Hollyoaks hunk Angus Castle-Doughty is kicking off the new year by tackling one of the soap’s darkest-ever storylines.
His character Eric Forster has just been unveiled as a woman-hating incel.
And while Angus says he’s the complete opposite of evil Eric in real life, the story-line has encouraged him to shape up.
He found going running helped clear his head after recording the dark scenes about incels – men who crave sex and despise the women who deny them it.
Angus, 27, said: “Filming this scared the s*** out of me as there is a real problem out there. Boys can get sucked into a rabbit hole.
“An incel finds evidence to suit their argument. They believe their destiny is predetermined and it’s a toxic cycle that is difficult to get out of.
“We’ve seen Eric take a ‘black digital pill’ and remove himself from society. He is ready to radicalise himself.”
Angus, who joined the Channel 4 soap in March 2022, has also been seeing a therapist to deal with the story – and heal his broken heart.
While rumours are currently swirling about his relationship with co-star Niamh Blackshaw, when we chatted over Zoom just before Christmas, Angus was in a reflective mood.
The Londoner told me: “I have been seeing a therapist every week.
“Within a couple of weeks of me moving to Liverpool to work on Hollyoaks, my girlfriend and I split up. I felt lonely in a new city and I was playing a character who is always lonely.
“The lines got blurred and it was a case of life imitating art.
“But I have so much gratitude to Hollyoaks, who have a great duty-of-care team and they gave me a therapist to see once a week. I can’t thank them enough.
“It’s been so helpful to talk to someone – especially during the filming of all the heavy stuff. Everyone can struggle from time to time and my brain felt frazzled, but I feel loads better now.
“I’ve also learned that when you move to a new place, it will take you six months to shed the London cynicism!”
In recent months, viewers have seen Angus’s character Eric exhibit increasingly disturbing behaviour.
The loner moved to Liverpool to reconnect with his sister Verity (Eva O’Hara), but following her recent death, it has emerged Eric is an incel.
Angus is impressed that Hollyoaks has chosen to tackle the subject of radical misogyny.
“Eric is lonely and he is lost,” he says. “The storyline is a good way to start a debate and have an engaged and informed conversation about it all.
“Everyone needs to be aware of it. This isn’t an ‘other problem’. It’s an ‘us problem’. We don’t want to spook people but it’s good if we make people aware of it. My family are proud of me too.”
Angus says he is obviously very different to the character he plays on screen – and currently, fans are speculating over whether Niamh, who plays Juliet Nightingale in the soap, is his new girlfriend.
The actor has admitted he is seeing someone new and said it is still “early days” but in a cryptic tweet posted on New Year’s Eve, he wrote: “2022 saw me move to the other side of the country, take the biggest step of my career, a relationship end and a relationship start. I also brought a sleeveless shirt, so… every cloud.”
On the same day, Niamh shared an Instagram snap of her cuddling up to Angus in front of a Christmas tree but did not officially confirm that the pair were a couple.
While everyone at Hollyoaks has given Angus a warm welcome, he says Owen Warner – who was runner-up in this year’s I’m A Celebrity – deserves particular praise.
“I thought he did a real service to his family and friends,” Angus says. “I was proud of him, and after seeing what Owen eats around the TV studio, I can see why he had no qualms with the eating challenges.”
Angus does not see himself appearing on the jungle show any time soon, though.
“I am not sure how I would deal with the lack of sleep,” he says. “But I would probably be OK with the lack of food as I have been on some wacky diets in my life.”
One such diet involved eating only during a seven-hour window to look his best for his first naked scene in the 2021 Netflix series, Shadow and Bone.
“I had never done a naked scene before,” he explains. “And I thought to myself, ‘This will be on Netflix for ever more so I am going to get in the best shape I humanly can!’
“I only ate between 1pm and 8pm, was exercising like a maniac and wouldn’t have carbs at dinner. I also cut out beer and sweets and just ate chicken, veg and couscous.”
But sadly, Angus’ burgeoning six pack remains a well-kept secret.
“The scene didn’t even make the final edit!” he laughs. “What a waste of time. Now, I just try and live my life as healthily as possible.”
Angus, who has also appeared in Agatha Raisin and The King’s Man, says he has learned the most about acting on Hollyoaks.
“It has been like university – a real baptism of fire,” he says.
“I am so grateful for everything Hollyoaks has given me and I will champion it throughout my career. I have been given the keys to the castle with this storyline. I don’t know what will happen next but I love playing out stories.
“It’s also great to show that my personality is not like the characters I play.”
Aside from acting, Angus would love to waltz his way on to Strictly one day.
“My mum trained as a ballet dancer and I think she would put me up for late adoption if I ever turned that opportunity down,” he says.
“Give me the ballroom shoes and I will be there.”
What exactly is an incel?
An incel, short for “involuntary celibate”, is part of an online subculture where men define themselves as unable to get romantic or sexual part-ners, despite desiring one.
Incel forums are often filled with resentment, hatred, misogyny, self-pity and self-loathing.
Incels are often in their teens or early 20s and go to the forums out of loneliness.
Jake Davison, who shot five people dead in Plymouth in August 2021, had previously discussed the incel movement online.
* Catch Hollyoaks every weekday on Channel 4
