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The seeds for Tracy Horrobin and Oliver Sterling’s friendship were sown when Oliver spotted potential in Tracy and offered her a job at Grey Gables. Since then they’ve ridden several storms together. Recently their friendship hung in the balance after Oliver closed Grey Gables, putting Tracy out of a job. But at Tracy’s lowest point Oliver appeared and tentatively reignited her hope

In 2019 Oliver was working behind the bar at the Bull when a rowdy hen party kicked off and all hell let loose. Despite Lilian’s best efforts, she couldn’t get the hens to leave the pub. Tracy, who was having a quiet drink at the bar, said she’d deal with it. Without any fuss, she took the heat out of the situation and herded the hens towards a taxi, via a large amount of Tracy hugging! Oliver commented to Lilian that Tracy “was quite something”. When Lilian mentioned that Tracy was about to lose her job at the petrol station, an idea began to form in Oliver’s head.

A stupid bit of gossip is more important to you than our friendship

Tracy looks as if she’s come to unblock a drain

Oliver told Lynda that he’d decided to short-list Tracy for the Assistant Receptionist post at Grey Gables. When Lynda complained that Tracy hadn’t got the required skills, Oliver firmly insisted that he knew it was a bit left-field, but Tracy was a very good candidate in her own way. He’d been impressed by the way she’d defused a tense situation at The Bull with the minimum of fuss.

Before the interview, Lynda tried to sabotage Tracy’s chances. She was rude about Tracy’s outfit saying “she looked as if she’d come to unblock a drain”. But unfazed Tracy told her that Oliver had asked her to apply. He’d said he was looking for someone with a bit of energy and a fresh perspective.

Tracy found the interview a breeze, telling Lynda that she and Oliver had a laugh - unlike Roy who was also on the panel. Later, Lynda despaired and Roy was shell-shocked when they learned the new Assistant Receptionist was going to be Tracy Horrobin. But Tracy was over the moon!

Tracy puts two and two together and makes five million!

However a month later a fearful Tracy clutching herbs to ward off spirits, announced to Oliver that she was handing in her notice. Guest Room thirteen had a poltergeist and she couldn’t continue to work there. Oliver managed to contain his amusement, explaining that the guest who’d claimed the room was haunted was a scammer. Mrs Jones said her room was haunted in every hotel she stayed at to get a refund. Oliver and Tracy found the funny side and agreed that Tracy had put two and two together and made five million! Tracy binned the herbs and agreed to stay on.

Oliver boosts Tracy’s confidence

When Oliver mentioned that he was looking to hire a kitchen porter for Grey Gables, Tracy suggested Freddie might be a good fit. He could do with a break and the chance to prove himself after his release from prison. Oliver took her suggestion seriously, and although initially Ian wasn’t keen, he eventually agreed to try Freddie out. And when Tracy came up with the idea of Murder Mystery Nights at the hotel, Oliver was happy to explore them. He invited Tracy to a themed night at a hotel in Kidderminster to scope the idea out. Tracy thanked Oliver – the job had really boosted her confidence.

Are Tracy and Oliver having an affair?

Tracy bumped into Pip on her way out to the themed night. When Pip commented how lovely she looked, Tracy said that she was going on a “classy night out with a real gentleman”. But she couldn’t say who as she didn’t want to make people jealous.

Tracy and Oliver had a lot of fun and a lovely evening together. Oliver appreciated this, saying that he and Caroline used to giggle a lot and it’s the first time he’d had a proper laugh since Caroline died. The evening was a success and Oliver booked the players for a themed night at Grey Gables. Tracy and Oliver toasted laughter and good ideas.

However people began to gossip that Tracy was having an affair with Oliver. Russ also drew the wrong conclusion when he saw Tracy at Lower Loxley on her way to buy some wine for Oliver’s birthday. She wanted to give Oliver a special gift because he was so amazing. Russ later gossiped to Elizabeth that Tracy was obviously drawn to someone with a bit of money. Concerned Elizabeth confided in Shula that she was going to warn Oliver about the gossip.

Oliver cuts ties with Tracy

Elizabeth outlined her worries to Oliver saying that she thought that he was being taken advantage of by Tracy. But Oliver defended his friendship. He enjoyed Tracy’s company and she made him laugh. Now he felt like a fool. It was a sad world when a man and a woman couldn’t be friends, without childish sniggering and ridiculous assumptions.

On Oliver’s birthday Tracy handed him her gift of Lower Loxley wine with a flourish. Flustered Oliver explained that Tracy mustn’t give him gifts because she was an employee, and he was her boss. When he pointed out that people were gossiping, Tracy found it hilarious and said he should ignore it. But when Oliver said he couldn’t, Tracy felt hurt exclaiming that “a stupid bit of gossip is more important to you than our friendship”. Oliver sadly said they could no longer be mates. Tracy took back her wine and left.

Tracy assumed a formal relationship with Oliver and referred to him only as Mr Sterling or Sir when their paths crossed at Grey Gables. Troubled Oliver talked to Shula explaining that he felt like everyone saw him as a dirty old man and Tracy as a gold digging woman. People heard Tracy’s loud laugh and her forthright way of expressing herself and thought badly of her. Oliver pointed out that people didn’t gossip about his friendships with other women. They were only doing it with Tracy because there was a disparity between their circumstances. People were such snobs. He liked Tracy; she was a friend. But he worried that people might think he’d forgotten Caroline. Shula told him that Caroline would want Oliver to be happy and if his friendship with Tracy did that, then Caroline would be pleased.

The point is Tracy you don鈥檛 give up. I won鈥檛 let you.

Tracy confirms that Oliver’s been a bit of a prat!

Oliver apologised to Tracy – he’d been a prig and a snob and he’d handled it all very badly. Could Tracy forgive him when he’d prioritised local tittle tattle over their friendship? Tracy jokily confirmed that Oliver had been a bit of a prat! When Oliver asked if they could go back to how they were, they shook hands and agreed to start again.

Faking it until you make it

After the explosion at Grey Gables, Tracy helped Oliver with his sense of despair and guilt. She suggested “faking it until he makes it”. It’s how she motivated the cricket team. Oliver needed to show staff that it was going to be ok and to really believe it when he said it. Oliver said he admired her endless supply of positive energy and zest. Slowly Oliver began to rally.

Oliver returned the favour when Tracy’s ill-fated relationship with Roman ended. Tracy despaired about being old and single and that she’d end up being “that old shrivelled relative at Christmas, slow dancing with Susan because I don’t have a man in my life”. But Oliver consoled her saying that after his first marriage ended he felt alone but then Caroline appeared in his life. He then listed all of Tracy’s positive attributes, including cricket captain, valued member of Grey Gables and attractive YOUNG woman. But most of all she was his “very dear and valued friend”.

Oliver won’t let Tracy give up

Recently when Tracy lost her job because Oliver had to sell Grey Gables, Tracy found it really difficult to forgive him. It was the trigger that lead to her spiralling into debt. But Oliver appeared at the moment Tracy most needed him, whilst she was sitting on a park bench in Borchester. She’d been spending her days there avoiding everyone, because she was too ashamed to admit she’d walked out of her chicken factory job.

With Oliver’s gentle presence, Tracy slowly began to thaw. He told her she wasn’t a failure. She was “a get-back-up-er. Or a getter-back-up. Anyway, regardless of the correct syntax, the point is you don’t give up. I won’t let you”.

For the first time in a long while Tracy began to feel a glimmer of hope and agreed to accompany Oliver to a food bank. Later as Oliver drove them back to Ambridge with the Flower Duet playing on his car stereo, Tracy turned to Oliver and said “can you turn it up? It’s such a lovely day”.