| Character Profile | List of appearances |
James "Jambo" Bolton is the son of Janice and Jeff Bolton.
Biography[]
1995-1997: Family Troubles[]
Jambo was a close friend of Kurt Benson and Tony Hutchinson, with a strange habit of entering Kurt's house through his bedroom window instead of the door. He worked at Gardner's Place Garden Centre, where his mother Janice worked as an accountant. Jambo supported Kurt in his venture of winning over Natasha Andersen, accompanying him to Natasha's friend Louise Taylor's birthday party in October 1995. As Kurt tried helping Louise through her break-up to impress Natasha, Jambo's meddling lead to Louise believing that the universe wanted her to be with Kurt!
Jambo befriended Natasha's friend Dawn Cunningham, who encouraged him to search for his absent father, Jeff. After Dawn told Jambo that she gave birth to a daughter - Bethany - when she was sixteen, Jambo decided to help her track her down. Dawn managed to find Jeff's address, whilst Jambo managed to find Bethany's address. Coming face-to-face with his father for the first time in years, Jambo learned that he had a half-brother Jake and half-sister Emily.
In October 1996, Jambo inherited a car which he named Beryl. In November, he shared a kiss with Dawn, but the pair ultimately decided to remain friends. Jambo began dating Anita Groves, to Dawn's dismay as she had changed her mind about their decision. After asking Jeff's wife Lisa Bolton for advice on his relationship with Anita, the pair ended up sharing a kiss and ultimately ignited an affair. After Jambo and Lisa learned that Jeff had been having an affair with Janice, Lisa revealed her affair with Jambo. As Jambo's parents reconciled, Jambo decided to end his affair with Lisa as well as his relationship with Anita.
1997-1998: Dawn's Death and Departure[]
Deciding to move out of his mother's house, Jambo began living with Tony, but the pair struggled to get along as roommates. He and Dawn ended up finally getting together in October 1997, but Dawn revealed that she had been ill and visited the doctors. After receiving a leukemia diagnosis, Dawn began treatment for chemotherapy with Jambo at her side. On Christmas Day, Jambo proposed to Dawn on a rowboat in the River Dee and she accepted, but died in his arms as they discussed their wedding.
Struggling to cope with Dawn's death, Jambo fell into a depression and began isolating himself from his family and friends. He ended up selling Beryl to Anita's sister Carol Groves, but decided to try get back on his feet by beginning a new landscaping business: Dig It! However, he struggled with the constant reminders of Dawn and decided to move to Anglesey to accept a gardening job in June 1998. His friends made a final visit to him in August 1998, with Beryl rolling over the edge of a cliff when Carol forgot to put the handbrake on!
1998-2007: Aftermath[]
Following Jambo's departure, Tony found a vagrant - Jambo's old friend Rory "Finn" Finnigan - sleeping in Jambo's shed. Tony and Finn would ultimately form a similar friendship to what Jambo and Tony had. In August 2002, Tony went on a month-long spiritual retreat with Jambo. At Christmas 2004, Tony began seeing a vision of Jambo and contacted him to ensure that he was still alive. In October 2007, Tony's sister-in-law Tina Reilly attempted to throw Tony a surprise 30th birthday party, which Jambo inadvertently made Tony aware of by informing him that he was unable to visit.
Appendices[]
Residences[]
Employment History[]
Other Information[]
- Jambo is the godfather of Tony Hutchinson's son Harry Thompson.
Background information[]
- Jambo was one of the original characters created by Phil Redmond for the show.
- Actor Will Mellor was cast as Jambo merely days before filming of the first episode.
- Will Mellor was offered a return to the role in 2019 for Hollyoaks's 25th anniversary, but Mellor was forced to decline due to scheduling conflicts.
Quotes[]
| “ | Alrighty chaps? | ” |
— First line, to Kurt Benson and Tony Hutchinson.
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See Also[]
| Original Characters |
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| Natasha Andersen • Kurt Benson • Jambo Bolton • Dawn Cunningham • Tony Hutchinson • Maddie Parker • Louise Taylor |