| Character Profile | List of appearances |
Ethan Williams was the half-brother of Dave Williams, former partner of the late dangerous criminal Maya Harkwell, and the husband of Sienna Blake.
Biography[]
2021-2022: Arrival[]
Ethan kidnapped Darren Osborne after he witnessed Ethan and his girlfriend Maya Harkwell performed a robbery on Marringcroft Jewellers in November 2021. The pair held Darren hostage in Brass Bath Hotel, but Ethan ended up getting along with Darren and defied Maya's orders to kill him. Maya prepared to kill Darren herself so Darren struck Ethan with the bathroom door and fled from the hotel, making it back to Hollyoaks. Ethan attempted to pay Darren to flee, but Darren refused and Maya agreed to spare him.
Maya is shot during a struggle with Ethan.
Ethan attended Christmas with his brother Dave's family, to the delight of his nephews and nieces as he generally did not attend family events. Maya also forced Ethan to bring her, with Dave's wife Honour taking a dislike to her. Ethan was left scared of Maya's continued threatening presence and conspired against her. When Maya found out what Ethan was planning, she prepared to kill Ethan's step-niece Serena. Ethan intervened and the pair scuffled over the gun, with Ethan pulling the trigger and accidentally shooting her dead.
Hiding her body in a Deadly Sheen Cleaning Co. van, Ethan took Maya's body to Oaks' Scrapyard to dispose of her body. However, Deadly Sheen owner Ste Hay and employee Sienna Blake tracked down the van, so Ethan blackmailed them into burying Maya's body. He then attempted to keep them quiet by proving to be a threatening presence: threatening to harm their families and even convincing Sienna that he ran down her ex-fiancé Warren Fox. Ethan later attended Damon Kinsella's poker night, where he gave Damon a loan so Damon could play against James Nightingale. Damon ended up losing so Ethan told him that he would wipe the debts if his girlfriend Liberty Savage sold Savage's Emporium to him, which Liberty agreed to do.
2022-2023: Continued Life of Crime and Relationship with Sienna Blake[]
Ethan confronts Sienna and Ste over moving Maya's body.
After attacking Warren in revenge for Warren assaulting Ethan's nephew Sam, Warren forced Ethan to supply him with prescription painkillers and track down his hit-and-run driver. Ethan discovered that Warren's son Joel Dexter was the driver, but Joel threatened him into keeping quiet. Ste and Sienna became concerned by the hold Ethan had over them as he continued to date Ste's sister Leela Lomax, with the pair being unable to break them up.
Maya's parents reported her missing and Ste and Sienna moved her body as they worried that Ethan would end up accidentally confessing to the police. However, Ethan found one of Ste's unwashed gloves and blackmailed the pair, telling them that Maya had caused the Salon de Thé de Marnie Explosion to stop them from going to the police. Ethan decided to change Savage's Emporium into beauty salon Wham! Glam! Thank You Tan! to launder money. He initially hired Liberty to manage the business until Sienna took over on the promise that he would leave Ste and their families alone.
Ethan ended up going against his promise to Sienna as he paid for Liberty to set up a stall in The Cunningham Grande Bazaar to clean the laundered money. After discovering an inconsistency in the accounts, Ethan confronted Sienna and Ste and revealed that the money belonged to his boss, "The Undertaker". The Undertaker threatened to kill the trio, but decided to spare them after killing Asher Jones for being a police informant. She then fired Ethan and took the business from him. After the truth about Maya's death was revealed, Sam evicted Ethan, who moved in with Darren until beginning a relationship with Sienna.
Ethan eventually entered into a with Sienna but their relationship was majorly jolted with the arrival of Rafe Harcourt and his "sister" Dilly. Ethan and Sienna planed to fleece Rafe of his fortune as he was rich. However, Ethan had second thoughts and eventually pulled out ending the relationship he had with Sienna as a result. Ethan's heart was further hurt when Sienna herself eventually fell in love with Rafe and despite outing eventually Sienna, Ethan only seemingly brought Sienna and Rafe closer together. Ethan during this time grew close with Dilly and even slept with her at one point.
What Ethan didn't know was that Dilly was in fact Rafe's attempting to con Sienna as revenge as it turned out Dilly's father was that of the late Patrick Blake. Despite this and after Rafe's death. Ethan helped Dilly when she was accused of killing him. Ethan was best pleased when Dilly was cleared of murder and worked on sisterly relationship with Sienna.
2023-2024: Relationship with Vicky and Reconcile with Sienna[]
After all the Sienna, Rafe and Dilly drama. Ethan was seen more or less working in The Loft all the time. He had a brief lustful encounters with Suzanne Ashworth but Ethan's love life seemingly took a huge pause that was until the summer of 2024 when Ethan was catching the eye of local young adult Vicky Grant. Ethan at first found it assuming with Vicky's attempts to flirt however after employing her to work at The Loft, he got to know Vicky and the feelings almost instantly become mutual. Dilly notices this and locks them in The Loft office, this leads to Ethan and Vicky sleeping together and eventually going into a relationship.
Ethan wasn't without any trouble during his relationship with Vicky as Vicky's protective father Donny Clark who was an ex copper realises Ethan has a dodgy criminal past. Ethan is accused by Donny for being the notorious gangster Blue. Ethan tells Donny he's not Blue however Ethan realises to the shock of him that Blue is in fact his older brother Dave.
In September 2024, it's known a year has passed in Hollyoaks and Ethan is no longer in a relationship with Vicky who is now in a relationship with Robbie Roscoe however Ethan is revealed to have reconciled with Sienna who now is in fact engaged to Ethan, It's also revealed that Dave is still missing after his showdown with Warren but was killed by Robbie as well as Ethan no longer being the owner of The Loft with it now being Robbie.
In October 2024, Ethan and Sienna's wedding day arrives but it is revealed by Robbie before this that Ethan slept with Vicky on the Christmas of the previous year. Sienna pleads with her family to accept Ethan as she has forgiven him, and they eventually agreed. Jeremy walks her down the isle but, once they get outside, Vicky arrives and throws a drink at Sienna in jealousy. After Vicky tells Sienna that Ethan got her pregnant and paid for her abortion, Sienna attacks Vicky. Ethan tries to stop her, but is kicked by her. Later, they argue on a balcony in the bridal suite while the party is going on inside. Everyone inside hears a thud, and it is revealed that Ethan has been pushed off the balcony and killed by an unknown assailant.
Kill Count[]
Murders[]
- Maya Harkwell, 12th January 2022 (accidental) - Shot during a struggle with Ethan as she attempted to shoot Serena Chen-Williams. He then ordered Sienna Blake and Ste Hay to bury her body.
Attempted Murders[]
- Ste Hay, 19th January 2022 - Held him and Sienna Blake at gunpoint after they found out about Maya Harkwell's death, but was talked out of killing them by Sienna as she suggested they bury her body.
- Sienna Blake, 19th January 2022 - Held her and Ste Hay at gunpoint after they found out about Maya Harkwell's death, but was talked out of killing them by Sienna as she suggested they bury her body.
Appendices[]
Residences[]
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4 | December 2021 to 18th October 2022 |
| 17 Basswood Road | 18th October 2022 to 10th February 2023 |
| 5 Oakdale Drive, Flat 1 | 10th February 2023 to 2nd October 2023 |
| 17 Basswood Road | 2nd October 2023 to January 2024 |
| 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 3 | Since January 2024 to unknown |
Employment History[]
| Job | Duration |
|---|---|
| Gangster | Prior to November 2021 to 2nd May 2022 |
| Drug dealer | Prior to November 2021 to 2nd May 2022 |
| Wham! Glam! Thank You Tan! owner | 3rd February 2022 to 2nd May 2022 |
| The Loft co-owner | Since February 2023 to 2024 |
| The Loft barman | Since 2024 to 30th September 2025 |
Background Information[]
- In an unusual move, Matthew James-Bailey's casting as gangster Ethan was announced after the character's debut. A few weeks later, Ethan was revealed as a new regular character.
Introduction Sequence[]
- 2022-2023: Ethan meets with the family outside of The Cunningham Grande Bazaar.
- 2023-2024: Ethan stands next to Dave on the City Wall.
- 2024: Ethan offers Sienna a red rose in The Dog in the Pond.
Quotes[]
| “ | Alright? | ” |
— First line, to Darren Osborne
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