List of Hollyoaks Characters (2009) - Des Townsend

Des Townsend, played by Kris Deedigan, first appeared on 31 August 2009 as a love interest for Jacqui McQueen.

He first appears in Hollyoaks village as a man who Ravi Roy spills coffee over. Des flirts with Loretta Jones after Jacqui McQueen throws his clothes out of Tan & Tumble. He later leaves his number for Jacqui, who agrees to go on a date with him. However, Jacqui has to leave early after being told of a sighting of Russ Owen and Max McQueen. Des begins his job as the head of sixth form at Hollyoaks High School. Carmel McQueen pretends to be her cousin Theresa, who had dropped out of school. Carmel believes Des has called the police on her after he discovers the truth, however he offers her the job as cheerleader coach. Des is teaching Anita Roy and Theresa when Anita begins to rebel as a result of discovering that she was adopted. Anita trashes the classroom as Theresa watches. Anita reveals how her father Govinda Roy, who was also the headteacher, covered up for her for stealing exam papers, ultimately destroying his career. Des has no choice but to report the situation to the governors, whilst Gov resigns. Des confiscates a pornographic magazine from Ricky Campbell and Duncan Button, when he finds pictures of Jacqui that were taken whilst she was drunk. Jacqui is horrified over the situation. However, Des tells her he does not care. Des and Jacqui begin to grow closer, and he helps her get a job as a dinner lady at the school. Jacqui is caught taking food from the canteen by Gaz Bennett and when Des finds out, he ends up getting her fired. Despite this, Jacqui and Des stay together.

Des shows his racist side as he begins to send death threats to Calvin Valentine. He befriends Zak Ramsey and tries to get him involved in his racist attacks. Des's hostility towards minorities increases when his older sister Rose, who raised him, visits and learns he wants to marry a woman who had a black half-sister. A disgusted Rose encourages him to believe Jacqui is attracted to Ravi Roy, and an insecure Des challenges to a boxing match outside Relish, and increasingly provokes him, leading Ravi to hit him in the face. Des continues his racism issues and sprays graffiti all over Ravi's restaurant in which his sister Anita accuses Gaz. Des sees Anita and Gaz arguing over the graffiti. Des advises Gaz to confront Anita as long as its not on school grounds. Gaz is astonished of what he is being told but he does confront Anita anyway. Rose belittles Des for involving reckless people and warns him to take direction action or she will disown him. Meanwhile, Des tries to keep Zak, who now regrets his racist attitudes, on his side, telling him of revenge plans. Des tells Zak he will make trouble for Zak and his fiancée Michaela if Zak goes to the police, but Zak does anyway, warning them about Anita being in danger. The police arrest Gaz for holding Anita hostage as Des sets off a smoke bomb in Relish, briefly trapping Ravi inside before he is freed by Zak and Michaela.

Zak admits to Michaela that it was Des who attacked Relish and was trying to get him involved in his activities. The pair create a plan to prove Des is racist. Zak manages to film a conversation with Des, where he comes out with racist remarks such as lower standards of living due to immigrants. This video is on Michaela's laptop and she and Zak show the video to Jacqui. Des and Rose squabble about Jacqui, he then proposes to Jacqui in The Dog on the Pond, with Myra, Zak and Michaela as witnesses. Jacqui does not reply, and Des debates that because she did not say no, she loves him. Des and Jacqui have a drink at The Dog, and Jacqui pretends she does not know about Des's racist activities. He is overcome by guilt, admitting he attacked Ravi due to the colour of his skin. Jacqui asks him why he did it. Des tells Jacqui that his parents had died when he was young in a car accident, involving a Pakistani person. Jacqui tells him the accident could have still happened if it was a white person and that Tina was killed by a white person. Des claims Rose had made him believe racist things and that he hopes Jacqui could help him become a better person. Jacqui agrees to forgive Des, however when he proposes again, she slaps him. Des and Rose are told to leave as Jacqui refuses to return the engagement ring. Des and Rose exit The Dog in shame, but as soon as they do so, they are arrested by police, for attacking Relish.