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Margaret Clemence
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Margaret Clemence
Margaret Clemence is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Nicola Stephenson. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 14 September 1990. Margaret is characterised as a college drop-out unsure about her future. She leaves her home town of Oldham to escape her ex-boyfriend, Kieran (Andrew Shakos), and relocates to Liverpool. She takes a job working as a nanny for Max (Steven Pinder) and Patricia Farnham (Gabrielle Glaister) and becomes their lodger. Stephenson has described Margaret as a domestic and organised character but when it comes to romance she is confused and unstable.
Writers gave Stephenson a series of challenging storylines throughout her tenure, often involving taboo romances. In her first notable story, Margaret begins a relationship with a Catholic priest, Derek O'Farrell (Clive Moore). Their affair upsets various other characters, including Derek's sister, DD Dixon (Irene Marot), who attempts to sabotage their happiness. The two break up when Derek moves to work in Bosnia. The story prompted both complaints and praise from various religious and casual viewers. Undeterred by the controversy Margaret had already caused, Brookside creator Phil Redmond and executive producer Mal Young created another taboo romance. This time Margaret befriends Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) who develops romantic feelings and this culminates in a kiss. It was the first time a same-sex kiss between two females had aired pre-watershed in the United Kingdom. The story caused controversy, made television history and set a standard for other shows to follow. The scene has gained iconic status in LGBT culture and British television history. It also became one of Brookside's defining moments. Stephenson has labelled Margaret a heterosexual but her involvement with Beth caused her confusion. Stephenson left the series in 1994 and writers created yet more drama to facilitate her departure. Margaret has an affair with a married man, Carl Banks (Stephen Donald) but ultimately leaves for Bosnia to reunite with Derek.
Stephenson began playing the character in 1990. It was her first ongoing television role. Like her on-screen counter-part, Stephenson is from Oldham. Margaret is a college drop-out who leaves her hometown of Oldham and moves to Liverpool. She takes a job as a nanny, working for Max (Steven Pinder) and Patricia Farnham (Gabrielle Glaister), minding their son Thomas. Margaret viewed the job as a temporary solution to earn money while she decided what to do in the future. One of her early stories featured Margaret getting into a disagreement with the Farnhams and she returns to Oldham. Margaret accuses Max and Patricia of taking advantage of her and they offer her a pay rise to stay. Stephenson described Margaret as a not at all ambitious; she is a "homely girl, a family girl, and nothing would make her more happier than having loads of kids." She also branded her "very domestic and organised", which Stephenson hoped to learn from. Margaret was introduced into the series when she was sixteen. Margaret falls in love easily and Stephenson said that due to her age "she's not in control of her emotions".
In her backstory, Margaret has "always been keen on boys". Her decision to move to Liverpool was motivated by her need to escape her ex-boyfriend Kieran (Andrew Shakos). He had wanted Margaret to get engaged and marry him but she was unwilling. Kieran was also "extremely physical" and made sexual advances, which left Margaret unsure about him. In the book, Brookside – The First Ten Years, Stephenson told author Geoff Tibballs that Kieran "was always trying it on with Margaret and she wouldn't let him come near." Another early story for Margaret was an attraction to Mike Dixon (Paul Byatt) but writers did not develop it into a romance.
Writers created a forbidden romance between Margaret and a priest, Derek O'Farrell (Clive Moore). Derek was originally planned to appear in two episodes of Brookside. Producers extended Moore's contract after they saw the potential story between Margaret and Derek. The story was controversial because Margaret was only eighteen and Derek was a Catholic priest. The story had never been portrayed in a British soap opera before. Stephenson was originally unaware that Margaret and Derek would get together. Producers did not inform Stephenson of their long-term story plan. Even though the storyline was believable, she was apprehensive of how the it would be received by viewers. She branded it "a really good issue to cover and one that's never been done before." To prepare for the story, Stephenson researched real stories of priests having secret families. On-screen the story begins in 1991, when Margaret meets Derek and they soon become friends. Derek is the younger brother of DD Dixon (Irene Marot). They bond when they dismantle a wall that Derek's brother-in-law Ron Dixon (Vince Earl) built on Brookside Close. Tibballs, author of Phil Redmond's Brookside – Life in the Close wrote that Margaret likes Derek's "warmth and honesty and besides she felt safe with him." Margaret thought Derek was the one man who would not be interested in her romantically. She soon begins to develop romantic feelings for him and even travels miles to help him at his parish church.
Derek is initially unaware of Margaret's feelings and believes she wants to help the church. He soon realises her true intentions and warns that their friendship is endangering his career. Father Thornton and DD become suspicious of Margaret and Derek's friendship. Moore told Tibballs that it was a story about Derek "struggling mentally" with his feelings. He added that Derek "simply couldn't make up his mind. But then he realised that he had to face the truth – Margaret was more than a friend." Her mother, Anne Clemence (Christine Moore) also discourages the romance. Margaret does not take any of their advice which results in DD becoming hostile towards her. DD is a "zealous Catholic" and warns Margaret to stay away from her brother. She becomes convinced that Derek will ruin his career and schemes to keep them apart. Margaret confides in Patricia, who then allows the pair to have clandestine meetings in secret at the Farnham house. DD soon discovers their meetings and reports Derek to Father Thornton. Derek is posted to a new Parish in the Lake District and DD believes she has saved her brother. Margaret's mother antagonises her and subsequently she issues Derek with an ultimatum that he leave the church or lose her for good. On-screen Derek quits his priesthood and he officially begins a relationship with Margaret. DD blames Margaret for seducing her brother. Stephenson defended her character and believed that Margaret and Derek were both to blame. She told Tibballs that "I used to feel very sorry for Derek because he didn't ask for this extremely naïve girl to fall in love with him. But then he didn't do much to discourage her in the early stages of their relationship either. He was awfully friendly towards Margaret, and became quite flirtatious during one episode when he came in for coffee and helped her dry the pots."
Moore was wary about Margaret and Derek having a sexual relationship before marriage, given his religious views. He told Marsha Hanlon from TVTimes that "if you love somebody enough to give up everything, there's no way you should feel guilty about expressing that love." He added that Derek was initially apprehensive about having sex with Margaret, but "he's past that stage now". They decide to have sex despite Margaret being left with Thomas in her care. Patricia arrives home and catches Margaret and Derek in bed together. She is furious that they neglected Thomas, who had fallen ill while left alone in his bedroom. Stephenson could not defend her character's behaviour following the incident. She told Tibballs that "I'm afraid Margaret did rather neglect Thomas, so much so that she nearly got the sack." Patricia agrees to keep Margaret on as Thomas's nanny, but Max grows tired of her unreliable behaviour. When Margaret and Derek take a spontaneous trip away, Max is angry and decides to give Margaret's nanny job to Anna Wolska (Kazia Pelka) instead.
Margaret soon finds work as a nanny elsewhere and she agrees to marry Derek. They face more problems when they go public with their relationship and have to tell a hostile DD their plans. They also contend with Derek having no income, choosing to carry out voluntary work. Stephenson told Hanlon that Margaret feels guilty about Derek leaving his career. She also believed that at eighteen, Margaret was too young for marriage. She explained that "he's given up his whole life for her. Now she has to fill that void for him and she feels their relationship has to work." Stephenson described it as an "awful situation" to get into and opined that if she were Margaret, she would have told Derek to remain in the priesthood. Moore wanted the characters to have a happy ending because "they've been through so much". Stephenson concluded that she wanted them to have a "happy ending". Writers ended the story with the departure of Derek. With a lack of job prospects he decides to seek work Bosnia. Margaret agrees to leave with Derek but changes her mind at the airport. Margaret ends their relationship and Derek leaves without her.
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Margaret Clemence
Margaret Clemence is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Nicola Stephenson. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 14 September 1990. Margaret is characterised as a college drop-out unsure about her future. She leaves her home town of Oldham to escape her ex-boyfriend, Kieran (Andrew Shakos), and relocates to Liverpool. She takes a job working as a nanny for Max (Steven Pinder) and Patricia Farnham (Gabrielle Glaister) and becomes their lodger. Stephenson has described Margaret as a domestic and organised character but when it comes to romance she is confused and unstable.
Writers gave Stephenson a series of challenging storylines throughout her tenure, often involving taboo romances. In her first notable story, Margaret begins a relationship with a Catholic priest, Derek O'Farrell (Clive Moore). Their affair upsets various other characters, including Derek's sister, DD Dixon (Irene Marot), who attempts to sabotage their happiness. The two break up when Derek moves to work in Bosnia. The story prompted both complaints and praise from various religious and casual viewers. Undeterred by the controversy Margaret had already caused, Brookside creator Phil Redmond and executive producer Mal Young created another taboo romance. This time Margaret befriends Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) who develops romantic feelings and this culminates in a kiss. It was the first time a same-sex kiss between two females had aired pre-watershed in the United Kingdom. The story caused controversy, made television history and set a standard for other shows to follow. The scene has gained iconic status in LGBT culture and British television history. It also became one of Brookside's defining moments. Stephenson has labelled Margaret a heterosexual but her involvement with Beth caused her confusion. Stephenson left the series in 1994 and writers created yet more drama to facilitate her departure. Margaret has an affair with a married man, Carl Banks (Stephen Donald) but ultimately leaves for Bosnia to reunite with Derek.
Stephenson began playing the character in 1990. It was her first ongoing television role. Like her on-screen counter-part, Stephenson is from Oldham. Margaret is a college drop-out who leaves her hometown of Oldham and moves to Liverpool. She takes a job as a nanny, working for Max (Steven Pinder) and Patricia Farnham (Gabrielle Glaister), minding their son Thomas. Margaret viewed the job as a temporary solution to earn money while she decided what to do in the future. One of her early stories featured Margaret getting into a disagreement with the Farnhams and she returns to Oldham. Margaret accuses Max and Patricia of taking advantage of her and they offer her a pay rise to stay. Stephenson described Margaret as a not at all ambitious; she is a "homely girl, a family girl, and nothing would make her more happier than having loads of kids." She also branded her "very domestic and organised", which Stephenson hoped to learn from. Margaret was introduced into the series when she was sixteen. Margaret falls in love easily and Stephenson said that due to her age "she's not in control of her emotions".
In her backstory, Margaret has "always been keen on boys". Her decision to move to Liverpool was motivated by her need to escape her ex-boyfriend Kieran (Andrew Shakos). He had wanted Margaret to get engaged and marry him but she was unwilling. Kieran was also "extremely physical" and made sexual advances, which left Margaret unsure about him. In the book, Brookside – The First Ten Years, Stephenson told author Geoff Tibballs that Kieran "was always trying it on with Margaret and she wouldn't let him come near." Another early story for Margaret was an attraction to Mike Dixon (Paul Byatt) but writers did not develop it into a romance.
Writers created a forbidden romance between Margaret and a priest, Derek O'Farrell (Clive Moore). Derek was originally planned to appear in two episodes of Brookside. Producers extended Moore's contract after they saw the potential story between Margaret and Derek. The story was controversial because Margaret was only eighteen and Derek was a Catholic priest. The story had never been portrayed in a British soap opera before. Stephenson was originally unaware that Margaret and Derek would get together. Producers did not inform Stephenson of their long-term story plan. Even though the storyline was believable, she was apprehensive of how the it would be received by viewers. She branded it "a really good issue to cover and one that's never been done before." To prepare for the story, Stephenson researched real stories of priests having secret families. On-screen the story begins in 1991, when Margaret meets Derek and they soon become friends. Derek is the younger brother of DD Dixon (Irene Marot). They bond when they dismantle a wall that Derek's brother-in-law Ron Dixon (Vince Earl) built on Brookside Close. Tibballs, author of Phil Redmond's Brookside – Life in the Close wrote that Margaret likes Derek's "warmth and honesty and besides she felt safe with him." Margaret thought Derek was the one man who would not be interested in her romantically. She soon begins to develop romantic feelings for him and even travels miles to help him at his parish church.
Derek is initially unaware of Margaret's feelings and believes she wants to help the church. He soon realises her true intentions and warns that their friendship is endangering his career. Father Thornton and DD become suspicious of Margaret and Derek's friendship. Moore told Tibballs that it was a story about Derek "struggling mentally" with his feelings. He added that Derek "simply couldn't make up his mind. But then he realised that he had to face the truth – Margaret was more than a friend." Her mother, Anne Clemence (Christine Moore) also discourages the romance. Margaret does not take any of their advice which results in DD becoming hostile towards her. DD is a "zealous Catholic" and warns Margaret to stay away from her brother. She becomes convinced that Derek will ruin his career and schemes to keep them apart. Margaret confides in Patricia, who then allows the pair to have clandestine meetings in secret at the Farnham house. DD soon discovers their meetings and reports Derek to Father Thornton. Derek is posted to a new Parish in the Lake District and DD believes she has saved her brother. Margaret's mother antagonises her and subsequently she issues Derek with an ultimatum that he leave the church or lose her for good. On-screen Derek quits his priesthood and he officially begins a relationship with Margaret. DD blames Margaret for seducing her brother. Stephenson defended her character and believed that Margaret and Derek were both to blame. She told Tibballs that "I used to feel very sorry for Derek because he didn't ask for this extremely naïve girl to fall in love with him. But then he didn't do much to discourage her in the early stages of their relationship either. He was awfully friendly towards Margaret, and became quite flirtatious during one episode when he came in for coffee and helped her dry the pots."
Moore was wary about Margaret and Derek having a sexual relationship before marriage, given his religious views. He told Marsha Hanlon from TVTimes that "if you love somebody enough to give up everything, there's no way you should feel guilty about expressing that love." He added that Derek was initially apprehensive about having sex with Margaret, but "he's past that stage now". They decide to have sex despite Margaret being left with Thomas in her care. Patricia arrives home and catches Margaret and Derek in bed together. She is furious that they neglected Thomas, who had fallen ill while left alone in his bedroom. Stephenson could not defend her character's behaviour following the incident. She told Tibballs that "I'm afraid Margaret did rather neglect Thomas, so much so that she nearly got the sack." Patricia agrees to keep Margaret on as Thomas's nanny, but Max grows tired of her unreliable behaviour. When Margaret and Derek take a spontaneous trip away, Max is angry and decides to give Margaret's nanny job to Anna Wolska (Kazia Pelka) instead.
Margaret soon finds work as a nanny elsewhere and she agrees to marry Derek. They face more problems when they go public with their relationship and have to tell a hostile DD their plans. They also contend with Derek having no income, choosing to carry out voluntary work. Stephenson told Hanlon that Margaret feels guilty about Derek leaving his career. She also believed that at eighteen, Margaret was too young for marriage. She explained that "he's given up his whole life for her. Now she has to fill that void for him and she feels their relationship has to work." Stephenson described it as an "awful situation" to get into and opined that if she were Margaret, she would have told Derek to remain in the priesthood. Moore wanted the characters to have a happy ending because "they've been through so much". Stephenson concluded that she wanted them to have a "happy ending". Writers ended the story with the departure of Derek. With a lack of job prospects he decides to seek work Bosnia. Margaret agrees to leave with Derek but changes her mind at the airport. Margaret ends their relationship and Derek leaves without her.