Hollyoaks actress Jennifer Metcalfe aka Mercedes McQueen talks frankly about the soap's plot.

In the soap Mercedes discovers that her boyfriend Malachy Fisher is HIV positive and that she is a possible candidate for the disease.

Metcalfe said: "I did a lot of research. The amount of people who have the disease is frightening and it is important to wear a condom.

"The whole experience has been draining, but looking back at it now, it is well worth it."

She added: "I think as an actress, you do want something to get your teeth into."

Ashley Taylor Dawson who plays the character of Darren Osborne in the soap said: "It is a big theme, and it is good Hollyoaks is tackling it."

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