Inside Soap UK 02 - 2021

“Surely we can all now start to look forward…” Hello to you all, and a very happy New Year. I hope your festivities weren’t too curtailed by the increased restrictions. Surely we can all now start to look forward. Inside Soap certainly has been, as it’s time for our annual New Year preview. Turn the page to find a sneak peek at the plots of 2021, as well as chats with the stars you’ll be seeing a lot more of in the coming months. The year definitely kicks off with a bang, with the repercussions of the big Christmas shocks still being felt in all of the soaps. EastEnders sees Gray continue to cover his tracks (what a shock Tina’s death was – I was sat so close to the…

The coming year will mark a new dawn for Leanne, after her grief for Oliver takes a fierce turn. When her teenage lad Simon winds up in a perilous situation, Leanne will be forced to emerge from her dark despair and come out fighting like only a Battersby knows how… “The story starts out small, but turns into a thrilling high-octane piece that plays over six months,” says Corrie boss Iain MacLeod. “Driven by grief, Simon is in a predicament that forces Leanne to put on her war paint to defend her son. It’s dangerous and exciting, drawing in Nick and Sam, a blast from the past for Rita – while colliding with Carla and Peter’s love story…” Peter and Carla’s relationship is already in pretty bad shape as it…

Geoff may be dead, but his memory is to live on, as Yasmeen attempts to get back to normal after her horrific ordeal. But luckily, there’s safety in numbers, and fellow victim Elaine will be on hand to offer support… “Escaping your abuser leads people to say, ‘You’re free,’ but that’s not the case,” shares Iain. “We’ll see Geoff again a few times. The conspiracy theories on Twitter aren’t true – he’s not coming back from the dead for real – but we have some clever dramatic devices that will employ Ian Bartholomew’s talents… “However, Elaine will be pivotal to Yasmeen’s recovery,” he adds. “We’ll see a friendship that will be humorous in places…”…

Sparks will fly for Nina, as she embarks on a romance with a mystery character yet to be named! But it won’t be plain sailing for the couple… “The love story is unique, and might not end up entirely where you’d expect it to,” teases Iain. “It turns into a massive social-issue story that deals with the tolerance of minorities and people in sub-cultures, who don’t look like everyone else. I think it will come as a huge talking point for next year, about how the world looks and views someone like Nina. We will explore that to heartbreaking effect, drawing in Roy, Kevin and Abi in a hugely emotive community story.”…

Terrified Faye will admit to dad Tim that she whacked Adam Barlow, whom she believed to be Ray, as a result of the Bistro boss trying to rape her. However, her nightmare will grow a lot more complicated when it transpires that Faye could be pregnant with Ray’s baby… “Once the people around her find out what she has done, they want to show Faye that she is the victim,” explains Iain. “They try to protect her from the scales of justice – and Gary in particular becomes a hero for his little sister. But how will Maria feel after she’s washed her hands of Gary? This time he is fighting for good rather than evil, so does that change her feelings? “I’m in no hurry to see the back…

Hi, Ellie! How did you feel when you learned that Faye was going to whack Adam? I had a meeting with our boss Iain MacLeod back in August. I don’t feel as though I’ve really had a big storyline since Faye’s pregnancy [in 2015], so I was so excited to get my teeth into a plot like this with twists and turns. How does Faye feel about Gary taking the rap for her over the assault? She feels genuinely guilty about mistaking Adam for Ray, and for bringing Gary into it. Faye feels as though she needs to come clean. Faye’s actions could be classed as attempted murder. Might this lead to her leaving the Street? I hope not! I think if she did go to the police and felt…