"Episode 5675" is an episode of the British television soap opera Hollyoaks. The episode focuses on a birthday party for Walter Deveraux (Trevor A. Toussaint) and features an exclusively Black cast. The episode was produced, written and directed by Black creatives – the first of its kind for a British soap opera. The episode formed part of broadcaster Channel 4's Black to Front movement, a day where solely Black-fronted programming was shown. Plans for the episode were initially announced in August 2020 as a response to the protest movement arising from the murder of George Floyd. The episode premiered as a first-look on E4 on 9 September 2021, with its mainstream broadcast following a day later on Channel 4.
On 25 July 2021, the soap announced that production on the episode had commenced, with Thabo Mhlatshwa writing for the episode and Patrick Robinson directing; this marked Robinson's directorial debut for a continuing drama. Clothing for the episode was sourced from local Black-owned businesses and Black musicians were used for the score on the episode, with the production team incorporating both original scores and existing songs. It was also announced that the soap had cast five new Black cast members for the episode, all of whom would appear as series regulars from after the episode had aired. The characters were later confirmed to be Nate Denby (Chris Charles), Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope), Olivia Bradshaw (Emily Burnett) and DeMarcus Westwood (Tomi Ade), as well as returning character Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer). Jamelia and DJ Target also guest starred in the episode.
Plot
Martine Deveraux (Kéllé Bryan) receives a text from the hospital stating that she will receive the results from her recent MRI scan that day. She heads off to the party she is hosting for her father Walter (Trevor A. Toussaint). Unbeknownst to Martine, her daughter Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali) has invited her father Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood) in a bid to reunite her parents. When Felix arrives at the party, he explains that Walter demanded that he left Martine. Felix's estranged son DeMarcus (Tomi Ade) also arrives at the party and is asked to stay in the village by Felix. Stressed out from family drama, Martine goes canoeing in the river by the party. Felix follows her, but is followed by DeMarcus, who crashes his boat into Felix's and sends him underwater. He almost drowns, but is saved by Martine. The two later agree to reconcile their relationship. Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope) speaks with Walter about his dead brother Wilfed, who killed himself due to facing persecution for being gay. Pearl informs a guilt-ridden Walter that while he can learn from the past, he should live in the present.
Ripley Lennox (Ki Griffin) meets with Brooke Hathaway (Tylan Grant), where the two confess their romantic feelings for each other. Brooke states that they would not kiss Ripley until the pair had been on at least three dates, so Ripley asks Brooke on three dates within the day. After the third date, the pair kiss. After Goldie McQueen (Chelsee Healey) learns that her son Prince (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) has become a vegan and wants to take Olivia Bradshaw's (Emily Burnett) surname after they get married, she feels he is ashamed of the McQueen family. Olivia then finds Prince eating a meat burger and he reveals that he has changed himself to appeal to her. In response, Olivia enlists Goldie's help to give her a makeover in order to look like a McQueen. While alone, Nate Denby (Chris Charles) lays out printed cards of numerous residents' social media profiles and picks up Felix's.