Myra McQueen

Myra Celestine Philomena Portia McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera  Hollyoaks, played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She made her debut screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 June 2006 and was introduced by series producer Bryan Kirkwood as part of the McQueen family. On 1 August 2013, it was announced that Barber-Lane had quit the serial and Myra made her on-screen departure during the episode broadcast on 5 September 2013.  The character was shot by Dr. Paul Browning (Joseph Thompson), but survived and then emigrated so he thought she was dead. On 31 January 2014, Myra made a brief return to the show following the death of Jim McGinn (Dan Tetsell). In July 2014, it was announced that Myra would return again later in the year, but for a longer stint. It is crossed with the return of Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter). Myra returned to the serial on 12 September 2014.

Myra starts a casual relationship with Leo Valentine, she then realises she has contracted PL from him. Tina McQueen and Russ Owen both catch them after sharing her towel. This causes issues with their respective partners Dom Reilly and Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe), until Myra admits she introduced them. Myra spends New Year's Eve 2007 with Leo, they become drunk and engage in sexual activity. Leo's ex-girlfriend, Valerie Holden becomes jealous and attempts to ruin their romance. Myra's son, Niall Rafferty (Barry Sloane) arrives in the village. She gave him up at birth and he lies about his identity. It soon becomes apparent that he is after revenge on the McQueens. Myra disapproves of Tina acting as a surrogate for Jacqui McQueen and Tony Hutchinson . She begs her not to make the same mistake she made in giving her child away. Niall causes trouble for Myra's family - reports her for benefit fraud, injects Michaela McQueen with heroin and pushes Tina down the stairs. Myra makes a friend in priest Kieron Hobbs (Jake Hendriks), who comes to stay with her. They becomes good friends and is hurt to discover he has a secret relationship with John-Paul. She asks Kieron to track down Matthew, the son she gave up. Kieron manages to find his adoptive mother and is shocked to learn it is Niall. When he confronts Niall, he drugs him and kills him to stop him from revealing his identity. Niall then kidnaps all of the McQueens and takes them to the church he was abandoned at. He lures Myra to the church and reveals his the truth. He holds them hostage and asks Myra six questions. For each correct answer she gets to choose a child to live. After answering two wrong, she is forced to choose Jacqui and Carmel to die. When help arrives Niall detonates explosives he has rigged the church with. Jacqui refuses to help Myra out of the rubble. Niall saves her after she tells him that she always loved and thought about him. Myra is devastated to discover Tina has died in the explosion and Niall commits suicide. Jacqui cannot forgive her for her actions, but Carmel does. Myra's niece,Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) moves in with her. She then develops an unwelcome crush on Mike Barnes and later sleeps with Archie Carpenter . When her sister Kathleen McQueen comes to see Theresa, Myra lets her stay for Theresa's sake. Kathleen uses Tina's old credit cards for money, when Myra finds out she forces Theresa to choose between her mum and relatives. Theresa shoots Calvin Valentine dead. The rest of the family keep it a secret from Myra, when she eventually discovers the truth she is hurt that no one told her. Myra's cousin Victor agrees to let his son Bart McQueen live with Myra, after his wife dies. Myra saves the life of Alistair Longford, a rich pensioner. He assumes Cindy Cunningham has saved him and gives her money. Cindy becomes engaged to him, so Myra and Jacqui blackmail her for money and the role of her wedding planners. The money is later stolen and Jacqui accuses Bart. Myra defends him and Jacqui tells Myra she will move out if she doesn't believe her. She sides with Bart and looses Jacqui. Myra looks after a lamv called Lambchop and grows attached to it. Dodger kills the lamb and sells the meat from it. Myra appears grief stricken when she finds out the truth. She agrees to let the Savage family live with them after they squat in her home. She becomes close to Dirk Savage and starts getting herself into many comedic situations. When Mercedes becomes engaged to footballer Riley Costello (Rob Norbury) she immediately takes a liking to his rich background, to the dismay of his mother Heidi Costello (Kim Tiddy) who Myra feuds with over the wedding. For Mercedes hen party, she joined Mercedes and Michaela in Ibiza. On the day of Mercedes' wedding to Riley, Myra walks Mercedes down the aisle. At the alter, Mercedes confesses after feeling guilty that she had a four-month affair with Riley's father Carl Costello (Paul Opacic), and that she isn't sure if the baby she is carrying is his or Riley's. Riley disowns Mercedes, disgusted that she would cheat on him. Mercedes tells everyone that she needs some time to clear her head, and therefore she plans to travel to Dubai on their honeymoon alone. Unknown to the McQueens, Mercedes is kidnapped by serial killer Silas Blissett (Jeff Rawle) while packing her stuff. Silas keeps Mercedes chained to a pole in the basement in the village, but texts Myra pretending to be Mercedes saying "Don't Worry Mum, I'm fine. See you soon. Mercy x". Myra becomes concerned when Mercedes doesn't get in touch with her, but is reassured by Theresa who tells her that Mercedes will call when she is feeling better. Unbeknown to everyone, Silas told Mercedes that once she gives birth, he plans to murder her. When Silas is arrested it is found he has Mercedes ring. The McQueen's become increasingly worried for her status and refuse to move until they find her. Myra is stunned when it is revealed that Silas Blissett (Jeff Rawle), who kidnapped Mercedes when she was seven-months pregnant, murdered Riley's mother Heidi Costello (Kim Tiddy) and dumped her body in the village. Myra is also feeling upset at the shocking news, as it could have been Mercedes who was dead instead of Heidi. As a result, she begins helping her out with her new-born son, Bobby McQueen, babysitting for him and feeding him when she looks after him. Bart begins growing cannabis for Joel Dexter (Andrew Still). The police discover this and Bart runs away. Realising Bart could have a career if he did not have a criminal record Myra claims the drugs are hers. Myra is sent to prison for 6 months. Mercedes visits Myra who warns her not to do anything stupid when she realises Mercedes could hurt Mitzeee (Rachel Shenton). Myra disowns Mercedes after she uncovers that Mercedes stabbed herself and has been released. Mercedes' ex-lover Dr. Paul Browning (Joseph Thompson) returns following being released from prison, found innocent of the murder of Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan), and reunites with her, later getting engaged. Doctor Browning fakes Myra's medical tests, in order that she might reconcile her relationship with Mercedes, and she becomes under the impression that she is dying. Doctor Browning accidentally puts a medical record under Myra's name which states she is pregnant. When Mercedes sees this, she tells Dirk that Myra is pregnant with his baby. Dirk then proposes to Myra, only for Myra to admit that she is terminally ill and not pregnant. Myra later agrees to marry Dirk, and takes out a loan of several thousand pounds for the wedding. Doctor Browning later informs her that she has no "shadow". Myra decides she wants to sue the hospital, so that she might pay back her loan, but Jim McGinn (Dan Tetsell) later tells her that it is not a case worth pursuing. When Jacqui finds out about Myra's debt, the McQueens decide to gather money together, but to little avail. The bailiffs arrive at the McQueens' and strip the house of furniture and other items. Doctor Browning starts to get anonymous text messages from someone claiming to know he murdered Lynsey. He thinks that Myra has been sending these messages. It is later revealed that it was Jim who was sending the messages, still unknown to Doctor Browning. Thinking she sent them, he attacked her in the florist's where she worked. Myra survived the attack, but she now starts a hate campaign on Doctor Browning with fliers around the whole village labelling him a murderer. Doctor Browning decides to hire Trevor Royle (Greg Wood) to kill her. Myra still survives, and now knowing that someone is out to kill her, she decides to flee Chester. Jim arranges a boat to get her away from those trying to kill her. However, as she was waiting at the docks, Doctor Browning showed up with a gun, and after a heated argument, Myra was shot and fell into the water. She was presumed dead, until John Paul follows Jim to the airport, where it was revealed she was wearing a bullet proof vest and is alive, however, she must flee so Doctor Browning will be locked away for the crime. John Paul promises to keep their encounter a secret and watches on as Myra leaves forever. Myra makes a brief return, reuniting herself with the rest of the McQueens. She reveals that she is now living with Jacqui in Spain and can never return to the village as she would be arrested for faking her death. In 2014, when Mercedes fills Myra in on what they have discovered about Carmel's fiancée, Sonny Valentine (Aaron Fontaine), Myra hatches a plan to make Carmel realise what he is like. Myra is devastated when John Paul tells her he was raped by Finn O'Connor (Keith Rice), and vows to help him through it. When Nana and Mercedes tell Myra to go back to Spain, she tells them that her family need her, and she is not going anywhere until the McQueens are safe. Myra later visits Trevor, who threatens her. She visits The Hutch to see John Paul who had got engaged to Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) who wants her blessing, and she runs into Frankie Osborne (Helen Pearson), and food falls onto Frankie. Myra doesn't want to be seen by Frankie who then spots her. She makes a quick escape, and later gives Ste her blessing for him to marry John Paul. Myra, Phoebe and Mercedes hatch a plan to get rid of Sonny for good, and they force him into a car with a toy gun. They park the car by a lake, and as Myra, Phoebe and Mercedes discuss what their next plan is, Myra realises that she has left the handbrake on and the trio watch helplessly as the car and Sonny roll into the water. They confess all to Carmel, who is furious and contemplates telling the police. Myra, Phoebe and Mercedes manage to convince Carmel against the idea, but when they go to pay their respects to Sonny at the lake, they look on in horror as the police are pulling the car out of the water. Carmel later reveals to Mercedes, Myra and Phoebe that Sonny was not found in the car, and he is now a missing person. During Finn's trial, Myra becomes enemies with Finn's stepmother Diane O'Connor (Alexandra Fletcher), after Myra discovers that Diane is intending to lie for Finn in court. When Diane is later attacked in The Hutch, she believes it was one of the McQueens after an argument with Myra, but it was in fact Ste who was robbing the restaurant for money. When is transpires that Ste robbed The Hutch and attacked Diane to buy drugs, Myra is disgusted and tries to keep Ste away from John Paul, but Ste convinces Myra to allow him to speak to John Paul. Myra finds out that Diane's daughter Sinead O'Connor (Stephanie Davis) had been having an affair with Tony. Myra wants Diane to suffer and vows to make her find out. John Paul takes the camera which had recorded Sinead and Tony to Diane. John Paul returns a few minuets later and smashes the camera. Myra then helps Carmel get Phoebe's mobile phone to the police which holds a confession that Sonny said to the McQueen's in order to free Theresa from prison. Theresa is later freed and she goes into labour. Myra then helps Theresa to hospital and helps her give birth to Myra-Pocahontas.The McQueens discover that Carmel is planning to abduct Kathleen Angel with Sonny whilst attending Myra's niece Porsche McQueen(Twinnie Lee Moore)'s wedding to newcomer Lockie Campbell (Nick Rhys). They disown her, and Myra is disgusted in her daughter. Sonny sneaks aboard the train and attacks Phoebe and Theresa, before Sienna Blake (Anna Passey)'s car on the tracks causes it to derail. Carmel frees Theresa from Sonny's clutches in the wreckage just before it explodes, and Myra and the rest of the McQueens are devastated when Carmel dies due to injuries sustained in the explosion. Myra clashes with Mercedes in the aftermath of Carmel's death, due to Mercedes believing Theresa ruined Carmel's life and Myra disagreeing. Myra picks Theresa over Mercedes, and Mercedes is left out on the streets whilst the rest of the family grieve for Carmel. Mercedes shows up drunk at Carmel's fueneral and starts bringing up incidents from the past where the family hurt Carmel, when Mercedes starts to insult Carmel Myra tells Mercedes that she's done nothing but bring shame on the family and that it should be her in Carmel's coffin, Mercedes storms out in distress. Later that night, Mercedes is apparently "murdered" by an unknown assailant. The next day Phoebe McQueen (Mandip Gill) calls the police concerned about Mercedes whereabouts and when the police detective notices blood on the kitchen floor the house is turned into a crime scene and a murder investigation is launched. Myra starts to fall into a depression after the death of Carmel and apparent death of Mercedes. She decides to go for a holiday in Alicante to see Jacqui and weeks later is joined by Nana.