Storylines
Gilly is from Manchester. When the Ashworths move to Hollyoaks, Gilly decides to move with them. He sneaks into a Halloween party at HCC, Gilly kisses Jessica Harris (Jennifer Biddall) and assumes the role of her wannabe boyfriend. This leads to him pretending to be a philosophy student just to get close to her and finds a rival in Mark Jury (Asier Newman), Jessica's real boyfriend. The two battled for affections but Jessica could not decide between them and ended both relationships. Neville (Jim Millea) buys Drive 'n' Buy and Gilly becomes an employee, mainly so he can become close to Sarah Barnes (Loui Batley). The pair start going on dates, however, Sarah loses interest. Any chance of a relationship ends when Gilly reveals Rhys slept with her mother, Kathy Barnes (Sarah Jane Buckley). Rhys becomes jealous over Gilly and Sarah and kicks him out of the home. Gilly moves into the student halls with ex-girlfriend, Jess. After Gilly defends Zak after he is accused of stealing Zoë's belongings, he and Rhys renew their friendship and he moves back into the Ashworths'. Gilly finds out Rhys is an escort and decides to be one himself, unaware the job involves nothing sexual.
Rhys discovers Zak and Gilly are planning a strip show at nightclub The Loft. Rhys agrees to join, however, is replaced by Calvin Valentine (Ricky Whittle). During the strip show, Rhys tries to chat up a girl, who is only interested in Gilly. Gilly meets a young woman named Molly Traverse (Kate Deakin), whom he is put off by when she mentions marriage. During her battle with anorexia, Hannah Ashworth (Emma Rigby) and friend, Melissa Hurst (Carla Chases), begin being horrible to Gilly. Hannah hits him, however, after returning from hospital, she apologises. After finding out his girlfriend Beth is his half-sister, Rhys begins being jealous after she and Gilly grow close. Gilly and Beth grow closer and kiss. They start a relationship and agree to take it slowly. Gilly decides to become a lifeguard. Whilst cleaning up, Gilly sees boss, Simon Crosby (Simon Lawson), leaving a cubicle with a crying child. Gilly automatically assumes he is a paedophile. Gilly breaks into Simon's house and finds pictures of children in their swimwear, one of whom is Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins). He also finds a boy's room with a lock on the door. Gilly shows various residents the proof. Angry parents begin to gather outside Simon's home and vandalise it by smashing the windows. Realsing his reputation is ruined, Simon attempts suicide. Simon's wife Gemma Grosby (Gemma Langford) shows Gilly a picture of their son, who died. Gilly realises Simon is innocent and feels guilty.
Gilly goes backpacking around Thailand. At this time, Beth and Rhys rekindle their romance and start an affair. Guilty, Beth leaves with Gilly and they return later in 2008. Gilly proposes to Beth, who agrees to make Rhys, who is in a relationship with Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe), jealous. Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes) catches Rhys and Beth kissing and tells Gilly, who refuses to believe. Later, Michaela tells Gilly to go home in an attempt to make him see the truth. Gilly does so and catches Rhys and Beth sleeping together. He begins to beat up Rhys and calls the police. Realising they face a prison sentence for incest, Rhys and Beth leave Hollyoaks, however, they are involved in a car crash which results in Beth's death. After time away, Rhys returns and he and Gilly decide to make up.
Gilly meets Leila Roy (Lena Kaur) and the pair begin a relationship. The romance is short as Leila tells Gilly they cannot be together. Gilly is upset by the breakup. After a break of several months, Gilly returned. At the SU Bar, Gilly begins looking for a new girlfriend with Josh Ashworth (Sonny Flood). A drunken Hannah then throws herself at Gilly and tries to kiss him. Gilly tells her he sees her as a sister. She then apologises. In Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before, Gilly goes to Manchester to party with Josh. Josh and Gilly begin a fight which ends with Gilly losing his front teeth. After returning to the village, Gilly begins to develop feelings for Steph and is jealous towards her relationship with Fernando Fernandez (Jeronimo Best).
Whilst at a boot camp trip with Steph and Fernando, Steph believes Gilly has feelings for Sarah, and is unaware his feelings are for her. During the trip, after Steph, Fernando and Gilly leave, Sarah is killed in a tragic parachute jump. Gilly writes a poem for Steph, and in it, offends Fernando. When Steph reads it she is angry at Gilly, who tells her it is Rhys who has the feelings for her. Fernando punches Rhys as Gilly convinces Steph he had nothing to do with the poem. In order to make Steph jealous, Gilly kisses Cheryl who is trying to make Calvin jealous. Despite using him, Cheryl develops true feelings for Gilly. Frankie Osborne (Helen Pearson) works out that Gilly is in love with Steph. However, Gilly denies it, saying that he loves Cheryl. Cheryl catches Gilly looking at an engagement ring, which Fernando has bought for Steph. She assumes the ring is for her and tells everyone in The Dog in the Pond that she and Gilly are getting married. Gilly reluctantly goes along, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Cheryl notices the growing closeness between Gilly and Steph and confronts him. On discovering he is in love with Steph, she breaks off their engagement, at the same time Steph and Fernando break up. Gilly goes travelling with Zoe and Mike Barnes (Tony Hirst). Steph, after being told about Gilly's feelings for her, rushes after him to admit her love just as Gilly leaves. Gilly returns on 5 March with his girlfriend Jem. Steph is upset when he proposes to Jem. Steph admits her feelings to Gilly, but he decides to stay with Jem. Rhys tells Jem that Gilly still loves Steph causing them to split up. Gilly and Steph finally confess their true feelings to each other and begin a relationship.
Steph is diagnosed with cervical cancer and does not tell Gilly, who later finds out from Cheryl. Gilly is angry at Steph for keeping this from him. Steph undergoes a hysterectomy to remove the cancer. However, doctors tell her and Gilly it failed. She is soon told her cancer is terminal. Gilly takes the news bad. The pair split up when Steph feels it is unfair on Gilly, but they get back together and start to plan their wedding. Gilly and Steph eventually get married beside the village river.
Gilly and Steph take a walk round the village on bonfire night where she finally admits she's scared of dying, they have a heart to heart conversation where she realises she's it is how she is going to die that scares her. When the pair see restaurant Il Gnosh on fire, Gilly rings for help whilst Steph runs into the burning building to save Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) and her children. Gilly stands on a ladder outside and begs her to come out, however she tells him she's ready to die and walks back into the flames. Gilly deals with his grief by becoming angry that Steph has 'left' him. After Rhys tries to comfort him, Gilly goes into Steph's room and trashes it after seeing that she has still kept her photo of her and Max Cunningham (Matt Littler) on their wedding day, placed on a table. Gilly argues with Steph's family as they blame him for not saving her and disagree on the funeral arrangements. Frankie then tells him that Steph had never loved him and that Max would have done anything to save Steph from the fire, making him further deeply upset and angry. He starts drinking heavily, causing trouble on many occasions.
Gilly starts to date Lynsey, he initially thinks it is too soon after Steph's death. He is shocked when she finds a lump and it halts their relationship. He sleeps with Jacqui when they get drunk, she tells Rhys he sexually assaulted her. She reports him to the police and Gilly faces trial. Steph's family support Gilly however many villagers do not.
During the trial it is shown Gilly and Jacqui remember the same events very differently. The jury find Gilly not guilty however the events ruin Gilly and Rhys' friendship as Rhys eventually believes Jacqui. Lynsey also takes Jacqui's side. Gilly then goes to spend some time away from the village. He returns in September and is given a job at Chez Chez by Cheryl leading Rhys to quit before punching him.
Gilly moves in with Cheryl, and they begin to rekindle their romantic relationship. But when they try to become physically intimate, Gilly becomes overwhelmed with memories of the rape and cannot go through with sleeping with Cheryl. Later that night, he goes to Rhys' and Jacqui's flat, and in a three-hander episode, the three of them discuss everything that's happened and they all eventually come to the conclusion that Gilly did indeed rape Jacqui. Jacqui forgives him, and Gilly decides that he must leave the village. He confesses the rape to everyone in his life and says his goodbyes. Cheryl in particular is devastated by Gilly's abrupt departure and begs for him to stay, but he refuses. Jacqui comforts Cheryl as she sobs on the steps outside her flat, while Gilly and Rhys share one final look goodbye before he leaves the village forever.
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