Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher

Infobox soap character
series =Hollyoaks



name=Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher
portrayer=Sam Darbyshire
first=October 2005
born=28 May 1991
occupation=Student
cousins=Rhys, Hannah, Josh
aunts/uncles=Neville, Suzanne
romances= Sasha Valentine (girlfriend)
Michaela McQueen (slept with)

Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher (born 28 May 1991) [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a96341/2308-frankie-and-newt-are-confronted-by-a-thug.html] was a fictional character on the long-running Channel 4 British television soap opera "Hollyoaks".

He is played by actor Sam Darbyshire.

Character history

Jamie is best friends with his cousin Josh Ashworth. He is currently at Hollyoaks Comprehensive School. He spends a lot of time attempting to devise money-making schemes. After classmate Amy Barnes had a fallout with her friend Michaela McQueen, Fletch stood up for her against Michaela and Amy's ex-boyfriend Ste Hay, suggesting that he had a crush on Amy.

He persuaded the Ashworth family to put their share of the money towards buying Drive N' Buy, telling them that buying the shop would pay off better in the long run. He also revealed that his own parents are always away working and he that he didn't want Josh's parents to be away like his own. He was then involved in a car crash involving Josh, Amy Barnes, Ste Hay and Michaela McQueen and was convicted for joyriding.

After the crash Josh and Amy got together and Fletch was dragged into Josh's plan to make money so he could take Amy out on dates by selling old and unwanted items on a stall outside Drive N Buy, but Fletch wanted some money to buy a new video game, which led to a fight that had to be broken up by Max Cunningham and Sam "O.B." O'Brien. Fletch told Max that he thought Amy was using Josh and wasn't really interested in him but he eventually made up with Josh.

Later Amy broke up with Josh and he begged Fletch to help him write and perform a song for Amy to hear at Hannah's 18th birthday party, and - though reluctant - he eventually agreed. That night Amy almost didn't show but Fletch rang Amy up and managed to persuade her to come, as Josh was feeling down. Amy came but left in embarrassment, forcing Josh to run after her and leave Fletch singing the song about his best mate's girlfriend by himself.

In the revamped credits from 28th May Fletch appears in the opening credits along with Tom, Elliot and Katy who didn't appear before.

Fletch reappeared in early July with him and Josh planning to form a band to stop them from getting bored during the summer. Fletch played the guitar, Josh the keyboard and Amy the lead on vocals. Michaela who can't play an instrument wants to do backing vocals and tries to persuade Josh, Fletch and Amy to let her join the band. Their first gig turns into a disaster when Amy is unable to sing as she has to look after Leah and both he and Josh become sick with nerves, forced to end the gig early.

Relationship with Sasha

Sasha Valentine has recently showed her affections towards Fletch, as has Michaela but only because she is desperate to be in the band. Fletch took advice from Darren and told him he was still a virgin so Darren suggested choosing both girls. On Josh's advice Fletch chose Sasha but then received a photo message on his phone from Michaela showing her lying on her bed in a baby-doll night dress, Fletch went to Michaela's house where they slept together. The next day he asked Sasha out on a date. She agreed at first but was upset to learn that he slept with Michaela, when she burst into Sasha's house to discover the two of them nearly sleeping together. Fletch tried to apologise to Sasha, even writing a song to show how he felt about her, with some help from Lauren, Sasha's half sister. However when Sasha heard the song, she laughed at it, calling it cheesy and again kicked Fletch out.

Fletch failed all of his exams.

Drugs

Fletch's first drug use was when he attended a wild party at Ste and Amy's council flat where he was pressurised into smoking cannabis by Ste. As a result, Fletch started smoking cannabis on a regular basis as he enjoyed it. Ste persuaded Fletch to bunk off sixth form to spend the day with him. At first Fletch was reluctant, but Ste mentioned that he and Fletch could smoke cannabis together. Unable to resist the prospect of drugs, Fletch relaxed with Ste in his flat until Amy returned.

Sasha soon got fed up with Fletch's new found hobby, so she told him not to hang around with her anymore. Fletch asked Josh for his help in getting in to The Loft so that he could see Sasha to try to make it up to her. Josh didn't want to as he was against Fletch's haphazard attitude to drugs. Fletch promised Josh that he'd give up the weed if Josh could help him get to Sasha. Josh agreed and brandishing a fake ID, but Fletch wasn't convinced that he'd get in with it and didn't so he continued smoking cannabis.

A depressed Sasha tried to find Fletch after overhearing Valerie Holden and Leo Valentine describe her as boring and with her confidence gone down, Sasha decided to join in with Fletch's hobby and they both started smoking cannabis together. When Fletch and Sasha attended a party for Niall Rafferty at the Mcqueens', Fletch suggested to take some Speed together. It took some convincing but he managed to talk her into it and they sneak off to take it. Within minutes after taking it, their moods changed from being bored, to wide awake, excited and chatty. They both suffer the effects the next morning with a drug-induced hangover.

Fletch picked up heroin that dropped out of Myra McQueen's bag in Drive 'n' Buy, and kept it in his school locker. Fletch was terrified when Mrs Webster did a spot check of lockers looking for drugs. Fletch pleaded with Sasha to help him but she couldn't understand why he even picked up herion in the first place and ignored him. Just as the locker search was about to begin, Sasha set off the fire alarm and saved Fletch from getting caught with drugs. Fletch thanked Sasha but she demanded he got rid of the heroin.

Fletch was invited over to Sasha's house so they could spend some time together. When Calvin Valentine left the house, Fletch suggested they smoke weed together. At first Sasha was reluctant, but agreed when Fletch explained that Calvin wouldn't be back for hours. Calvin unexpectedly returned early to find the house in a mess and was outraged to find Sasha and Fletch stoned by cannabis. Fletch was then thrown out of the house and was told by Calvin to stay away from Sasha.

The next day, Fletch went to see Sasha at her house, but Calvin again told him to stay away from her. Calvin was aghast when Sasha packed her bags and left with Fletch to stay with Amy and Ste at their council flat. At the flat, Fletch and Sasha went alone in the bedroom. As Fletch was about to roll a joint, Sasha discovered heroin in Fletch's pocket and was horrified that he had kept it. She lambastes Fletch, but her curiosity got the better of her and they both agreed to try the heroin just once.

The next morning, Fletch and Sasha woke up feeling terrible. As Fletch threw up in the toilet, Sasha was having regrets using heroin the night before as they suffered the effects of a massive comedown in Ste and Amy's bathroom. When Ste banged on the door wanting to use the toilet, Fletch and Sasha flushed the evidence of their drug use down the toilet but their paranoid behaviour and sickly state made Ste suspicious. Ste found a piece of silver foil in the toilet bowl and realised what they had been up to, so he forced Sasha and Fletch out of his and Amy's flat, warning them that he couldn't have junkies in his flat when he had a baby there.

Sasha and Fletch agreed to bunk off school knowing they were both wanting to finally have sex. Although there was a nervous hesitation between them, it wasn't long before they were back at the Valentines' and in bed together. However, they were interrupted when a furious Leo walked in to find them. He immediately threw Fletch out of the house. On Sasha's 17th birthday, Fletch bought some heroin from Nige for Sasha as a birthday present, and suggested they should try it again. At first Sasha didn't want to, but as Fletch kept saying it was her birthday and she should have a good time, they both agreed to try it for the last time.

It soon became an addiction, and both were even willing to steal to buy more heroin for themselves. Sasha and Fletch stole a purse from a lady in Il Gnosh so they could buy more heroin. Fletch put the heroin in his pocket and lied to Sasha claiming that he'd lost it so that he could have it to himself. Just before Fletch was about to perform The Baby Diagos with Josh and Michaela at battle of the bands in the SU Bar, Fletch took the heroin that he and Sasha had bought. As The Baby Diegos were announced, Josh and Michaela realised that Fletch had disappeared. When he staggered backstage and turned up late, clearly out of his face, Sasha knew immediately that Fletch had lied to her when he said he had lost the heroin, and Michaela and Josh were humiliated as they were booed offstage due to Fletch messing up playing the guitar. Fletch made humble apologies and said that he needed a few drinks to calm his nerves, but Michaela and Josh were on to him and accused him of taking cannabis. Fletch was adamant that it was untrue so Michaela sneakily searched his bag and found heroin. As Micheala went to confront Fletch, Leo caught her with the heroin in her hand. Michaela tried to make Fletch own up that it's his and not hers, but he didn't and lied to everyone saying he doesn't take heroin. Fletch then apologized to Sasha about lying to her, but she refused to accept his apology.

The next day, a hungover Fletch attempted to resolve things with Sasha. She was only willing to forgive him if he admitted the heroin was his to Michaela and Josh, but Fletch couldn't bring himself to do it. As Michaela lost it with Sasha for being on Fletch's side, Leo broke them up, leaving everyone thinking Michaela was a smack head. Josh confronted Fletch, promising to help him if he'd just tell the truth. Fletch couldn't bring himself to tell the truth so Josh walked away from him, unable to help when he's in denial. Fletch was defensive, expecting more hassle from Sasha, but she was sympathetic, embraced him and gave him another chance.

Being distant from Josh, Fletch desperately tried to avoid the pull of heroin. When he saw Ste, he decided to ask him for some weed, but Ste insisted that he could buy heroin instead if he wanted. Fletch assured Ste that he had given up heroin, so Ste sold him some weed instead. Later, as Fletch accepted Josh's invite to the Ashworths', it looked like the two were friends again. But unable to resist the lure of his addiction, Fletch called Ste for one last hit.

Fletch was drawn further into his his drug-addiction lifestyle, isolating himself again from Josh. Fletch and Sasha stole Josh's MP3 Player that Josh had left, so they decide to sell it in order to buy more heroin. Josh confronted Fletch after Michaela told him that she had spotted Sasha and Fletch selling his MP3, and was disgusted to learn that his friend has resorted to stealing in order to buy drugs. Fletch attempted to apologise to Josh for stealing his MP3, but Josh wouldn't listen and told him he doesn't want to be friends anymore. Later that day, Fletch and Sasha bought herion from the money they got when they sold Josh's MP3. At another desperate attempt to buy some heroin, Fletch persuaded Sasha to steal money from her family in order to buy more heroin, which she agreed to.

Fletch went to visit Ste to buy more heroin, and took it in Ste and Amy's flat. Amy was furious when she unexpectedly returned to the flat and found Fletch almost unconscious while Leah was there. Ste denied selling Fletch the drugs, but Amy wasn't interested and left. Later that day, Sasha came across Fletch staggering across the village. Fletch was completely wasted and dumped her.

The next day, Fletch went to visit Sasha in hospital after she let Ste inject her with heroin, and apologized to her saying he didn't mean it when he said he didn't want to be with her anymore, but an angry Leo threw him out, warning him to stay away from Sasha as he thought Fletch was the one who Sasha was doing drugs with. Later that day, Fletch went to visit Ste to buy more heroin, but Ste refused and said he didn't want to sell anymore drugs after what happened to Sasha, leaving a desperate Fletch wanting more heroin.

After Sasha recovered from her hangover, she met up with Fletch and asked him if he had got anymore drugs, but he didn't and said it would be best if they both laid off the drugs for a while. Danny Valentine found Fletch with Sasha and told him it would be best if he and Sasha wouldn't see each other any more, which Fletch agreed to but Sasha still wanted to be with him.

Fletch spotted Sasha and Justin Burton kissing together in the village, so Fletch confronted her and told her he saw them both kissing. Sasha reminded Fletch that he dumped her, telling him he had no right to be jealous, but then Fletch admitted he wanted her back with him and with little hesitation, they return to form and score some drugs. Sasha and Fletch bought more herion by stealing Nancy Dean's purse in Il Gnosh and stole the money she had in it. Later, Michaela saw a wasted Sasha and Fletch at the park and pitied them.

On Fletch's 17th birthday, Hannah bumped into him in the village and invited him round for a birthday lunch. Fletch agreed but Josh was adamant that he wouldn't show up as usual. When Fletch finally showed up at the Ashworths, his party was overshadowed by the return of Rhys Ashworth and he sneaked out, feeling ignored. Fletch was desperate for another fix and told Sasha this, so she decided to steal her dad's keys to the boiler room and sent a text message to Fletch telling him to meet her there so they could take the drugs there to avoid the risk of getting caught in the village. Sasha and Fletch were again desperate for another fix but neither had any money, so Sasha decided to con money out of her dad who was blinded by her desperation to score and returned to her hideout with Fletch to take more heroin.

Just before sixth form exams were about to start, Fletch asked Sasha if she wanted to take heroin with him that he borrowed from Nige, and said he could pay Nige back tomorrow, but Sasha suggested they should take it after the exams. Unable to resist, Fletch took the heroin in the bathroom on his own, and arrived late for his exam totally off his head, and vomited on his desk half way through examination, thus failing and is sent home. Later that day, Fletch attempted to steal money from Drive 'n' Buy to pay back Nige, but at the last minute is spotted by Josh and threatened Fletch he'd call the police, but Fletch ignored him and tried to run away with the money, only for Josh to grab him down and take the money away from him.

The next day, Sasha told Fletch that Nige confronted her telling her he knows she's with Fletch scoring drugs and wanted his money back. Fletch promised to get the money and turned to Josh in Drive 'n' Buy but he was sick of being used and refused to help. as Fletch left the shop he spotted an opportunity to snatch a bag in the village, he quickly shoved Myra Mcqueen and grabbed her bag, but she was unaware of who it was. Frustrated to find no money inside, Fletch and Sasha stole a laptop from the head teacher's office to try and sell it to buy more heroin.

The next day, Fletch got a text from Nige saying he didn't need to pay him today, but he could buy more heroin if he wanted, leaving Fletch confused. Later that day Sasha met up with Fletch to go and see Nige in the park to buy more heroin. When they met up with Nige and bought heroin off him, he explained to Fletch why he didn't need to pay him for the drugs he bought off him a few days ago, saying that Sasha paid him when she slept with him. Sasha tried to explain to Fletch why she had slept with Nige by saying that he said he would have given her some heroin for free if she had (which he didn't), leaving Fletch angry at Sasha and refusing to give her any heroin that he bought off Nige. As Fletch slumped in the alleyway after taking a hit, Sasha tried to find if Fletch had gotten any spare heroin in his pockets, but he didn't, and left Fletch practically unconscious lying on the floor against the wall.

The next day, Sasha was desperate to ger back with Fletch, but he was too disgusted to even speak to her. Sasha had an idea of enticing Fletch with heroin and arranged to meet him at the park. When Fletch arrived, he was furious to realise that Sasha was lying, and was sickened by her apologies, and left her sobbing pitifully alone in the park.

After Fletch's parents caught him stealing in an attempt to buy more drugs, they disowned him. Nige offered Fletch more heroin, but he refused to deal with him after Sasha's betrayal. Josh was disgusted by what his friend had become and refused to help him out when Fletch begged for money. Fletch then commented on Rhys and Beth's affair, and got into a scrap with Josh.With no-one else to turn to, Fletch's desperation forced him to go back to Nige, and agreed to sell dope to kids in school in order to get his fix from Nige. Later Fletch finds himself homeless and hungry as he begged in the park.

The next day, Josh went to find where Fletch had been sleeping rough after he heard his family had disowned him but was disgusted to find that he was high on heroin. Later that day, Rhys and Gilly Roach came across a wasted Fletch in the village and demanded that he returned home with them. When he arrived, he begged Josh not to tell his parents that he was on drugs incase they kicked him out, but Josh was only willing to keep Fletch's secret from them if Fletch stopped taking drugs.

Fletch was grateful to be taken into the Ashworths' but he couldn't bear how he was feeling and begged Josh for money to buy more drugs but Josh refused. Fletch's desperation got the better of him, so he stole Josh's laptop in order to sell it to buy more heroin. When Fletch arrived back at the Ashworths', he went up to Josh's room and injected himself with heroin. Josh, Neville Ashworth and Suzanne Ashworth were horrified when they found Fletch lying on the floor unconscious.

The next day, Fletch woke up in Josh's room lying on the bed. He found a bucket and food on the floor and wondered what was going on. He tried to open the door, but it was locked and was begging the Ashworths' to let him out, but they said they couldn't as they couldn't risk him going out and taking more drugs. Hannah tried to comfort Fletch, and said he would only be in there until they found him professional help, but Fletch said he didn't want or need help. Fletch implored Hannah to help him and begged her to let him out of the room, but Hannah said it was for his own good and would only be in there for a few days. In an attempt to support him, Hannah told Fletch of her experiences when she was sectioned with anorexia. Fletch then started crying as he couldn't bear being locked up in the room, and Hannah felt sorry for him, so she unlocked the door to let him out and embraced him. Fletch paniced when he saw Josh coming up the stairs. Josh tried to bundle him back in, but Fletch overpowered him and accidentally caught Hannah in the face and knocked her down, and then escaped from the Ashworths'.

With nowhere else to go, Fletch was using school as his only refuge. Fletch sold his mobile phone to Michaela McQueen just so he could fund his drug addicion. Fletch decided to leave school after realising he had become a pariah amongst his friends as well as his family. Leo tried to dissuade Fletch from leaving school, but despite Leo's kind words, he left anyway. Sasha found Fletch afer hearing from her dad, Leo, that Fletch had left school. Fletch forgave Sasha for having sex with Nige, and begged her to leave Hollyoaks to come to London with him, but Sasha, however, couldn't decide.

Local village nutcase Niall Rafferty pushed then-pregnant Tina Reilly down the city stairs, Fletch was the only one to witness this action, however Niall blamed him for the attack. No one believed Fletch's claims that he was innocent, and he escaped Carmel McQueen who was trying to arrest him. Fletch went to the hospital to try and explain what had happened, but Niall made things clear that no one would believe him. Niall told Fletch to leave the village and never come back.

A month or two later, Fletch showed up for results day at Sixth Form where he convinced a now clean Sasha that he was also clean. He asked Sasha to move away with him, however, Sasha spotted marks on Fletch's arm from a recent heroin injection. Upon Sasha's discovery Fletch resorted to mugging Sasha and running away.

It is expected Fletch will return after Niall Rafferty holds his family hostage, as he was the main reason for him running away.

External links

* [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/H/hollyoaks/cast/boys/fletch/ "Fletch" Fletcher] on the [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/H/hollyoaks/ Hollyoaks website]