Inside Soap UK 36 - 2017

“We all know that Rita is a fighter!” There’s a little bit of our longest-running soap characters that’s embedded in us. We grew up with them, they were in our living rooms twice, three times (and more recently even six times!) a week. They’re like part of our family. So, if they are facing strife, it somehow gets to us far more than the woes of some Johnny-come-lately soapie (and by that I mean a character who hasn’t been in their show for at least two decades!). Don’t believe me? Well, how did you react to the recent news about the Street’s Rita? It grabbed your attention straight away, didn’t it? Then you had a moment of disbelief, followed by a huge wave of concern over whether she’ll be okay.…

Fiendish Phelan’s web of lies looks set to unravel at last this week, after he crashes his van on the way to France – allowing his prisoner Andy to make a run for it! With his wife Eileen getting ever closer to discovering the truth about his hostage, Phelan knows he needs to get rid of Andy fast. So after telling his missus that he has a job up in Scotland, the brutish builder bundles his victim into his van, planning to flee the country… “Andy is tied up in the back of the van to avoid him making any false moves,” explains actor Oliver Farnworth, who plays him. “But the next thing he knows, he’s flying all over the place because the van has crashed! Andy manages to kick…

It’s certainly an action-packed week for Andy – and Oliver tells us that he loved being involved in the physical scenes surrounding the accident. “The van was nicely crashed in the woods for us, then I spent the whole morning throwing myself around in the back of it!” chuckles the actor. “Will Andy make it out of this alive? Well, he gives it his all, and it gets very interesting…” Finding out that Andy was alive and well was definitely a massive shock for the Coronation Street viewers. And Oliver has been enjoying all the attention he’s been getting from the audience since his character’s fate was finally revealed. “It’s been pretty huge,” he confesses. “It’s been funny. I’ve had people in the street shouting, ‘He’s let you out, then!’.…

“Kush is young, fit and healthy – but it’s not looking good…” As the dust settles on Albert Square following the tragic gas explosion, the locals are rocked by a fresh crisis this week – when Kush suffers a cardiac arrest! Denise’s fella is struck down in the market, where trained nurse Sonia springs into action and performs CPR… “Kush is young, fit and healthy – so when he suddenly collapses, it’s a massive shock,” says our Walford insider. “It’s lucky that Sonia is nearby, otherwise people might not know what to do.” It’s ironic that Kush has a heart attack, considering that it happens after a romantic bust-up with his girlfriend, Denise! Their relationship has been ticking over nicely since they got back together, but Kush thinks it’s time…

If Kush is at death’s door, will it prompt a visit from his as-yet-unseen dad, Umar? Actor Shaheen Jafargholi – who plays Kush’s brother Shakil – reveals the actor he wants to have as Umar… “Because he looks a bit like my own dad, it would be really funny if someone like [stand-up comedian] Omid Djalili could play him!” explains the star. “The reason Carmel and Shakil live in Albert Square now is because Umar cheated and got a new girlfriend. Shakil didn’t like this other woman, so it would be interesting to see how the relationship would play out.”…

“David tries to reassure Tracy that there’s no reason to be jealous” David and Tracy’s marriage is on the line this week, as Leyla leans on her ex in her hour of need. While birthday girl Tracy waits in the shop, ready to celebrate, David is plonked in a puddle with heartbroken Leyla, who’s wearing her wedding gown one last time before returning it. And when David decides to save Leyla from financial ruin by giving her a load of cash – that’s meant to pay for Tracy’s dream holiday – could his kindness mean curtains for him and Tracy? “David realises Leyla needs the money more than him and Tracy – but Tracy doesn’t see it like that!” admits Matthew Wolfenden, who plays David. “Leyla is in a drunken…