EastEnders confirms Ryder Hawkins coming-out storyline, starting this week
EastEnders has announced a storyline in which Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) struggles to tell his family he is gay, with his father Ned (Jamie Bamber) pressuring him to conform.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1EastEnders has confirmed a new storyline in which Ryder Hawkins opens up about his sexuality. Digital SpyN “EastEnders has confirmed a new storyline for Ryder Hawkins, which will see him opening up about his sexuality.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Centre · 1Radio Times says the storyline begins this week and that viewers will see Ryder, played by Felix Uff, struggle to tell his family, particularly his father Ned (Jamie Bamber), that he is gay. Radio TimesN “A huge new storyline for Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) is on the horizon in EastEnders - and it kicks off this week.”“viewers will see Ryder struggle to tell his family, particularly dad Ned (Jamie Bamber), that he's gay.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 1Ryder arrived in August alongside the wider Hawkins family; Radio Times notes he is devoted to his dog Budd and does an impression of Changing Rooms presenter Carol Smillie. Radio TimesN “The newcomer has slipped under the radar since his arrival alongside the wider Hawkins clan in August.” Read at Radio Times ↗
Centre · 1In scenes due this week, his aunt Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) invites him to Harry's Barn to learn bar work, senses tension between Ryder and Ned, her new business partner, and takes him to lunch hoping he will open up. Radio TimesN “Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) invites her nephew to Harry's Barn so that she can show him the ropes behind the bar.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 1The next day Nicola is shocked when Ryder brings a date to the nightclub, and the two have an emotional conversation. Radio TimesN “The next day, Nic' is shocked when Ryder brings his date to the nightclub, and the two share an emotional conversation.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 2In the following week's episodes, an old football coach asks Ryder to return to the sport; Ned pushes him to rejoin the team, but Ryder is unsure. Digital SpyN “his dad Ned Hawkins pushes him to rejoin the team.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Radio TimesN “an old football coach contacts Ryder and asks him to return to the sport.” Read at Radio Times ↗
Centre · 2Ryder explains the difficulties a former teammate faced after coming out, and Nicola, who encourages him to be true to himself, understands his perspective. Digital SpyN “he explains the struggles faced by his former teammate after coming out.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Radio TimesN “Nicola encourages him to be honest with the people closest to him” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 2Ryder confides in her about the man he has been seeing and the pressure from Ned, then decides to speak honestly to his mother, Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter). Digital SpyN “Ryder confides in his auntie about the man he's been seeing.” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Radio TimesN “What Ryder doesn’t realise is that Ned has overheard him asking to speak to Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter) that evening.” Read at Radio Times ↗ Centre · 1Ned, who is hosting a Harry's Barn event to celebrate becoming co-owner of the club, overhears and, according to Digital Spy, muscles in before they can talk and keeps pressuring Ryder to conform. Digital SpyN “Ned continues to pressure Ryder to conform, but will the latter back down?”“Ned invites the whole community to a big event at Harry's Barn, as he celebrates becoming co-owner of the club.” Read at Digital Spy ↗
Centre · 2Digital Spy's unnamed EastEnders insider calls Ned "shaping up to be a major villain" and asks whether his manipulation will stop Ryder coming out; Radio Times asks whether Ned will seek to discover what his son is hiding. Digital SpyN “Ned is shaping up to be a major villain, so it seems that he could be one to watch in this storyline,” Read at Digital Spy ↗ Radio TimesN “Will Ned seek to discover what his son is hiding?” Read at Radio Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both soap-news outlets present the storyline as spoiler-led previews, centred on Ryder's relationship with his controlling father Ned and Nicola's support.
- Emphasis
- Digital Spy stresses family members not being supportive and Ned as a possible villain; Radio Times stresses the emotional tone, Ryder's low profile so far and the start date this week.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither includes comment from the show's producers or cast about the storyline's intent; Digital Spy leaves out Ryder's date at the club and Radio Times leaves out the insider's villain comment.
- Charged language
- “major villain”“manipulative”“huge new storyline”
- For example
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“Ned is shaping up to be a major villain, so it seems that he could be one to watch in this storyline,” — Digital Spy
“A huge new storyline for Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) is on the horizon in EastEnders - and it kicks off this week.” — Radio Times
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- EastEnders is starting a storyline in which Ryder Hawkins tells of his sexuality.
- Nicola Mitchell supports Ryder and he confides in her about a man he is seeing.
- Ned pushes Ryder to rejoin football, and overhears Ryder asking to speak to his mum, Gemma.
- The Ned–Ryder conflict is left as a cliffhanger.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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EastEnders confirms sexuality storyline for Ryder Hawkins
Mixed Spoiler preview that foregrounds Ned's pressure and uses an insider quote to cast him as a likely villain.
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EastEnders reveals emotional sexuality storyline for Ryder Hawkins and it begins this week
Sympathetic Describes the storyline as emotional and a big change for a little-known newcomer, with a teaser question about Ned.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 6 Oct 12:41 First Digital SpyN EastEnders confirms sexuality storyline for Ryder Hawkins
- 6 Oct 15:21 +2h 40m Radio TimesN EastEnders reveals emotional sexuality storyline for Ryder Hawkins and it begins this week
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.