Tilly Evans is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Lucy Dixon. The actress announced her casting on 30 May 2011. Tilly was introduced to the show, along with two other characters, during a special storyline shot and set in Abersoch, North Wales. She made her first screen appearance on 21 June 2011. Dixon announced her departure in December 2013 and Tilly made her last appearance on 3 January 2014.

Tilly is a confident, intelligent and loyal teenager. Dixon revealed that she shares a few similarities with her character, including her generosity and positive attitude. Tilly is lesbian and comfortable with her sexuality, which Dixon hoped viewers would be able to relate to. While she is Abersoch, Tilly embarks on a brief holiday romance with Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks). During the storyline, Dixon filmed her first gay kiss. Tilly's storylines have included relationships with teacher, Jen Gilmore (Amy Downham), Esther, and Chloe (Susan Loughnane), the latter whom she left the village with to live in Dublin.

On 30 May 2011, Dixon announced through her Twitter account that she had joined the regular cast of Hollyoaks. Dixon revealed that she would begin filming the following week, before making her screen debut on 21 June. Shortly afterwards, Hollyoaks producers announced that Dixon's character, Tilly, would be introduced to the show along with two other new characters, Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman) and Jono (Dylan Llewellyn), during a special storyline set and shot in Abersoch. It was also revealed that while Tilly was planning to go to London after the holiday, it seemed likely that she would arrive in Chester with the others in September.

"I think she just represents the general 16/17-year-olds in a brilliant way. Not all teenagers are binge-drinkers, and Tilly is the exact opposite of anything like that. She shows the good in teenagers. She's a hard worker, she's confident and self-assured."

Dixon noted that while Tilly was not always the centre of attention, she did not mind and enjoyed looking on from the sidelines. Dixon thought Tilly was confident in herself and "fiercely independent." During a Q&A with a Channel 4 Press writer, Dixon described Tilly as being "Loyal, kind-hearted, intelligent, generous, impulsive and she wears her heart on her sleeve." A writer for the Hollyoaks website quipped that Tilly was "the cleverest clogs in Hollyoaks Sixth Form." They also said she kind and loved by all. Tilly often plays the role of the agony aunt, especially to her best friends George Smith (Steven Roberts) and Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman). Dixon compared Tilly and Maddie's relationship to chalk and cheese, saying that Tilly saw through Maddie's "confident façade". When asked if she shared any similarities with Tilly, Dixon thought she was loyal like her and shared her positive attitude. She also believed that they were both generous and saw the good in the people around them. Tilly is a studious character and loves to read, which has rubbed off on Dixon.

Dixon sports a short hair style to help portray Tilly's androgynous style. She told Elizabeth Horsfall from AGENT2 Magazine that her character's style is also quirky and edgy. Dixon and the Hollyoaks stylist started off buying clothes for Tilly in Topshop because it carries many different styles, which made it easier to "stamp a trend" on what the character was going to be like, before searching further stores. Dixon was initially unsure when the stylist picked out prints that clashed, as she knew she would never wear them in real life, but they worked for her character. The actress hoped that viewers would be able to relate to Tilly, especially as she does not make a big issue out of the fact that she is a lesbian. Dixon commented "She's not defined by her sexuality, nobody is and I think that really shines through." The actress explained that she was excited about playing a lesbian character because she had not played one before and thought it would be a challenge. She said Tilly was comfortable with her sexuality and thought that she was the first young lesbian character that the show had really developed.

While she is in Abersoch, Tilly embarks on a summer romance with Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks). Dixon liked that the storyline was not over the top and thought it showed "a genuine romance that was at its first stage". Dixon experienced her first gay kiss during the storyline, which she was nervous about filming as she had only met Franks three hours beforehand. Describing the kissing scene, Dixon said that she and Franks did not want it to be too racy because the characters were just getting to know each other. She said "We were very relaxed – we just said: 'Look, we're both in the same boat,' so we just went for it." Asked by Horsfall whether Tilly would continue with the romance, Dixon replied that she would not. She explained that while Esther wants it to go on, Tilly is a realist, who always knew it was not going to happen.

Dixon continued, "I think Tilly could be a bit of a player. You can tell from her take on relationships that she's had quite a few and they've never been mega serious, they just are what they are. That's what I like about her." She added that Tilly keeps her options open and thought that she would be unlikely to settle down anytime soon. Tilly later kisses Esther, but continues to reject the chance to form a relationship with her. Dixon said that Tilly eventually realises that she has been giving Esther mixed signals and had been unaware of much she had hurt her. The actress believed that Tilly genuinely liked Esther and would not want to jeopardise the friendship they share.