Cleo McQueen is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nadine Mulkerrin. Cleo is a member of the show's established McQueen family and was introduced as the younger sister of Porsche and Celine McQueen, who arrived in late 2014. Actress Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes McQueen, suggested that more McQueens should be introduced, as she knew the show was losing two members of the family. Mulkerrin had previously auditioned for the role of Phoebe Jackson, however this role was later given to Mandip Gill. Upon learning she had been cast as Cleo, she gave up her job as a waitress and relocated to Liverpool, where the show is filmed. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 January 2015. Mulkerrin took maternity leave from the show in 2019, departing in the episode broadcast on 4 November 2019. She returned on 18 November 2020 before departing permanently on 24 May 2022 after Mulkerrin decided to leave the soap. The character made an unannounced return on 16 January 2024.
Kai Owen (pictured) plays Cleo's abusive stepfather, Pete Buchanan.
The McQueen family is a fictional family in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. The family first appeared in 2006 and the family have been involved in a number of the show's most high-profile storylines, most notably John Paul McQueen's affair with Craig Dean ; Jacqui McQueen's whirlwind relationship with Tony Hutchinson ; Myra McQueen's long-lost son Niall Rafferty's revenge on his family by holding them hostage in an abandoned church and blowing it up, ultimately killing his half-sister Tina Reilly ; Theresa McQueen's pregnancy by her cousin Carmel McQueen's fiancé Calvin Valentine and later shooting him dead on their wedding day; Mercedes McQueen's affair with her fiancé Riley Costello's father Carl ; being kidnapped by Riley's grandfather Silas Blissett, Jacqui coping with the death of her husband Rhys Ashworth in a bus crash, learning that he had been having an affair with Cindy Cunningham and that he got Sinead O'Connor pregnant; Mercedes stalking Mitzeee and stabbing herself and framing her; Carmel's facial disfigurement; Myra faking her own death to escape her daughter Mercedes' evil husband, Dr. Paul Browning ; Mercedes killing her husband Doctor Browning by striking him over the head with a shovel; John Paul's male rape at the hands of his pupil Finn O'Connor ; the train crash which ultimately killed Carmel; Mercedes faking her death to help Grace Black get revenge on Freddie Roscoe ; Theresa donating her kidney to Nico Blake ; Porsche and Cleo McQueen's sexual abuse at the hands of their mother Reenie McQueen's fiancé Pete Buchanan ; Phoebe McQueen's murder in hospital by the Gloved Hand Killer; the stillbirth of Mercedes' baby Gabriel; John Paul's transgender boss Sally St. Claire being revealed as his biological father, Mercedes being framed for drugs by Joanne Cardsley, Celine McQueen and Diego Salvador Martinez Hernandez De La Cruz's sham wedding for money; Celine being murdered by her ex-boyfriend and serial killer Cameron Campbell after discover he causes the fire at the fair on Halloween 2016; Hunter affair with his teacher Neeta Kaur, leads his feud with his fiance Mac Nightingale ; Prince marriage to Lily Drinkwell and Breda turning out to be a serial killer.
The McQueen family unit in 2022 (left to right: John Paul, Bobby, Mercedes, Theresa, Sally, Goldie, Marlena, Cleo, Olivia, Prince and Cher)
The McQueen sisters (L-R: Jacqui, Michaela, Tina, Carmel and Mercedes).