Inside Soap UK 11 - 2022

“Perhaps she stuck it up her nose” Where would soaps be without babies? Sure, they can’t do much except turn banana puree into a noxious green compound that could strip the rust from the underside of a Vauxhall Astra, but they remain the wailing, giggling engines of some of TV’s greatest storylines. Nothing would cause the soaps to grind to a shuddering halt quite like the widescale uptake of planned contraception. This week, we’re dealing with the fallout, as it were, of Abi’s unexpected delivery in Corrie; a plot previously played to glorious effect by EastEnders’ Sonia and Emmerdale’s Moira, to name but two. Keen viewers will recall that Abi apparently had a negative pregancy test in January, so who knows what went wrong there. Perhaps she confused it with…

This is the moment that shell-shocked Imran learns he’s a daddy – after Abi is forced to confess that she has given birth to his son! The truth comes tumbling out as Imran’s fiancée, Toyah, covertly attempts to quiz him about an ‘ex-client’ who just so happens to be a drug addict trying to stop her newborn from being taken into care. Anxious Imran puts two and two together, guesses that Toyah is talking about Abi and heads to the hospital – which is when the penny drops… “To say that Imran is knocked for six is putting it mildly,” sighs our Corrie insider. “Obviously, there was a moment when he thought Abi might be pregnant, but then it turned out to be a scare – or so they thought!…

It looks as if Imran’s baby bombshell is the beginning of the end for him, as news reaches us that cobbles favourite Charlie De Melo is leaving Coronation Street! “Charlie has loved his time on the show, but the time is right to try new things,” says a source close to the star. “He’s hugely talented, very ambitious and wants to see what else is out there. He will always cherish his time in Weatherfield, but for now it’s goodbye.” Following stories which include sleeping with two Battersby sisters at the same time, the death of his sister Rana, and finally finding love with Toyah – not forgetting his heroics in court – lawyer Imran is set to blast out of Weatherfield as his secret with Abi pushes him to…

Meena puts on a performance in court this week, as she appears charged with multiple counts of murder and kidnap – however, will she finally take responsibility, and plead guilty to ALL of her crimes? Manpreet knows that if her sister pleads ‘not guilty’, she will have to relive her own grisly experience to give evidence against her. But while sick Meena admits to killing Ben, it’s clear she has more twisted games up her sleeve. Dales star Rebecca Sarker, who plays anxious Manpreet, warns us that her alter ego is a woman on the edge… Hi, Rebecca! How is Manpreet feeling about Meena’s plea hearing? To say that she’s dreading it is an understatement. Even though she has everything crossed that Meena will confess to all her crimes, deep…

Dales star Paige Sandhu recently let slip that she’s had scripts for her character’s exit from the Dales, revealing: “The ending’s incredible, better than I could ever have imagined, and I have already started crying!” But she’s not the only one preparing herself for Meena’s eventual downfall, as Rebecca tells us that she’s readying herself to say goodbye to her screen sister for good. “It’s a bit strange to say the least to think that I’m not going to be with her,” she admits. “I can’t really imagine Meena not being part of Manpreet’s storyline, or vice versa. But there was life before Meena and there will be life afterwards – I think! I haven’t heard anything else to the contrary. “That’s the life of an actor, though, people come…

Another week brings more exciting news from the set of Waterloo Road – as BBC chiefs unveil the students set to run riot in the school corridors! Our fab picture of the kids ready for class (or indeed detention) reveals an exciting mix of young talent and fresh faces – and there is one little superstar with an amazing soapy connection… For young actress Scarlett Thomas, Waterloo Road runs in the genes. She’s the real-life daughter of Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien (aka Sarah) who once starred in the show as troubled pupil Bex Fisher in between her Corrie stints. Meanwhile, Scarlett is getting to work every day with her uncle and former Emmerdale favourite, Adam Thomas, who is reprising the role of his former Waterloo Road character Donte Charles for…