# Abe Fielding

Abe Fielding is a fictional character from the British E4 soap opera Hollyoaks, portrayed by Tyler Conti. Abe made his first appearance in episode 6291, originally broadcast on 18 January 2024. The character and casting was announced on 15 January 2024 after series producers Hannah Cheers and Angelo Abela had introduced Abe as the ex-boyfriend of returning character Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin). Cleo left him previously off-screen due to his controlling behaviour. Abe arrives in the village looking for Cleo after she is involved in a multi-vehicle collision, unaware that she is searching for her ex-fiance Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed). The pair reconnect after he is revealed as the son of Marie Fielding (Rita Simons) and the half-brother of Joel, relations that was not announced prior to his arrival in Hollyoaks village. In scenes from episode 6334, originally broadcast on 19 March 2024, the "massive secret" initially reported in his casting was later to be revealed of Abe being the kidnapper of his half-brother and Marie's missing child Arlo Fielding (Dan Hough). Hollyoaks later signed a deal with Home Office to devise the character in a coercive control and domestic violence plot with Cleo. Home Office have previously worked with Hollyoaks involving a storyline surrounding Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) being targeted by an incel group.
Since his debut in the serial, his storylines have included his suspicious entrance and re-uniting with ex-girlfriend Cleo (Nadine Mulkerrin), being revealed as the brother of Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed) and Arlo Fielding (Dan Hough) – as well as the son of Marie Fielding (Rita Simons), being revealed as the kidnapper of his half-brother Arlo whilst working with his father and stepmother and later turning abusive to Cleo.

## Casting and characterisation

The characters casting and details were announced on 15 January 2024. Much of the characters background was kept secret, and Abe was introduced with a "massive secret" that will "send spark waves" through Hollyoaks village. The only implied connection from the character was that Abe was going to be "heavily involved" with the McQueen family. A press release for the character described Abe as: "Very loving, friendly, and approachable, but under the surface there’s more than meets the eye," and teased an "unexpected" family connection.
   "Abe is a charming working-class young lad with a manipulative streak a mile-wide. The ingredients of a deeply troubled past and a complicated family life have brewed his dangerous temper, especially when things don’t go his way. I can't wait for Abe to explode into the Hollyoaks village, you can expect danger, manipulation, and one heck of a messy family that comes with it."
–Conti on Abe's characterisation

## Development
### Introduction
#### The McQueen family

Abe arrives in the Hollyoaks village as the controlling ex-boyfriend of Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin). The characters backstory prior to his arrival in the village is that Cleo broken up with Abe due to his controlling behaviour previously. Cleo, who has only returned to the village for a couple of days, tries to reconcile with Joel; he is accidentally hit by a large vehicle moments after saving Cleo. Cleo is then stuck between Abe and Joel as they are both fighting for her – Abe and Cleo later reconcile and have sex but Abe then manipulates her moments after. After hearing Abe on a phone call with a random woman discussing money conditions, Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) becomes suspicious of Abe. Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) tries to find Abe to ridicule him on his behaviour to Cleo. She finds him in the loft, the pair get drunk and then sleep together. Theresa later confesses to Cleo of their deceit after Kathleen-Angel McQueen (Kiara Mellor) outlandishly told the family of their one night stand, causing a strain on the pairs relationships. In March 2024, after an argument with Cleo, Abe lashes out and smashes an ornament against the wall. Speaking on the suspicion of Abe by Mercedes, Conti said:
   "I think Abe thinks that he has met people like Mercedes before, I think he is good with his words, and can find his way out of anything. A typical gaslighter that, if he keeps on saying no, if he just keeps on lying, no one's going to find him out. He thinks he can worm his way around Mercedes, and the McQueens. He has dealt with a lot of stuff in his life, so I think this isn't really anything too drastic for him. He's got other fish to fry at the moment."

#### Marie's re-introduction & Arlo plot-twist

On 15 January 2024, it was announced that former EastEnders star Rita Simons (notable for playing Roxy Mitchell) would be taking over the role of Marie Fielding. His relation to Marie and Joel was not announced prior to his first appearance. Marie returned in episode 6332, originally broadcast on 15 March 2024 during a physical fight between Joel and Abe. It is also Joel's pregnant girlfriend Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter)'s joint gender reveal party with Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe). Marie also turns up in Mercedes dress, stolen from her unattended washing line. Whilst drinking in the loft with Joel, Abe, Cleo and Leela, she reveals she has a missing son, Arlo (Dan Hough). Arlo previously made a cameo appearance in episode 6334, originally broadcast on 19 March 2024 as part of a major plot-twist that his half-brother Abe is actually his kidnapper. Marie wants to obtain Arlo back after Abe secretly sent him to stay with his father and an unknown woman (presumably his stepmother), disguising it as a kidnapping. When Joel and Leela let Marie move in, Marie hires a new private investigator (as the expenses are covered by Joel). The private investigator immediately finds a lead in Ireland, though Marie is stopped on her way by the police as Abe has framed her for drugging Arlo with sedatives. Marie is then released and overhears a conversation between Abe and his girlfriend Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), confessing that he set Marie up. Cleo covers for Abe and lets Marie believe it was her. In early April 2024, Marie is told that a body has been found in Ireland that they may believe is Arlo (this is confirmed untrue as Arlo appears in the spring trailer released by Hollyoaks). Abe then rushes to Dublin in a bid to search for his brother, knowing he is alive.
The story reaches a climax when Chris returns to Hollyoaks village with Arlo. Clutching at straws, he eventually admits to Cleo that he is behind the kidnapping of Arlo as he believed Marie is incapable of having children. Cleo later promised to assist Abe giving Arlo back to Chris, but then helped him escape whilst Abe's back had turned. Arlo returned to Marie in episode 6353, originally broadcast on 15 April 2024. Arlo's stepmother, Demi (Ainsley Howard), returns to Hollyoaks village in a bid to return Arlo to Chris' care.

### Coercive control and domestic violence

The plot of coercive control and domestic violence were commonly foreshadowed throughout Abe's introduction. On 21 May 2024, it was revealed the Hollyoaks production team had made a deal with Home Office to "join forces" to produce a coercive control storyline involving Abe and Cleo. Home Office had previously worked with Hollyoaks to produce Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson)'s abuse from an incel group led by Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty). The plot would be one of summer 2024's central focus points. It was followed up with a report that Hollyoaks would be continuing with the domestic violence plot as well as the coercive control. It was reported the soap's partnership with Home Office will "shine a light" on the harmful behaviours that can occur within controlling relationships and demonstrate the impact of violence on victims. Home Secretary James Cleverly, reacting to the upcoming plot, said: "Tackling violence against women and girls is a real priority for me. We know that controlling and coercive relationships can have a lasting and severe impact on victims. That's why we made it a specific criminal offence and are making sure those convicted are monitored by the police in the same way as physically violent offenders. By partnering with Hollyoaks, we're raising awareness of how to recognise these behaviours as well as empowering the public to call out abuse when they see it and safely intervene when appropriate." The partnership would first be brought to life on screen on the week beginning 20 May and will be highlighted again in early July. Mulkerrin, who plays Abe's on-screen girlfriend Cleo, has spoken out numerously on the plot. The first notable scene will include Abe being violent towards Cleo after Joel and Leela's wedding.
   "I think [her relationship with Abe] is really quite worrying and we've got lots of red flags happening. This is the classic tropes of sort of an abusive relationship – it doesn't have to be obvious, it can be controlling and coercive control. I think that's the story we're telling though – how sometimes something can be right in front of your eyes but you can’t see it and you’re asking yourself, 'Am I going crazy?'. He's so good at gaslighting her and love-bombing her and manipulating her, so he is a very dangerous individual."
–Nadine Mulkerrin on her relationship with Abe (2024)

## Storylines

Abe first appeared in the village merely days after ex-girlfriend Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin)'s return. He begins to put down roots in the village, handing out flyers for his personal trainer service. After learning that a previous incident off-screen was a misunderstanding, Cleo forgives Abe. Cleo was then later stuck between her feelings for both Abe and her ex-fiancè Joel Dexter (Rory Douglas-Speed). Abe then sees both Joel and Cleo discussing their futures and Abe takes a photo. Whilst informing Joel's fiancèe Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) of this, he also reveals he is Joel's half-brother. Cleo then eventually decides to choose Abe — they reconcile and have sex for moments later Abe manipulated Cleo about it; claiming he felt used and her mind was elsewhere. When Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) goes to the loft to defend Cleo's honour on Abe's behaviour towards her, the pair get drunk and sleep together. Cleo is left reeling when she discovers the truth once Theresa confessed. Abe then enjoyed using Theresa to make Cleo jealous and speaking awfully of himself to manipulate her emotionally.
In March 2024, at Joel, Leela and Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe)'s joint gender reveal party, Marie (now played by Rita Simons) made a surprise return following her release from prison. Marie revealed that her youngest son, Arlo (Dan Hough) went missing in 2023, unaware that Abe had hidden him from her with the assistance of Arlo's father, Chris. Abe later has an argument with Cleo about why he kept Arlo missing a secret. He lashes out and throws an ornament at the wall; letting it smash whilst Cleo is terrified. Joel and Leela let Marie move in as they want to help her find Arlo. They hire a new private investigator and immediately found is another lead. The private investigator mentioned that there was a previous lead that Abe specially told them not to follow-up. Abe manages to manipulate his way out of the situation and it conspires another lead has been found in Ireland. The CCTV footage given by the private investigator clearly displays Abe's jumper in the video. Abe finds Theresa wearing the jumper and then steals it back. He then sets Marie up for drugging Arlo with sedatives. She is arrested after sedatives fall out of her bag, intentionally placed there by a scheming Abe desperate for Marie to stay. Marie is then later released and overhears a confession from Abe to Cleo that he reported her, however when confronted Cleo lies and said it was her by mistake as she realised she had nothing to be concerned about.
In May 2024, Abe attends the secret wedding of Joel and Leela. At the wedding party, Abe is very clearly starting to get annoyed about comments from Cleo, deliberately not wanting her to have a good time. She later mentions how she doesn't want to marry Abe because "she has known him five minutes". He later confronts her when she gets home, before starting to hit her with Leela's wedding flowers. She wails out for Abe to stop, to no avail. She punches him in self-defence, to which Marie walks in on. Abe brushes the story off as Cleo playing a drunk bride. He later follows the both to the hospital and claims he is a extremely apologetic for his behaviour and takes Cleo home, leaving Marie suspicious.

## Reception

Joe Anderton from Digital Spy branded the scenes of Abe lashing out at Cleo "disturbing".