Theresa McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jorgie Porter. She made her first appearance on 24 November 2008. The character was introduced as an extension of already established McQueen family and quickly became a fan favourite for her cute, bubbly personality and dark storylines. During her first five years on the show, Porter was featured in numerous high-profile storylines, including: underage sex; the murder of Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle); teenage pregnancy; being the target of serial killer Silas Blissett (Jeff Rawle); falling down a lift shaft; discovering her boyfriend, Ethan Scott (Craig Vye) was dating two other women and forming a friendship with the girls; finding her long-lost father; relationships with Dodger Savage (Danny Mac), Will Savage (James Atherton) and Joel Dexter (Andrew Still); and her arrest for Calvin's murder. Porter announced her departure from the soap in October 2013 so she could focus on Dancing on Ice. Her exit scenes aired on 9 January 2014.
It was announced in April 2014, four months after her exit scenes aired, that Porter would be returning to the serial as Theresa, with her return scenes airing on 25 August 2014. Theresa's storylines since her return have included: a breakout from prison; giving birth to her second child, this time with Dodger and her subsequent on-off relationship with him; a feud with Sonny Valentine (Aaron Fontaine); being involved in a train crash which saw Calvin's wife and her cousin, Carmel (Gemma Merna) save Theresa and die; being kidnapped by Will; agreeing to donate a kidney to Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson); a relationship with Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) which saw her care for him as he suffered from motor neurone disease; and being targeted by Nico as she plotted to kill her for her other kidney. In 2016, Porter left the soap again in order to pursue a career in Hollywood. She agreed to reprise the role in 2020 for the programme's 25th anniversary on a short term basis. It was announced Theresa would not leave the soap at the end of year like originally planned and will stick with the soap indefinitely. On 8 December 2022 Porter made her onscreen exit to accommodate her maternity leave and will return in late 2023.
Casting
The character was announced in early November 2008. 20-year-old actress Jorgie Porter was cast as Myra McQueen's (Nicole Barber-Lane) 15-year-old niece, Theresa. She was described as a "teen temptress" and "lolita type". Porter, speaking of her new role, said: "I'm thrilled to be joining not just Hollyoaks but one of soap's most notorious families. Although she's feisty with outsiders, Theresa's ranking within the family is low so she's eager to impress. I can’t wait to see how Theresa earns her stripes as part of the McQueen clan!" Due to the departures of Tina McQueen (Leah Hackett) and John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) earlier in 2008, Hollyoaks producer Bryan Kirkwood added a new member to the McQueen family. Theresa was mentioned earlier before her entrance to the soap on-screen during a conversation between Myra and Nana McQueen (Diane Langton), her mother Kathleen McQueen (Alison Burrows) was also mentioned when it was revealed she was in prison.
Development
Characterisation
The character of Theresa was first described as "A 'teen temptress' and 'Lolita type' who has a distinct lack of self-awareness. Her vulnerability is her status within her family and she is alert to the fact that she has a long way to go before she becomes a real member of the McQueens." Also her keen love of men was noted. In 2010, Porter commented on the character, saying: "She's got load of attitude, but she's got a good heart, too. Although she'd probably flirt with your boyfriend. She wouldn't mean to hurt you, but she'd think, 'Your boyfriend fancies me. Watcha gonna do?'" Following the revelation that Theresa shot Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle), Porter commented about what it would show from Theresa's character, saying: "I was a bit excited, too, because it's another side Theresa can show."