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Jason Roscoe is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Alfie Browne-Sykes. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 May 2013. Jason is introduced to the serial as a member of the Roscoe family: the son of Sandy Roscoe (Gillian Taylforth) and brother of Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham), Freddie Roscoe (Charlie Clapham), Ziggy Roscoe (Fabrizio Santino) and Joe Roscoe (Ayden Callaghan). Browne-Sykes was working for a drainage company when he auditioned for the role of Jason and in later auditions, he was paired with Santino. He discovered he had won the role in December 2012 and began filming three months later.

Jason is billed as a smart, caring and happy student, who differs from his brothers. He is insecure, compassionate and anxious around female characters. The character is named after singer Jason Orange and suffers from type-1 diabetes, which Browne-Sykes thought moulded his character's personality. Shortly after arriving, Jason misses taking his insulin and collaspes, placing him in danger.

Creation and casting
On 4 February 2013, it was announced that a new family would join Hollyoaks, consisting of five brothers and their mother Sandy Roscoe, portrayed by actress Gillian Taylforth. Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy reported that the Roscoe brothers would draw the attention of female characters and would create "a whole lot of trouble". Taylforth said she looked forward to meeting the actors playing her onscreen sons. Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham) and Freddie Roscoe (Charlie Clapham), two members of the Rosoce family, were introduced in April and May 2013 respectively. On 7 May 2013, the characters of Joe Roscoe, David "Ziggy" Roscoe and Jason Roscoe, the remaining three brothers, were announced. Ayden Callaghan was cast as Joe, while Fabrizio Santino was cast as Ziggy. Alfie Browne-Sykes was cast in the role of Jason, the youngest Roscoe brother.

Browne-Sykes was working for a drainage company when he auditioned for the character and wore his work clothing to his first audition. He did not feel confident with the audition and opted to redo it. Browne-Sykes felt his second attempt was more successful and following a series of auditions, which he did with Santino, he felt more optimistic. Despite this, he found the waiting process "nerve-wracking". The actor discovered he had won the role before Christmas 2012. Hollyoaks is Browne-Sykes' first major acting role. Browne-Sykes was 17 when he auditioned for the soap and moved from London to Liverpool, where the show is filmed, for the role. Browne-Sykes built a friendship with his on-screen brothers and he, Santino and Clapham began living together. The actor found it "strange and a bit overwhelming" to change from his engineer job to a regular acting job. Browne-Sykes began filming in March 2013.

Development

 * Alfie Browne-Sykes tag
 * Jason Roscoe introduction video
 * Inside Soap magazine 3-9 March 2018: Blast from the past, page 56-57

Characterisation and introduction
Intelligent, sensitive and firmly rooted, Jason Roscoe is possibly the most pleasant of the Roscoe clan. He's the quiet one in a house of hectic noise. Don't mistake him for a wimp though: Jason won't let his brothers - or anyone - push him around, and has a quieter, less showy strength. Jason's effortless intelligence and capability at, well, pretty much everything, makes his family proud. He finds the high hopes somewhat stifling though, and his passion lies far from an academic career. Jason is billed as the smart, caring twin brother of Robbie who is "destined for success". He is characterised as "brilliant, happy, insecure and troubled". Browne-Sykes described his character as mature, gentle, compassionate and "a nice guy". He stated that dissimilarly to his brothers, Jason is anxious around female characters. Jason's friendly nature sets him apart from his brothers, while his intellect awards him with a responsibilty to manage the finances of the family motor business. Additionally, Jason is a boxer. Browne-Sykes said that he has been attending the gym to prepare for this characteristic. Producers named the Roscoe brothers after famous singers; Jason is named after Jason Orange.

Jason enjoys having fun with his brothers, although Joe, Freddie and Ziggy often ridicule him. Through the way he deals with this, he is presented with "an inner strength". Browne-Sykes said that Jason's differences to his brothers place him "slightly on the outside". Wernham described Jason as "quite a sensitive character", who tries to avoid "upsetting anyone". When provoked, Jason does not become irritated, nor does he seek revenge; he tries to forget about the issue and not let it trouble him. He struggles to socialise and has confidence issues.

Jason is introduced in episode 3609, broadcast in the United Kingdom on 23 May 2013, alongside Joe, Ziggy and Sandy. Prior to their arrival, Robbie attempts an armed robbery on local convenience store, Price Slice, shooting Callum Kane (Laurie Duncan) and threatening Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) with a gun. When Darren sees Jason in the village, he mistakes him for Robbie and escorts him to The Dog in the Pond, where he calls the police. Darren's accusations shock Jason and his brothers soon arrive at the pub to confront Darren. As they argue, Sandy arrives and realises that Darren is their new landlord, causing the brothers to stop arguing with Darren.

Diabetes
Jason suffers from type-1 diabetes. Browne-Sykes believed that Jason's condition has "shaped" his personality and that it has "made him who he is". Before joining the cast, the actor had limited knowledge about diabetes so the show's research department provided him with detailed information about the condition. Hollyoaks director Paul Reardon helped Browne-Sykes with researching and portraying the condition because his son suffers from the same condition as Jason. Browne-Sykes opined that it is necessary that the condition is portrayed correctly. The actor also felt he had developed his understanding of the condition.

When Sandy ejects Robbie from the family after his attempted armed robbery, Jason becomes distressed and goes missing. He goes to the garage where he becomes locked inside a car. His blood sugar levels begin to drop and he is put in danger. Browne-Sykes told Kilkelly (Digital Spy) that it is "a race against time" to save Jason because if he does not take his insulin, he will die. He called the situation "really bad". The actor enjoying filming these scenes, commenting, "I would much prefer to do something extreme than bland!"

Robbie Roscoe
Jason differs from Robbie, although they share a "strong bond" and Jason is always prepared to protect Robbie when he behaves badly. Tina Miles of Digital Spy observed that Jason and Robbie are "polar opposites" when they arrive. Despite Robbie taking him for granted, Jason continues to care for Robbie and tries to ensure their older brothers do not discover his misbehaviour. He tries to discuss Robbie's behaviour with him, but it never has any effect. On Jason and Robbie's relationship, Browne-Sykes commented, "Out of all the brothers, Jason shows the most affection towards Robbie, even though Robbie isn't very affectionate in return!" Wernham explained that Robbie tries to keep Jason upbeat because he loves him. Browne-Sykes explained that Jason is maturer than Robbie when allowing situations to bother him, although Robbie is better at socialising.

Jason is shocked and devastated by Robbie's attempted armed robbery. Browne-Sykes explained that while Jason does not agree with Robbie's actions, he does stand up for him when Sandy tries to eject him from their house. The actor said that "deep down [Jason] knows it's for the best". Robbie begins bullying high school teacher John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). Jason notices the tension between Robbie and John Paul but does not involve himself in the situation since it is very serious.

Sandy Roscoe
Jason has a good relationship with his mother Sandy. Taylforth explained that the Roscoe brothers are "very protective" of Sandy. As a mother, Sandy constantly reminds Jason to take his insulin and eat healthily, which Jason sometimes finds irritating. However, she also understands he needs independence so avoids treating him as a child. Browne-Sykes called Sandy an excellent mother. Taylforth asks Browne-Sykes when she has any questions on type-1 diabetes. Browne-Sykes enjoys working with Taylforth and developed his acting skills from her.

Holly Cunningham
Jason becomes attracted to Holly Cunningham (Wallis Day) and tries to arrange a date with her, but struggles due to his confidence issues. Browne-Sykes explained that Jason becomes "pretty infatuated" with her. He also stated that he enjoyed working with Day. Day quit the role in autumn 2013 so the role of Holly was recast to Amanda Clapham. Browne-Sykes liked working with Clapham and described her as the best person to succeed Day. Following the recast, producers decided to explore Jason's relationship with Holly. Browne-Sykes liked Jason and Holly's relationship and called it "a coming of age step" for his character. Their relationship helps Jason build his confidence, although they are both "socially awkward" together. On Jason and Holly's feelings for each other, Browne-Sykes commented, "I think Jason and Holly are really into each other - they enjoy each other's company and they do really love each other."

In November 2013, Jason goes into a diabetic coma after drinking too much alcohol with Robbie, Holly and Ruby Button (Anna Shaffer). While recovering in hospital, Jason is supported by Holly who expresses an interest in him. She accepts his invite to be his date for Joe's wedding to Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin). Holly and Jason later decide to have sex after Holly becomes keen to progress their relationship. Browne-Sykes explained that while Holly is mature, Jason is "vulnerable" and like a child. The storyline begins when Robbie, posing as Jason on his phone, sends Holly a text message asking to have sex. Browne-Sykes explained that Robbie is not trying to be cruel, but is actually trying to help Jason. As they sit together, Holly kisses Jason and prepares to have sex. Browne-Sykes stated that Jason does not know what to do because he has no experience.

Sexting
Producers used the characters of Jason, Holly, Robbie and Ruby to highlight the topic of sexting. Hollyoaks decided to tackle the subject after recognising its relevance to everyday life as well as the pressure that people can feel when they are asked to send sexual images. NSPCC supported the storyline and helped during the storylining. Browne-Sykes, Clapham, Wernham and Shaffer filmed an online video for the NSPCC's mobile app, Zipit. Clapham thought the app would help people who are uncomfortable about sexting. Wernham opined that it is a good topic for the show to raise awareness about. Clapham hoped that young people like Holly and Jason would look for support as a result of the storyline.

Robbie and Ziggy encourage Jason to ask Holly for a sexual image so she sends him an image of her cleavage. He subsequently sends Holly an image of him in his underwear. Robbie steals the image of Holly and shares it online. Wernham explained that Robbie is not trying to create trouble for the couple but is "having a laugh and it goes too far". Clapham pointed out that everything "all goes wrong very quickly". She also explained that Holly is "mortified" and disappointed with Jason, as she is under the impression that he spread the image. Jason also reacts badly to Robbie's actions and gets annoyed with him. Holly reacts by publicising the image of Jason around the village. Wernham stated that Robbie's actions mean that both Holly and Jason are left humiliated. He added that Holly's actions create "a game of tennis" between her and Robbie.

Robbie's behaviour receives backlash from Ruby, who is in a relationship with Ziggy. Robbie steals Ziggy's phone and asks Ruby for a sexual image, posing as Ziggy. She sends an image of her cleavage, which Robbie uploads to a slideshow playing at Joe and Lindsey's wedding reception in The Dog in the Pond. Wernham said that Jason is "dragged in" to the situation, despite it having "nothing to do with it". At the reception, Robbie's behaviour is exposed and he is ejected from the pub.

Body dysmorphic disorder

 * Hollyoaks: Alfie Browne-Sykes talks to us about Jason’s body dysmorphia
 * Like A Girl: Male Body Dysmorphia on TV and in Real Life

In December 2013, Browne-Sykes expressed an interest in exploring Jason's body image issues. He felt that teenagers would be able to relate to the situation making the story a good oppurtunity. On 9 April 2014, it was announced that Jason would develop body dysmorphic disorder as part of the character's first issue-led storyline. Browne-Sykes looked forward to tackling the subject as he felt it would be a good way to explore his character. He also stated he was "really excited" about the plot.

Jason begins to struggle with his appearance and speak to Ziggy about his body image. Browne-Sykes explained that Jason thinks of himself as "this skinny, pathetic kid" who is unfit and aspires to look like Joe. He called Jason's thoughts "completely irrational" and said that he is not seeing the same thing as everybody else. Jason discovers a drug dealer selling steroids and buys some from him. After taking the drugs, Jason overdoses and develops paranoia.

Reception
The sexting plot involving Jason was nominated for the "Sexual Health Media Campaign Storyline of the Year" award at the UK Sexual Health Awards in March 2014. However, it lost out to Casualty female genital mutilation plot.

Luke Botham of Gay Life magazine pointed out that Jason's personality differs from that of his brothers, calling Jason "sweet, sensitive and wouldn’t do a thing wrong." He also thought that Jason faces a lot of pressure to be like his brothers.

Digital Spy named Jason's introduction their "Picture of the day" for 23 May 2013.

Browne-Sykes receieved a positive response about his character from viewers, who he believed "feel sorry" for Jason. The actor also gained a lot of fan attention, which he found "overwhelming".


 * Body dysmorphia reception