Esther Bloom

Esther Bloom is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actor Jazmine Franks.

Since her inception she has shared a friendship with the character Ruby Button (Anna Shaffer) but has long been subjected to her "bitchy" comments.

The character was later given a storyline focusing on effects of bullying, in which Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman), Sinead O'Connor (Stephanie Davis) and Ruby tease Esther.

She’s endured years of being pushed around by Ruby and yet she remains tolerant and patient of all her best friend’s flightly fancies, offering sage advice and guidance along the way.

Franks did not like her character's "awful" wardrobe because the jumpers made her feel as though she was wearing a "tent" and she had a particuluar dislike of Esther's recurring pink ugg boots.

[9] In June 2012, it was announced that Hollyoaks had entered a partnership with the fashion magazine Company for a storyline involving Esther and George Smith (Steven Roberts).

Paul Millar of Digital Spy also reported that Esther and George's friendship would also be "challenged in the special week" of episodes.

[10] The press department at Channel 4 revealed that Esther would take the "centre stage" during the storyline and added that it was "needless to say, fireworks ensue".

[11] Company's editor White told Digital Spy's Kilkelly that the brand approached Hollyoaks with the storyline idea.

True to form when Esther arrives at work over-dressed and wearing jewellery, big hair and make-up "she sticks out like a sore thumb".

[13] Esther manages to ruin her experience by wearing and tearing an item of clothing needed for a fashion shoot while on a night out.

They send Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) love letters addressed from Esther and fool her into thinking that transgender Jason Costello (Victoria Atkin) would date her.

A spokesperson for the show told Susan Hill from the Daily Star that "Jack is angry when he discovers Esther has been skiving from college.

As Carena Crawford from Reveal noted that Esther was having a "tough" time at college and "evil Maddie twists the knife in even further and ups her bullying antics".

[22] Crawford later added that after another "horrendous week [and] suffering more humiliation at the hands of nasty Maddie" - she did not think that Esther's life would become "easier".

[23] Digital Spy announced that the bullying would intensify when Esther crashes a bike and reveals her underwear resulting in video footage being posted online.

When Dylan Shaw (Mikey Riddington-Smith) creates his own micro-blogging site DocYou other characters decide to misuse it to broadcast humiliating content about Esther.

The actress stated that she had enjoyed her time in the role and cited the departure of on-screen grandmother Frankie as a reason for Esther being written out.

Esther decides to move to Spain with Ruby after Darcy Wilde (Aisling Jarrett-Gavin) poisons her and she argues with Jack.

[30] Esther breaks into Frankie (Helen Pearson) and Jack Osborne's (James McKenna) house and takes shelter in the attic.

When Jack and Gilly Roach (Anthony Quinlan) ask Esther to move out, she threatens to tell the police that Tom is responsible for hitting her.

When Sinead is hospitalized after almost drowning, Ruby forms a plan to sneak back on the bus so Jack and Frankie wouldn't find out they were there, as they lied about where they were during the week.

The next day Grace turns up at The coffee shop to show Esther gratitude but unfortunately find the bag in which the £50 000 was initially stored in and discovers the truth.

After a few weeks, Esther wakes up from her coma and is transferred back to Dee Valley Hospital where Jack, Frankie, Grace, Trevor and Kim all tell her different versions of what happened.

Kim's sister Lindsay (Sophie Austin) who was recently revealed as the Gloved Hand Killer, witnesses the two fighting and wanting to frame Trevor for all the murders, injects Esther with potassium chloride when she is working late in The Bean.

Esther and all the Osbornes had to flee the village as well as Kim as Jack had received a mysterious phone call telling him to run as someone was after him and not to trust the police.

Everything kicks off at the wake when Ruby tries to kiss Darren's friend Luke Morgan (Gary Lucy)and they cause a scene.

[33] While a Liverpool Echo critic bemoaned Esther's "harsh words" resulting in Jack's heart attack, noting that the character had been through worse such as brankruptcy and prison time.

[34] All About Soap journalist Kerry Barrett said viewers should "watch out" for Franks amongst other cast members, who she felt "all act their socks off" during the Enjoy The Ride storyline.

[35] In 2018, Susannah Alexander from Digital Spy noted that fans were "desperate" for Esther to "pull through" after being accidentally spiked by Darcy Wilde (Aisling Jarrett-Gavin).