary Lucy could have removed the chewing gum before appearing on LW. Doesn't seem on his A game today does he? #LooseWomen." @GeorgiaBowring asked: "#LooseWomen Is he chewing???"
@Umr3000 commented: "How did they let on Gary Lucy with gum in his mouth. Big no-no for a TV interview. #LooseWomen." @@beckalou90 said: "Distracted by the important topic he's talking about because I keep spotting the chewing gum he could have ditched before being interviewed!! #LooseWomen."