Inside Soap UK 48 - 2017

“Please never leave Corrie, Sarah Platt” Who would want to be Corrie’s Sarah Platt? If I was her, I’d have hotfooted it back to my old life in Milan months ago. After all, she spent those years there happily running a successful clothing business (now she’s a barmaid, but hey, that’s the fickle world of fashion for you!) – while Bethany was a carefree schoolgirl, skipping home every night and merrily eating pasta and pizza. But Sarah comes back to Weatherfield and look what happens. She’s pregnant by a drug dealer. She’s an accessory to his murder. She suffers a terrifying mental illness. Her sister-in-law and bessie mate is killed. Her daughter is groomed by an evil pervert. Her brother flees town. And worst of all, she has to watch…

“Sarah doesn’t believe it – she thinks there’s been a mistake…” This is the moment Sarah’s world is turned upside down, after she receives a call informing her that Gary has been killed. The news comes from his former Army mate, Joe, who lined up Gary’s private security work in Ukraine, protecting high-risk targets. Joe tells Sarah that there has been an explosion, and that he fears Gary is among the dead… “Sarah doesn’t believe it,” shares Tina O’Brien, who plays her. “She reckons there’s been a mistake, or that it must be someone else. She thinks if it were real she would somehow know, and Sarah doesn’t feel that overwhelming sense of grief – so she manages to convince herself it isn’t true.” Sarah knew that Gary’s work in…

Sarah’s news lights the fuse that blows one of the Street’s biggest secrets this week – as David finds out Nicola is carrying Gary’s love child! It was Gary’s pledge to fund a new life for Nicola and their baby that sent him back to Ukraine on one last mission. So, if Sarah discovers his betrayal – and learns that it led to his death – how will she ever be able to cope? “She would be devastated,” sighs Tina. “Sarah believed that Gary was loyal to her, so the fact that he completely broke that trust, by not only sleeping with someone else but also having a baby with them, would destroy her. She thought that Gary was her rock, and this would mean that it was all a…

“Pete can’t get his emotions under control – he’s just a loose cannon right now!” Pete’s life hangs in the balance this week, after he takes a drunken tumble down the staircase! The poor bloke has been in a right old state since the deaths of his mum Emma and brother Finn – and he’s dealt another cruel blow this week when Leyla dumps him! It’s no wonder he ends up unconscious at the foot of the stairs after drowning his sorrows in booze… “It’s been one thing after another for poor Pete over these past few weeks, and he can’t take much more,” sighs our Emmerdale spy. “While Ross seems to be dealing with things quite pragmatically, Pete just can’t get his emotions under control. He’s a loose cannon…

Tracy is left seething this week, after she overhears Leyla hitting on her hubby! Leyla and David have grown closer in recent weeks, and he’s been her rock since her ex-fiancé Pete cheated on her with her best mate Priya. And even though she and Pete are giving things another go, Leyla still has David in her sights… “It’s shocking that Leyla would treat Tracy like this, considering how heartbroken she was when Pete and Priya did the dirty on her!” exclaims our Dales source. “It’s true that she and David have always had a close connection, but he’s a married man now – and Leyla should know better!” Tracy’s been concerned about the amount of time her husband is spending with his ex, and it seems she’s not just…

“Max has duped the community – they can’t just forgive and forget” The scene is set for a huge showdown in the Queen Vic this week, after the locals finally discover that Max has been scheming against them with wicked Willmott-Brown! As his neighbours turn against him, is there anything left in Walford for Max now? “This isn’t just a typical case of Max copping off with someone he shouldn’t – people’s lives are at stake,” our EastEnders source reminds us. “He has actively duped the community into signing away their homes and businesses. That’s not something they can just forgive and forget.” Since last year, Max has been plotting with Willmott-Brown and his ruthless family to buy up all the properties in Albert Square, with the intention of redeveloping…