Inside Soap UK 37 - 2019

Well, that was quite a week of EastEnders, and it seems there’s a lot more to come. We catch up with the show’s bosses on p12, who tell us why you can’t miss any of the Walford action in the coming months. “EastEnders is really upping its game…” It’s not just EastEnders that’s upping its game as autumn begins, though. Mandy Dingle is back, and we’re loving the absolute mayhem she’s kicking off in Emmerdale, while we see the start of an emotional storyline for Charity and her granddaughter Sarah. Over in the Street, we crack open an intense plot for the normally comic relief Gemma and her family, as Paul forces his nearest and dearest to confront their terrible history. This is the kind of plot that really showcases…

Grieving Mel breaks down this week, when she realises that she doesn’t have the cash to pay for Hunter’s funeral. And as Phil tells Jay not to come to Mel’s aid, the woman is left more vengeful than ever over the death of her son… “Mel has been a wreck ever since Hunter was shot dead,” laments our Walford insider. “Well, long before that, to be perfectly fair. But her troubles are about to get far worse! Phil realises she’s been pilfering cash from E20’s bank account, so he cuts her off. After all, Hunter threatened Louise’s life and shot Ben, so as far as Phil is concerned, Mel’s boy got what he deserved. And Mel is dead to him, too!” As soon as Mel notices that she no longer…

You get on the wrong side of Phil Mitchell at your peril – nearly everyone who has is now dead! Of course, Phil already has previous with Mel’s nearest and dearest. Back in the early 2000s, he constantly butted heads with her husband Steve Owen, and their feud escalated once it came out that Mel had cheated on Steve with Phil! Steve tried to take his revenge by helping Phil’s ex Lisa to kidnap baby Louise. After a frantic car chase, Phil managed to rescue Louise, moments before Steve and his car were engulfed in a fireball. Now, all these years later, it’s Mitchell vs Owen once again, with Mel hell-bent on revenge on Phil and his family. But where will it all end?…

There are huge ructions within the Dingle family this week, when it’s revealed that Mandy has been hiding a secret stash of money! After Mandy pleads poverty and scrounges dosh off her relatives, none of the Dingles are best pleased to discover that she’s in possession of a sack full of cash and casino chips! So, determined to get revenge, Aaron swipes the bag – and burns it… “Aaron doesn’t like his family being mugged off, and decides to teach Mandy a lesson!” announces Danny Miller, who plays him. “But as you can imagine, when £18,000 worth of cash goes up in smoke, nobody’s going to be best pleased! Mandy’s fuming, because she needs the money for something. Aaron just thinks she’s ripping off his family.” The trouble kicks off…

Hi Danny! It’s clear that Aaron doesn’t like Mandy much, but what’s it been like for you working with Lisa Riley? Oh, she’s just brilliant! Someone said the other day, “She’s the female version of Danny Miller!” We got off on the right foot from the start, which bodes well for the future. I love working with her, and I love her character. How is Aaron feeling about Robert’s looming jail sentence? He’s heartbroken. He’s going to lose the love of his life in the worst possible way. And Aaron has been to prison – we all saw how terribly that went. He’s worried that Robert will go down the same route – and what will that mean for their relationship? Do they wait for each other? What’s the fan…

Tearful Bethany makes an ill-advised pass at neighbour James this week – only to discover that he’s gay. The youngsters hang out together after James rushes to Bethany’s aid when she drops her coffee and she later thanks him for his kindness in front of his family. Dad Ed and brother Michael tell James he needs to ask Bethany on a date, so he invites her for a drink, hoping that it will help him protect his sexuality secret. However, after a drink in the Rovers leads to a second date at a party hosted by the Baileys, Bethany thinks James is interested – so she makes her move… “James is taken aback,” says Nathan Graham, who plays the pro footballer. “In his mind, they’re just being friendly – he’s…