Hollyoaks' Ellis Hollins: I used to idolise Ashley Taylor Dawson

Ellis Hollins has admitted it was "difficult" growing up and starring on \'Hollyoaks\' at times, but he used to "idolise" co-star Ashley Taylor Dawson.

The 20-year-old actor has played Tom Cunningham on the Channel 4 soap since he was three years old, and while he admits it could be tough living in the limelight, he looked up to Ashley (Darren Osborne), and believes it is down to the 38-year-old star why he "likes making people laugh" nowadays.

When asked what it was like growing up on the show and "learning while acting", he said: "I certainly think it was difficult for the most part in terms of growing up and doing a show like \'Hollyoaks\', which had such a huge platform.

"However, I think I have a lot of character traits, as Ellis, from the cast who are a part of my onscreen family. I used to idolise Ashley Taylor Dawson, emphasis on the used to, because of how funny he was, and how smooth he was with everyone.

"He always walked into a room and made people laugh, so I really looked up to him.

"I think that\'s why I like making people laugh. I take that back [laughs] I don\'t want to give him a bigger head."

Ellis admits his bond with the cast and Tom\'s with the characters has certainly grown since he started out on the soap.

Quizzed on how the "\'Hollyoaks\' experience" has changed him over the years, he said: "I definitely grew a stronger bond with people, on and off screen. Tom has turned in to a man.

"I think that\'s a very important thing I can take away from this, is that little Tom is not so little anymore. He\'s making his own decisions, and he\'s making his own path in life, which I\'m very proud of him for."

Ellis is enjoying watching his younger self back on \'Hollyoaks Favourites\', which takes a look back at older episodes of the Channel 4 soap during the coronavirus pandemic, after the show cut its output down to two episodes a week for the time being.

He added: "I am loving \'Hollyoaks Favourites\'. I hope that they carry on playing them until we can start making new episodes again.

"I think it\'s great, and I think people love them. I think they are showing the best clips, with Mercedes and Dr Browning\'s wedding, and everything like that.

"It\'s such a good little déjà vu for me, or a flashback. Back to the old style of \'Hollyoaks\', and how everything went, and the old storylines. I think its really interesting, and fascinating, to see how far we\'ve come."