 Although Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) was in a relationship with Mercedes'sister, Jacqui (Claire Cooper), he and Mercedes had sex. Metcalfe explained this was because Mercedes was intoxicated and unaware of her actions, "but she was also furious at Jacqui for giving her a slap". Metcalfe explained that when Mercedes woke up, she was in disbelief about the events of the previous night and felt "appalled". She added that Mercedes did not fancy Tony and that they did not even like each other, which was why "neither of them can understand what happened between them". Regarding Mercedes' feelings about hurting Jacqui, Metcalfe stated: "Mercedes hates herself for it. She feels incredibly guilty and ashamed of what she's done. It's surprising Jacqui doesn 't guess something is wrong because Mercedes can't look her in the eye".
