Craig Dean

Craig Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Guy Burnet.

I thought 'how can you make a straight guy who's a bit of a cheeky chappy, loves the girls and has a sort of camp sense of humour, gay?

[6] In regards to whether or not he became comfortable with portraying Craig's sexual attraction to John Paul, Burnet clarified: "Even towards the end, it was always difficult for me… You've got to remember that the room is full of people and it's not so much that which bothers you, but you're sitting there and – this isn't meant in a homophobic way – I just didn't feel comfortable doing it.

"I’ve had so much support from fans since I left the show, so it’s great to have the opportunity to reprise the storyline and give viewers a resolution to the Craig and John Paul story," he revealed.

[7] In September 2012, Inside Soap named John Paul and Craig's exit as their number 1 happy ending, "This tentative, tremulous, tortured romance is still regarded by Hollyoaks fans as one of the show's greatest-ever storylines – if not the greatest.

[9] Burnet cited his appreciation for the show giving him a unique character to portray, while maintaining the distinct difference between John Paul's sexuality and Craig's.

Craig's love life improves when he falls for the charms of another older girl, Natalie Osborne, who manages to seduce him.

She then starts to lose interest in him, but is taught a lesson by Craig's sisters, Debbie and Steph, who have had an intense dislike for Natalie since she arrived.

Craig then finds out that Johnno is lying and that he has left his girlfriend and newborn son, Presley, after he decided that he did not want to be a father again at his age.

Johnno tries to make amends, but in the end decides to leave Hollyoaks to marry his younger girlfriend after Craig and Jake tell him that his new son needs him more than they do.

He supports her after her stepbrother, Justin Burton, pushes her through a window and later when her brother, Ali, is killed in a car accident.

He is offered a conditional place at Trinity College in Dublin, but after failing to get the right grades, he decides to repeat a year at Hollyoaks Comprehensive.

Jake accidentally runs over Diane Valentine, causing her son, Sonny, to begin bullying Craig at school.

One day, Craig slips away from a get-together with two of Sarah's modeling friends, Evan and Melissa, and goes to see John Paul.

To keep John Paul from finding out, Craig tells Sarah that their engagement needs to remain a secret until he gets her a ring.

To make him feel better, Craig gives John Paul a watch that belonged to his grandfather, inscribed with the words Love Always.

John Paul tells Craig he loves him with all his heart, but he deserves better than to be with a man who cannot even display romantic affection towards him in public.

On 24 November 2008, Craig met up with his sister Steph and Tom Cunningham in Scotland for a holiday at a remote cottage.

Craig later reveals that this is because John Paul needed time to himself after going out on late night benders following the death of his sister Tina and his fiancé Kieron.

Upon arriving Steph and Craig are shocked to discover the cottage is owned by a man called Pete who is a nudist.

Niall, thinking he has got his opportunity to meet Steph, prepares to make an appearance when he is shocked to discover that Craig is also present.

The following day Steph and Craig are distraught that Tom is missing, but Niall lets their fear build and then makes contact with the pair.

Angry that he has been tricked by a child, he sets out to find Steph himself, and arrives back at the cottage where Tom has found Craig.

Niall, feeling rejected by Tom, leaves him and Craig locked up in the cottage and takes Steph away to the barn where he has been staying.

While in the other room Steph uses her mobile phone to call the police, but she is cut off when Niall suddenly appears behind her and crushes it.

In the barn Niall ties up Steph and tells her that he feels betrayed by her, but she knocks him out and manages to escape into the fields.

Angry and alone, Niall throws Craig into Steph's arms, kisses her briefly and then rips off the necklace he got her and walks to the edge of the cliff.

Matthew's surrogate mother, Chloe, informs John Paul that Craig is seeing someone else- a woman.

Following Frankie's death from a stroke, it is mentioned Craig cannot attend her funeral, because he is in Singapore, meaning he and John Paul have gotten back together.

"[6] Burnet's pairing with actor James Sutton, as Craig and John Paul, has also been successful, winning several LGBT awards.