Inside Soap UK 33 - 2021

“It’s time to celebrate hot new talent!” Hello! And yes – in the biggest upheaval to rock Inside Soap in thirty generations, there is a slightly different nerdy guy in specs on the contents page. You can rest assured that that’s where the changes end… I mean, you just don’t mess with perfection. (Oh, and I’m no stranger to Inside Soap – I’ve been here 18 years already!) But if you are in the mood for something new, scoot yourself over to page 50, where we present our annual celebration of the hot new talent of Soapland. (And it’s absolutely, definitely not just an excuse to print a big picture of a Home and Away dude with his shirt off.) Personally, I’m a big fan of ‘hard-faced’ Corrie trouble-magnet Kelly,…

Tyrone betrays his family in the worst possible way this week, by handing his arsonist daughter Hope over to the police! It’s after Alina finds out that the youngster was the one who started the fire at her flat – which resulted in her losing her baby – that she begs Ty to stop the lies. So while Fiz is prepared to go to prison to protect her daughter, Tyrone heeds his girlfriend’s words, and drops Hope right in it… “Tyrone realises that the only way out of this situation is to tell the truth,” explains Alan Halsall, who plays him. “He’s torn – he has lost a baby with Alina, which he is devastated about – but in the end, all of his fibs to Fiz, Evelyn and Alina…

Just when Tyrone thinks his week can’t get any worse, he unintentionally proposes to Alina – and she excitedly agrees to become his wife! “Tyrone tries to explain but Fiz isn’t having it” With all that’s going on with Hope, Alina feels sidelined, and ends up getting tipsy in the Rovers. But when Tyrone apologises for how things have worked out, and admits he imagined they’d get hitched and raise a family together, Alina takes it as her fella asking her to marry him… “Tyrone doesn’t quite know what he’s saying, then it turns out to be some kind of really awkward proposal!” cringes Alan. “Tyrone is trying to keep Alina happy, but not actually doing anything to make himself happy. When he realises that he’s engaged, it takes him…

Theo is snatched from his cot while Victoria is babysitting him this week, sparking a frantic search for David’s son. It’s an awful moment when Vic returns from checking on Harry upstairs to discover the little lad has gone, and she rushes outside screaming his name. She has no idea that killer Meena was looming over Theo just moments before he was lost, so she’s blaming herself for what’s happened. But what has really become of the missing child? “Victoria is distraught – the most important thing in David’s life was in her hands, and she’s lost him!” shares Isabel Hodgins, who plays the devastated woman. “She feels like the worst person in the world because she and David have built this trust, and now their relationship is going to…

Baby Theo first arrived on our screens as a surprise Christmas present in 2019 – but has barely been seen on screen since, due to Covid filming restrictions. And while he may now be a robust toddler, Isabel reveals it’s still a challenge to work with the Dales’ smallest cast members… “The babies have now been brought back, but they try to get a shot of them straight off and let them leave, because we can’t go within two metres of them,” she shares. “There was a mum on set the other day who had to dress like Meena so she could stand next to the child who plays Theo. So, it’s still quite a tricky situation with the restrictions, and working with toddlers who can’t stand still. But we’re…

Suki makes a shocking confession to Honey this week – that she sent her own son to his death by framing him for a crime he didn’t commit! It’s clear that Suki has been struggling with her crushing guilt in the aftermath of Jags’ demise, knowing full well that she was the one who sealed his death warrant. But how will Honey react when she discovers what kind of woman Suki really is? “Honey is shocked – it’s not what she wanted to hear!” admits Emma Barton, who plays her. “It knocks her sideways, though she’s full of forgiveness and compassion – she can’t punish Suki for what she’s done as Suki is punishing herself. Honey’s not saying she agrees or condones anything she’s done, she knows that’s for Suki…