Inside Soap UK 39 - 2016

I’m a huge fan of a soap comeback. Okay, maybe there have been times certain people should have been left in the past (I won’t name names, I think we all know who they are!), but if it’s done properly, a good comeback takes the character everyone loves, and adds a new twist that is able to spur on a whole new set of stories. There are two returnees we report on in this issue that I know are going to be great. First, this week sees the return of Jude Cunningham, Hollyoaks’ original super-bitch. And from her first scene back, where she shuts down current village vixen Marnie, Jude proves she’s still got it! Davinia Taylor, who plays her, tells us on p42 why she was delighted to return…

David puts his dastardly revenge plan into action this week – as he prepares to kill Macca to get vengeance for his slain soulmate Kylie! For weeks, the only thing that’s kept David going is his fixation on making murderer Clayton pay the ultimate price for stabbing his wife to death. But with Clayton currently on remand, David has turned his attentions to his brother Macca, monitoring social media to get an insight into what he’s up to. So when David finds out that there’s a birthday party at the Dog & Gun pub, he heads straight over there… “With Clayton awaiting trial, the only thing David can do is get to Macca,” explains Jack P Shepherd, who plays him. “He wants to cause Macca pain to make him suffer…

David has got himself into plenty of trouble over the years, but it tends not to be an action-man role. So filming the fight scenes where David gets a pasting from a stranger outside the Dog & Gun required some special work. And Jack reckons the bad weather provided the perfect backdrop for this scene. “Filming this was really good,” he enthuses. “When we were about to shoot the attack, it started to pour it down – and I mean torrential rain! So the director said we may have to be rained off, but I was keen to do the fight scenes in the wet weather anyway. It looks great on screen that David is getting beaten up in the downpour. It reminded me of the battle in The Matrix…

“IT’S A SITUATION WHERE DAN DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO THINK!” This is the moment that both Dan and Ross confront horrified Kerry – just after she’s made the agonising decision to terminate her pregnancy! The drama unfolds as the mechanics realise a car has gone missing from the garage, and soon discover that Kerry has pinched it. She’s in a rush to get to the local clinic, where she plans to end her pregnancy and stop Dan from finding out it could have been Ross’ baby. But when Dan rocks up with Kerry’s secret one-night stand in tow, will she have to reveal all? “It’s the sort of situation where Dan doesn’t know what the hell to think,” explains Liam Fox, who plays Kerry’s unsuspecting partner. “He figures…

If Dan learns the truth about Kerry and Ross, star Liam is certain that his character’s relationships with the pair will never be the same again… “I think Dan has reached a point with Kerry where there is only so much he can forgive,” sighs Liam. “And the fact that the baby could be Ross’ is massive! Of all the people, Ross is someone who Dan has to work with every day, pretending to be his pal – when actually, Ross has been very sly all along. That is something that Dan won’t be able to take.”…

“JANE JUST WANTS HER LIFE BACK - THAT INCLUDES BEING A PROPER PARTNER” There’s fresh hope for injured Jane this week, as her friends rally round to encourage her to start living her life properly again. Since the tragic incident that took away her mobility, Jane has stayed indoors as her recovery continues. While her reluctance to go out is understandable, she’s been feeling isolated and depressed, and her marriage is not in a good place. But while Ian is finding it hard to cope with their new circumstances, Jane’s close pals refuse to let her give up on being an integral part of the community… “What happened to Jane is a living nightmare,” shares our Walford source. “She’s had to come to terms with the physical changes as well…