Zoe Anderson

It was announced on 14 February 2022 that Garcia Brown had joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Zoe Anderson, a new detective and the granddaughter of established character Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope). Zoe's debut aired on 18 February on E4 and 21 February 2022 on Channel 4. Brown initially did not known that the role was for Hollyoaks, believing it was for a Netflix production instead. Harp also wrote that Zoe would "instantly put herself in the heart of the village" by making friends with Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), Verity Hutchinson (Eva O'Hara) and Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter). She said that joining the Hollyoaks "family" had been "super exhilarating", adding that: "I didn't know what to expect coming into the show but I felt right at home the moment I got here, and I'm super excited for what's in store...There's more than meets the eye to my character Zoe – she has a lot of exciting moments on screen! I've had the pleasure of joining the Deveraux family and working with such warm and talented individuals like Kéllé Bryan, Richard Blackwood, Jorgie Porter, Jennifer Metcalfe, Eva O'Hara and more! I'm so eager for everyone to see what I've been up to." Brown has said that she likes that there are two sides to the character, with one being a "workaholic" that "won't let anything come in the way of what she has built herself up to" and the other being a character who "loves to party", let loose and be "around her friends." Brown called her "headstrong" and commented that Zoe won't back down for anyone, and that Zoe has had "a lot to prove" due to becoming a DS at a young age. Brown also joked that Zoe has "a lot of crime-stopping to do" due to the number of crimes that occur in the soap. Brown said that she enjoys playing the character and relates to Zoe a lot, saying that she portrays elements of herself when playing the character, though joked that she "does like to party" but not as much as Zoe. She also called the character "all round fun", "loving" and "outgoing". Brown also revealed that she often adds elements that she experiences everyday herself to the character. In 2023, Brown told Inside Soap that "Zoe is big into visualisation and manifesting, and so am I. It definitely helped in my Hollyoaks audition, and I got the part!" ==Development==

Introduction and early storylines Shortly after the character's debut, Zoe was involved in a special episode focusing on International Women's Day. In July 2022, Zoe was involved in a knife crime storyline following the stabbing and death of Saul. Brown revealed that Zoe has a "rather frantic and emotional" reaction to Saul's stabbing and that due to "Saul being her friend and colleague", Zoe "jumps into action immediately when receiving the bad news." Zoe attempts to arrest DeMarcus when his prints are found on the knife and the family break into an argument, with Zoe saying that DeMarcus should trust the legal process and give himself to the police; however, DeMarcus ends up running away as his father Felix Westwood (Richard Blackwood) restrains Zoe. Relationship with Sam Chen-Williams Upon her debut, Brown teased a romance with Sam Chen-Williams (Matthew McGivern), saying that "Sam very much catches Zoe off-guard. She never thought it would come to anything, but the attraction keeps growing." Zoe warns Sam to stop but Sam plants drugs on him, leading to Zoe breaking up with Sam. Zoe plans to have an abortion due to not feeling ready to be a mother yet, and continues to deal with Sam's obsession over getting back together with her, who refuses to accept that the relationship is over. Sam pleads with Zoe to not go through with the termination but she tells him that work is her focus. She added that "For Zoe, they are completely done. Let's leave this alone, it's gone far enough and they weren't even supposed to be together in the first place because they worked together." Zoe is then uncomfortable when she comes home to find Sam in her flat, who has broken in. Brown has previously told Inside Soap that she hoped that Jamelia would return to Hollyoaks as she wanted to have the opportunity to work together. Brown revealed that she developed a bond with her offscreen and called Jamelia her "soul family". Jamelia revealed that Sharon's return would "unsettle the family dynamic", saying that "Sharon hasn't always prioritised her daughter and her mum [Pearl] is stuck in the middle. There’s a lot for them to work through and I can't wait for viewers to see how that plays out on screen." Referring to the situation, Brown told Inside Soap: "Zoe feels betrayed by Sharon and can't believe she told her business to the person she had asked her to keep it from. They don't have the best mother-daughter relationship, Zoe was practically raised by her grandma Pearl as Sharon put her career before being a parent. I actually don't agree with Zoe hiding the pregnancy from Sam, they should've had a conversation. But Zoe thought it was easier not to tell him and get his hopes up, and she was making that decision for herself." In 2024, Jamelia chose to leave Hollyoaks and Zoe was involved in Sharon's exit story, which aired in April 2024. In the storyline, Sharon decides to move to Dubai and tries to persuade Zoe to leave with her, but Zoe does not want to leave her friends and family in the village. Zoe later finds herself on "the wrong side of the law" when she is considered a suspect of Rayne's murder due to having been at the scene with other character when Rayne was murdered. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Brown said that Zoe "won't be involved as much as she would like to be, with being in the manor at the time of Rayne’s death, she's now been forced on the other side of the law." Zoe becomes frustrated that she is unable to work and breaks up with Hunter, blaming him for being part of the murder investigation. When Hunter's friends, such as Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell), accuse Zoe of murdering Rayne, Hunter chooses Zoe over them and tells Zoe that she is his girlfriend; however, Zoe then makes an "incriminating discovery" when she finds the edited the video of Peri admitting to Rayne's murder on Hunter's brother, Prince McQueen's (Malique Thompson-Dwyer), laptop, though it is unclear whether he made it or if there is another explanation. Zoe becomes "implicated" when she overhears a conversation between Hunter and Prince revealing that Hunter believes he killed Rayne. Zoe later offers Hunter an "olive branch" and tells him that she wants to regain his trust following the tension between them, which leads him to admit to her that he stole Rayne's phone on the night of her murder. Zoe wants to give the phone to her police colleagues but Hunter asks her not, which "once again" leaves Zoe "torn" between her loyalty to her friends and her job. ==Storylines==

Zoe arrives in Hollyoaks and accepts a job as a Detective Sergeant at Dee Valley University Hospital, replacing Saul Reeves (Chris Charles). She moves in with her grandmother, Pearl, who is living with Walter Deveraux (Trevor A. Toussaint) and his family. Zoe becomes friends with Cleo McQueen (Nadine Mulkerrin), Verity Hutchinson (Eva O'Hara) and Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter). Zoe begins falling for Sam Chen-Williams (Matthew McGivern) and is injured at his boot camp when Bobby Costello (Jayden Fox) tampers with the weights. Sam and Zoe initially have a fling and later begin getting serious but the relationship is complicated when Sam's uncle, Ethan Williams (Matthew James-Bailey), is accused of killing Maya Harkwell (Ky Discala). Zoe is removed from the case but continues seeing Sam. Zoe reveals to Sam that she was a victim of revenge porn. When Saul is killed in a knife crime attack, Zoe is determined to find the killer but is put in the middle of her job and family when DeMarcus Westwood (Tomi Ade), who is living with Zoe, is accused of killing him. However, it is revealed that Joseph Holmes (Olly Rhodes) is the culprit and he confesses after Zoe interrogates him. Zoe's friendship with Sam's half-sister Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) is tested when Maxine accuses Verity's brother Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty) of being the culprit who is spiking people in the village, and Zoe does not believe her, though Maxine is later proven right. Zoe is devastated when Verity is killed by Bobby and Zoe is involved in the case against him. Zoe is unhappy when her mother Sharon Bailey (Jamelia) moves to the village, though they begin to reconnect when Sharon tells her that her fiancé has left her. Zoe and Sam try to prove that criminal Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas) is running an illegal business but they fail to do so, with Warren threatening Zoe and warning her to leave him alone. Sam, who wants to impress Zoe and help her get a promotion, continues to try to catch Warren, with Zoe repeatedly telling him to stop. Sam goes as far as planting drugs on him which leads to Zoe, who is unsettled by his behaviour, breaking up with Sam. Sam refuses to accept the end of the relationship. Zoe finds out that she is pregnant and plans to have an abortion, not wanting to jeopardise her career. Sam pleads with her to not go through with the termination but Zoe refuses, telling him that it is her choice and that she does not want her child growing up like Zoe, who did receive enough attention from Sharon due to her dedication to her job. Zoe is angry at her mother for having told Sam about the pregnancy and threatens to report her for breaking patient confidentiality. Zoe is accidentally hit when she tries to break up a fight between Sam and Ethan due to Ethan having known that Zoe was pregnant and planning to have an abortion. Sam's obsessive behaviour grows worse, even going as far as sending Zoe a book on how to handle parenting whilst having a career. Sam then breaks into Zoe's flat to talk to her and she threatens legal action but agrees to hear him out. Zoe tells Sam that she no longer loves him and will not keep the baby. Zoe is accused of calling the police on a remorseful Sam but it is revealed that it was Maxine who actually did so. Zoe goes on a date with Hunter McQueen (Theo Graham) and the pair begin dating. ==Reception==

Garcia Brown was longlisted for Best Newcomer at the 2022 Inside Soap Awards for her role as Zoe, although she did not make the shortlist. At the 2022 Digital Spy Reader Awards, she came third for the Best Soap Newcomer accolade. A month after her debut, Joe Anderton from Digital Spy wrote that Zoe had "already made quite the impression as someone who is dedicated to her job". The following year, Anderton's colleague, Daniel Kilkelly, wrote that Zoe's relationship with Sam was "oddly portrayed" due to the characters "hardly ever sharing romantic scenes (or any screen time at all, for that matter) when they're supposed to be a couple." Alice Penwill from Inside Soap agreed, commenting that their romance "does seem to have taken a back seat". Penwill also wrote that she wanted to see more of the "Anderson ladies" as she believed that Pearl, Zoe and Sharon were all "brilliant". Johnathon Hughes from Inside Soap called Zoe a "glamorous cop desperate to prove herself" and added that she had made a "big" impact on Hollyoaks, and believed that Brown was one of the soap's "Rising stars". Following the end of Zoe and Sam's relationship, Hughes' colleague Sarah Ellis questioned whether Zoe would end up with Ethan and joked that Zoe should "Cop a load of anyone else" that is not Sam. In 2023, Charlotte Tutton from the Daily Mirror called Zoe a "surprising suspect" in Rayne's murder and that "viewers will no doubt be hoping Zoe isn't the killer", as well as adding that Zoe being the killer would "certainly be quite the twist". ==References==