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Carmel Celine Marguerite McQueen (Previously Valentine) is played by Gemma Merna.
Characterisation
Carmel McQueen; Police Community Support Officer, beautician, masseuse, wannabe nun, pillar of the community. She may come across as a ditzy blonde, but Carmel has strong morals and can be extremely unyielding her fight for justice. Her brother John-Paul was gay, and was accepted for her whole life, she was devastated by Niall's attack on her family, which left older sister Tina dead. She has also never really forgiven cousin Theresa for killing the love of her life, Calvin Valentine, on their wedding day. Way to rain on the parade Theresa!
Biography
Arrival
Darren Osborne notices Carmel's singing talents and gets her to perform for customers in the SU Bar. She does so but is unaware that the audience expect an explicit performance. Mercedes discovers this and warns Carmel, who is determined to continue. After the deaths of Mel and Sophie Burton, Carmel begins working at Evissa. Carmel finds and steals money from Jacqui for breast implants, unaware the money is her criminal acquaintance's. Carmel is attracted to Jake Dean in Evissa and the pair go out for a meal, however the date is cut short when Jake's ex-wife Becca arrives with fiancé Justin Burton for a meal. During a confrontation, Carmel feels ignored and decides to leave.
Relationship with Aleksander Malota
Jacqui is forced into marrying Albanian immigrant, Aleksander Malota, who Carmel falls in love with, however, she fails to resist him. After this, he tells her the real reason he is married to Jacqui. They start an affair and Carmel is pressurized into concealing Jacqui's deception. The affair is revealed and Jacqui and Myra are disgusted and furious at Carmel. Jacqui also confesses her love for Tony Hutchinson, who she has been having an affair with, and tells Alek that he has to go back to Albania, which upsets Carmel. Carmel arrives home and finds Alek packing his bags. After she goes out for some food, Alek leaves, leaving Carmel heartbroken. Carmel decides to leave to find him, however John Paul stops her.
Carbon monoxide poisoning with Russ Owen
Carmel takes pity on her brother-in-law Russ, who has divorced Carmel's half-sister, Mercedes. An attraction ignites but Carmel knows she cannot act on them. While attending a party at the student Halls, Carmel and Russ have a heart-to-heart in John Paul's bedroom and the pair affirm their love for one another. During their secret heart-to-heart, they are clueless in knowing that they are being poisoned by carbon monoxide, which is spreading throughout the halls, and they collapse. Justin later saves the students but has no idea that Carmel and Russ are locked in John Paul's room. When Mercedes realises that Carmel is at the party, she and the other McQueens attempt to find her. They break the door and discover Carmel embraced on the bed with Russ. Mercedes is jealous given Carmel's history with her sisters' husbands. Russ and Carmel are saved but are both placed in a coma. In hospital, Myra shouts at Mercedes when she comments Carmel and Russ' state on the bed, who recover a few days later.
Relationship with Calvin Valentine
Carmel and Frankie Osborne read their horoscopes, which say Carmel would fall in love with someone related to the number '3'. Outside, she drops her ring down a drain. Calvin Valentine comes and assists her. As Calvin walks away, Carmel tells Frankie she is attracted to him, who realises that Calvin has a number 3 on his T-shirt. At Louise Summers and Warren Fox's engagement party, Carmel is guilt-ridden for her illicit feelings for Calvin, who is Louise's ex-fiancé. At the end of the night, Calvin and Carmel almost kiss but he is distracted by a fire in Evissa. After he saves Louise, Calvin realises he is neglecting Carmel as he is caring unnecessarily for Louise. The pair share a passionate kiss and begin a serious relationship. Carmel tells Calvin she wants to join the police force. She passes a fitness test to join the police. Calvin accidentally proposes to a delighted Carmel. At the wedding, Calvin is late for his wedding due to being is caught up in a drugs raid at The Loft. Finally, he arrives and the pair are wed.
Carmel and Calvin's bliss does not last very long. After they return from their honeymoon, Calvin begins to feel increasingly guilty over Nige's "death", which he thinks he caused. After a row over Lauren, Calvin leaves for Spain to stay with Danny Valentine. Lauren finds a note from Carmel saying she has gone away on a spa break, however Lauren is unaware that Carmel has been kidnapped by Niall Rafferty, her secret brother. Niall holds all of the McQueens in the church where Myra left him as a baby. Carmel, and her sisters, are shocked to discover that Niall is their half-brother. Niall tells the McQueens he has explosives around the church and will detonate them, Carmel cries as she thinks she will never see Calvin again. Niall tells Myra he will ask her six questions and each one that she gets correct, she can choose one child to live and each one that she gets wrong, she can choose one child to die. Myra gets two questions right. John Paul and Mercedes sacrifice their lives and Myra has to choose another two to die. When he threatens to kill Michaela first, Myra reluctantly chooses Jacqui and Carmel to die. Carmel is devastated by Myra's choice, Myra tells them that it is because Tina has baby Max and Michaela is the youngest. Carmel begins to say a prayer just as Darren and Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) enter the church to rescue the McQueens. Niall detonates the explosives and the church explodes. With only a broken arm and a few cuts and bruises, Carmel is safe from the church, however Tina and Niall die. A few days later, the police phone and reveal Niall is still alive.
Carmel promises Lauren that she would buy her and Barry "Newt" Newton condoms but Calvin finds them and assumes Carmel is having an affair with Mark Gascoyne. She tries to tell him they are for Lauren but Calvin kicks her out. Carmel moves back with the McQueens. After a couple of days, Carmel asks Calvin for a divorce since she cannot trust him anymore. At Christmas, Carmel begins auditioning people for her nativity play. Her cousin, Theresa, auditions but is called off the stage by people making fun of her for having sex with Tony, claiming she cannot play a virgin when she clearly is not. Carmel then decides to play the Virgin Mary herself, however, the play is a disaster when the star the Three Wise Men follow catches fire. Calvin tells Carmel that Warren killed her best friend Louise on their wedding day. Carmel does not want to believe that she is dead at first but then in Evissa, she sees a post-it note written by Louise, she then sees Warren with Sasha and Spencer Gray, she leaves Evissa and approaches him crying and accuses him of murdering her best friend, which Warren denies. After Warren is killed by Clare Devine in a fire at The Loft, Calvin takes in his autistic foster brother Spencer. Carmel comforts him and tells him about Tina's death and how it will get better with time.
Russ comes to see his son, Max, after Jacqui tries to stop him seeing him. Russ sees his chance and takes Max and his passport. Carmel watches as Russ leaves with Max but does not stop him before he leaves Hollyoaks. Calvin later tells Carmel that he had seen Clare in The Loft and left her to kill Warren before he died. Carmel then decides to get back together with Calvin when he has told Spencer and Sasha the truth. Carmel tells Jacqui she let Russ take Max, however, as she tells Jacqui, Calvin does not tell the police and Carmel tells him their relationship is over for good. Jacqui vows never to forgive her sister. Carmel feels bad as if she has let her sister down. Myra finds out and tells Carmel she should not have done it. Jacqui later forgives Carmel. Spencer gives Carmel the position of manager at Evissa. Carmel also takes on other jobs including a cheer leading coach at Hollyoaks High School and returning to her role as a PCSO. Carmel later asks Calvin if he minds if she changed her name back to her maiden name and their divorce papers come through. Calvin and Carmel become close again, despite the fact Calvin is secretly sleeping with Mercedes. Carmel later tells Calvin she wants to get back together. Calvin is happy and ends things with Mercedes to be with Carmel. Not knowing Mercedes has been having affair with Calvin, Carmel confides in her, telling her how Calvin left Warren to die. Mercedes, still upset about Calvin dumping her, tells Sasha. Calvin blames Carmel for this and they split up again. However, Carmel realises how much she loves Calvin and they agree to get married again. Carmel is upset when Mercedes refuses to come to the wedding, unaware of her reasoning.
Sasha tries to ruin the day by announcing to the whole wedding party that Calvin left Warren to die. Carmel calls her a bitch and asks her to leave, saying no one will ruin her day. Carmel goes looking for Calvin when he goes missing in the evening and finds him in Evissa with her cousin, Theresa, who reveals she is pregnant. Little does Carmel know that Calvin is the father. The wedding is eventually ruined when Theresa shoots Calvin during the first dance. Shortly afterwards, he is confirmed dead.
Becoming a Nun
After an accident with Theresa and Katy, Carmel appears to see Calvin who tells her to keep her faith. Carmel turns to God and decides to begin training as a nun, much to the shock of her family, however her temptation is challenged when a good looking priest named Father Francis arrives in the village. Carmel finds him hard to resist and is rejected by him when she tried to kiss him. She is also embarrassed when she realizes that he is her client at the spa. Later, Father Francis becomes attracted to her and kisses her twice. She kisses him back but she feels guilty that she had kissed a priest. Carmel helps Francis raise money for an African orphanage by a charity dance class and a nude calendar which, Francis agrees to become a part of. Carmel and Francis talk about leaving their chosen paths in order to be together but Carmel comes to the conclusion that Francis was sent to test her faith and decides not to go with him. Following Carmel's decision Francis leaves for Uganda. Carmel tries to catch up with him at the airport but is disappointed to find the flight for Uganda had gone. When Francis returned he kissed Carmel's boss, Cindy, Carmel was heartbroken and never wanted to see Francis again. As Cindy was going to make a donation to the orphanage Francis revealed to Carmel that he seduces women and cons them into giving him their money.
Relationship with Jim McGinn
Carmel meets lawyer Jim McGinn and she is disgusted when he tries to flirt with her. Mercedes tells Carmel that Nana was paying Barney to romance her and Carmel is humiliated. She runs straight into the path of Jim's car and Jim helps Carmel home. After accidentally punching Jim, Carmel takes him to dinner, where he argues with Doctor Browning. Carmel rebuffs Jim's advances. As Carmel cleans up the pond in place of Jacqui, she is upset to see a magazine article on her tanning accident. Jim asks Carmel out on a date and she accepts. When Carmel believes Jim has arranged a lunch at The Dog in the Pond and sees him eating a hotdog, she storms off, as she believed the date would be more fancy. She then sees a limousine and realises that it is part of Jim's plan. Jim decides to go off in the limousine himself, leaving Carmel feeling guilty.
Carmel sees Jim with a bunch of flowers and presumes he is seeing another woman. He later explains the flowers were for his mother and he makes her chicken soup when she is ill. Carmel's feelings for Jim grow stronger. Jim prepares to leave Hollyoaks, but Carmel stops him. Carmel tells Jim that she loves him and they begin dating. Jim buys one half of the club and goes into business with Browning, they hire their respective partners Carmel and Mercedes to run Chez Chez. The initial plan is for Jim to be a silent partner at the club, but Carmel is unhappy with this, and she has other ideas, and tries to sway Jim into letting her have more of what she wants on the club. Mercedes resents Carmel's behaviour, and a power struggle begins to develop between them. Becoming competitive, they decide to split the club in half for the opening night and see who can make the most money. On the opening night, Carmel and Mercedes argue. However, they fail to realise that Ste has asked Robbie Roscoe to plant some drugs in the office to frame them. The police arrive and find the pills, arresting both Carmel and Mercedes. They are later released.
Jim overhears Carmel telling Theresa how Calvin was the love of her life, he becomes upset, thinking that he does not mean that much to Carmel. Carmel tells him that he did not hear her say how much he means to her. As their relationship progresses, Carmel worries that if she has sex with Jim, he will be put off by her scar. Myra tells Carmel that Jim loves her for who she is and they have sex for the first time. Jim gives Carmel money for cosmetic surgery to improve her scar and Carmel briefly leaves the village. Carmel starts up a beauty salon in a small section of Atwells, called McPreens. Jim feels insecure when he sees her with Ziggy Roscoe and tells her that he feels he is not good enough for her. Carmel tells him that he is the only man she wants. For Jim's birthday, Carmel organises a small picnic and gives him a replica war helmet. Carmel proposes to Jim and he accepts. During an engagement lunch, Mercedes tells Carmel that Jim had sex with Myra. Devastated, Carmel breaks up with Jim. Myra attempts to comfort Carmel, but Carmel remains angry with her. Myra realises that she needs to leave Chester and says goodbye to her family. They later learn that Browning has shot her and her body might never be found.
Carmel struggles with her mother's death. She is later injured when Nana and Theresa's scam to fake a robbery at home goes wrong. Carmel calls Jim, who comforts her and she learns that Nana faked the robbery because they wanted money to give Myra the send-off she deserves. Carmel is touched when Jim offers to pay for Myra's memorial. When Jim proposes, Carmel accepts. Jim is arrested on suspicion of arson when the club is set alight. He is later released and tells Carmel that he has lost the club and Trevor Royle framed him for the fire. Jim also reveals that Trevor's boss wants him to help his daughter, Clare, get out of prison. Carmel is furious that Jim is getting involved with Clare after what she did to her family. Jim tells her that if he cannot secure Clare's release, he cannot guarantee Carmel's safety.
Clare is soon released after her trial, and under the pretence of making amends with the McQueens for what she did to Mercedes, she offers to host Mercedes' 30th birthday party in The Loft. Carmel and the others agree, unaware that Clare plans to set off a bomb inside later. Later, Carmel becomes suspicious when Jim begins behaving oddly. She and Theresa search Carmel's room, to find some test results, which show that Jim has chlamydia. Carmel presumes he has been having sex with other women, and confronts Jim in the courthouse. When Jim refuses to explain in front of the others, Carmel goes home and packs up Jim's things. When he returns, she throws him out. After he leaves, Theresa comments that she has had chlamydia during the time of her and Calvin's affair. Carmel is horrified to realise that she must have caught it from Calvin and passed it onto Jim, meaning he is innocent.
Carmel goes to Dee Valley Hospital to see a GP, who tells her that because she has had the disease for several years, she could possibly be infertile. An enraged Carmel confronts Theresa in the street, blaming her for what has happened, only for Jim to arrive and stop the argument. Carmel is devastated, but Jim comforts her, and tells her that even if she can't have children, they can adopt. Carmel and Jim go to see the adoption agency, but Carmel is upset when she is told it could take them several years to adopt, and begins to grow resentful that Theresa has what she cannot have - a child. She is anxious when she discovers that the doll's house Theresa got for Kathleen-Angel's Christmas present is stolen. She goes to see Chloe Chance, who agrees to give her baby to Carmel, only for Carmel to realise that Jim has been listening to their conversation. She says she is sorry for going to see Jim behind his back, but tells him how badly she wants a child, and Jim agrees to the idea.
When the police come to see her on the day of Chloe's visit and show her footage of Theresa stealing Kathleen-Angel's doll's house, it is clear that they have mistaken her identity for her cousin. Carmel is furious with Theresa, and prepares to throw the doll's house at her - just as Chloe walks in. Chloe realises she cannot sell her baby to Carmel, but convinces Carmel to bring forward the payment and she will give her the baby. Carmel steals some of Jim's money to give to Chloe. She gets revenge by telling Dodger that Theresa has been sending the emails from Texas. Carmel is grateful when she sees an envelope from Chloe, containing the money she gave her for the baby. After a disgusted Dodger dumps her, Theresa responds by pretending to have sex with a drunk Jim, and as Carmel walks in on them, she presumes the obvious, but Nana forces Theresa to admit the truth.
Furious at Theresa's behaviour and neglect of Kathleen-Angel, Carmel phones Calvin's brother Sonny Valentine, and tells him they have to get Kathleen-Angel away from Theresa. Carmel's efforts seem to be paying off as Sonny returns to the village, and introduces him to his niece, Kathleen-Angel. Carmel again reminds him of her plea she made over the phone, and when Sonny refuses, Carmel blurts out that Theresa killed Calvin. However, Carmel soon regrets this and is horrified to discover that Sonny has joined the police force since leaving the village. Sonny confronts Theresa on the street, causing her to panic that she is about to be arrested, so Mercedes and Nana hatch a plot for Theresa to leave the country, and she reluctantly agrees to leave Kathleen-Angel with Carmel for the time being. Theresa and Mercedes head to the airport, and Carmel goes with Jim to buy Kathleen-Angel a present, only to discover she is missing on her return. She instantly thinks that Theresa has taken her on the run, and quickly informs the police of Theresa's plan. Theresa is found at the airport, and tries to evade the police, but is soon discovered trying to run away. Carmel soon arrives at the airport, believing Theresa has taken Kathleen-Angel with her. However, Kathleen-Angel was in fact taken by Sonny, who then arrests Theresa for the murder of his brother, Calvin.
An angry Mercedes persuades Carmel to come to the police station to retract her statement, but just as they arrive, they find out that Theresa, who has been under interrogation, has admitted to murdering Calvin, and that she is going to prison. A devastated Carmel begs Sonny to let her see Theresa, and he agrees. Carmel apologises to her for what she has done, but Theresa bears no ill-will towards her, telling her that she knew she had it coming in the end, and also asks her to look after Kathleen-Angel.
After Jim is accidentally run over and left in a coma by Freddie Roscoe, Carmel stands by him, despite Mercedes voicing her suspicions that Sonny has feelings for her. When Jim wakes up, a jealous Sonny shows Carmel CCTV footage of Jim helping Myra out of the water after Browning shot her. A hurt Carmel breaks off their relationship, telling Jim that she cannot marry someone who lies to her, but she is stung to learn that John Paul knew the truth. A furious Mercedes later throws Jim out of the McQueen home, but he begs Carmel to reconsider, claiming that he has given up everything if it means that he can be with her - and asks her and Kathleen-Angel to leave the village with him. However, Sonny refuses to let them take his niece. A sympathetic John Paul reminds Carmel that Jim is still the man she fell in love with him, and that if she wants to be with him, she should.
Carmel decides to go with Jim, and sneaks out, whilst John Paul manages to dupe Sonny into letting him take Kathleen-Angel. Carmel waits for Jim in the square, but as he makes his way through a crowd of late-night pub-goers, he is stabbed by a disguised Fraser, in revenge for his betrayal. Carmel is devastated to notice he is bleeding, putting paid to their happy ending, as Jim dies in her arms.
Death
Carmel returns to the village a few weeks later, under a shroud of mystery as she enters the police station and asks for help. She reconciles with her family, but is later revealed to be working for Sonny and is trying to abduct Kathleen-Angel and move away with her and Sonny. On the day of her cousin Porsche McQueen's wedding to Lockie Campbell, Carmel plans to execute her plan and packs her and Kathleen-Angel's passports. Carmel then sneaks off during the reception with the child and tries to meet up with Sonny, but later changes her mind and returns to the ceremony. Sonny, enraged, verbally belittles Carmel, causing her to storm off to the wedding reception, which is set to take place on a party train.
During the reception, Theresa discovers Kathleen-Angel's passport in Carmel's bag and the guests are shocked. Myra and Mercedes tell Carmel she is no longer part of the family, whilst John Paul, Theresa and Dodger tell her to stay away from Kathleen-Angel. Unbeknownst to the guests, Sonny sneaks onto the train using Carmel's invite and attacks Phoebe with a metal bar, locking her in the toilet, before attempting to throw Theresa off. However, Sienna Blake's car is stuck on the train tracks and the train smashes into it, causing it to derail. Carmel is the first to wake up and scrambles from the wreckage, leading her family out in the process. She then realizes that Sonny is holding Theresa hostage in the debris and re-enters the wreckage of the train, attempting to save Theresa. A propane gas canister is opened in the scuffle, and Carmel manages to free Theresa long enough for her to escape from the upturned train, before flames react with the gas and the wreckage explodes. Horrified, Theresa re-enters the wreckage again after the explosion to try and save Carmel, but finds her in critical condition and trapped under debris. Theresa and Carmel reflect on their relationship and their past in Hollyoaks village, before Myra, Phoebe and Mercedes enter looking for the pair. The family gather around a trapped Carmel and say their goodbyes and make amends over their previous argument. Carmel forgives them, and ask Myra to tell her a story. Myra tells her a fairytale story, and Carmel then dies with Myra, Phoebe and Mercedes by her side. John Paul later enters the carriage, but finds Carmel, dead with her family by her side, leaving him devastated.
Gallery
Trivia
- When Carmel was introduced in 2006, she was established as being 22 while her sisters Tina and Mercedes were established as 21 and 19 respectively[1]
- The birth order of Myra's children was later retconned to the following: Matthew (Niall), Jacqui, Mercedes, Tina, Carmel, John Paul, Michaela, Carmina.