Jambo Bolton

 ( Hollyoaks Characters ) 

The character's early storylines established that he has bad luck with women. In scenes set during New Year Eve 1995, Jambo tries to change his luck by donning a homemade "lucky snogging helmet" in order to find someone to kiss. Mellor told an Inside Soap writer that "Jambo just isn't one for the women. They like to have a laugh with him, but that's as far as it goes." He called Jambo the "joker in the pack" and said that he wishes the girls would take him more seriously, but deep down he knows that they do not.

In June 1998, Mellor confirmed he was leaving Hollyoaks to continue pursuing his music career. Mellor told Mark Goodier that his character would not be killed off and his exit would allow him to return if he wanted. Mellor later stated: "I've been there for three years and there's other things I want to do. Obviously pop music is important to me at the moment. I want to concentrate on getting my album out." His final scenes aired on 6 August 1998, as Jambo leaves behind his friends in Chester to move to Anglesey for work.

Writers developed a relationship between Jambo and Dawn Cunningham (Lisa Williamson). The show's executive producer Jo Hallows told Wendy Granditer from Inside Soap that Dawn and Jambo's relationship was filled with "lovely stuff". She believed it was "a relationship that viewers really cared about" which made Dawn's death from leukaemia "all the more devastating".

Mellor agreed to reprise his role for a one-off appearance on 22 December 2004. In a take on A Christmas Carol, Jambo returns to take the Scrooge-like Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard) on a tour of his friends and family. Mellor explained that when Tony wakes to find Jambo in bed next to him, he worries that he has died, until Jambo tells him that he has been sent to show Tony the error of his ways. Mellor continued: "Jambo knows Tony is a good person deep down, and wants to show him that his actions have a lasting effect on others." Jambo leaves after showing Tony a look at his future, hoping that it will lead to Tony changing his ways. Mellor enjoyed his return to Hollyoaks, as the "surreal" nature of the episode allowed him to have fun with his role. He ruled out a permanent return to the serial due to his busy acting career.

Meanwhile, Kurt was soon paired off with Ruth Osborne and Tony was hopelessly in love with Julie Matthews. Jambo was often left on the sidelines, unlucky in love and unable to act on the feelings he had for Dawn. After countless missed opportunities as well as Jambo's brief relationship with Carol Groves's sister, Anita and his stepmother Lisa, Dawn and Jambo finally admitted their feelings for each other. The other woman in Jambo’s life was his Bond Bug Beryl, whom he loved and cherished almost as much as Dawn. Tragically, Jambo's romance with Dawn was short-lived, as she was diagnosed with leukaemia. She eventually lost her battle against the disease, leaving Jambo devastated over the loss of his girl he wanted more than anything else in the world. Jambo never got over the death of Dawn and, although he tried to persevere with his new landscaping business, '‘Dig It!’, he decided that there were too many memories of Dawn in Hollyoaks and he wanted to move on.

However, Jambo certainly left the female population of Hollyoaks with a memory they would cherish, when he was the unwilling stripper at Jude's opening night at the Parkers. Jambo finally bid farewell to Hollyoaks to begin a new life in Anglesey, but made one final visit to Hollyoaks to put flowers on Dawn's grave and vowed never to return. Jambo reappeared when the gang went to a trip to Anglesey to visit him. At Christmas 2004, Jambo appears as a vision to Tony Hutchinson to show him the error of his ways. Tony later confirms that Jambo was not a ghost after contacting him. Years later, Tony hears from Jambo when he apologises for not being able to attend his surprise birthday party.