http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/atv-today/3381-gay-supercouplesJohn Paul McQueen and Craig Dean in HollyoaksPerhaps the romance between John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) and Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) is the perfect example of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Okay so the Dean and McQueen households weren’t warring with each other unlike the Capulet’s and Montague’s (well perhaps a bit following the revelation the duo were sleeping together) but the lies, deceit and doom that was part of the romance was certainly worthy of a Shakespeare tragedy. Fans of the two characters were hoping of romance between them from the moment after John Paul came out as gay but it was a slow burner. While John Paul quite clearly fancied Craig it was a long time coming before Craig realised his true feelings.
A confused Craig, who was in a relationship with dull Sarah (Loui Batley) but, struggled to make sense of his feelings towards John Paul. Incidentally Sarah herself would experiment with her sexuality several years later and end up dead in a parachute accident, see what we mean with the Shakespeare style doom. Craig ran out of an exam to be with John Paul but he was always in denial of his feelings even after the two started to sleep together. John Paul started to see Spike as he began to realise that he would never have Craig and later he dated Catholic Priest Kieron after Craig left the village to study at University. However, Kieron (Jake Hendricks) was killed by John Paul’s secret and vengeful half-brother Niall (Barry Sloane) but this was after he slept with Craig again (are you keeping up with this?). However, fans were pleased that Craig and John Paul got a happy ending when they left together - though John Paul returned a few weeks later when he was kidnapped by the deranged Niall. With its many twists, turns and complications the storyline won legions of fans but was also widely praised for its sensitive portrayal of the romance between Craig and John Paul, dubbed McDean but some.
