They marked the one year anniversary of the important storyline in an impactful way.

This time last year, Hollyoaks dealt with the issue of consent through Ellie Nightingale’s experience at a Fresher’s party. Ellie went home with Nick Savage, however, was too drunk to give her consent which didn’t stop him from having sex with her anyway. Charges against Nick were eventually dropped as there wasn’t enough evidence, however, a few months later he was brought to justice after another woman came forward to report he had also raped her. Since then, Ellie has struggled to overcome what happened to her that night.

How to get consent the right way… #Hollyoaks #HollyoaksConsent pic.twitter.com/6BbfIjNqgg

— Hollyoaks (@Hollyoaks) September 25, 2017

One year on, and Ellie returned to the same Fresher’s party with friends. However, writers decided to use the anniversary episode to highlight the importance of consent as Ellie decides to go home with show newbie Damon. In the heat of the moment, Damon looks to Ellie to make sure she is OK with taking things further. Hollyoaks have since shared a video comparing the two encounters to highlight the slight but hugely important difference. The show enlisted the help of both Rape Crisis and The Mix to ensure the topic was covered with the respect it deserved.

If you have been affected by this storyline, please find help and information here: https://t.co/Yzu1gGdGbt

— Hollyoaks (@Hollyoaks) September 25, 2017