For the first time in soap history, we are seeing a young girl struggle with her sexual identity.

Liverpool –filmed soap Hollyoaks are currently undertaking a storyline which sees 15-year-old Jasmine Costello struggle with her gender as a female, and is following her desperate attempts to change into Jason.
23-year-old Victoria Atkin who plays the teenager says: “I have studied what being transgender is about a lot, and through fan mail etc. I have spoken to and met a lot of transgender people of all ages.
“It’s very important to us to get this right and do the situation justice – the role is very challenging and I’m honoured to play it.”
Jasmine is part of the Costello family who have moved to Hollyoaks village to take over the Dog in The Pond pub. Her father is a former footballer and her mother an ex model, intensifying her personal struggles.
“It’s a very exciting character to play,”
Victoria adds. “She is young and going through so much, and the upcoming storylines are brilliant, with Jasmine experimenting and spending more time as alter-ego Jason. “It’s quite hard going because obviously being a girl who likes my own body, it’s hard to think how you'd hate to be born into the wrong body. It's just tough getting that mindset, but it's just like any character - as soon as you get it then it's there and it works.

“We did a lot of research, the Hollyoaks research team have been fantastic. There have been transgender people in soaps before, but this is the first time the process has been looked at through a young person’s point of view, from the beginning.” Victoria is also keen to keep the character’s situation as authentic as possible. “Jasmine wears boy’s boxer shorts under her clothes.”

Hollyoaks is shown on Channel 4 weeknights at 6.30pm. Victoria will also take part in Hollyoaks Later, which will see Jasmine and Jason in more detail, starting on October 25.

Helpful contacts if you need advice on this issue:
Armistead Centre Liverpool - 0151 227 1893
YPAS Liverpool – 0151 707 1025
LCVS – 0151 227 5177

Links:
http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks/index.html
http://www.ypas.org.uk/
http://www.armisteadcentre.co.uk/services/