Inside Soap UK 42 - 2016

There’s no more exciting season in the TV year than autumn, as soaps steadily rev up through the gears from the gentle hum of the summer storylines to the full-throttle roar of the Christmas plots. As you read this, you’ll still be enjoying all the drama of ITV’s ‘Super Soap Week’ – but as this issue reveals, that’s just the start of the autumn fun. Turn to p12 for our chat with Corrie producer Kate Oates, where she talks us through all the thrills and spills of the coming months in Weatherfield. Poor Maria and Michael want to watch their backs, that’s for sure! Meanwhile, over in the Dales, the battle for Home Farm begins in earnest, as sisters Chrissie and Rebecca sharpen their claws ready to fight for their…

“CAIN REALISES HE IS MAKING A BAD DECISION - HIS HEART IS WITH MOIRA” Cain and Charity’s volatile romance implodes this week, when he calls time on their new life together. As they drive out of the Dales – heading for France – Cain finally realises that he’s making an awful mistake and needs to return to the village to fight for a reconciliation with his estranged wife, Moira. It’s a horrible moment as he breaks the news to stunned Charity, bringing her world crashing down. But worse is to come when Charity takes off in the car and drives to the edge of a cliff, preparing to finish things once and for all… “Cain loves Charity and he feels terrible for stringing her along,” explains Jeff Hordley, who plays…

Cain Dingle is one of our favourite soap characters of all time. In many ways, it was love at first sight. We adored him in his early days, when he dispensed cruelty from beneath a grim Liam Gallagher haircut. And we’ve relished every moment of his romance with Charity. Together, they’re dynamite! However, when it comes to Cain’s future, Inside Soap is Team Moira all the way. And that’s because what makes Cain so magnetic is the constant battle between the light and the dark inside him. Yes, he’s deliciously mean when he’s doing bad things with Charity, but Cain’s relationship with Moira has shown that there’s much more to him. As a villain, he’s thrilling – but as a family man, he’s utterly compelling. Recently, we’ve seen Cain lose…

“MICHELLE CONFIDES IN STEVE ABOUT HER FEARS, AND OBVIOUSLY HE IS WORRIED TOO” Heartbroken Michelle finds herself torn this week over whether to keep her unborn baby – as the fear that hubby Steve’s test for myotonic dystrophy will be positive overcomes her. If it turns out that Steve has the gene for the muscle-wasting disease, there’s a 50 per cent chance that their child will have it as well. However, as Michelle weighs her options and considers ending her pregnancy, she’s thrown when Steve’s excited daughter, Amy, learns that her stepmum is expecting. Will Michelle still want to go through with a termination? “Michelle doesn’t know what to do for the best,” despairs actress Kym Marsh, who plays her. “She is worried that she might end up in a…

There is the potential for a classic cobbles catfight when Michelle finally discovers Steve and Leanne’s secret. So stars Kym and Jane Danson – who plays the other mum-to-be – are enjoying the calm before the storm… “We keep comparing our bumps, and both stand there patting our bellies,” laughs Kym. “They’re uncomfortable to wear and they make you waddle – so we both just keep laughing at each other! “I get people out in public shouting at me, ‘Oi, Michelle! Steve’s got Leanne up the duff!’” she adds. “Having said that, I think they’re worried about what will happen to Steve and Michelle. But I don’t see how she will be able to forgive him – the reveal of this storyline could spell the end for them.”…

“IT HASN’T BEEN EASY - LOSING THEIR BABY ALMOST TORE THEM APART” Lee and Whitney try to put the trauma of their miscarriage behind them this week – by throwing themselves into their pre-wedding shindigs. While the groom’s mates organise him a raucous stag do in the Vic, Whit opts for a chilled evening of pampering and prosecco with Linda, Sharon and Stacey. But as the big day draws ever closer, are the young lovebirds on course for their happy ever after? “Losing their baby almost tore Whitney and Lee apart,” explains our EastEnders insider. “It hasn’t been easy, and they’re trying to focus on the positives in their relationship. But with them brushing their unhappiness under the carpet, what they really feel is bound to resurface.” At one point,…