Inside Soap UK 46 - 2020

“Telly is back to being our best mate again…” For a lot of us at the moment, the telly is back to being our best mate again. With our other activities curtailed, thank heavens the soaps are on great form. What better time, for example, to see Kimberly Fox strut back into Walford – could there be a brighter ray of sunshine on these autumn nights? Elsewhere, Coronation Street is upping the stakes as its 60th anniversary approaches – and in terms of emotional drama, there’s news of an upcoming Emmerdale storyline that will be a true example of what soap can really do. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for some more entertainment at the moment, Inside Soap has delivered! The Inside Soap Yearbook 2021 will be on sale from Wednesday…

Peter and Carla’s relationship is pushed to breaking point this week, when the recovering alcoholic once more succumbs to his addiction – and ends up landing himself in hospital! Peter reaches for the bottle after he’s randomly beaten up by a vicious thug. When a passerby stops to help shaken Peter, they unwittingly offer him a swig of whiskey from their hip flask – and the vulnerable cabbie doesn’t think twice about taking it to numb the pain. However, it’s a decision that will not only cost Peter his sobriety, but could also destroy his relationship with Carla, who’s devastated when her soulmate proceeds to drink himself into oblivion… “He reacts in typical Peter Barlow way and shuts Carla out,” explains Alison King, who plays her. “She knows she has…

Part of the reason why Carla takes her eye off the ball where Peter is concerned this week, is because she’s attempting to reunite Sarah and Adam. The atmosphere at Underworld has come under strain since the hotshot solicitor began making a play for Alina right under his estranged wife Sarah’s nose – and Carla has had enough of it! After warning him to keep his paws off Alina, Carla is stunned by Adam’s sheer arrogance after he suggests that she’s jealous! However, it’s Carla who ends up getting one over on Adam, after she tricks him and Sarah into meeting up for lunch, in the hope that they’ll eventually end up making good use of the swanky hotel room that Peter turned down. Can Adam and Sarah repair their…

Temptation strikes for Linda this week, as her head is turned by Max and the bottle. With Mick still distant and detached, Linda is feeling lost and ends up throwing herself into a new business venture with Max. She’s thrilled after he’s able to convince Bobby to change the rules around age for the Lucy Beale Grant, making Linda’s dream a reality. However, Sharon’s concerned when she sees how close her best pal is getting to Walford’s most prolific Lothario – and warns Linda to steer clear. “Linda would do well to heed Sharon’s words – she knows what she’s talking about where dangerous liaisons are concerned!” says our Albert Square insider. “Linda stopped herself at a kiss before, but Max is sure there’s a connection between them, and he…

As Linda teeters on a potential relapse this week, EastEnders star Kellie Bright says she insisted that her alter ego had wobbles. The acclaimed actress said that she didn’t want Linda to simply get over her alcohol dependency, because that wouldn’t have been realistic. “I’m pleased that she wasn’t just perfecty fine once she reached that point where she gets help,” explains Kellie. “It certainly wouldn’t be easy throughout the lockdown and all of that. I think she’s still working through a lot of that.” However, the star is crossing her fingers that Linda manages to stay strong and battle her addiction… “My hope for Linda is that she stays sober,” shares Kellie. “I also hope that she and Mick can find their way through everything they need to navigate.”…

Tortured Belle spirals out of control this week, as she grabs a knife and goes after Jamie… After weeks without her meds and under intolerable stress, Belle snaps when the reality of Nate’s sacrifice for her is laid bare. Believing it to be the only way to end the nightmare she’s living, Belle siezes the knife by Nate and Tracy’s gender-reveal cake, and vanishes into the woods. She’s hell-bent on stopping Jamie, but will she make good on her killer plan? “Lisa’s voice in Belle’s head is telling her to protect her family, and she takes that to mean getting rid of Jamie!” explains Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays the tormented woman. “I don’t think she quite knows what she’s planning to do; she’s in a whirlwind. But she starts to…