Inside Soap UK 50 - 2021

“A terrifying grande dame of soap” In the quiet before Christmas, we typically find ourselves short on news. So thank you ITV and top writer (and Inside Soap reader) Russell T Davies for announcing Nolly: a drama based on the life of 60s and 70s soap legend Noele Gordon: aka Crossroads’ majestic Meg Mortimer. Now, Noele lives just on the fringes of my memory – watching Crossroads with Mum on sick days from primary school – so younger readers may not know her. She was one of those terrifying grande dames of soap –Birmingham’s answer to Norma Desmond – who’d arrrive at the studio in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce (registration NG 10). To say she was a little bit camp is to say the Atlantic is a little bit damp. Noele…

Emma’s world is completely shattered this week, when she finds out that her fiancé, Curtis, isn’t dying at all – he’s been lying to her about having an incurable heart condition! “Once Curtis started lying, he couldn’t stop…” The terrible truth is revealed after a series of puzzling incidents, which make Emma start to question whether she really knows Curtis at all. But when she confronts him demanding answers, Emma is nowhere near prepared for the bombshell her fiancé drops on her… “The fact is that there’s nothing physically wrong with Curtis at all – he made the whole thing up for attention!” gasps our cobbles spy. “The illness he’s suffering from is actually a psychological one; while his parents were divorcing when he was younger, Curtis feigned illness to…

For months we’ve suspected that Curtis is too good to be true, but now viewers know the awful truth! We grabbed Corrie star Sam Retford, who plays Curtis, to find out how he feels about his character’s secret… So Sam, did you know right from the start that Curtis wouldn’t really be dying? I did! I knew from the outset, when I did the screen test for the role with Ali Mardell [Emma]. Gosh, this feels really naughty – I’ve been at so many events over the past few months where people have been trying to get me really drunk, then ask what Curtis is hiding! How difficult has it been for you to keep this secret? It’s been pretty tough. But I’ve had a lot of friends and family…

Meena’s romance with Billy gathers pace this week, as she convinces him to let her move into his house for Christmas. Yet it’s clear for anyone to see that Billy is still head-over-heels in love with his ex Dawn – and it appears she feels the same way! But while Meena may think that she could easily dispatch her rival with one of her signature moves, the situation might not be as straightforward as she thinks… “Let’s not forget that Dawn is also a killer, albeit an accidental one,” our Dales spy reminds us. “We’ve seen that she is more than capable of handling herself when backed into a corner, and she’s not afraid to take action if she feels that her loved ones are in the firing line. Meena…

We’re more than happy to get on board with Meena’s murderous antics, but there’s just one thing we don’t quite understand – why is she willing to kill to be with men as boring as David and Billy? Meena’s sassy, sexy and switched on. Okay yes, she clearly has a screw loose, but you’d think she’d go for a bloke with a little something about him. How about someone dangerous like Cain? Or someone with a bit of banter, like Mack? It strikes us as odd that, after declaring Rishi was far too boring for Manpreet, Meena would opt for a pair of wet blankets herself. Come on love, if you’re going to risk going to prison for murdering your love rivals, at least make sure the man’s worth it!…

Gray’s sick campaign of violence finally begins to unravel this week, after Whitney learns that her ex-boyfriend is a dangerous and misogynistic man – while his bride-to-be, Chelsea, is on the receiving end of Gray’s explosive temper! As the Walford serial killer struggles with the pressure of his cash-flow crisis, Chelsea’s patience is wearing thin with regards to their dwindling finances – prompting Gray to erupt with fury when she pushes him too far. Meanwhile, after running into Gray’s nemesis and former boss, Laura, stunned Whitney is horrified to learn that Gray is a monster… “Laura witnessed Gray’s volatile ways in the workplace…” “Laura warns Whitney in no uncertain terms: stay away from Gray,” reveals our Walford insider. “She had his card marked after witnessing Gray’s volatile and woman-hating ways…