Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe says Mercedes McQueen will "try to convince herself" that Russ Owen is right for her after he buys her the pub.
Jennifer Metcalfe as Mercedes McQueen
The 36-year-old actress' alter-ego is set to become landlady of the Dog in the Pond after Russ (Stuart Manning) splashed out on the boozer, but she will start to grow closer to her first love Sylver McQueen after discovering the pub purchase was his idea.
She said: "Russ has had some making up to do, after accusing her of being a serial killer! So, he buys her The Dog In The Pond, and Mercedes is now a landlady! Russ then starts to get a bit paranoid over her close relationship with Sylver.
"She realises that it was Sylver's idea, and that makes it so much more meaningful for her. They can't be together, but she can feel how much he cares for her.
"They were first loves and she's the only person he's had any romantic connection with. Mercedes has put it to the back of her mind over the years, but now he's living with her, it's bringing back those memories.
"She is trying to convince herself that Russ is the right one, and Sylver's not an option."
However, there is a twist when it comes to deciding who will take the Dog's spare room as the new owners pin up pictures of the McQueens on the dart board, and while Sylver was initially snubbed, the dart lands on him, hinting he may be moving in with Mercedes and Russ.
Jennifer added: "They can't deny their chemistry. He knows her better than anyone else, she almost can't hide around him."
In true chaotic McQueen nature, Jennifer has hinted there will be plenty of parties and "probably a couple of scams" now the family have taken over the boozer.
She added: "They're just going to make up their own rules as they go along. They want to make The Dog a proper good night out for their customers, and a McQueen night out is wild! It's definitely not what Marnie would have wanted.
"Anything goes. Anything to get through the day, and there will probably be a couple of scams here and there. They're just going to go with the flow, and have a lot more parties."
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