Inside Soap UK 39 - 2022

Ah, the autumn! “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” mused the poet Keats. “When eager Moon is set on Linda’s trail/ October storms assail poor Emmerdale.” (Okay, I may have made some of that up, but I’m sure Keats would have written some knockout material for Inside Soap if only he’d had the chance.) “Ten storylines, and every one a corker” While the Summer Preview, Christmas Preview and New Year Preview have been annual fixtures of our pages for some 30 years now, we’ve always struggled with ‘autumn’, as it’s such an undramatic word. But that changes this week, as we unveil our Awesome Autumn Preview! (Which we’re definitely going to make a regular thing.) Ten big autumn storylines, and every one a conker! I mean corker. Though again, I…

First with the week’s HOTTEST headlines Leo rumbles Stephen’s cruel plot to rip off his own mother this week – yet after he confronts Stephen about his actions, Leo unexpectedly disappears! Having worked out that Stephen is stony broke and sleeping in his car, Leo then finds more damning proof that Audrey’s son is a liar when he overhears an angry conversation between Stephen and his ex-wife, Gabrielle. Armed with all the information he needs to verify that Stephen is a crook, Leo accosts him in Underworld – but what happens next is a mystery… “All we can tell you is that there’s an extremely heated confrontation between the two men on the factory gantry,” teases our cobbles insider. “Tempers flare as Stephen tries to defend himself against Leo’s shocking…

Traumatised Suki finally breaks down this week, and reveals to Eve that sleazy Ranveer tried to sexually assault her! Eve is alarmed when she finds her friend wandering through Albert Square in the early hours in her nightdress, dishevelled and distressed. Eve rushes Suki to the doctor’s surgery, where Ash and Nina give her the once-over. But it’s not until later, when she and Eve are alone, that Suki reveals the shocking truth… “Eve can tell that there’s something terribly wrong with Suki, but she’s not expecting this,” reveals our Walford insider. “Eve’s heart breaks for Suki when she recounts the traumatic moment that Ranveer tried to force himself on her; and suddenly, Suki’s recent strange behaviour makes complete sense. But will Suki stop the story there – or reveal…

Kheerat’s focus is very firmly on his family this week – but could he find himself in trouble when he neglects his relationship with Stacey? It’s while he’s on a date with his girlfriend that Kheerat first gets distracted with his theory that Ranveer has disappeared. He even ditches their time together to question Ranveer’s fiancé, Nina, about his whereabouts! Kheerat later returns and apologises to Stacey for missing their date, but it’s clear she’s unimpressed by his behaviour. We’ve already seen Ravi sniffing around Stacey, trying to flirt with her at every opportunity… So is Kheerat in danger of losing his girlfriend to his rival if he doesn’t pay her more attention?…

Moira is still reeling this week, after terminally ill Faith’s confession that she plans to take her own life when she decides the time is right. Faith has also asked Moira if she would assist in her wishes, a request which has left Moira seriously conflicted. This week, as it becomes clearer than ever that Faith’s health is deteriorating rapidly, can she persuade her daughter-in-law to be there at the end? “Faith has always been insistent that she doesn’t want this cancer to control her life,” our Dales insider reminds us. “She stopped treatment when she was told she was never going to get better, and made the decision to enjoy what was left of her life in her own way, while she still could. Faith’s managed to make peace…

Currently in the UK, ‘assisting or encouraging’ another person’s suicide is prohibited by law and can be prosecuted as manslaughter or murder. Even if a person is not physically there at the time of the act, they can still be held responsible. For example, if the relative of someone with a terminal illness obtains strong sedatives, knowing the person intended to use them to kill themselves, that relative may be considered to be assisting suicide. Pressure groups have been campaigning to have the law changed to make assisted suicide legal under certain circumstances, with one bill reaching the second reading stage in parliament earlier this year.…