Inside Soap UK 8 - 2020

“We could have filled this issue twice over!” Cor blimey, there ain’t ’alf been some blindin’ stories on that EastEnders over the years, ain’t there? Sorry, do forgive my cod cockney, but I’ve been rather immersed in all things Walford recently (although not as immersed as those characters on that boat in the Thames!), so I feel as if I’ve now been reborn as an EastEnder myself. You see, weeks back, we set about planning this mega-issue to tie in with the show’s 35th birthday, and decided to make our biggest-ever guide to the history of all things Walford. But here’s the problem – there’s a LOT of it! Honestly, we could have filled this issue twice over with plots, shocks and classic characters. So, we’ve had to spend ages…

There are grisly scenes at Mulberry Cottage this week, as terrified Rhona attempts to rescue Vanessa and her young son Johnny from evil Pierce’s clutches! After receiving a frantic video call from Vanessa, Rhona is appalled when Pierce’s face looms up on her phone. But when Rhona agrees to a meeting with her rapist ex, in the desperate hope of saving Vanessa and her boy, Kim blunders in to their clandestine meeting. Is she set to become Pierce’s latest victim as he strikes her down? “Rhona knows she has to go to the cottage because Johnny and Vanessa are with Pierce – and the only way they’re going to survive is if Rhona shows up and sacrifices herself,” explains Zoe Henry, who plays Rhona. “She is initially confused when Vanessa…

As all hell breaks loose at Mulberry, Charity still has no idea that her fiancée Vanessa has been held captive inside. Meanwhile, viewers have only just discovered the devastating diagnosis that Vanessa has received. So it seems there’s double heartbreak ahead… Charity assumed Vanessa had flown off on their French honeymoon to cool off alone, but as each day has passed with no word from her, Charity’s concern has steadily grown. So when she comes across Vanessa’s passport and boarding pass at Jacob’s Fold, Charity panics. But can she discover Vanessa’s whereabouts before her ruthless captor Pierce does his worst?…

Hello again, Claire! So, what do you make of how Graham’s dramatic story has played out? I’ve loved it! I saw it from a viewer’s perspective myself, because the only scripts I was given and was learning were my own. I hadn’t gone through everybody else’s, so it was really nice to watch and see how it all unfolded. Did you enjoy that? I thought it was very clever – really well done. It was a big effort while we were filming it, and a bit of an army manoeuvre getting it all done, but it slotted together really well. So, bravo to everybody! Does Kim feel quite relieved when she realises Al didn’t kill Graham? Well, obviously it’s a relief, because Graham was the man she loved. But it’s…

Terrified Whitney remains in police custody this week – as the authorities start to investigate the shocking killing of Leo. Although her stalker is gone, Whit’s nightmare is far from over, as detectives try to build a case against her after she stabbed him in self-defence. For months, Leo stalked and manipulated Whitney, who repeatedly told the police of his threatening behaviour. But now he’s dead, will they believe Whit’s version of events? “What happened that night was a case of self-defence and Whitney is desperate for the detectives to believe her,” says our Walford spy. “Leo spent months making her fear for her life – he seemed capable of anything. But now he’s dead, it’s almost as if his vicious campaign of intimidation has been forgotten by the police.”…

We’re hoping that the shocking death of Leo King brings his mum Michaela back to Walford! In an all-too-brief stint last year, Michaela visited Leo to try to convince him to leave Whitney alone. In those shocking scenes, we saw Leo attack his terrified mother and lock her in the boot of her car, before Whitney realised Leo’s true identity during a harrowing hotel room confrontation. When Leo released Michaela and begged for forgiveness, she legged it and seemingly disowned her son. She knew that Tony was a paedophile, and feared that Leo had the potential to be as chilling as his dad. Smack The Pony star Fiona Allen played Leo’s traumatised mum to perfection, so we’re hoping she returns, as we’re really keen to see how she reacts to…