Inside Soap UK 6 - 2016

Valentine’s Day might be here, but there’s not a whole lot of loving going on in the soaps this week! We’ve got Kush and Martin knocking lumps out of each other in Albert Square, Jai and Nikhil enjoying some brotherly hate in Emmerdale village, and Anna with vile Phelan in her sights down Weatherfield way. In fact, the closest we get to a bit of romance seems to be creepy Gavin leaving a surprise Valentine’s card for Walford’s Kathy (see p16) – and that’s hardly going to be a love letter straight from the heart, is it? So, being the old softies we are here at Inside Soap, we decided to sprinkle a few figurative rose petals over this issue and give you a Valentine’s treat – by intercepting the…

“KUSH IS MAKING A MESS OF HIS OWN LIFE - AND NOW MARTIN’S AS WELL” Furious Martin punches best mate Kush in the face this week – after another poor decision leads to Stacey losing out on a vital hospital bed. Martin can’t believe it when he discovers that Kush hid his phone and made him miss a crucial call from the hospital, who’d finally found a place in a mother-and-baby unit. Unable to stand the pressure and disappointment for a moment longer, Martin loses his cool and lamps guilt-ridden Kush… “If he reacts like this now, imagine what he’s going to do when he discovers that Kush is actually Arthur’s dad!” warns our Walford insider. “Now that Kush has lost Shabnam, he’s doing all sorts of destructive things. It’s…

Not many divorced couples remain close, but Sonia and Martin are an exception – and it’s taking a toll on Tina. She’s fed up with how involved Sonia has been in her ex-husband’s affairs, and their relationship is suffering. Feeling neglected, Tina tries to put the sizzle back into things with a saucy surprise, but is humiliated when Sonia shows up with Martin in tow! Will Sonia’s old relationship wreck her new one? “Tina is fed up,” sighs our snoop. “Sonia is far too concerned with Martin’s life, and it’s high time all of this do-gooding stopped.” The trouble is, Sonia likes being a shoulder to cry on. After his massive bust-up with Kush, Martin begs her to find out what the issue is, and she takes Kush aside for…

“CARLA REALISES THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF THIS TERRIBLE SITUATION” Carla’s worst nightmare comes true this week, as she realises that Tracy knows about her one-night stand with Robert and plans to use it against her! When Carla heads off to visit a wedding fair with Michelle, she’s relieved to put some distance between her and Robert. But she soon discovers that he and his girlfriend Tracy are there as well, and events take a dark turn as the fuming florist reveals that she knows all about what went on… “Tracy has Carla over a barrel!” reveals Alison King, who plays the Underworld boss. “She’d like nothing better than to get rid of Carla, to ruin her and take away everything she has that Tracy has always been jealous…

CAN CARLA WALK AWAY FROM THE COBBLES? After so many years of heartbreak on the Street, will Carla give in to Tracy’s demands that she leave for good? Actress Alison King is set to exit the show soon, so it could be the case… “Carla thinks about it and admits to Michelle that she’s tempted,” confirms the star. “She sees it as a chance to walk away from everything that has ever happened to her in Weatherfield. But first of all, she has to test the water with Nick.” Will her fiancé be at all agreeable to leaving behind his family and friends, and the business he’s worked so hard to build up?…

“REALISING IT’S TESS THAT PADDY HAS BEEN SEEING IS LIKE A DOUBLE BETRAYAL” There’s huge trouble in store for Paddy this week, when poor Rhona finally realises he’s been carrying on with Tess behind her back! After what was supposedly a meaningless fling exploded into a full-on affair, guilty Paddy was determined to call the whole thing off – and concentrate on his and Rhona’s adoption plans. But his desperate efforts to keep Tess at arm’s length prove fruitless this week, when suspicious Rhona uncovers the truth about her husband… “Rhona never suspected Paddy might cheat on her,” sighs Zoe Henry, who plays her. “You could line up every single man in the village, and Paddy would be the last one you’d expect to be unfaithful. So everything Rhona believes…