For Harriet O’Shea’s first TV role, she can be seen playing Victoria ‘Tori’ Blake in Channel 4’s soap opera Hollyoaks alongside her adoptive mother Clare Divine (Gemma Bissix) and aunt Sophie Fox (Scarlett Kerr). As a stage actor, Harriet made her professional theatre debut over Christmas 2024 in Miracle on 34th Street playing Susan at HOME Manchester, and she trains at Kitty Watson Academy, and is represented by their agency Kitty & Co Children’s Talent Management. This year, Harriet was announced as the 2025 Junior Winner of West End Calling, and she will be working with them for an upcoming project. Recently, we chatted to Harriet about joining the cast of Hollyoaks as Victoria ‘Tori’ Blake for her first TV role, making her professional theatre debut in Miracle on 34th Street and being announced as West End Calling’s 2025 Junior Winner.

How did you feel finding out you had booked the role of Victoria ‘Tori’ Blake in Hollyoaks for your first TV character?

I was very happy and really excited about starting filming and meeting all the cast and crew at Hollyoaks.

How would you describe Tori and how did you prepare for filming?

I think Tori is a very kind and friendly character, but she has times when she’s a bit cheeky. Before I started filming, I researched Tori and her family history so I could understand what the character had been through. I learnt my lines and thought about what emotions she would be feeling in her scenes.

What was it like meeting the rest of the Hollyoaks cast for the first time and how do you find the experience on set?

They were all really nice. Everyone was so supportive and made me feel very comfortable on set. I was especially excited to meet the other young performers from the cast. I was already good friends with Scarlett Kerr, who plays Sophie Fox, we train together at the Kitty Watson Academy (KWA), so we found it so funny that I would be playing her niece!

I love being on set and find it all very interesting watching how a TV show is made. I’ve really enjoyed exploring all the different sets and seeing what is real or what is not!

What is Tori like to play and what do you enjoy most about being part of the show?

I like playing Tori because she’s not a villain but she’s not a softie either. She stands up for herself and knows what she wants. I love being part of the Blake-Savage family, they are great characters and all the actors are so nice. It’s also fun being the adopted daughter of Clare Divine, played by Gemma Bissix, who is a real villain in the show but is lovely in real life!

You have recently become the junior winner of West End Calling, how was your time performing in the competition?

It was a lovely experience. Alex James Ellison and all the WEC team were really friendly. I was very nervous at my first audition but they helped me relax and made me laugh. It was great meeting all the other contestants during the heats and finals. I have made lots of new friends.

What was it like reaching the final and then being named the 2025 Junior Winner of West End Calling?

I was really proud of myself for reaching the final and excited to be travelling to London to perform in a West End theatre. Lots of my family and friends were able to come or watch the show online. The final was really fun. All the other finalists were brilliantly talented and so nice. The judges were all really amazing West End Stars including Sarah O’Connor and Aimie Atkinson. SIX and Wicked are two of my favourite shows and I was so excited to perform for them. I was shocked when I was announced the winner, I was really pleased and so proud of myself and my performance.

Was there anything that encouraged you to be part of West End Calling and what do you feel you’ve learnt from being a competitor?

I had taken part in a couple of local competitions in Manchester with my performing arts school – Kitty Watson Academy (KWA). I really enjoyed them and placed quite highly in my sections. I had also just auditioned and been offered the part of Susan in Miracle on 34th Street at HOME. We saw West End Calling advertised on social media and thought it would be a fun challenge for after the Miracle run was over and combat the post-show blues!

I’ve learnt not to feel too nervous and to believe in myself. It highlighted how important it is to tell the story when you’re performing and being able to show the character’s emotions.

How was it making your professional theatre debut in Miracle on 34th Street at HOME Manchester over Christmas 2024?

It was really good. It was so fun getting to know the rest of the cast and working with the brilliant creative team. I absolutely loved the theatre. It was so exciting seeing the amazing stage being built. It was like a huge toy shop, they even let me keep some of the toys at the end of the run!

How was it getting into character as Susan and working with your fellow young cast members?

I liked playing Susan. She was very grown up for her age and could stand up for herself and what she believed in. Working with the young cast members was so much fun. I made lots of new friends and especially enjoyed working with the other Susans, Karis Musongole and Lillie May Babb. We had so much fun in rehearsals so really missed them once the run started as we were always in different shows.

What are some of your stand-out memories from performing in Miracle on 34th Street?

On my very first show there were some school groups in the audience. At one point in the show, Sawyer says ‘does anyone really believe Kris Kringle is Santa Claus?’ and all the children in the audience put their hands up and said ‘I do’. It was so lovely. I was also so lucky to be asked to perform as Susan in the Christmas Eve show. It felt really special. There was such a brilliant atmosphere. Loads of my family, friends and teachers came to watch me too, which made me so proud.

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

I always enjoyed performing at home, making videos with my mum and dad so my mum signed me up for acting classes once a week. I now go to acting, singing and dancing classes six days a week! I love them and so it felt great to be able to audition for professional jobs and show off how hard I’ve been working.

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

I can watch The Parent Trap, Nanny McPhee and The Princess Diaries over and over again. I must have seen them all 50 times! I like watching Hollyoaks now, although my mum doesn’t let me watch all of it as some of the stories are a bit grown up. I also love musicals, films and theatre shows. Legally Blonde is my favourite show at the moment. The Wicked film was amazing and I loved watching my friend Karis play Young Elphaba.

How do you like spending your time away from performing?

I love spending time with my family and friends, especially my cousins. They all live in London though so I don’t get to see them very often. I get excited if I get asked to go down to an audition as I usually manage to include a visit. I also love playing netball and shopping.

Have you received any advice over your acting career so far that has stuck with you?

During West End Calling, a few of the (amazing) judges said that they wanted to be able to see that we were enjoying our performance as, if we were enjoying it, the audience will enjoy it too.

Do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about and what are you hoping the next few months bring?

I’m hoping to continue working on Hollyoaks. It’s so fun and I’m learning so much. I also have a fun project with West End Calling coming up. I’ll be working hard on our big annual show with KWA over the next few months so that will keep me nice and busy!

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