Inside Soap UK 31 - 2022

Last week we opened voting in the Inside Soap Awards, and I’m delighted to say that we’ve already had over 50,000 votes. So, quick-sticks the rest of you… You’ll find a link to the voting website on p35. Meanwhile, a comment reached us regarding the Best Romance category; noting, with due concern, that every nominated couple is a heterosexual pairing. I will admit that this troubled us too, but the problem we found is that while Ben and Callum or Charity and Vanessa (say) have been among the most popular romances of recent years, both those couples have since been comprehensively taken apart by the storyliners. “The soaps must work harder in this area” To go further, I’d say the fact we found it impossible to find a functioning gay…

First with the week’s HOTTEST headlinesCORONATION STREET | ITV WEDNESDAY There’s big trouble in store for hapless Ryan this week, when Debbie’s money-making plot fails, and he ends up arrested for robbery! Desperate to make enough cash to fund a dream new life, Ryan agrees to help Debbie swindle the Bistro insurers by staging a break-in and claiming a fat payout. It’s a big gamble, but the scheming duo believe that it’s their only hope of a brighter future. Unfortunately, the CCTV back-up footage wrecks everything – as Ryan’s crime is played out on screen for everyone to see! “In retrospect, Ryan thinks: ‘What have I done?’” admits Ryan Prescott, who plays him. “He is very calm in the beginning, but as soon as the plan backfires, he immediately regrets…

Hi, Sue! So why has Debbie taken such drastic action? It’s sheer desperation – she’s decided criminality is the only way forward. As a businesswoman, she’s used to having to tread on people’s toes sometimes, although this is extreme. It can only end badly for them all… Do Nick and Leanne know how bad the Bistro’s finances are? Debbie’s kept the extent of the problems from them, and she hasn’t told anyone how difficult things are, apart from confiding in Ronnie. This is the kind of road that Ray Crosby would have gone down. But it’s all crashing down around her, and she’s facing bankruptcy. What makes her realise that she’s really messed up here? Ronnie knows the truth, and he is not impressed with her! But what really makes…

Tormented Ben’s downward spiral leads to a brush with death this week, when he collapses from a drug overdose. The tragedy kickstarts a chain of events that throws the Mitchell clan into chaos, as Phil learns of a terrible betrayal while praying that his son survives… “Doing drugs with his dodgy new boyfriend James is Ben’s latest way of trying to forget the horror of being raped,” begins our Walford insider. “But he’s playing with fire as he sinks deeper into despair, and his self-destructive behaviour is upsetting his family.” Brooding Ben promises daughter Lexi that he’ll be at her dance exam and family dinner, only to disappoint his little girl by arriving late for her all-important performance. Ben is full of excuses, yet Lexi doesn’t want to hear them,…

FLOWER POWER! Jack Dalton Old-school villain Jack ordered a hit on Dirty Den Watts in 1989, which he miraculously survived. You had ONE job! A tip for Jonah: never hide a gun in a bunch of daffodils. PUSH OVER! Johnny Allen Evil Mr Allen pushed rival gangster Andy Hunter off a bridge and onto a dual carriageway of speeding traffic. Now that’s how you teach someone a lesson. BULLY BOY Derek Branning Jack’s brutish big bro was a bitter bully who loved throwing his weight around, but rarely followed up on his threats – allowing Phil to beat him to be Walford’s top dog. Don’t make the same mistake, Mr Tyler. DRIVEN OUT! Aidan Maguire Phil’s former cellmate roped half the Square into a doomed heist, only to be run…

Raging Matty vows to avenge his sister Holly’s tragic death by gunning for Suzy this week – but his dastardly plan ends up putting Leyla in a terrifying situation! After learning that Suzy supplied Holly with the phone number of a drug dealer before she sadly overdosed, Matty has been hell-bent on revenge. However, when he misreads an opportunity to expose Suzy, chaos ensues… “Matty wants Suzy to go to prison for what she’s done – not only to his sister, but to all the people he assumes must be under her spell,” explains Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty. “He has no inkling that Leyla is in over her head with drugs, and that Suzy is actually attempting to help her. Matty gets the wrong end of the stick, and…