Hollyoaks will tackle the issue of conversion therapy as part of a new hard-hitting storyline.
The plot, which kicks off in the coming weeks, will see headteacher Carter Shepherd (David Ames) pursue a sinister agenda along the lines of conversion therapy - a practice which encourages people to change their sexuality or gender identity.
The storyline will involve John Paul (James Sutton) and Ste (Kieron Richardson), as well as Ste's son Lucas (Oscar Curtis), who questions his sexuality after falling for classmate Dillon (Nathaniel Dass).
"I'm incredibly proud to portray this story for Hollyoaks and Channel 4," said Ames, who made his debut on the soap last month. "It's an incredibly moving and difficult story to tell.
"There is so much shame and fear involved. Conversion therapy is abhorrent so it's an incredible challenge to take a side I don't fall on and to illustrate the dangers of how all too easily these archaic stances can destroy lives."
© Lime Pictures
Ben Wadey, commissioning exec at C4, said: "Conversion therapy may sound like something extreme or rare but sadly the figures tell us otherwise.
"It is a practice that is devastating and tends to affect the most vulnerable in the community, young people coming out or exploring their sexuality which is why it is vital that Hollyoaks' audience, with its youthful demographic, are fully informed.
"Through our established characters and the recent arrival of Carter we will look at this devastating practise and the various insidious forms that it can hide behind.
"Hollyoaks is well-known for never shying away from a subject that is agenda-setting and can help educate and inform and has a history of successfully telling difficult and important stories."
The UK government has previously pledged to ban conversion therapy but the legislation has yet to pass through parliament.
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