she and Moss had towards the pairing, stating: "When the relationship first started, we didn't know how they were going to gel and how it was going to work, because people were such fans of Jacqui and Tony. Some people still ask me if those two are going to get back together, but people are really taken with Rhys and Jacqui." Cooper believes it's her own working relationship with Moss that helps make the pairing a success stating: "It's a nice collaboration and we try to make it funny, emotional, hard-hitting, three-dimensional and as interesting for the audience as possible." She also adopted a "couple name" for the pair titled "Ja-Rhys". Rhys and Jacqui were given one of the biggest storylines for the first half of 2011 in the serial, of this Marquess stated: "They have got the biggest story for the first half of 2011. I think it may be one of the biggest stories in Hollyoaks history. It's very, very serious and I think it will really divide the audience. It will really test them and their relationship to the nth degree, and we'll see whether they can recover from it." Storylines 2005–2012 Rhys first appears as a person who comes to inspect his family's new home due to the Hunter family selling up. Rhys decides the house is right for the family and moves his belongings into the biggest bedroom so his best friend Gilly can stay with the family. Rhys looks for courses at the local college but he isn't impressed with them. They both look around the college and find the girls sports team and volunteer to help their tutor Kathy Barnes with her students. Rhys meets Sarah Barnes (Loui Batley) and she lies to him, claiming that she is a student teacher. They begin dating, without Rhys realising she is a schoolgirl and the same age as Hannah. Sarah and Hannah are befriended and it is revealed that Sarah was only at the college because Kathy, her mum was there. Rhys finds out the truth about Sarah when she has a study session with Hannah. Rhys, disgusted by her lies, dumps her. Rhys and Sarah reunite but Kathy is displeased with the romance and vows to end it. Hatching a plan to break the pair up, she ends up bedding Rhys. A disgusted Sarah becomes aware of Rhys cheating with her mum and refuses