Hollyoaks spoilers follow from Tuesday's E4 first look episode (January 11), which some readers may prefer to avoid.
Hollyoaks has aired a tragic death scene for a fan favourite in the hour-long explosion episode.
Sylver McQueen lost his life after being cruelly left to die by his 10-year-old stepson Bobby Costello following the blast at Marnie Nightingale's patisserie.
The popular character had been part of the show for over three years, which were jam-packed full of drama with his wife Mercedes.
David Tag, who played Sylver, recently caught up with Digital Spy to chat about his dramatic departure from Hollyoaks.
How are you feeling now that your time on Hollyoaks has come to an end?
"It is very sad because I loved it there, but I did know that I was leaving for a while. I found out earlier last year, so I've had plenty of time to prepare myself and come to terms with it.
"I feel very happy about it now. Obviously initially when I found out, it was a little bit of a shock and a little bit upsetting. But I'm happy now and I've got a really good storyline to go out on."
Did the show explain why Sylver was being written out?
"This is just me making a presumption, but there was a bit of a change within the production team and the executives. I personally think that maybe they just wanted to create a bit of a new stamp.
"Obviously Lucy Allan has taken over as executive producer. She wanted to make her changes and things like that. I fully respect her for that because she wants to make her own mark, which is great. I have had a really good run with some really good storylines. It was probably a good time for me to leave anyway."
Were you pleased over Sylver's dramatic departure, or would you have preferred the door to be left open?
"When I was told how I was leaving, I thought that was much better. If you go out in a taxi, the option is there for you to go back, but I wanted to go out all guns blazing in an explosion with a big dramatic death as a hero."
What kind of reaction are you expecting from the viewers?
"I think they'll be shocked, to be honest. The trailer for the stunt came out recently and there have been a few Instagram posts, so I think some people have possibly been guessing.
"But I think people are going to be pretty upset because there isn't much to hate about Sylver. I think there'll be quite a few upset fans but I'm sure they'll get over it, it'll be fine!"
How did you feel about the twist that Bobby was to blame for Sylver's death?
"That was a surprise to me actually. I didn't know that was going to happen until I got the final script. It was very shocking because Bobby is usually such a sweet little boy, so when I saw that, it was a massive twist.
"I'm really interested to see how that's going to go. Jayden [Fox, who plays Bobby] is such a good lad and really talented, so I'm glad that he's going to get a really big storyline.
"I spoke to him this week and he's dead giddy about it. He can't wait to be this bad guy and see what the future holds for him."
Do you think Sylver and Mercedes would have definitely stayed together if tragedy hadn't struck?
"I think so. I think they'd been through so much in the past that eventually they would have worked things out and been happy. More drama would have probably followed, but I think they'd have been able to work their way through it."
Sylver seemed quite weak in the scene where he told Mercedes that he'd have to get used to her cheating on him in the future. What did you make of that?
"It's funny you say that actually, because when we both read that scene, we spoke to the director about it. Me and Jen [Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes] both asked: 'Would Sylver really say this?'
"The director agreed with me, but said it was something they wanted to put in there. They wanted Sylver to say it with a bit of strength. Even though it's a very weak line, it showed that – regardless of whatever happened – Sylver was always going to stay by Mercedes's side with unconditional love.
"It was a difficult one to interpret but I hope it came across alright."
What was your last day on set like?
"They actually filmed the stunt in chronological order because it was easier for continuity, so my official last day was the day that I actually died, which was a bit upsetting!
"But then they'd written a new scene, for a previous block, which I came in for a couple of days later. I was in and out within a couple of hours, so that was my technical last day I suppose."
Did you have a leaving party?
"I didn't, because I finished filming at Hollyoaks and literally three days later started rehearsals for a panto. That's been so intense over the past six weeks that I just haven't had time to do anything else. But I think we're all going to go out for some food in a couple of weeks."
Who will you stay in touch with?
"I reckon I'll stay in touch with all of the McQueens – Beth [Hare, who plays Cher], Jen and Jayden.
"They all came to see my panto this week, which was a really nice surprise. We went to get some food afterwards. I think I'll stay in touch with them because they've all become really close friends to me, I love them all."
What's next for you?
"I've just finished in panto, which has taken up six weeks of my life and has been really amazing. I've got a film coming out called White Wedding, where I play a singing vampire prince! I think that comes out in February.
"Then it's back to auditioning for me, self-taping and seeing what is out there. It's exciting."
What are your fondest Hollyoaks memories?
"There have been so many. Filming in Majorca was a highlight of my life. That week was so much fun. That was when I first started in the show, so just getting to meet everyone out there was a great experience.
"Hollyoaks Later really stands out for me as well. Filming that episode was really gritty and you could get your teeth into it a lot more than a normal episode.
"Also filming my last episodes, those really stand out as well."
How would you like the Hollyoaks fans to remember Sylver?
"Sylver went out as a hero, so I'd kind of like that to be my trademark! Sylver was this hero who came in, saved the day, he was someone who was good-looking and had a decent body – that's how I'd like people to remember me!"
Hollyoaks airs new episodes from Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look screenings at 7pm on E4. Selected omnibus episodes are available via Amazon Prime Video.
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Daniel has been writing about soaps on Digital Spy since 2004 and took over as Soaps Editor in 2010.
He has interviewed hundreds of soap stars over the years, from Bill Roache to Lacey Turner, and regularly visits the sets of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks for behind-the-scenes trips and press events.
He has served as an awards judge on numerous occasions for the likes of the BAFTA TV Awards, RTS Programme Awards and British Soap Awards. In 2020, he was Highly Commended for Best Section Editor at the BSME Awards.
