Indice dei contenuti per 50 - 2018 in Inside Soap UK

Nothing makes me feel older than a soap character I remember being born going on to have a child of their own. Well, that’s not quite true. Nothing actually makes me feel older than when I can also remember the mother of that character being born! So, with this week’s news that Amy Barlow is to fall pregnant, I now feel even more ancient than the Corrie cobbles! “I feel more ancient than the cobbles!” What I do love is that sense of history and the generations in soaps, as it really rewards those of us who have been loyal for decades. But I tell you what – when Amy’s baby goes on to have a kid of their own, I’m officially throwing in the towel… that’s if I’m fit…

Poor Belle Dingle is tipped to receive fresh agony, with the news that her killer ex-boyfriend is to reappear on screen. The Dales’ serial murderer was last seen behind bars after pleading guilty to his crimes – but star Thomas Atkinson, who played Lachlan, is rumoured to be reprising the role for a few brief scenes to air in the future… “Taking a break away from the village was just what Belle needed to get her head together,” whispers our village spy. “But ever-conniving Lachlan certainly hasn’t forgotten about her or the village. “There are some small moments coming up involving Lachlan, but whether he is repentant for his monstrous crimes – or whether he still has revenge on his mind – remains to be seen,” adds our sneak. “Either…

“I’ve got to admit, I do have a certain talent for mischief.” We trust this will be what they eventually carve on to Charity’s tombstone. “Life would be so much simpler if everyone told the truth.” Maybe, but there would be nothing to put in the soaps. Then where would we be? “Yeah, Jai was my stepdad. Ages ago. I’ve had loads since. The latest one isn’t even a bloke.” Noah has decided, sensibly, just to roll with his life in Emmerdale. “I’ve never understood them Christmas markets. If I wanted to drink hot wine off a man in a shed, I’d go up to Tim’s allotment.” Ah! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! “Martin, you can tell me as many times as you like that you’re ‘not…

FAIR CITY Doug gives his blessing to Darragh and Erica this week, but hides his hurt when they share a kiss. Meanwhile, Melanie is at breaking point when Hughie nearly catches her sleeping rough. Also Jim realises Shane might be suffering with PTSD – can anyone help him? RIVER CITY The production of Cinderella doesn’t exactly go to plan this week – when Ellie’s secret pregnancy is revealed! Across town, Lydia is consumed by guilt because of her affair with Alex, and confides in old pal JP. Meanwhile, Ruby matchmakes Maggie and Sonny Caplan! THE ARCHERS Lily continues to carry a heavy burden this week, and eventually takes her frustration out on Russ. Elsewhere, Elizabeth experiences a frightening situation – who will come to her aid? Finally, Helen’s Christmas shopping…

Acting runs in the veins of Bob’s entire family! The star’s wife, Rebecca Charles, has enjoyed roles in numerous TV shows including EastEnders, Midsomer Murders and The Office – not to mention parts in big-screen movies such as Shakespeare In Love and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Meanwhile, Bob’s other daughter, Eleanor, is soon due to graduate from drama school. “We’re very close, the four of us, and we’re all actors now – I think!” chuckles Bob. “I feel really bad, as Eleanor is just leaving drama school, so when Francesca got the part in Holby, Eleanor was a bit like, ‘Fine. Well, that’s good… I’m very pleased for her’! “The whole family will be tuning in,” adds the star. “All Francesca’s friends will probably be watching as well, and thinking, ‘Oh…

“My poor mother nearly had a heart attack when she saw me dressed as Donna-Marie, with the fake yellow teeth!” chuckles Hollyoaks star Lucy-Jo Hudson, as we talk to her about her character’s low-maintenance look. “She was like, ‘Oh my God, what have they done to you?!’ But I love it – I’ve never played a character like this before. And I’ve never looked so rough in my life!” It’s clear that the former Corrie and Doctors star is relishing playing one of the most vile characters Hollyoaks has ever seen – and Donna-Marie makes more enemies this week by causing a scene at the school Nativity! But Lucy-Jo reckons her heart is in the right place… Hi Lucy-Jo! What did you think of Donna-Marie when…

“If you could cast a Hollywood star to join the Dales as a member of the Grant family who would it be?” …asks reader Tegan Meharne from Kent Denzel Washington! I suppose he could come in as Ellis’ dad, what do you think? He’d have to go a little bit northern, but I’m sure that we could get a dialect coach in! There are so many stars that I rate, though. Gary Oldman would be good as Ellis’ wing man! Every week, we put your questions to a star of the soaps. Look out for requests on our Facebook page, or email your questions to youask@insidesoap.co.uk, putting the actor’s name in the subject line. Our favourite question each week will win a £20 prize!…

You don’t spend 20 years in a TV show without your character experiencing their fair share of drama – and Andy went through plenty! Losing his adoptive mother Sarah in a fire he started for the insurance pay-out, his beloved wife Katie leaving him for his brother Robert – with whom he harboured a constant rivalry – accidentally shooting his father Jack, threatening suicide and fathering two kids with Debbie are just a handful of the challenges he endured. But Kelvin admits that he hasn’t a clue how life might be panning out for Andy while he remains on the run from the law… “I don’t waste time thinking about what a fictional character might be up to,” he laughs. “I know that Emmerdale fans do, and they’ve probably envisaged…

10 “Happy Christmas, Zak… It’s a girl!” EMMERDALE 1998 Our Christmas cracker Babies being born at Christmas has become one of the great clichés of soap, but none have come close to matching the fun and drama of the birth of Belle Dingle. Festive fireworks Lisa didn’t even know she was pregnant when she went into labour on Christmas Day. She had put her stomach ache down to a particularly indigestible sprout, so it was a shock – to say the very least – when she went out into the pig pen and her contractions started. In a scene straight from a Nativity, animals and not-so-wise men gathered round. Paddy the vet was pressed into service as midwife. Not just for Christmas The girl was given a…

1 Aveda Beauty Advent Calendar Nourish and indulge your hair with these natural hair-care goodies for a sumptuously shiny do. 2 Bomb Cosmetics 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar Gift Pack Treat yourself to a bath full of glee with these bubbly bath bombs, including All That Glitters and Father Blissmas Bath Blasters. 3 Superdrug Flutter Beauty 12 Day Calendar This cute animal-themed box is filled with goodies for beauty enthusiasts – including surprises for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. 4 The 12 Days Of Liz Earle Feed your skin this festive season with a collection of miniature skincare favourites, to experience the luxurious range in all its radiant glory.…

WE’VE BEEN AFFECTIONATELY referring to 911 as “that stupid show” because, let there be no doubt, it is an extremely daft piece of television – but, oh, we love it! The sheer range of ways it finds for incidental characters to get injured is as imaginative as it is terrifying… A man in a tyre workshop falling bum-first on to an air compressor and accidentally inflating himself ? An abusive husband using explosives to fell a tree only to dislodge a bullet his late wife once fired at him (and missed) that ricochets into his chest? It’s absolutely not afraid to be ridiculous, and we can’t help but admire that.…

As the big day draws near, a lot of us are feeling the pressure to make it perfect for everyone – but it’s so hard to know if you’re getting it right, isn’t it? Well, help is at hand in this special, as Alexander Armstrong and celebrity guests, including Prue Leith and Chris Ramsey, determine what makes the perfect Yule. “The main function of the show is to wallow in all the things we love about Christmas,” beams Xander. “I think it’s the one time of year where we try to summon up the spirit of the season through all the little things we’ve done in the past. It just gathers traditions.” But despite our best efforts, sometimes Christmas doesn’t quite go to plan – and Inside TV was curious…

Editor STEVEN MURPHY Deputy Editor GARY GILLATT Features Editor ALLISON JONES Deputy Features Editor SARAH ELLIS TV Editor STEVEN PERKINS News Editor LAURA-JAYNE TYLER Writer KATE WHITE Editorial Assistant/Junior Writer ALICE PENWILL Production Editor/Chief Sub BEN WHISSON Senior Sub Editor MARK JAMES LOWE Writer/Sub Editor TOM SPILSBURY TV Listings Writer/Sub Editor LYNN GIBSON Art Editor SIMON LAMBERT Deputy Art Editor RICHARD HOPE Junior Designer MEGAN PENFOLD Picture Editor JAY DYNAN Picture Researcher/Style Writer RACHEL COPE CONTACT US WRITE TO The Editor, Inside Soap Unit 9, Apollo Business Centre, Trundleys Road, Deptford, London SE8 5JE EDITORIAL 020 7339 4588 EMAIL editor@insidesoap.co.uk FIND US AT www.insidesoap.co.uk FOLLOW US AT @InsideSoapMag FACEBOOK US AT www.facebook.com/insidesoap TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3728 6245 EMAIL Wendy.Meekings@hearst.co.uk Business Manager WENDY MEEKINGS TO SUBSCRIBE TEL 01858 438 863…

Amy Barlow looks destined to follow in the maternity wear of Sarah-Louise Platt – with the news that Corrie is to embark on a controversial teen pregnancy plot! A tabloid reports that Steve and Tracy’s 14-year-old daughter will learn that she is expecting – sending shock waves through the Street. “Amy is seen sobbing her heart out and asking her granny Liz for help,” a source tells the paper. “Steve finds a testing kit, tells Tracy about it and they both lose their rag. Tracy says that she wants to kill the baby’s father! They demand an abortion and Amy agrees – but changes her mind at the eleventh hour.” Weatherfield bosses are staying tight-lipped as to whether the gossip is true, and there is currently…

Liz was left reeling when she found out her former husband Jim had set up a scam with Hannah by pretending she was their daughter Katie. The pain Liz went through was unimaginable, and she has been hoping that they’d be caught and face fraud charges. So, when the detectives call to tell her Jim and Hannah are in custody, Liz hopes the law will come down hard on the pair. So imagine her horror when, not long after, both Jim and Hannah are released without charge! It seems there’s a lack of evidence to hold them, and Liz despairs that they’ll get away with hurting her so deeply, as well as robbing her. Is that the end of the matter, or will more evidence come to light?…

What were Brian’s Nativity scenes like to film? I think the crew enjoyed it! Filming out on location can involve quite a bit of hanging around, but we had a lot of fun that day. I’d been waking up in a few cold sweats in the run-up to it, though… Is Brian’s incident your first foray into stunts? No. I once had a scene where Kylie Platt threw chips, potato pie, gravy and curry sauce all over me. I was in the back end of Manchester, covered in all sorts of stuff! But the Nativity is one of the most dangerous scenes I’ve done since then. Have you had a supportive response to Brian being the victim of bullying? I’ve had quite an immediate reaction from the crew while filming.…

“I’d like to see Evelyn in Corrie strike up a friendship with David Platt over their shared love of vicious one-liners. Tyrone would be well jealous as Dave and his nan bonded – but I think they’d be amazing, sat in a corner of the Rovers, bitching everyone up!” …chuckles reader Dawn “When the truth about Sharon and Keanu comes out, I want Phil to turn to Shirley and finally realise she’s his true love. They’ve always had amazing chemistry, and Phil made a big mistake in choosing Shaz over Shirl, in my opinion!” …insists reader Lola-Rose “Do you know what Emmerdale is missing right now? Eli Dingle! Nobody could pull off comedy and darkness quite like Eli, and he was an…

There’s sad news for Toadie this week, when he finds out that one of his long-time Erinsborough neighbours has passed away. Poor Toadie’s already having a terrible week, following evil nanny Alice’s attempts to kill Sonya. And after the fella later discovers that Andrea was in on the wicked plot with her mum all along, he decides to punish her by applying for full custody of their son, Hugo! Toadie is then delivered a further blow as he hears of his neighbour’s passing. But who exactly has the Grim Reaper claimed?…

Whatever Debbie’s fate may be, there’s still the unanswered question of what really happened to Joe. Charley only grins while she agrees that there has been lots of speculation over whether he is actually dead – as we never saw Joe’s body after Graham seemingly disposed of him. However, actor Andrew Scarborough, who plays Graham, has set the cat among the pigeons with a revelation about his former screen partner, Ned Porteous, aka Joe… “It was his decision to go,” explains the star, which would suggest that there is currently no secret return planned like Emmerdale has done in the past with other characters. “We got on so well that Ned almost became like a family member. I miss him terribly!”…

When Kate and Rana celebrated their engagement a few weeks ago, it seemed as if nothing could get in the way of their happiness. That was until Kate made a throwaway remark about Rana being great mother material, without checking her new fiancée was on board with the idea first. Fast-forward to now, and Kate is scouring the Street to find a suitable babydaddy, while horrified Rana tries to confess that she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Surely Kate has noticed that her partner isn’t as into this idea as she is, hasn’t she? “No, Kate has her head completely in the clouds!” explains Faye Brookes, who plays the broody woman. “She hasn’t picked up on any reticence from Rana, which is worrying as they are soulmates,…

Lucy-Jo may be a big fan of Donna-Marie’s look, but she tells us that her five-year-old daughter, Sienna-Rae, isn’t quite so sure about it… “It’s funny, she’ll say to me, ‘Mummy, are you playing the ugly lady with the yellow teeth today? I don’t like her’!” chuckles the star. “I have to take my make-up off before I go home, because I look so haunting that I scare her! She’ll say to me, ‘Mummy, you look poorly, are you all right?’ And the teeth definitely have to come out before I see her!”…

Christmas At Emmerdale by Pamela Bell Step back in time with this wartime saga following the families of the village in the run-up to Christmas. Published to coincide with the six-part ITV documentary Emmerdale 1918. £12.99 Steph Davis JYY Clothing and Eyelash Collection If you want more glitz in your Christmas party wardrobe, check out Hollyoaks’ Stephanie Davis (Sinead) and her new clothing line. She’s teamed up with JYY to create amazing looks with lush lashes. From £4 jyy.london Strictly Come Dancing: The Board Game Liven up Christmas Day and show off your FAB-U-LOUS dance moves with the game to accompany your love of Strictly. Will you leave with the glitter ball trophy? £29.99 www.amazon.co.uk Brooke Vincent diary range Street star Brooke Vincent (Sophie) has been busy…

“The life of a white missus on a Jamaican sugar plantation be surely full of tribulation,” intones the lead character July at the beginning of this adaptation of Andrea Levy’s historical novel. “But if that is the story you wish to hear, then be on your way.” Indeed, it’s not the life of the wealthy British plantation owners that the drama is interested in, but July herself. A quick-witted slave who was taken from her mother at a young age, she has kept herself sane by scoring small victories over her unpleasant mistress, Caroline Mortimer. “I think she’s so subversive,” reveals Tamara Lawrance, who plays July. “When I first came across her, I struggled to kind of debunk the myth of what a slave is in my head, and to…

CASUALTY Connie Beauchamp.......... Amanda Mealing Gemma Dean...................... Rebecca Ryan Iain Dean..................... Michael Stevenson Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin................ Cathy Shipton Charlie Fairhead.............. Derek Thompson Noel Garcia.......................... Tony Marshall Elle Gardner.......................... Jaye Griffiths Ethan Hardy.................... George Rainsford David Hide................................ Jason Durr Jan Jenning............................... Di Botcher Dylan Keogh.......................... William Beck Marty Kirkby................ Shaheen Jafargholi Jade Lovell.......................... Gabriella Leon Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Rash Masum........................... Neet Mohan Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Alicia Munroe............... Chelsea Halfpenny Ruby Sparks.............................. Maddy Hill Louise Tyler........................... Azuka Oforka CORONATION STREET Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Lewis Archer........................... Nigel Havers Angie Appleton................ Victoria Ekanoye Adam Barlow...................... Sam Robertson Amy Barlow.......................... Elle Mulvaney Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Leanne Battersby................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby.................... Georgia Taylor Emma Brooker............... Alexandra Mardell Chesney Brown.......................... Sam Aston Claudia Colby..........................…

BULLSEYE! This week, rather than singling out a character or actor, we want to praise a writer – in this case, EastEnders’ Anya Reiss, who wrote the recent sensational episode focusing solely on a developing debate, in the Vic, on the issue of consent. It was a thing of wonder, with every character responding perfectly as themselves, and will have sparked vital discussion in living rooms across the country. We’d rather take our chances with Kim Tate herself than tangle with Emmerdale mega-bitch mean girl Leanna. A popular definition of insanity is: ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’. We’re less shocked by the behaviour of the Emmerdale youths than the standard of spelling taught at Hotten Secondary.…

While there’s no excuse for stealing your sister’s mister, we do have to cut Gina some slack – her struggle with bipolar means that she doesn’t tend to see things the way the rest of us do. And Connie tells us that her character’s illness is always at the back of her mind when playing out these scenes… “I think I have a responsibility of care,” she admits. “That’s why it’s important to me that Gina is not seen as a baddy, because that’s not how it is with a mental illness. It comes from a place of vulnerability – someone is showing her love and she’s soaking that up like a sponge.” Connie confesses that playing Gina’s highs and lows can often be tiring, but she’s found a relaxing…

While his alter ego Dan looks set to have a cruel Yule, Liam shares his Christmas plans… “I’ll definitely be cooking on Christmas Day,” chuckles the actor. “I cook every year. It will be just me and my girlfriend and my Labrador this time – that’ll be it. Very straightforward. I also have a new log-burner, so I’ll sit there with a bottle of wine.” It sounds wonderfully relaxing, but we can’t help wondering what Christmas present Liam’s alter ego might like. Any ideas? “Dan would love a brand-new campervan, because his one’s well past its sell-by date!” he laughs. “I think that Dan will have a bit of a rocky Christmas, though, what with them getting evicted, and everything with Daz. He’ll be making the best of a bad…

UNPREDICTABLE! Just like Ian’s notorious first love, Cindy, Jean is unpredictable – and that gives her a bit of an edge. She might not be wicked like Cindy, but Jean’s most definitely full of surprises. FORGIVING! Jane Beale went to some extreme lengths to protect killer son Bobby, and Jean has done the same. She’s forgiven son Sean for all manner of evil, and would do anything to help him. DECENT! Denise was once Ian’s girl, and he loved her for being so down-to-earth and decent. Jean is also kind and hard-working – but unlike Denise, she’d worship the ground Ian walked on! CARING! Back in the day, Ian fell for nanny Laura as she cared for his children. Similar to Laura, Jean is no stranger to looking after a…

Nicky is completely mortified this week, when acquaintance Dan is admitted to Darwin ward – after spending the night with the trainee the previous evening. Young medic Nicky is desperately keen to keep the liaison under wraps, having fibbed to temporary ward manager Mo that she was at home getting ready for an important presentation. But when another patient’s life hangs in the balance as a result of a fight with Dan, will Nicky be forced to reveal her connection to him?…

No offence to the lovely men of Weatherfield, but it strikes us as odd that in a community where two women are fighting over Chesney, Adam Barlow can’t pull. There were plenty of good reasons why he and Eva didn’t make it, though since then he’s struck out. He’s ridiculously handsome, has a great job and can lay on the Scottish charm like nobody’s business. Yet the only local lady who realises his deliciousness is Mary – and she used to flutter her eyelashes at Norris. It’s outrageous that the one other woman who has Adam on her radar right now is a baby-crazed lesbian, who looks at him and sees a sperm donor. What are you doing, ladies of Coronation Street? There’s one of soapland’s finest fellas left unattended…

Country life wasn’t easy for Andy Sugden, who – despite being adopted as a youngster by Emmerdale farmer Jack and his wife Sarah – never quite managed to escape his troubled past. He was last seen fleeing the village having been framed by ex-girlfriend Chrissie for the attempted murder of her father, Lawrence White. While Andy’s present fate remains a mystery, we can confirm that Kelvin Fletcher – who played the farmer’s boy for two decades – is currently somewhere over the rainbow, where he’s off to see the wizard! He’s appearing as the Tin Man in The Wizard Of Oz at the Blackpool Winter Gardens – and is delighted… “I can’t wait to be on stage again, I’m so excited,” reveals the 34-year-old, as he prepares for opening night.…

• EastEnders star Bonnie Langford (Carmel Kazemi) appears back on stage in 42nd Street until the show ends on 5 January 2019 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. • Check out Albert Square’s Danny Walters (Keanu) in the Blackpool production of Beauty And The Beast – as the Beast himself! • The cobbles’ Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan) and Les Dennis (Michael Rodwell) are the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella at Opera House Manchester. • It’s a soap extravaganza as Nativity! goes on tour with EastEnders’ Jake Wood (Max), Danny Dyer (Mick) and Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher), plus Emmerdale’s Adam Thomas (Adam Barton).…

HOLLYOAKS’ LILY ‘Present’ yourself this Christmas like Lauren, with glitter and cheer in these sequin sparklers……

Killing Eve is probably the best thing that I’ve watched in a long time. I’m loving the fact that it’s a box set on iPlayer because I really enjoy binge-watching a whole series. I think Jodie Comer is a fantastic actress – she does all the accents perfectly – and I find the whole psychological criminology aspect of it fascinating. I like murder mysteries and that kind of thing, so I love Inside No 9. The recent Halloween special was absolutely amazing. I actually watched it, and when it went ‘off-air’ I believed it, so I switched it off! Then when I went on Twitter about half an hour later and everyone was all over it, I thought, ‘I can’t believe I did that!’ I was gutted! For…

MOVING TUNES In a special two-parter, Gareth Malone will be helping those at Kensington Aldridge Academy celebrate their return after spending the year on a temporary site following the Grenfell fire. BEAN THERE Sean Bean has joined the cast of BBC1’s epic World War II drama World On Fire, which follows the lives of everyday people across the globe in the midst of war. Helen Hunt, Lesley Manville and Blake Harrison are also set to star in the series. FANGS A LOT Danish actor Claes Bang has landed the lead role in the BBC’s new adaptation of Dracula, which comes to our screens from Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. “I’m excited to dig into this iconic character,” says Claes. “Yes, he’s evil, but there’s so much more to…

KARA’S BUNDLE OF JOY! Huge congratulations to former EastEnders star Kara Tointon (aka Dawn Swann), who gave birth to her first child on 22 November – a beautiful little boy. Kara’s fiancé Marius Jensen confirmed the joyful news soon afterwards, telling Hello!, “On Thursday at 11.04am, 3.2 kilos of happiness joined our lives. Kara and I couldn’t be happier and our four-legged companions Elfie and Winston have been guarding our new family member since.” Kara is excited to be a mum. “I’m up for the challenge!” she said. “I’m sure we’re both going to mess up along the way, but together we will try to be the best parents we can be.” COULD MIKE RETURN TO WIN BACK JANE? It’s been 30 years since Mike and Jane were an item…