Harley Frater is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Mollie Lambert. The character and casting was announced on 10 April 2018 and Lambert's first appearance as Harley aired three days later on 13 April. Lambert was originally contracted for six months and this was later extended to a year. Harley was characterised as being brave and bold and was introduced as a homeless teenager that established character Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) meets when she is living on the street. Hollyoaks worked with the charities Centrepoint and The Whitechapel Centre to explore the homelessness storyline, and Lambert did research into the topic beforehand. After appearing in a special episode about the experience of being homeless, Harley moves into Peri's family home, which causes tension with Peri's mother Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter). Harley later kisses Peri and despite Peri initially rejecting her, the pair begin a romantic relationship. Digital Spy reported how various viewers shipped the two characters. However, the couple face various obstacles, including Peri's former friend Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson) trying to kill Harley, Harley's struggles at school due to her illiteracy, and Harley's jealousy of Peri's friendship with her ex-boyfriend Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins). Harley, Tom and Peri later begin a three-way polyamorous relationship, but this does not work out and Harley leaves the village for a fresh start, with her unannounced exit airing on 8 March 2019. Lambert praised the soap and the character following her departure.
Casting
On 10 April 2018, it was announced that Mollie Lambert had been cast as new regular character Harley Frater on the British soap opera Hollyoaks as part of a homelessness storyline involving established character Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell). Harley was characterised as being a young homeless girl who is "brave, bold" and having "nothing to lose", as well as having lived on the streets for many years. It was also teased that an upcoming special episode about homelessness would reveal how Harley and Peri met. Lambert's first appearance as Harley aired on 13 April 2018. Of her casting and initial storyline, Lambert said, "I am so pleased to be introduced into the Hollyoaks family and looking forward to getting stuck in. It's been a privilege to have worked with The Whitechapel Centre and Centrepoint and learn how homelessness can happen to anyone. Hopefully this story can help raise awareness of these and other charities that work so hard to help people who find themselves without a place to live." Lambert was also happy to have a job for a longer stint as an actor and was looking forward to exploring Liverpool as she had previously always lived in or around London until being cast on Hollyoaks.
Discussing the character's backstory, Lambert explained that Harley is roughly 18 years old and has been living on the streets for about four years after being kicked out by her mum as she does not agree with the way Harley "lives her life". Lambert did not see many similarities between her and Harley other than believing that both are "quite strong minded". Lambert found acting on Hollyoaks difficult as she had not done any acting on a soap opera before other than a small role in Doctors. She recalled, "One of the directors I worked with on the first few weeks [of Hollyoaks] gave me a piece of advice that I still talk about now [in 2020]. He said that if everyone is working at a heightened performance and you're the one that's playing it like you're just talking to someone as you would in everyday life, you'll be the one that stands out in something like this. I have great admiration for people who work on soaps because they film day in, day out, and churn out so many episodes." For the role, Lambert wore a wig of dreadlocks. Lambert's contract was originally for six months but was later extended to a year, which she was grateful for.
Development
Introduction Harley comes to the Hollyoaks village when she finds out that Peri's mother Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) is offering a £5000 reward for information about where Peri is. Harley "takes advantage of Leela's hospitality" by asking for the money immediately, in addition to food and a shower, as she desperately needs some "home comforts". Leela's boyfriend Louis Loveday (Karl Collins) does not believe that Harley has any information that can help find Peri and hence Leela is unsure who to listen to. Harley then temporarily moves in with Louis and Leela as Leela believes she has a chance to find Peri, but Harley's "true intentions" are revealed when she betrays Leela and steals her purse. Harley then flees and goes back to the streets with Peri.
Soon after Harley's debut, she was featured in a special homelessness episode which showed how Peri had met Harley amid Peri's 71 days of homelessness after being kicked out by Leela for lying about being pregnant. The homelessness storyline was devised by Hollyoaks with the charities Centrepoint and The Whitechapel Centre to explore the "shocking, harrowing and brutally harsh realities of sleeping rough" amid a big increase of rough sleeping between 2015 and 2018. Head of Public Affairs at Centrepoint Paul Noblet said that the storyline reflected "the reality for the tens of thousands of young people who find themselves homeless every year with no idea where to turn for help. As well as those who sleep rough, we know there are many more young people sleeping in A&E departments, on night buses, and in some cases, in the beds of strangers [...] Homelessness does not need to define a young person's life if they receive the support they need at the right time."
The episode originally aired on 18 April 2018. It was filmed on location in Liverpool. The episode showed that Peri met homeless youths Dean (Alfie Kingsnorth) and later Harley on the streets and has to endure hunger, bad weather, violence and theft on the streets with them. Harley is introduced to Peri by Dean and she is initially not keen on Peri. Lambert explained that Harley does not start off on good terms with Peri and dislikes her is because Peri is not used to be homeless and Harley does not understand why Peri would leave her non-homeless world. Harley reluctantly agrees to let Peri stay with them in their tent. Peri is shocked to hear Harley and Dean's backstories about how they became homeless and they are angry at her when they find out that her family are trying to get her home. Dean dies in his sleep at the end of the episode, and when Peri tries to get help, she is ignored by strangers, with Harley telling Peri at one point that she is now "worthless" due to being homeless. Harley and Peri are devastated by Dean's death, and Harley rejects Peri and tells to go back to her family as they cannot survive on the streets without Dean. Not wanting to leave Harley alone on the street, Peri "swallow[s] her pride" and ends up returning home to Leela, and tells her mother that she will only return home if Harley moves in with them as well.
Reflecting on the storyline in 2020, Lambert said: "Harley's homeless storyline was my favourite thing to work on because it was such a good way to go into a show. I could do my research beforehand and have this character in mind. I learnt so much about the issue and I now feel really affected by it, and I don't think I would have as much if I hadn't taken on the role. To be able to focus on the actual story of the character is really beneficial as an actor."
Relationship with Peri and danger It was subsequently teased by Metro that there would be "big trouble" when Harley and Peri go to live in the Lomax household. With Harley always around, Leela struggles to reconnect with Peri; Leela later gets concerned and is unsure whether to trust Harley and thus searches through Harley's jacket to find out more about her, but Peri catches her and is furious. Peri tries to make her mother see that letting Harley stay with them is the right thing to do and notes that she would not have survived on the streets without Harley's help. Harley later mistakes Peri's intentions when she tells Harley how much she appreciates her help and tries to kiss Peri, which leaves the latter shocked. Harley's kiss temporarily causes issues to the pair's friendship. Harley and Peri later share a mutual kiss, which leaves Peri confused about her feelings due to her reciprocation. O'Donnell explained, "Peri's very confused at the moment, because she's never had feelings for a girl before and is scared by this. She isn't sure if she's just confusing their feelings of friendship with something more." O'Donnell liked the storyline between Harley and Peri's developing relationship and believed the two characters were contrasting, noting that "opposites attract. She also said that she liked Lambert as a person. Wanting Harley to settle into her new life, Peri makes her a social media profile and finds out that it is her birthday in a few days. Harley then tells Peri that she was considering making contact with her mother but decided against it, and confides how her mother treated her badly and kicked her out because of her sexuality. Wanting to make Harley happier, Peri decides to throw her a party and decides to invite Harley's mother.
It was then reported that Harley and Peri would be in danger due to the return of Peri's former best friend Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson), who had been presumed dead. O'Donnell explained, "Peri finds out that it's Harley's birthday, and plans to throw a big party for her. But this is Hollyoaks, so it obviously doesn't go according to plan and there's some huge teenage dramas going on. There is also an unexpected guest in a mask who turns out to be Nico, and worst of all, Peri is oblivious to the danger that they are all in." In the storyline, Nico has been watching Peri and Harley's friendship from afar and is jealous, and she thus plans to get rid of Harley. Peri is trying to get her friendship with Harley back on track by organising a fancy dress birthday party for Harley, but she finds out that no one wants to come, so Peri offers to pay Lily Drinkwell (Lauren McQueen), Prince McQueen (Malique Thompson-Dwyer) and Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham) to attend as she wants Harley to have a good time. Various other characters end up attending the fancy dress party. Unbeknownst to everyone, Nico has snuck out decides to attend the party disguised in a "creepy" hooded mask in order to take a closer look at Harley as she has gotten closer to Peri, who Nico used to be obsessed with and wanted "her all for herself".
Peri and Harley later get jobs at Brody Hudson's (Adam Woodward) pop up cinema, but Harley does not cope well with the job or with being told what to do by Damon and Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts). Harley also dislikes the outfits they have to wear. Nico then escapes from her locked room with knitting needles and it was teased by Metro that she could be making another attempt on Harley's life; O'Donnell had also warned that Peri should be afraid of what Nico is able to do. Nico later escapes from hospital and takes Nico and Harley hostage, typing them up in the cinema. Nico tries to persuade Peri to leave and start a new life with her and her new baby but Peri refuses, and Nico plans to kill Peri.