Inside Soap UK 5 - 2022

“Really, soapland is no place to raise a child” We all know that life in Weatherfield, Walford and the rest is a risky business. Perhaps, like on fag packets, half the window of the local estate agent is a black strip of Public Health Warnings – with a picture of that week’s serial killer and details of the eye-watering local life insurance rates. But while the dangers of sudden death – by doorstop, by dishwasher – are well known, what about the corrosive effects of life in soap that build up like poison over the years? This week, we have Ken Barlow’s boy pushing David Platt’s son down the stairs. Now there’s two dynasties that are growing more wicked by the generation. (Well, unless old Albert Tatlock was a secret…

Wayward Max is left fighting for his life this week, after he breaks into Daniel’s flat, and the enraged teacher pushes him down the stairs! The nightmare unfolds as Max decides to take revenge on Daniel for accidentally revealing dad David’s secret trauma to him. Max breaks in and trashes Daniel’s flat, smashing a priceless keepsake that captured a precious moment between the widower, his late wife Sinead and their Abi son, Bertie. When Daniel covertly arrives to discuss to find the scene, he the completely flips – and in a moment of madness, shoves the schoolboy intruder down a steep flight of stairs… “Seeing Max in his space pushes Daniel over the edge!” “Daniel just sees red!” admits Rob Mallard, who plays the furious teacher. “The shock of seeing…

Daniel has another dilemma this week, when he and ex Daisy share a kiss! A row leads to passion, despite the fact Daniel’s been dating Lydia. No good can come from two-timing, and Daniel needs to make a decision. But which of these potential matches does Rob believe is Daniel’s Miss Right? “I think he should be with Daisy,” he admits. “He likes Lydia, but I think, in a way, he was using her to show he’d moved on. This relationship just doesn’t have the same pull.” Daisy was on her way to declare her love for Daniel when she saw him taking Lydia upstairs before Christmas. But despite the many failed attempts Rob reckons they need to give it a shot. “There’s unfinished businesses between them,” he muses. “On…

Rhona is rocked by a blast from the past this week, after her rapist ex-husband Pierce reaches out from jail – with news that he’s dying! What’s more, Pierce pleads with Rhona to help track down his son, whom she never even knew existed… “Rhona’s a compassionate woman, and of course the news that anyone is seriously ill and dying is terribly sad,” reasons actress Zoe Henry, who plays her. “In a lot of ways, Pierce is dead to Rhona already; he’s in prison and no longer poses a threat – certainly after the last time he wreaked havoc on the village. “However, when Rhona receives Pierce’s letter, she panics,” she continues. “Every time she thinks that she’s laid Piece to rest, he comes back again. And, because he is…

What can you tell us about Marcus? He’s a bit of an outcast. Pierce left home when Marcus was young, so he didn’t grow up with a clear path in life. Is Marcus anything like Pierce? He likes to think that he’s nothing like his father, but things emerge over the course of the story where we’ll see that he is similar to Pierce in some ways… What are your thoughts on the original Pierce and Rhona storyline? It was harrowing, for sure. The first thing I did was type it into YouTube, and of course all the worst bits came up. It helped me figure out very early on that Pierce is not a good guy! Will the viewers like Marcus? Well, I hope they will. Although, due to…

There’s a glimmer of hope for trapped Chelsea this week when a nurse at the hospital recognises Gray as Chantelle’s abuser. Suffocated by Gray’s relentless control and terrified by baby Jordan’s health struggles, Chelsea is sliding into a state of despair. Worse still, she’s detaching herself from Whitney and Kheerat, who’ve been supporting her as they try to catch out Gray. But hope arrives in the form of a kind-hearted nurse who already has suspicions about Gray’s dark nature… “Back in September 2019, Chantelle visited the hospital having cut her hand on a glass, and when she removed her cardigan, Nurse Lennon saw bruises on her arm,” our insider recalls. “She was certain that Gray was responsible – and even passed Chantelle a lip balm with details of a domestic…