Inside Soap UK 25 - 2021

“Lovely Rocky might not be so lovely after all…!” It’s been nice to see a bit of lightness in our soaps recently, something I think we all needed. Dev and Bernie’s romance in Corrie has brightened up my evenings, and the return of Evelyn a few weeks back means we have a nice bit of acid-tongue served up in the corner shop again. EastEnders has a little extra bounce thanks to the addition of Brian Conley as Rocky – you just watch him and think, ‘Why haven’t you been in this for the last 20 years?!’ And Emmerdale’s Leyla-Liam-Bernice love triangle may be a bit silly, but Samantha Giles is clearly relishing playing Bernice at her most bonkers! However, you can’t hold back the drama, as you’ll discover in this issue…

Kim’s plan to catch the person who has been poisoning her has gruesome consequences this week, after Jamie returns home to witness his mother being zipped into a body bag! Recently, Jamie discovered Kim’s spy camera, and the pair teamed up to nail her saboteur once and for all. However, just as Jamie appears to find evidence that puts Will squarely in the frame, Kim’s son finds his chief suspect standing over her lifeless body… “Kim and Jamie concoct a scheme to trap Will, who Jamie believes is the guilty party,” explains actress Claire King, who plays Kim. “The idea is to lure Will into drugging Kim’s drink while he’s on camera, and everything is in place to do that as far as Jamie is concerned. However, that’s until the…

Inside Soap refuses to accept that it’s curtains for Kim Tate! However, with plenty of twists and turns still to come for Kim’s wannabe successor, star Claire King promises us that we won’t be left disappointed… Hi, Claire! What did you think when you first heard about Kim’s ‘succession’ plot? Well, I have watched the American TV series Succession, and those characters are even more messed up than the Tates! Given what happens in that show, I thought, ‘Oh, great – does that mean I’m going?’ It doesn’t look as though you’re going to be around for the foreseeable, but are you glad that you returned to the Dales to play Kim? I am. I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to be trogging around…

Terrified Leanne faces an awful choice this week, as her day in court arrives and she has to decide whether to give into bad guy Harvey’s demands, and lie on the stand to protect her family… With her court appearance on the horizon, Leanne psychs herself up to give evidence against drug boss Harvey. However, when a gunshot rings out on the cobbles, she’s left more spooked than ever over Nick and little Sam’s safety – will Leanne decide she can’t take the risk of telling the truth? “Leanne is terrified and trying to do her best,” explains Jane Danson, who plays her. “She doesn’t know if telling the truth or lying is the best thing. Leanne makes her mind up one day, and then changes it the next. I…

Hi Jane, what a year it’s been for Leanne! Will her nightmare with Harvey end this week? I’m curious to see what will happen, as it seems a little unfinished. I feel, due to Covid, that maybe we haven’t got into it like we could have done. I don’t know – but in soap, anything can happen! We hear the old Leanne is going to come back a bit. Is that exciting for you? Yes, I’ve always fought for that and to bring that hardness to her. You read on social media that people’s views are split on Leanne – they either love her or hate her. I completely understand that. Leanne might not have made the right decisions at the time, and she’s had quite a year! But I…

There are shock waves in court this week, when Sharon turns on her own nephew Harvey with damning evidence! Having done his bidding for months, Sharon tries to flee after taking a beating from his henchmen, but ends up in court anyway. Harvey is incensed when his aunt gives the judge chapter and verse about his crimes, almost certainly condemning him to a long stretch inside. Rita’s bursting with pride as she welcomes Sharon home and tells Jenny that she did the right thing. However, Jenny’s not convinced that her arch-rival is a reformed character. “Sharon has played some despicable games since she returned, and she put many innocent people in danger,” shares our Weatherfield insider. “The idea that she’s on the right path now is laughable to Jenny. She…