Inside Soap UK 35 - 2016

Soap bunk-ups are funny things, aren’t they? Some of them you can see coming a mile off – or in the case of one this week, 20 or so years off! Meanwhile, others arrive out of nowhere and take you completely by surprise. One thing’s for sure, though: whether they’ve been hotly anticipated or show up out of the blue, a fling will always have big consequences – that’s how soaps work their magic! Take this week’s Emmerdale. First up, we’ve got the long-awaited giving-in-to-passion of former lovers Moira and James, who last locked lips the night their son Adam was conceived. Now we’re just waiting for bonkers Emma to find out – Moira should be very scared! Meanwhile, our out-of-nowhere bonk comes when Ross takes scorned Kerry for…

“GRANT AND MARK’S BIG SECRET IS JUST WAITING TO EXPLODE!” The Mitchell boys are back in action this week – but it’s Grant and his secret son, Mark Fowler Jnr, who emerge as the new double act when they team up and embark upon a dangerous rescue mission! It all kicks off in Albert Square after Ben and Jay are abducted by the gang responsible for Paul Coker’s brutal murder. As the boys are bundled into a van, it’s a race against time to bring them home alive. But is this one war that the Mitchell family have no hope of winning? “Paul’s killers are clearly very dangerous people,” warns our EastEnders insider. “They already have blood on their hands, so there isn’t anything to stop them from doing away…

We know that actor Ross Kemp, who plays Grant, isn’t returning to EastEnders full time, having only agreed to do a short stint. Boo! But if the star ever decides to quit racing off around the world to hunt down the globe’s most notorious gangs, here are just a few reasons why Grant might want to remain in the Square… FAMILY! Having reconnected with daughter Courtney, and now within sniffing distance of his secret son Mark, Grant has a great excuse to set up home in Walford. Ronnie’s pad at No 27 will likely be vacant after she and Roxy leave, so Grant and his kids seem like the perfect candidates to take over the lease. BELINDA! The sizzling passion between Grant and Belinda was so hot that you could…

“NICK WANTS TO SCARE STEVE - HE’S HAPPY TO TELL MICHELLE THE TRUTH…” There’s a showdown between Steve and Nick this week, in the wake of Leanne confessing to Nick that Steve is the father of her unborn baby. When Nick goes AWOL after Leanne’s emotional admission, she’s terrified about what he’ll do next. And her fears seem well-founded, as Nick drags Steve out of the Rovers and lays down the law: either Steve leaves the Street for good, or Michelle finds out that Leanne is expecting his child! “This is not an empty threat,” insists Ben Price, who plays Nick. “He wants to find out what Steve’s intentions are, and when Nick discovers that Steve has no interest in Leanne or the baby, he has to make sure that…

Nick told Leanne he’ll take care of her baby as if it’s his own. However, even if the news is out about Steve, can Nick really raise a child who isn’t his? “Nick loves Leanne and he will love the child, but whether he can cope with bringing it up is a big question that he’s going to struggle with,” admits Ben. “He knows he wants to be with Leanne and wants to look after her, but I don’t think he has the whole situation sorted in his mind. That said, Nick does have a relationship with Simon, who is Peter Barlow’s son – and Nick hates Peter! So he has it in him, but it may be a sticking point…”…

“TO AN EXTENT, DAN WANTS KERRY TO JUST GET IT OUT OF HER SYSTEM” Kerry gets her own back on cheating partner Dan this week – by bedding village bad boy Ross! After Dan and Nicola’s snog is revealed by Jimmy’s son Elliot, they’re soon facing the fury of their respective other halves. But when Kerry goes on to fall into Ross’ questionable clutches, has Dan paid a terrible price for his indiscretion? “All Dan wants is Kerry – so if he found out she’d been with Ross, he’d be mortified,” admits Liam Fox, who plays Dan. “He’s gutted that she knows about Nicola, and he feels so stupid. He was hoping against hope that it’d all blow over, but instead it turns into a big problem for all of…