Inside Soap UK 19 - 2020

“Here’s to another 15 years of Jean!” Events may be moving a little slower in soaps on screen at the moment – but I was reminded this week of just how quickly time flies in soapland. After we had a lovely video-call with EastEnders favourite Gilliian Wirght, aka Jean, I realised she had been a regular on the show for 15 years! I can remember clear as day Gillian’s first appearance as Stacey’s brittle, sick mum. But as Jean got well, we began to see her blossom, with star Gillian creating a truly unique soap character. Jean’s attitude to life can make you howl with laughter one minute, while her deep sadness will have you weeping the next. We all rallied for Jean through her cancer battle over the past…

The moment of truth arrives for Ben this week, as he goes into hospital for the vital surgery that could improve his hearing. But at a time when Ben’s relationship with Callum should be solid, disaster strikes as his fella realises that he is involved in some shady businesss with dad Phil again – and walks out on him hours before the op… “Sadly, Ben and Callum receive yet another stark reminder that Mitchells and coppers just don’t mix,” sighs our Walford mole. “Ben is running around playing the hard man when he should be concentrating on his surgery – and when he tries to pump Callum for some police information, potentially jeopardising the rookie cop’s career, Callum is disgusted.” Phil and Ben have a tricky father-and-son dynamic at the…

Living with the cochlear implant after surgery will require some adjustment. According to the charity Action On Hearing Loss, Ben will need to visit professionals in the first year to fine-tune the settings of the device, and will have to carry out listening exercises at home to make sure it’s being maximised to its full potential. Meanwhile, EastEnders is due to introduce the soap’s first totally deaf character, Frankie (Rose Ayling-Ellis) – to help Ben cope with the weeks ahead. “Ben’s life has been turned upside down,” admits our Square spy. “But thanks to Frankie, he gets some unexpected help.”…

Geoff paints his wife as a violent alcoholic this week, just as Yasmeen’s fate is decided in court. Will anyone believe her when the judge rules whether to grant bail over the attack on Geoff? “The reality of Yasmeen’s situation is that she’s looking at a long stretch in prison for attempted murder,” sighs our cobbles insider. “Put before the authorities, she’s nothing more than a woman who clobbered her husband half to death with a wine bottle. And with Geoff backing up this story from his hospital bed, it seems as though Yasmeen’s fate is sealed.” “Yasmeen is looking at a long stretch in prison” The awful irony is that Geoff has been psychologically abusing Yasmeen for months, controlling her every move and isolating his wife from her friends.…

Just because Geoff appears to be getting away with his monstrous behaviour on screen, doesn’t mean that Corrie viewers are letting him off the hook! Shelley King, who plays Yasmeen, tells us that her co-star Ian Bartholomew has been getting a bit of a rough ride when he’s not filming… “He’s told me that he’s the most hated man in the entire country!” shares Shelley. “If we were out walking together, people would wind their car windows down and shout, ‘Leave him!’ Barty even said that he wouldn’t go out for a walk in Media City in Manchester unless I was with him. “He’s such a good man,” adds the star. “Ian and I have been calling each other a lot, as we’re really missing each other during lockdown!”…

Heartbroken Laurel is driven to call the police on her own son Arthur this week, after his sister Dotty is almost killed as a result of the lad’s ongoing feud with Archie! The raging campfire started by the careless boys has horrifying consequences, when Dotty is trapped in a nearby tent that catches alight, with heroic Laurel diving in to save her… “Laurel is inside the house collecting food and, before she goes in, she says to Arthur, ‘Keep an eye on Dotty, because she’s still asleep in the tent,’” explains Charlotte Bellamy, who plays Laurel. “Obviously, he doesn’t really listen to her, so the next thing Laurel sees when she comes out is Dotty’s tent smoking!” “Laurel is exasperated, and admits that she’s scared of her own son” Fortunately,…