Inside Soap UK 48 - 2018

“This Christmas looks like a doozy!” Okay, I promise I won’t harp on about Christmas every single issue until the big day finally arrives – I’ll give you a couple of weeks off, honest! I am allowed to talk about Christmas this week, though, as it’s our fantastic Inside Soap preview issue, with all our info, teasers and chats about the festive fireworks! This Christmas certainly looks like a doozy, with secrets aplenty to explode, and love and lust all over the place. But it also seems as if there’s lots of fun stuff too, which is why I love Christmas in the soaps so much. It really is the only time you get to see everyone sitting around the dinner table, or in the living room, just chatting or…

Alfie has the shock of his life this week, as he picks up the newborn Slater baby at No 31, only for Hayley to walk in and reveal that he’s the dad! The bombshell comes soon after Alfie delivers his own surprise, by turning up on the Slater clan’s doorstep during Hayley’s birthday party. Standing there as bold as brass, the fella tells his wife Kat that he’s sorry for everything he’s put her through, and that he wants to win her back for good. But with Kat currently unaware of her hubby’s infidelity, will she come to regret giving him another chance? “Alfie thinks he can start over with Kat, free of baggage!” “Awkward!” grimaces our Walford insider. “Up to now, only Hayley herself and Jean have been completely…

Hi Shane! What’s it like to be back on the Square? It’s great! I don’t know how long I’ve been away, but the first day I got back, there were a couple of people who said, “Where did you go?” Like I’d just had a long holiday or something! It really is like I’ve not been away. It’s the same faces – not necessarily the same cast, but the same crew, wardrobe, make-up and management. It’s like stepping on to a Ferris wheel. It’s going round and round, and occasionally some people step on and others step off. And with the Slaters all being together again, stepping into the whole madness of that has been great, but full-on. We’re sometimes filming six days a week… which I enjoy! What is…

Brenda has a huge decision to make this week, as her estranged husband Bob moves in for a kiss! Following the breakdown of his relationship with Laurel, the flighty barman has finally realised that he was better off with Brenda – who is now dating Doug. But although Brenda was destroyed when the man she loved left her, that doesn’t mean she’s desperate for a reunion. In fact, Brenda isn’t having any of it! “When Bob moves in for a kiss, Brenda is rather horrified,” explains Lesley Dunlop, who plays the deserted wife. “She just thought he’d understand that she’s being kind rather than flirty. She doesn’t want him back!” The thing that matters most to Brenda is that the twins, Heath and Cathy, don’t have to suffer because of…

Brenda might think he’s ‘Mr Boring’, but Doug is going to unleash his violent side this week – and Bob is the target of his anger! Having watched the feckless fella blow things with his daughter Laurel and then try to nick his girlfriend, Doug’s had enough. So, when he goes into the Woolpack and sees Bob laying on the charm and flirting up a storm with lots of lady punters, Doug goes mad. All the tension and frustrations over Bob’s behaviour and his attempts at getting back Brenda spill out – and Doug punches his former friend in the face! As the dust settles, it’s clear that Doug has stepped over the line and that Bob feels he deserves it. But will Doug’s macho antics convince Brenda to keep…

Sinead is dealt another cruel blow this week, when her new pal Steff is rushed to hospital – and given just days to live! Sinead befriended the fellow cancer patient at hospital, and Steff encouraged her to try alternative therapies to fight her illness, leading to Sinead secretly stopping her chemo, for fear she could harm her unborn baby. So when she learns the terrible news about her mate, will she give herself a reality check – and realise that she has to restart her treatment? “Sinead panics – she feels as if she’s messed up!” “After Sinead finds out about Steff, she goes into panic mode,” sighs Katie McGlynn, who plays her. “She feels as if she has messed up. She starts to think she’s made the wrong decision…