Introduction Pearl's debut episode featured her attend Walter's birthday party picnic, with Sharon "mischievously" planning with Walter's daughter
Martine Deveraux (
Kéllé Bryan) to get the pair together. When Walter later goes away for a bit, Pearl promises him that she will take care of his family in his absence, but her attempts to help them causes tension and Martine does not appreciate Pearl's interference. Scott feels sorry for Pearl and attempts to "fight her corner" with the Deveraux family and offers her a place to stay if she wants space from the family. Months later, Pearl supports pays her respects at the funeral of Martine and Felix's daughter,
Celeste Faroe (Andrea Ali), in an "emotional" day for the Deveraux family.
Family issues and arrest Producers later introduced Pearl's granddaughter
Zoe Anderson (Garcia Brown), who debuted in February 2022. Brown enjoyed working with Hope, calling her "amazing" and "caring" and revealing that Hope reminded her of her own grandmother and often gave her advice. DeMarcus is later wrongfully accused of fatally stabbing Zoe's colleague
Saul Reeves (Chris Charles), which leaves Zoe "torn" between her job in the police and her loyalty to her family. Facing murder charges, DeMarcus decides to run away, but Pearl catches him before he does and he opens up to her about his worries of going to prison, so Pearl prevents DeMarcus from running away by telling him that they will think of a plan and that running will make him look guilty. Pearl then hides DeMarcus in Price Slice, but she sends him away when she realises that it is not safe. Pearl is then "stunned" when she finds out that Zoe was the one who reported her. Walter also gives to Pearl the keys to Price Slice, the local
convenience shop, for her to take over. Sharon had initially appeared in the Black to Front episode with Pearl, but she returns to the village to surprise Pearl and Zoe years later. Pearl supports the decision, saying that she will miss the pair but could not be "more proud", but Zoe ends up staying in the village whilst Sharon leaves, and Pearl comforts Zoe over her mother leaving once again. In the storyline, Pearl helps Jack host the Earl Of Dee survival workshop. Jack is surprised but happy to see that Pearl has arrived and whilst there, they grow close and Pearl sees another side of him when they dance together, and they ultimately kiss. Hope explained that now that Jack and Pearl are together, they need to figure out what that looks like. Pearl and Tony also cover for Darren when a debt collector comes looking for him, but Darren pushes them away as he does not want to open up about the extent of his problems and debt. In July 2025, Pearl briefly breaks up with Jack following various family troubles, which really upsets him.
Abuse In 2024, Pearl's backstory was explored when
Hollyoaks aired a storyline to raise awareness around
sibling sexual abuse, which revolved around
JJ Osborne (Ryan Mulvey) abusing his sister,
Frankie Osborne (
Isabelle Smith). When the abuse is exposed in the pub, Pearls immediately steps in to support Frankie and shares a "trauma from her own childhood", revealing how her sister Ruby was abused by their brother when they were younger, which she blames herself for. Pearl explains that whilst they had lost touch because of what happened, she "warmly" praises her sister's bravery for speaking up. Discussing Pearl's backstory, Hope explained that Dawn grew up with a brother and a sister that she was very close to and that they told each other everything. She explained, "Pearl knew her sister that well that when she pulls away, somethings wrong. Back then, Pearl wasn't in a good place yet to deal with what this could unpack. She didn't force the issue. She's had to live with the fact that she didn't have the life skills to know how to take it forward back then. A woman in a different demographic. She ingested it and put it away because there wasn't what there is now of schools recognising something's wrong, social workers and so on. It hurts Pearl all the time because the love of that relationship with your sister and support and the closeness, she didn't know how to fix it." Pearl then takes Frankie under her wing and the pair later begin working together. ==Storylines==