Brennan: Ste and Doug need work

Hollyoaks actor PJ Brennan has said Doug Carter and Ste Hay have "a lot of hurdles to jump over" before they can find happiness together.

The on-off couple have had a turbulent week on the Channel 4 soap, with dramatic scenes at Doug's sham wedding to Leanne Holiday (Jessica Forrest).

And PJ reckons the pair still have some issues to work through. He said: "In a perfect world, of course, it would be really nice. I think they would be good together. There is so much history between them that they need to work out.

"Each character has a lot of baggage and this year's really been about both of them trying to work it out, but it's been hard work. I would like to see them together but only if it's for the right reasons - there's still the presence of Brendan (Brady, played by Emmett Scanlan), there's a lot of things that have been bubbling under the surface and have been for quite a while."

He added: "There is a big part of me that thinks it would be possible for there to be true happiness for Doug and Ste (played by Kieron Richardson). But there's a long way to go and a lot of hurdles that they have to jump to get there."

Brooklyn-born PJ paid tribute to his co-star Kieron.

"He's the best. I'm very thrown off if I don't have a scene with him in the day. We've become very good friends," PJ said.

"He has the ability without the ego. He never bigs himself up as an actor, in fact he doesn't like to call himself one. But I think he's one of the most capable actors I've ever worked with."