Jennifer Metcalfe om Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)
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Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe opens up about ‘difficult’ maternity leave

The Hollyoaks actress found time off work 'isolating'

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Jennifer Metcalfe has admitted she’s delighted to have returned to her role as Mercedes McQueen on Hollyoaks as she found her maternity leave “difficult” and “isolating”.

The 35-year-old actress welcomed her first son, Daye, with Geordie Shore star Greg Lake in June last year, and moved in with him in Newcastle.

Jennifer Metcalfe and Greg Lake (Credit: Instagram)
Jennifer welcomed her first son with Greg Lake in June 2017 and took a year off work (Credit: Instagram)

While the new mum said she loved being a parent and having her in-laws on hand to help, she missed being around her friends in Liverpool, where she lives while filming the soap.

She said of her maternity leave on Monday’s Good Morning Britain: “It can be (isolating). I was in Newcastle. I had Greg and his mum and dad who are incredible and a couple of friends up there but it wasn’t like being at home.

“I realised being up there that Liverpool is my home. I have all my friends there, I have been there 12 years. So it is quite isolating.”

Jennifer Metcalfe om Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)
The actress spoke about her maternity leave on Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)

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Jennifer had to fly out to Majorca for her first scenes back as Mercedes, as her character surprises her family by announcing she’s to marry a former flame, and wants a hen do in Magaluf.

The actress said it wasn’t hard going straight back into working long hours in the hot country as it felt like a holiday compared to being a mum to an energetic baby.

She said: “My maternity leave was so difficult because my little boy never kept still. For about six months he screamed his life away and he didn’t sleep very good. So for me to be out in that setting working with all my friends again…”

Jennifer Metcalfe om Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)
The actress said she loves being back at work with her friends (Credit: ITV)

She added: “Obviously I love my little boy and I love my time with him but…”

GMB host Ranvir Singh, standing in for Susanna Reid along with Piers Morgan’s replacement Adil Ray, said it was brave of Jennifer to admit being a mum isn’t easy.

She also said it must have been hard to return after having a baby and have to wear a bikini in Mercedes’ first scenes.

Jennifer Metcalfe om Good Morning Britain (Credit: ITV)
Viewers will see Mercedes return this week in scenes in Magaluf (Credit: ITV/Channel 4)

But Jennifer replied: “I didn’t really care, I was just happy to be part of it again. I was like ‘put me in whatever’. It was great to be back with my friends who I haven’t seen properly for a year and having three nights of sleep!”

Jennifer has been back filming for two months now but her return will be aired this week. She said viewers should expect plenty of drama as the McQueens hit Magaluf!

Jennifer Metcalfe and her baby (Credit: Instagram)
Jennifer said she loves being a mum but it isn’t easy (Credit: Instagram)

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When Mercedes was last seen on the show, she told her family that she was going to America in the hope of building a relationship with her son Bobby.

Jennifer left the soap at the same time as Chelsee Healey, who plays Goldie McQueen, as the former Strictly star also had a baby.

Are you looking forward to seeing Mercedes back on Hollyoaks? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor