played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines have significantly revolved around his sexuality, evolving from the initial denial of hishomosexuality, to the pursuit and relations with best friend Craig Dean, the storyline gained a fanbase and garnered them "supercouple status". The storyline received acclaim from LGBT rights charity Stonewall. John Paul later has a relationship with a priest, Kieron Hobbs. In 2008, Sutton quit the serial and his character received a "sunset ending" with Craig, which was promised for fans by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. In October 2012, it was announced Sutton had reprised his role and John Paul returned on 18 December 2012.2006–08
John Paul meets Craig Dean (Guy Burnet) after saving Craig from a beating by bully Sonny Valentine (Devon Anderson). John Paul and Craig become close friends. John Paul confesses to Craig that he is in love with him. John Paul is horrified at what he has confessed, and tells Craig that he is sorry and will leave him alone. Craig, however, refutes this idea. John Paul and Craig share a drunken kiss at a school dance-off competition which is seen by Hannah Ashworth (Emma Rigby), who tells everyone at the dance. John Paul comes out to his family, receiving support from all of his sisters, except Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe) and Michaela (Hollie-Jay Bowes), and reluctant support from his mother Myra (Nicole Barber-Lane). John Paul comes out to his classmates. However, follow
ing this event, during a 5-a-side football practice with Sonny and Craig, John Paul is teased and bullied by Craig, who eventually attacks John Paul physically. John Paul punches Craig and, after a violent threat to anyone else who wishes to bully him, runs off. Craig attempts to say sorry to him but John Paul makes it clear that he is no longer his friend and does not accept his apology.John Paul and Craig later make up and begin a secret relationship, Craig announces to his family that he is in love with John Paul. Craig's announcement leads to a show-down style confrontation between the McQueen family and the Dean family, from which John Paul and Craig run away and discuss their feelings for each other. Craig tells John Paul that he loves him, but denies being gay, saying that it is not about being gay, it is about who you fall in love with, before asking John Paul to come with him to Dublin, an offer which John Paul accepts. As they prepare to leave together, Craig admits to his brother, Jake (Kevin Sacre), that he is not gay, and he only cares for John Paul. John Paul overhears this and expresses more concern at Craig's reluctance to come out; this is further exacerbated by Craig not being able to bring himself to kiss or hold John Paul at the airport as they wait for the plane to Dublin. Although John Paul loves Craig, he realises that he needs more than to be with a man who cannot even display affection towards him in public. Heartbroken, John Paul returns home, leaving Craig to go to Dublin alone.
John Paul has a brush with death during his flat warming party. A carbon monoxide leak from the faulty boiler renders John Paul and the other revellers unconscious. Fortunately, he is saved by Danny Valentine (David Judge), Mercedes and Justin Burton (Chris Fountain). John Paul is later forced to move back into his family home. In early 2008, Myra McQueen offers her home to the Hollyoaks new young Catholic Priest, Father Kieron Hobbs. John Paul and Kieron later begin a relationship in secret. They are nearly caught by Myra when petting in the McQueen residence. Despite this, Kieron later says that he is the happiest man he has ever been with John Paul. John Paul and Kieron become an official romantic couple after making their relationship public. John Paul proposes to Kieron who joyfully accepts. However, a few weeks later, John Paul realises he's too young to get married and calls off the engagement in September 2008, shortly before finding out that Craig has returned to the village. When Craig returns, Kieron witnesses him
and John Paul in an intimate embrace outside The Dog in The Pond. Although John Paul insists nothing is going on, Kieron gives John Paul an ultimatum, insisting they get married the following week. When John Paul cannot make that promise, Kieron sadly accepts their relationship is over. Craig returns and on reuniting, all John Paul's romantic feelings for him resurface. Kieron is left angry after confronting John Paul. After a confrontation, John Paul admits to Craig he still loves him, and Craig tells him he could never move on with girls in Dublin because John Paul was always on his mind and he always loved him. They make love after a year apart shortly after. They both leave together to live in Dublin.
John Paul unsuccessfully attempts to prevent Craig from leaving him and then has sex with Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan). He returns home for Christmas to an abandoned baby. John Paul tells Nancy Osborne that he is the father. He reveals that he and Craig decided to have a child to save their relationship. However, it is unknown who is the paternal father. He initally rejects the baby, but decided to be a single parents and names him Matthew. He applies for a teaching job at his former college, Hollyoaks Sixth Form College. After his interview with headmaster Patrick Blake goes badly, he manages to get the job after demonstrating how well he can handle teenagers when a fight breaks out. His colleague Jen Gilmore gets fired after truth emerges regarding her relationship with student Tilly Evans. However, when Patrick discovers John Paul's awareness of Jen's actions, he believes he will lose his job, leading to a prank alongside Doug in which they covered Patrick's car with post-its notes. The two sleep together soon after. Later, it turns out that Patrick was no intending to fire John Paul, but suspends him from work because of his prank.
John Paul begins a relationship with Doug but ends it because Doug is still in love with Ste. In July 2013 John Paul meets supply teacher Danny Lomax. Danny kisses John Paul at The Dog In The Pond, and then doesn't call for two weeks. John Paul later sees him at the open day of the Hollyoaks High School and Danny later tries to apologise but John Paul is adament he isn't going to be messed around with. Later Danny explains himself and they get back together, JP unaware of the fact he is a married.
A few weeks later Dannys wife Sam and daughters move to Hollyoaks. Soon afterwards John Paul finds a key to Dannys apartment on the desk in his classroom. I just assumes it was left there for him so that he and Baby Matthew could move in with Danny. When he unlocks Dannys front door he is confronted with Dannys family. He finishes the relationship, but they get together a short while later.
John Pauls student Robbie Roscoe has had it in for John Paul ever since he first saw John Paul kiss Doug back in spring of 2013. After John Paul tried to help Finn O'Connor finding his daughter, which let to more grief for the student, Robbie and Finn decide to torture the teacher.
They lock him into his class room with a call boy when John Paul is working late, atempting to get him fired. Fortunally headmaster Patrick Blake has his back. After several more bullying attempts at school, the boys steal Dannys mobile phone to lure him to the Lomaxes apartment on Christmas Eve. There they tie him to the banister only wearing his unterwear. When Danny and his family arrive back home Danny convinces him that John Paul was there for Ste. This event leads to John Paul breaking up with Danny for good. It also marks the beginning of a blossoming friendship of Ste and John Paul.
In January the mobbing through the hands of Finn and Robbie peaks as John Paul identifies Finn as the culprit of attacking Nana McQueen in the village. Finn then reveals his worst in raping John Paul in his class room to shut him up.
John Paul heads to the police to report the rape but can't go through with it. From now on he tries to forget it and to go on with his life. The only person who knows about the assault is Sam Lomax. John Paul has to see Finn in school every day. The teen enjoys the power over John Paul and tells him that he brought it on all himself.
Over the next weeks John-Paul has to suffer from his experiences. He keeps teaching but starts making mistakes. He starts to lose his patience. When Peri and Tom babysit Matthew while John Paul is at parent-teacher-night (Where he once again is being taunted by Finn), Matthew falls of the sofa and bruises his head. When he gets home, John-Paul almost lashes out at Peri, but containes himself in the last minute. He apologizes to Sam the next day and Sam convinces Peri to keep quiet.
