Inside Soap UK 17 - 2018

Steve McDonald really is a man who doesn’t learn from his mistakes, isn’t he? This week’s big rumour is that he’s going to propose to girlfriend Tracy Barlow. Yep, that’s the Tracy Barlow who sold his baby after convincing the man from the buttie shop that he’d fathered the kid. The same Tracy Barlow who ruined Steve’s wedding to Karen by popping in to let him know he was really Amy’s dad. And that’s the same Tracy Barlow who sadly miscarried Steve’s twins, but told the world that his next wife, Becky, had pushed her down the stairs and caused the tragedy. Yep, that’s right, the “local nutjob” as he once lovingly referred to her, who Steve married before on a big day where the buffet lasted longer than the…

This is the heartbreaking moment when Eva cradles her newborn baby – before having to say a tearful goodbye and hand the little one over to Toyah! The secret surrogacy pact struck by the two women suddenly becomes a reality this week, after Eva goes into premature labour while trapped in the bathroom of her hideaway cottage – with Toyah forced to step in as midwife. “Toyah hears Eva’s screams that the baby is coming – but unfortunately the handle to the bathroom door has fallen off and Eva is locked inside!” explains actress Georgia Taylor, who plays Toyah. “Toyah smashes the hell out of the door because she wants to make sure Eva is okay – and ends up delivering the baby. It took me back to my days…

While the smart money is on Eva backtracking on her deal with Toyah, actress Georgia warns us not to discount the idea that her guilt-ridden alter ego will be the one to crack first under the weight of her lie! The situation is already starting to unravel this week, as sneaky Simon finds an invoice for Eva’s rented cottage in Toyah’s car – and tells Leanne that he thinks her sister is cheating on Peter! However, it’s a chance meeting with Susie’s biological father Aidan – who knows of Eva’s pregnancy – that really sets the cat among the pigeons, as he clocks Toyah’s awkwardness. As the pressure mounts, can she continue to live a lie? “I don’t know if she can, since things do have a way of coming…

Reckless Joe risks his life this week – by jumping off a quarry edge for a dare. The Tate bad boy goes for broke as he and half-brother Noah try to get to know each other better. Noah is shocked as Joe plunges into the icy water – and when he doesn’t resurface, the young lad is terrified that his big brother has perished. Will Joe emerge from the murky depths? “There’s a bit of Joe that wants to impress his younger brother,” admits Ned Porteous, who plays Home Farm’s new Tate. “You’ll also learn in these scenes that Joe has a slight fear of heights, so part of this is him wanting to prove to himself that he can do it.” It’s no surprise that Joe’s pride plays a…

Mel and Jack get hot and sweaty with each other this week, as their simmering passion finally boils over into lust! Jack has been hovering around Mel ever since she arrived back in Walford, but even though it’s clear that she fancies him too, she’s prioritised the welfare of her son Hunter and her new business, rather than think about romance. However, things are about to heat up big time – and it’s all thanks to a bust-up in E20… “Oddly enough, it’s Billy Mitchell who inadvertently brings Mel and Jack together,” reveals our Albert Square insider. “Yet again, he messes things up at work, causing Mel to have a major go at him. However, her fury is witnessed by Jack, who is stunned by Mel’s outburst. Sure, Billy might…

As Mel has a dalliance with Jack, there’s a nagging question that we want to know the answer to: is she still hitched to someone else? A few weeks ago, in the middle of the heist caper, Mel confessed to Sharon that she was the sister-in-law of Ciara Maguire. “I was married to her brother for a long time,” she admitted back in February. “Now I’m trying to get out. Only they’re not the kind of family that let you go easy.” Given what we’ve seen of Ciara and her psychopathic ex-husband Aidan, we can well believe it! But while Mel says she was married, does that imply that she’s now divorced? The fact that she said she’s ‘trying’ to get out suggests that it’s not necessarily that straightforward. We’ve…