Inside Soap UK 45 - 2020

Holby returns to our screens this week, with a special episode centered on the pandemic. What else, eh? The show has decided to hit the issue head-on, as Bob Barrett (Sacha) explains on p46. Of course, in a hospital drama, it’s a hard thing to ignore. But it did get me thinking about how our favourite shows have portrayed the current situation. “Covid is a hard thing for Holby to ignore…” Obviously we’re seeing face masks and the like, with actors having to do scenes with most of their face covered up – but little more than passing mentions of much else. Meanwhile, in our Aussie soaps, Covid simply doesn’t exist. There’s a rule that it’s always sunny in Summer Bay (even if the show’s cast sometimes look freezing as…

Leanne and Steve are on tenterhooks this week, as they face the court case which will rule whether their son Oliver is to have any further treatment. The pair are determined to fight to the end, but with the evidence stacked against them, and Oliver’s condition proven never to improve, can they stay resolute – and what other twists will come from the emotional week? Simon Gregson (Steve) takes us through the drama… Hi, Simon! How is Steve feeling as the case approaches, especially after the doctors in Germany confirmed that Oliver’s condition is untreatable? “Tracy and Nick tell Leanne and Steve to stop wasting time…” The medical team are saying that this is the end, and it probably is, but Oliver is Steve’s son and he’s just hoping against…

As events overtake them, Steve and Leanne find themselves closer than ever this week, which leads to an awkward situation… “They’ve had a bad day in court, Leanne’s exhausted, and maybe she’s starting to resign herself to the fact the doctors are right, but she won’t admit it,” explains Simon. “Toyah tells Steve to get a glass of wine down Leanne’s neck, but she downs it, then she downs a few more. Soon, she makes a pass at him. In that moment she feels he’s the only one who understands her, she’s just reaching out for a short-term emotional fix!” However, while Steve turns her down and brings her back to her senses, there could be drama in the offing when Tracy finds out… “Tracy isn’t happy – whether she…

Mick is shocked to come face to face with Katy Lewis this week, the woman who abused him when he was only 12 years old. But can talking to his former care worker help him make sense of everything he has had to confront in the last few weeks – or will this blast from his past only throw him into further despair and confusion? Despite his shock at seeing Katy again, Mick demands to know why she never told them they had a daughter together. The fact that Frankie even existed was a life-changing shock to Mick, and he’s being eaten up by the knowledge that Katy had kept it from him all these years. But as Mick presses Katy for answers, is he ready for what she has…

Simone Lahbib has joined the EastEnders cast to play Katy, and if she had any first-day nerves, they were surely soothed by some familiar faces on the Square. The actress is best known for her role as governor Helen Stewart in ITV drama Bad Girls, where she starred with several current Carters – Kellie Bright (Linda), Linda Henry (Shirley) and Luisa Bradshaw-White (Tina). “I’m thrilled to be joining EastEnders,” says Simone. “It’s also been lovely to see Linda, Luisa and Kellie again – it’s been a bit of a Bad Girls reunion!” And Simone predicts big drama ahead… “Katy is set to have a lasting impact on the Carters, and will test their strength as a family,” she says. “So it’ll be interesting!”…

Teenage drug dealer Sid falls victim to his own wares this week, when he collapses after taking ketamine! First Jordan finds out that Sid shopped him to the police, then Juliet cops off with Ollie – leaving poor Sid desperate to do anything to block out his pain. But when he decides to sample the products he’s been selling, the outcome is life-altering. “Everything just builds and builds as the week progresses, and Sid ends up going down a dark path,” reveals Billy Price, who plays him. “He feels betrayed, and as if everyone’s just been using him. No one’s been there for him, and no one’s looked out for him. He just doesn’t care any more.” Viewers already know that drugs boss Victor has instructed Jordan to find out…