How Heartbreak High made the world fall in love with eshays

Eshays might just be teen boys up to no good, bumming smokes at the shops and stashing cash in bum-bags slung over their shoulders, but they are starting to catch global attention. Here’s why.

The homegrown Heartbreak High reboot is a global hit, with the Aussie drama hitting #4 on Netflix's most-watched shows globally. Picture: Supplied

Eshays have surpassed the Hemsworths as the poster boys for hot Australians.

That’s thanks to Ca$h, the beloved bad boy on global hit series Heartbreak High.

The teen drama has racked up more than 33 million hours of viewing time, and a whopping 12.7 billion views on TikTok.

Google searches for “what’s an eshay?” and “eshay meaning” skyrocketed in the days after the series dropped in early September.

Will McDonald, who plays Ca$h, said he answers that question with: “This is an oversimplification, but an eshay is the Australian equivalent of a roadman (a bad boy English ‘chav’).”

Former Home and Away actor Will McDonald plays Ca$h in Heartbreak High, the stoic ehsay with a heart of gold, and a soft spot for an unlikely love interest. Picture: Supplied

According to Wikipedia, eshays, or lads, “are often considered stereotypically hypermasculine and inclined to crime and violence. They may be affiliated with other local youths from a postcode,[3] hang out in groups, use slang derived from Pig Latin, wear sportswear, and engage in intimidating and anti-social behaviour. Common fashion items include bumbags and Nike shoes”.

Whatever the definition, McDonald’s portrayal of Ca$h has hit the spot: he’s had some “pretty interesting DMs” from fans, including a couple marriage proposals, and complaints that he’d made eshays “too attractive”.

McDonald said he sought out some real-life eshays to teach him how to portray Ca$h properly. Picture: Supplied

“What I try and remember is people aren’t necessarily complimenting me. It’s the character, aesthetic, and the vibe of Ca$h, which is not my own,” McDonald said. Like Ca$h, McDonald said he was an outsider in high school. But unlike Ca$h: “I didn’t roll people or deal drugs.”

@netflix Eshay Baahh #heartbreakhigh#eshay#netty#austok#eshaybah♬ original sound - Netflix

The 24-year-old actor, who previously starred on Home and Away, revealed he had some help from real-life eshays researching his character.

“I think every Australian has an idea about eshay culture by virtue of exposure to it growing up. But I was fortunate enough to meet some people who did have some insight into it, and blessed me with some knowledge. We wanted it to be real and authentic, and not some caricature.”

McDonald believes the attraction to Ca$h is his “devotion” to Darren (played by James Majoos). Picture: Supplied

“I think what people are attracted to is definitely the bad boy vibe, but more specifically the dynamic that Ca$h has with Darren (his love interest). Ca$h can be pretty disinterested, and sometimes downright abrasive with most other people. But when he’s with Darren, he becomes sweet and vulnerable.”

What McDonald is most proud of, though, is the show’s refusal to “compromise on our slang or culture to appeal to an international audience.”

“We’re showing them what a real Australian school in south or western Sydney looks like. Not just beautiful blonde-haired people frolicking at the beach.”