John Paul McQueen and Craig Dean
John Paul McQueen and Craig Dean are fictional characters and a supercouple from the long-running British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.
This one event empowered the United Kingdom soap opera Hollyoaks to embark on one of daytime television's most successful romances, which gained a prominent following amongst fans and praise from LGBT rights groups.
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?
[4] Sutton joined the show in September 2006 as newcomer John Paul, a then-seventeen-year-old school boy confused about his sexuality.
[6] In an interview two years after his debut, Sutton discussed his take on the storyline, and the aspects of his character John Paul in detail.
"[5] Sutton elaborated, "I know he has made a comment before in the press about feeling uncomfortable with the kissing and the physical side of it, but I think that just goes down to — Guy’s very, very proud of his heterosexual masculinity, if you will.
Everything's been about Craig and John Paul and I thought that it was important in the aftermath to remember that a Sarah isn't forgotten," Burnet stated.
"[4] Even with the relationship out in the open, the pairing's romance did not go smoothly, and ended when Craig went to Trinity College in Dublin.
[6] Burnet had decided to leave the series in 2007, stating, "Initially, the thing that threw me over the edge to say 'right, I am going to leave Hollyoaks' was when I was sat at home thinking 'I'd love to go to Tokyo; I'd love to go and live in Mexico; I want to go and live in Costa Rica; I want to go and do these things now while I'm young and can still do them.
'"[4] Craig's departure left "John Paul free to embark on an even more scandalous fling with Father Keiron Hobbs".
He told The Sun: "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.
"It was just a question if the logistics of it could work out because Guy’s been living in L.A. since he left the show, so it was just a case of scheduling it in and making sure that if I was going to leave, he could come back and film.
[5] John Paul arrives in town in 2006; he meets Craig while saving him from a beating by bully Sonny Valentine.
However, they split up when John Paul reveals that he is harbouring affections for someone else, which is mistakenly believed to be Craig's girlfriend, Sarah Barnes.
In early 2007, John Paul embarks on a relationship with Spike, a DJ whom he met during his sister Jacqui's wedding reception.
Later, as Craig lies with John Paul in bed, his mobile phone rings, the caller ID showing that Sarah is calling him.
At an impromptu engagement party thrown by Frankie, John Paul and Craig hide upstairs and begin to be intimate.
Completely in shock, Sarah runs downstairs and outs Craig to the party-goers, leaving John Paul to face the wrath of the Dean family and Mike Barnes.
Frankie and Sarah make attempts to reconcile the relationship, but it is no use, as Craig finally announces to his family that he is in love with John Paul.
When Craig returns in Hollyoaks Later, he reveals that John Paul has been on a couple of drinking benders as he struggles to cope with the after effects of Niall's actions.
As John Paul and son Matthew prepared to fly away to Singapore to their new life, his phone rang with Craig's name popping up, hinting a chance of reconciliation between the two.
When Craig kissed John Paul, their subsequent romance became a "massive hit, gaining a cult following amongst fans".
[4] Hollyoaks was named Broadcast of the Year at the 2007 Stonewall Awards, held at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
"The Channel 4 soap was honoured for its sensitive depiction of the gay love affair" between Chester teenagers John-Paul and Craig.
[9] Stonewall, an organisation that campaigns for equality for gay men and women, praised the show for its "sympathetic and convincing handling" of the "gritty and emotional" storyline.
It's a really prestigious award and one that means a lot to the show, to James and Guy, to our writers and most importantly the audience that engaged with the story.
"[9] Sutton added that he was "incredibly humbled" by the award, saying, "Stonewall is such an important organisation and it's amazing that we've been recognised by them for all the hard work we put into the storyline.
[5] For any series to be on at half past six, which is the time that Hollyoaks broadcasts (in the evening), controversy is typical when it involves two young men going to bed together, but this was not a prominent factor for the John Paul and Craig love story.
[5] Producer Kirkwood relayed: “The Craig and John Paul story is one of the biggest and most successful that Hollyoaks has told, winning many awards and legions of fans.
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.
