Hollyoaks actor Ashley Taylor Dawson has described his current storyline as the "most important work" he has undertaken in his 21 years on the show.

In recent months Darren has been seen coming to terms with the fact that he is suffering from depression, unaware that his best friend Kyle (Adam Rickitt) had been going through his own mental health battle.

In tragic scenes that aired last week, the pressure got too much for Kyle and he took his own life, leaving Darren devastated.

"I've lost quite a few friends to suicide over the years and I don't think any of us understand it enough," Taylor Dawson revealed in an interview with the Radio Times. "This storyline makes me proud of what we do. It's been very strong and definitely the best, most important work I've ever done on Hollyoaks."

He added: "We all look inward when we've got problems, and being in lockdown has really taught us, myself included, about anxiety. It's a natural thing. We don't give ourselves credit for what we go through in everyday life, but we need awareness of how people are feeling. Everybody needs to be more sensitive, especially now with what's happening in the world.

"We can relate to this story more than ever now, and the response from the audience has been overwhelming. To get strong feedback and hear people open up is incredible."

Hollyoaks continues Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 4 and E4.