Hollyoaks: IRL turns to teenage drug dealing

This edition of Hollyoaks In Real Life is entitled Trapped As A Teenage Drug Dealer.

“County lines is something that almost always involves vulnerable young people who are victims of criminal grooming.”

In the episode, Josh Connolly tells his story of being a drug dealer at young age, and talks to Hollyoaks actor Billy Price, who was recently involved in a County Lines storyline.

Talking about seeing parallels in the Hollyoaks storyline and his own experiences, Josh says: “I remember sitting and watching the hour-long episode, particularly when they travelled on the train. The roller coaster of emotions that they went through was like really relatable you know.

“That kind of wanting to get out, but at certain moments getting caught up in it all and almost enjoying it. It genuinely made me realise how serious it was for me.”

Josh goes on to talk about his escape from the drug-dealing world, and how he turned his life around becoming a mental health campaigner.

Talking to viewers who may be in a similar situation, Josh says “I know that when I was in it, I did not see another path, I did not see another journey in life. You can learn and grow and become a human being that can be of value to the world. My life has been proof that this doesn’t have to be a life sentence. My life has been proof that there’s always hope.”

Each episode will premiere with a sneak preview on Snapchat Discover on Tuesdays, followed by full episodes available across Channel 4 socials each Wednesday.