| Character Profile | List of appearances |
Serena Chen-Williams (née Chen) is the daughter of Honour Chen-Williams, the step-daughter of Dave Chen-Williams, the half-sister of Mason Chen-Williams, the step-sister of Maxine Minniver and Sam Chen-Williams, and the adoptive step-sister of Lizzie Chen-Williams.
Biography[]
Until 2021: Life Before Hollyoaks[]
Serena was born to Honour Chen and her then-partner, who ended up separating. Honour began dating Dave Williams and the pair married in September 2006, with Serena acquiring two step-siblings - Sam and Lizzie - who she would grow close to. Honour gave birth to her and Dave's son Mason in 2007, who also grew up close to the trio.
2021-2023: Life in Hollyoaks[]
Serena encounters Lizzie and Sid on a date.
Serena first arrived in Hollyoaks in September 2021. Having gone clubbing the night before, Serena returned Sid Sumner's prosthetic leg to him. She wrote her number on it, but Sid did not call her. In December 2021, Serena's family moved into 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 3, and Serena was left horrified when she learned that Sid and Lizzie were dating. As Sid was left conflicted between his feelings for the step-sisters, Serena made the decision for him and rejected him. Catching Dave in the park with a mysterious woman, Serena informed Lizzie and she, Lizzie and Sam decided to confront him. The woman, Maxine Minniver, having grown tired of the lies, revealed to the trio that she was Dave's first-born daughter.
At Lunar New Year, Sid comforted Serena over the revelation, and decided to tell her how he felt. Serena gave into her feelings for Sid and decided to kiss him, but a mix-up resulted in her kissing Imran Maalik. Imran was left smitten and decided to fight for Serena, despite being repeatedly warned off by Sam. After drinking from friend Clara's water bottle (unaware it had been spiked with amphetamine), Serena collapsed and discovered that she may be disqualified from qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. Confiding in Imran, his comfort lead Serena to discover her feelings for him and the pair also began dating.
Serena falls from the café roof.
Serena ended up making qualified time and was informed in June 2022 that she had been selected to represent England in the Commonwealth Games. However, after getting drunk, Serena fell from the roof of the Park Café and was forced to pull out of the competition when unqualified doctor Ali Shahzad poorly performed a surgery on her leg. She became reliant on Imran throughout the ordeal, but he broke up with her when she wanted their relationship to become more intimate (unaware that he was suffering from anorexia). She then went slightly off the rails: sleeping with Joseph Holmes and regularly partying with Peri Lomax, until Dave spoke with her about her behaviour since the break-up.
In January 2023, Serena was taken hostage - along with Lizzie and the attendees of Verity Hutchinson's funeral - at The Dog in the Pond by Verity's extremist incel brother Eric Foster. During the siege, Eric used Serena as a 'human shield', threatening to shoot her with a crossbow. Afterwards, Serena and Lizzie discovered that Mason was associated with Eric and the family argued on how to handle the situation. Serena gave the police Mason's laptop against Dave and Honour's wishes. After speaking to Lizzie, Serena decided that she couldn't forgive Mason and wasn't ready to forget, so she considered going to live with her maternal grandmother in Malaysia, but later decided to live with her father in Shanghai. Honour arranged for a video call in an attempt to reconcile the family, but Serena refused to return home as Honour was still disrespecting her wishes. A week later, Mason video-called Serena to apologise to her for his behaviour. Serena later told Honour that she was proud when Mason attended the women's safety march in the village.
Appendices[]
Residences[]
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| 3 Oakdale Drive, Flat 4 | 2021 to 13th January 2023 |
| Shanghai | Since 13th January 2023 |
Employment History[]
| Job | Duration |
|---|---|
| Unknown |
Background Information[]
- In November 2021, it was announced that Serena was to be a new regular character in Hollyoaks.
- Serena's departure was unannounced. In January 2023, executive producer Lucy Allan engaged in interviews with several soap outlets, informing them that one of the Chen-Williams family was set to depart. Serena's departure was then confirmed after Episode 6025 (13th January 2023) was transmitted.
Introduction Sequence[]
- 2022-2023: Serena meets with the family outside of The Cunningham Grande Bazaar.
Quotes[]
| “ | Actually, I did. | ” |
— First line, to Juliet Nightingale and Sid Sumner.
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| “ | It's still too soon for me. I'll speak to you guys when I'm ready. | ” |
— Final line.
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