Inside Soap UK 48/49 - 2016

Watching all the soaps right now, you start to think, ‘They look like they’re heading for an affair’ or ‘That’s a secret that’s bound to come out over the dinner table’, because the soaps are very much paving the way for the Yuletide stories. Don’t worry if you haven’t spotted any Christmas hints yet, though – because we’ve done it for you. Our fabulous festive preview includes the hottest plots and a chat with some of Santa’s stars! Oh, and a couple of other things to remember. The next issue of Inside Soap is out on Saturday 3 December, and it’s a huge Christmas one with all the exciting drama and exclusive pictures and interviews. Meanwhile, the fabulous Inside Soap Yearbook is still on sale, so be sure to grab…

“LAUREL KNOWS THAT ONCE ASHLEY LEAVES HE’S NEVER COMING HOME” Ashley’s dementia takes another turn for the worse this fortnight, causing him to lash out at wife Laurel – and sees him almost hit by a car! It’s the final straw for his struggling other half, who is still unable to face sending Ashley to a day-care facility. So feeling as though she has no other choice, Laurel takes drastic action in order to manage her husband’s condition… “Laurel just wants to keep her family together,” explains actress Charlotte Bellamy, who plays her. “The whole time she’s saying, ‘We’re going to get through this’, even though everyone around her is telling her that her situation is unsafe. She’s so defiant about how she wants to handle things, but then something…

Even the strongest and most stable of characters would struggle to see the wood for the trees in Laurel’s situation – but this is a woman who not so long ago was battling a severe alcohol problem. So as Ashley’s condition continues to deteriorate, will troubled Laurel be tempted to hit the bottle? “We haven’t gone down that route yet, as there is too much going on!” exclaims Charlotte. “Of course [it’s a possibility], as it’s always going to be there. But at the moment Laurel has a tiny baby and she’s very focused. “I think the writers are doing really well with Ashley’s story,” continues the actress. “After the big car crash episodes he had a massive decline, and now each new stroke that happens affects his brain and…

“AIDAN DOESN’T WANT TO BREAK EVA’S HEART - HE’S QUITE CONFUSED” Aidan gets a taste of his own medicine this fortnight, as his secret love Maria shares a saucy snog with hunky Adam Barlow! While Aidan has been toying with Maria, he’s determined not to leave his girlfriend Eva – but will jealousy change his mind about who he wants to be with? “Aidan is envious of Adam – this handsome bugger, coming in and throwing his weight around!” chuckles Shayne Ward, who plays Aidan. “It’s a bit of a wake-up call for Aidan because he’s like, ‘Don’t be coming on to my turf with your good hair!’. “Seriously though, Aidan has been trying to have his cake and eat it by juggling Eva and Maria the way he has,…

MARIA’S AFFECTIONS MAY NOT BE THE ONLY THING ADAM AND AIDAN FIGHT OVER… “The first time Aidan and Adam met was in the factory – Aidan had no idea that Adam’s dad, Mike Baldwin, used to own it,” explains Shayne. “As far as Aidan is concerned, that’s ancient history, so he’s already told Adam to sling his hook. “I’m not too sure whether the two of them are being set up to be business rivals as well as love rivals – but if Adam does make a move regarding the factory, Aidan won’t be happy about someone coming in and trying to take what’s his!”…

“ROXY CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO SUSPECTS JACK IS SWEET ON HONEY” Roxy drops a massive bombshell on Ronnie this fortnight – when she accuses Jack of having an affair with Honey! The tension is rising between the sisters, especially as Jack is doing his best to keep Roxy’s contact with Amy to a bare minimum. While he would have cut Roxy out of their daughter’s life after she abandoned the little’un during her involvement with drugs, Ronnie has fought her sibling’s corner and tried to broker a truce between the warring parents. However, now that Jack and Ronnie are planning to sell up and move, relations have hit an all-time low – and Roxy is about to make things much worse. “In all fairness, Roxy can’t be the…