Tabla de contenidos para 2020 en Inside Soap Yearbook

Audrey had the worst possible start to 2019, when her boyfriend Lewis Archer dropped dead! While poor Audrey was heartbroken over his death, her daughter Gail remained convinced that Lewis had been cheating on her mum in the days leading up to his demise – after seeing him going into a hotel room with a mystery woman! The plot thickened when Audrey learned that someone had stolen £80,000 from her bank account, and it didn’t take long for the finger of blame to point at con man Lewis! But it would turn out that someone a lot closer to home had ripped her off… Also in January……

“I love you… but if your heart is set on having children, Pete, then I don’t think we can be together…”RHONA We’ve all been guilty of making the odd mistake when we’re hungover from a night out – adding too much sugar to our tea, or accidentally sending a message meant for our secret lover to our boss instead. Oops. But spare a thought for poor Pete in Emmerdale, whose morning-after blunder almost killed his girlfriend Rhona! The fit farmhand got behind the wheel of a tractor after one too many beers the night before, not realising that the vehicle was faulty, and posed a real danger! Then, he made the fatal error of trying to answer a call from Rhona while driving, sending him careering into a barn –…

Peter’s dreams of sailing off into the sunset went up in smoke when his new boat caught fire – with his son Simon trapped inside! Peter had been doing up the old vessel after it was gifted to him by Carla, and was also using it as a loveboat for him and new squeeze Abi. However, after Simon snuck on board and fell asleep, a gas lamp was knocked over by a mystery intruder, sending the barge up in flames! Luckily, Peter pulled his son from the smouldering wreckage before the lad was seriously hurt – and the blaze was later revealed to be a consequence of Roy’s sleepwalking. Also in February……

Hollyoaks serial killer Breda was slowly working her way through the bad dads of the village, having done in Carl Costello, Russ Owen, Louis Loveday and Glenn Donovan. But when the baddest dad of them all, Mac Nightingale, discovered her secret, he realised she could be of use to him – and tried to blackmail her into bumping off his own son, James! Seeing as James wasn’t a bad dad, though, Breda couldn’t bring herself to do the deed, and decided Mac had to pay instead. What followed was one of the more eccentric deaths in soap, as Breda killed Mac with a poisoned lasagne……

EMMERDALE Kim We’d already had a little taster of Kim’s big comeback when she returned for a brief stint last year. But the prospect of having her back in Emmerdale full-time was just too tantalising for words! And she certainly didn’t sidle back into the village quietly… it wasn’t long before she had Cain Dingle in her sights, and she was willing to go to any lengths to get him in her bed! And all hell broke loose when it was revealed that her step-grandson Joe Tate was still alive… EASTENDERS Keanu Karen was thrilled when her son Keanu returned from doing some dodgy work for Phil in Spain. But he was a changed man after being beaten up by Phil’s pals on the continent… CORRIE Clayton Shona was stunned…

“I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be one of those nights…”LEYLA One of the most shocking Emmerdale stories of the year was teacher Maya’s grooming of her pupil, Jacob – and it all came to a head during a group night out in Hotten. Twisted Maya had seduced her boyfriend’s son, waiting until he turned 16 to lure him into bed. The pair had been carrying on a secret ‘relationship’ for months, but the truth came tumbling out in dramatic fashion after Priya spotted the two of them kissing outside the club, kicking off a dramatic chain of events. But they weren’t the only ones whose lives were changed forever by this one night – and after the episode ended on a cliffhanger, viewers had to wait two weeks…

Phil’s dodgy dealings came back to haunt him when his shady contacts, Danny and Midge, turned up on the Square – and kidnapped Louise! Phil had already paid Keanu to be Lou’s personal bodyguard, so when the grease monkey took his eye off the ball and Louise was snatched, Phil went nuclear! Soon he, Keanu and Ben were racing around the docks in thrilling scenes, searching for Louise among the shipping containers. Both Keanu and Phil managed to get themselves knocked out in the fray, but thankfully, Louise was eventually located – and came to no serious harm… Also in April……

In one of our favourite Casualty episodes of the year, viewers followed paramedic Iain on his return to work in the wake of his battle with depression. The whole storyline was incredible – and has the Inside Soap Award for Best Drama Storyline to prove it! But this particular episode gave us a fascinating insight into what happens behind the scenes at an ambulance call centre, as Iain went back to basics, answering the initial 999 calls before fully immersing himself back into work. We loved the fact that all the background extras in the scenes were real emergency operators, and it gave us a real respect for the people who answer these calls day in, day out.…

Holby medic Ange arrived at the hospital at the beginning of 2019 – and what a year it has been! Between revealing that she’s Dom’s biological mum to helping daughter Chloe through her trauma with violent Evan, Ange has barely had any time to operate on her patients this year! But as we get on the phone to star Dawn for a chat about her first 12 months in the medical drama, she tells us she’s loved every minute… You’ve just celebrated your first year on Holby City – how would you sum up your experience so far? I’ve packed a lot into my first year! David Ames, who plays my son, Dom, was told two years ago that they were going to bring in his birth mother, and that…

“I’m evil… I killed Rana. I’m rotten to the core – I’m a bad person…”CARLA We’re used to seeing Carla as the queen of Underworld – so watching her unravel in the wake of the factory collapse was quite unnerving. She blamed herself for what had happened – as did half the Street – and carrying around the guilt of Rana’s death sent her into a fullblown mental health crisis. A special stand-alone episode showed us what was going on in Carla’s head, as she began to see visions of Rana and even her late friend Hayley. Although it was devastating to watch her fall apart, thankfully Carla eventually got help. Meanwhile, Gary was unmasked as the real culrpit behind the roof collapse……

HOLLYOAKS Mercedes & Liam Bad girl Mercedes was spiralling out of control as she continued to sneak around with Liam and take drugs! But the really shocking moment came when the pair went for a joyride in Harry’s car while high, and ended up ploughing into a load of roadworks – knocking down Liam’s sister Grace in the process! Grace was left with serious injuries, and Liam tried to pin the whole thing on Harry… EASTENDERS Keanu Louise fell pregnant with Keanu’s baby, but her fella had also been sleeping with her stepmum, Sharon! But more was to come, as he fell back into bed with Sharon – and soon she was expecting the patter of tiny Taylor feet too. EMMERDALE Harriet Vicar Harriet had been living in fear after…

Cobbles chef Robert couldn’t believe his luck when his ex-fiancée Michelle agreed to take him back – and he asked her to marry him again! It would have been a fairy-tale ending for the pair, if it wasn’t for the fact that Robert had been seeing Vicky during his breakup from Michelle – and had managed to get her pregnant! A baby was the one thing he desperately wanted, but Michelle couldn’t give him, so the situation left him in a real pickle. And he decided the only solution was to keep seeing them both, without the other one knowing!…

When Dean and Ziggy hit the road to take part in a car rally in the outback, the last thing they expected was to find a stowaway hiding out in their boot! Bella had taken it upon herself to follow them into the country, in a bid to stop them hooking up – as she believed that Dean belonged with her pal, Willow. Once Dean and Ziggy found the teenager, they called Colby to come and pick her up, while they continued on their tour of the open road. Viewers were treated to a spectacular look at the beautiful Australian scenery – before Dean and Ziggy finally got steamy!…

“Do not trust this woman, she’s tricking you!”DEE… OR WAS IT ANDREA? If there was an Inside Soap Award for the most far-fetched and bonkers plot, it would definitely go to this one! Having watched the story of ‘fake Dee’ unfold for the past two years on Neighbours, we were stunned to find out that the real Dee was very much still alive and kicking – and it turned out she was Andrea’s long-lost twin sister, who’d been separated from her and their mum Heather at birth! There may have been more than a few holes in this plot – we’re sure that Andrea actually had plastic surgery to make herself look more like Dee in the first place – but that didn’t matter. We were utterly gripped! From the…

“Oi, leave her alone! You wanna have a row? Let’s have a row!”MARTIN Walford hard man Phil has had more attempts made on his life than we care to mention – but he added another to his tally in July, when Stacey almost finished him off! Phil had been in a long-running war with the Slaters over some stolen money, and when Kat taunted him about the cash in the Vic, Phil saw red – and a furious fight broke out between the two of them in the Arches. Soon Martin had stepped in to defend Kat, and Phil pinned him to the floor and tried to throttle him. But Phil was stopped dead in his tracks when Stacey whacked him from behind with a wrench! Ben witnessed the whole thing,…

This month saw Hollyoaks serial killer Breda strike again, when she bumped off Harry Thompson! He’d just become a father to baby Isaac, after getting his ex, Sadie Cressington, pregnant – but when Breda realised he was planning to do a runner and abandon his son, she decided to take action! The sad thing was that Harry had just got the evidence to prove that he wasn’t responsible for Grace’s hit-and-run, and was on his way to the police station to clear his name. He hoped this would mean he could stick around to watch his son grow up – but Breda had other ideas, and killed him stone dead!…

AMY This isn’t worth you going to jail for. KERRY Darlin’, if this Karen doesn’t get her money, she’s going to the police. And when Cain finds out, he’s going to stop you having access to Kyle ever again. AMY I know. I need to do the right thing for once [goes to put the money back, then changes her mind]. This could solve everything. This could make it all go away. Argh, I don’t know what to do! KERRY Right, whatever it is you decide, I am behind you one hundred per cent. So? AMY Maybe there’s another way [grabs an umbrella]. After this, there’s no going back, for either of us. KERRY What are you doing, man? It’s mega bad luck! AMY I’m not going to open it!…

“The people that murdered Lauren and my children – they’re back”ROBBO The happiest day of Robbo and Jasmine’s lives quickly turned into their worst, when their wedding reception was crashed by federal police! It had taken the couple long enough to get to the altar in the first place, thanks to the on-off nature of their relationship – but as they finally exchanged vows in a beautiful church ceremony in front of their loved ones, they were clearly on cloud nine. The feeling didn’t last, sadly, as the cops stormed the celebrations and ushered the couple away from their guests, informing them that they were in very serious danger! The crooks who had murdered Robbo’s first wife and his kids were active again, so the pair needed to be escorted to…

Hollyoaks’ Tony has probably had a worse year than anyone else in soap. First he figured out that his son Harry had been offed by serial killer Breda, then he confronted her about it – and she tried to bump him off as well! The killer cliffhanger left viewers gobsmacked, as they truly believed that the soap’s longest-serving character had been done in by the pig-mad pensioner. But a shock twist revealed that Tony had actually survived Breda’s attempt on his life, and she was holding him hostage down on her pig farm – where he would remain for quite some time……

“I think Hunter’s shot Ben, he’s waving a gun around!”JAY Two huge EastEnders storylines collided in September, as the truth about Callum’s sexuality finally came out on the eve of his wedding to Whitney – while at the same time, killer Hunter escaped from prison, and mum Mel planned for them to go on the run! Whitney had a huge decision to make, having found out about Callum’s naughty night with Ben – would she still go ahead with marrying him, knowing that he’d cheated? Meanwhile, Hunter was hell-bent on having his revenge on Jack before he left the country, leading to one of the most tense scenes of the year, as he went on the rampage in the Vic with a gun! The week had viewers on the edge…

When Fiz returned to the cobbles with her daughter Hope – having spent months at a special school in Birmingham trying to iron out the girl’s unruly behaviour – she prayed that they had turned a corner. But less than a week after their return, the naughty girl was involved in a fire at the abandoned knicker factory! After being heroically rescued by Dr Ali, Hope told her parents that the blaze had been started by some teenage boys, who fled the scene and left her trapped. However, some parts of her story just didn’t add up – and soon Tyrone began to suspect that Hope had started the fire herself……

Tracy was consumed with grief after her father Frank’s death, and determined to prove that he wasn’t the one who stole the charity money from Sharma & Sharma! After visiting the pawn shop where he bought a ring on the day that he died, Tracy thought she had the evidence she needed to clear Frank’s name. But when that didn’t work, she accused Dawn of being the one who started the factory fire – before attacking her in the church! Her outburst forced Dawn to confess what she was really hiding, leaving Tracy back at square one. Would she ever find her dad’s killer?…

SINEAD I feel like I’ve aged 50 years in six weeks. But I never got that time. I never got to live those years… DANIEL I’d give anything to be able to spend those years with you. SINEAD I imagined we’d have four kids… DANIEL Four?! SINEAD Boys – there’s too many girls in my family. And we’d live in a thatched cottage in the country, with a field and dogs. DANIEL I thought that we might have two, one of each. And we’d live in one of those warehouse conversions in Castlefield. Glass and exposed brick. Maybe a balcony, and a parrot. Parrots are cool. SINEAD I want a divorce! DANIEL [Laughs] SINEAD Daniel? I can feel the tiredess gettng thicker and blacker. I don’t want it to come…

Bex took drastic action to stop her suffering, by attempting to end her own life. She’d been struggling to cope for a long time, having been put under huge pressure to do well in her A levels and get grades that would see her into Oxford University. But as she packed up her stuff and prepared for life as a student, it all got too much – so she quietly slipped away from her leaving party, went home and took an overdose. Her mum Sonia was distraught to find her unconsious the next morning, and rushed her daughter to hospital, where medics managed to save her. It was a poignant reminder that we all need to talk about how we’re feeling a lot more……

“Mercedes McQueen is finished around here!”BREDA Hollyoaks landlady Mercedes McQueen had spent the entire year building up a long list of enemies – so when somebody took a shot at her in the middle of the Loft dance floor, there was certainly no shortage of suspects for the crime! She’d cheated on her husband Sylver with Liam, left Grace for dead in a hit-and-run accident, and threatened to kill Harry Thompson when he discovered the truth. So, when he later turned up dead, many of his loved ones were convinced that she’d murdered him! Mercy’s crimes finally reached a critical point one fateful night, when a gunshot rang out in the village, and her lifeless body was found slumped in Liam’s club. Would Mercedes survive? And the bigger question is,…

Hollyoaks opened the new year strong, with the climax to its huge abuse story – which saw Ollie and Brody face vile football coach Buster in court. The week brought lots of huge plot twists, as Brody’s historic case was dropped due to lack of evidence – prompting his best mate Damon to lie to the police that he’d witnessed his dad abusing Brody when they were kids! Meanwhile, as the weeklong trial got underway, more of Buster’s previous abuse victims slowly started to speak out about his horrific actions – but what really sealed his fate was a voicemail he’d left on Imran’s phone, proving that he’d also tried to assault him. Buster was eventually sentenced to six years in prison for his actions, while Hollyoaks was lauded for…

CORRIE Sinead Pregnant Sinead had to make the toughest decision of her life when her oncologist delivered the sad news that her cancer had spread, and she must give birth immediately – or risk dying! With weeks still left to go before her baby was due, Sinead knew there was a chance that her child might not live. So, with Daniel by her side, she safely delivered their son, Bertie – but the tot would face a tough fight for survival… NEIGHBOURS Terese Terror swept through Erinsborough when crims Raymond and Ivan Renshaw opened fire at Lassiters! They were gunning for Leo, who was responsible for putting them in jail. But Leo’s then-girlfriend Terese leapt in front of the gun – and took the bullet… EMMERDALE Vanessa Heroic Vanessa paid…

PETE Have you seen Cain? We must have worn those brakes to bits for them to fail like that, and if he’d have checked them properly he’d have sorted it, and Rhona wouldn’t be fighting for her life right now. MATTY He did check them. PETE Yeah, well, then he should have stopped us using the flamin’ thing… MATTY He sort of did… This morning, I thought he was on my back about the usual stuff. He told me not to use it. The tractor. PETE So you knew it was dodgy? MATTY No, not really, I thought Cain was just having a go. PETE But you still let me drive it? MATTY I thought he was just being Cain, throwing his weight around, trying to make out I didn’t…

Hollyoaks aired a special episode this month, celebrating diversity among the characters living in the village. The episode centred on pregnant Mandy, whose baby had just been diagnosed with spina bifida – a fault in the development of the spinal column. The news knocked Mandy for six, and she had a big decision to make about her child’s future – would she go ahead with pioneering surgery, which could improve her baby’s life? With risks attached to the operation, and her boyfriend Darren dead-set against it, Mandy’s choice was an agonising one to make. But as she talked to various people in the village who are living with disabilities – such as teenager Brooke, who has autism – Mandy was given the courage she needed to make her decision. And…

“I don’t get what happened… was it like an earthquake or something?”KIRK Soap fans were treated to one of the biggest stunts of the year in March, when the roof of Underworld collapsed – trapping many of the factory workers underneath the piles of rubble! The horrifying accident took place just as lovebirds Kate and Rana were due to get hitched, turning the happiest day of Kate’s life into the most tragic, when she found out that her wife-to-be was one of the casualties of the catastrophe – and that she wasn’t going to make it out of the wreckage alive. Rana’s death kicked off an investigation into the cause of the collapse, which saw many locals blame factory owner Carla for failing to adequately fix the faulty roof. However,…

“Where else should we be? We’re together…”SONYA One of the most tear-jerking moments of the year took place in March, when Sonya Rebecchi tragically lost her battle with cancer. She had only been diagnosed with the disease a few weeks before, after her poisoning at the hands of Nanny Alice – aka Andrea’s mad mother Heather – had masked her symptoms. The news came as a devastating blow to Sonya and her hubby, Toadie, especially when doctors then dropped the bombshell that the cancer was too far advanced to treat, and Sonya didn’t have long to live. Her final days were gut-wrenching for viewers to watch – and her last moments involved a two-hander episode between her and Toadie, as the couple headed to the beach for one final hurrah together…

The year got off to a terrible start for poor Tiffany, who had got herself mixed up in a dangerous gang and was selling drugs! She’d been seduced by gang leader Evie Steele, who’d given her lots of attention and drawn her further into her murky world. Things started to go awry for Tiff, however, after Keegan took some pills he’d got from her – and ended up in hospital! Soon, the cops were knocking on Tiff’s door, and her sister Whitney was furious to hear what the teenager had been up to! She told Tiff to pack her bags and go back to her mum’s – but Tiff had other ideas……

“Get help, Lily, so you can get everything you ever wanted”ROMEO We’ve seen some gut-wrenching soap deaths in our time, but no exit has ever been quite so cruel as Lily McQueen’s in Hollyoaks, as she ended her days on the floor of a train station toilet! The tortured teenager had been self-harming as a result of her mental health issues, leaving her family powerless to know how to help. After health ward, fragile Lily decided to break out and go on the run with boyfriend Romeo, unaware that she’d contracted sepsis as a result of cutting herself. By the time her auntie Diane caught up with her at the station, it was too late – the infection had spread, and Lily tragically succumbed to her injuries.…

There really is no good way to discover that your husband has been cheating – but poor Ziggy found out about Brody’s infidelity in the worst possible way, when she stumbled across him in bed with Simone! Ziggy had long since had her suspicions about the pair, but everyone assured her she was being paranoid, and that Brody and Simone were nothing more than work colleagues. So when Ziggy discovered what they had been up to behind her back, she was devastated. The resulting fallout was huge, and had repercussions throughout the entire town……

“Whatever the question, Sean, this isn’t the answer”JEAN One of our favourite moments of the entire year was the return of Sean Slater to EastEnders. He’d been a favourite here at Inside Soap long before actor Rob Kazinsky went off to become a huge star in the States – and the fact that he was coming back to the soap for a short stint was a real coup. Plus, with his mum Jean battling cancer, it was only right that her son returned to be by her side during her greatest time of need. Sean’s return definitely didn’t disappoint – there were some really heartfelt scenes between him, his mum, and sister Stacey, with Rob and co-stars Gillian Wright (Jean) and Lacey Turner (Stacey) giving some of their bestever performances.…

Home and Away really tugged at our heart strings as it played out an emotional story about soldier Jett being seriously injured while serving in Afghanistan. His parents Marilyn and John had already been concerned about him heading into a warzone, so when they got the call to say that he’d been hurt in a bomb blast, they were beside themselves with worry. After treatment at a military hospital in Germany, Jett was eventually transferred back to Summer Bay, where he was given the life-changing news that he would never walk again. And the weeks that followed would be tough on the entire…

Elly’s dreams of salvaging her marriage to Mark were left in tatters when she discovered she was pregnant with another man’s baby! She’d already cheated on Mark once with his sister Chloe – hence their marriage breaking down in the first place. And just when he agreed to give her another chance, she found out she was expecting a baby with her one-night stand, Shaun. Elly tried to pass the baby off as Mark’s, and even used a scan of his dead daughter to help keep up the ruse! But in the end she had to confess the truth, leaving Mark completely heartbroken – and determined to knock Shaun’s block off……

CORRIE The Baileys Aggie, Ed and their sons Michael and James put a few noses out of joint when they moved in next to Ken, and started noisy renovation works – leading to them making a massive hole in Ken’s wall! But they soon made some good friends, especially as James is an up-and-coming player for everyone’s favourite footie team, Weathy County. NEIGHBOURS Ebony Chloe was suspicious of newcomer Ebony from the get-go, especially when she found out that she was Pierce’s new fiancée! And Chloe was convinced that Ebony was only after the millionaire’s cash… THE DALES The Tates Kim was in for a huge shock when Andrea rocked up in the village, and revealed herself to be Jamie’s secret wife! It turned out that the student vet had…

“I’ve got everything… so why do I feel so lonely?”CALLUM We always wondered why someone as handsome as Callum had never had a girlfriend before he met Whitney. But we got our answer when he snogged the face off Ben – and we realised that he was secretly gay! Ben had been taunting poor Callum for weeks, and his pent-up frustration finally bubbled over to a heated confrontation in the park, where the pair gave in to their passion right there and then! Callum was disgusted with himself, and refused to admit he was gay – instead going home to Whitney and asking her to marry him! But hiding from his true feelings wouldn’t work in the long run……

DEE So what part do you play in Toadie’s life now? ANDREA Well, over time, our friendship turned romantic. DEE So you’re a couple? ANDREA Yeah, we fell madly, deeply, passionately in love. We’ve even got a child together, a special little boy named Hugo. DEE So… how did Toadie come to terms with the resemblance? ANDREA He just did. He realised we’re two very different people. It caused a few raised eyebrows in the neighbourhood, so what? Everyone’s happy. In fact, when you think about it, everyone’s got their happy ending. You’re happy here, we’re happy there, everything’s as it’s meant to be. DEE But Heather’s message, it sounded important. Maybe I should talk to her myself. ANDREA No, that’s not a good idea [lunges for Dee’s phone]. Just…

After hearing that his sister Victoria was subjected to a horrific rape ordeal at the hands of Lee Posner, villager Robert was intent on revenge. And despite Vic’s pleas for him not to get involved, Robert just couldn’t stand by and let Lee get away with what he’d done. So, determined to get him arrested one way or another, Robert paid former prostitute Dawn to act as a honeytrap, in the hope that he would try to assault her, too! When that plan went wrong, though, seething Robert ended up lashing out at Lee himself – and his violent attack left his sister’s rapist in a coma… Also in July……

Ever since Chantelle and Gray’s arrival on the Square earlier this year, we’d been led to believe that they were the perfect couple. Gray seemed to dote on his wife, showering her with compliments and gifts, and he even had mother-in-law Karen wrapped around his little finger. However, Mitch wasn’t quite as enamoured of his daughter’s husband – and once we finally glimpsed behind the door of No 1 Albert Square, we realised that Mitch was right on the money! In one of the most shocking scenes of the year, Gray revealed himself to be a monster as he lashed out and punched his wife, leaving her in agony……

CORRIE Emma As if losing her father wasn’t awful enough for Emma, he confessed on his death bed that he wasn’t actually her biological dad! And more shocks were to come when viewers discovered that Emma’s mum was none other than Fiona Middleton – Steve’s ex-girlfriend! It didn’t take him long to work out that Emma was his long-lost daughter. EMMERDALE Zak The Dingles certainly like to keep things in the family – but there was huge drama when Zak locked lips with former sister-in-law Faith, just weeks after his wife Lisa had passed away… NEIGHBOURS Amy Amy found herself with a terrible dilemma following her engagement to Gary – when she realised she was actually still in love with his son, Kyle! Neither of them wanted to hurt Gary,…

The stress of running a busy boozer while trying to keep his family happy finally got to Mick, and he collapsed! Although the Vic landlord had been suffering chest pains for a while, he’d tried to push them to one side and pretend they weren’t happening. However, when he collapsed during a football match, he started to believe that his ticker was in serious trouble! It would take another funny turn in the barrel store to prompt him to seek medical help – and Mick was stunned when the doctor told him he’d actually been suffering from panic attacks……

WHITNEY Come on, where’s the ‘Billy Bigmouth’ Ben that we all know and love, eh? What, you got nothing to say now? Come on, this is your perfect scenario, ain’t it? Breaking hearts, holding the power over everyone and everything. Tell me how you did it, tell me how much you enjoyed it… BEN Calm down, Whitney… WHITNEY Don’t you ever tell me how to feel, right? You’re pathetic. You just can’t stand the thought of anyone else being happy, can you, Ben? Poor little Ben, everyone’s got to be as miserable as he is because he’s had such a tough life. Who ain’t had a tough life? No one else matters to you, do they? I bet you wouldn’t even look twice at him if he weren’t happy and…

One of Hollyoaks’ biggest plots of the year was the story of how Ste had been drawn into a far-right extremist group, headed up by Stuart and Jonny. They’d alienated him from his loved ones and made him feel as if he finally belonged with them, ensuring his unwavering loyalty to their cause. Their racist behaviour caused untold misery to their neighbours, the Maaliks, but Ste refused to believe that what they were doing was wrong. However, he was finally forced to see their true colours when the group planned a bomb attack on the village – leaving devastation in its wake… Also in September……

The mother of all showdowns was lined up for Holby City’s 20th anniversary as Patsy Kensit returned to the drama – and her character Faye came face to face with her old love rival Jac! Faye required emergency cardiothoracic surgery, but it was Jac who was left broken-hearted after discovering that her soulmate, Joseph Byrne (played by Luke Roberts), had reunited with her nemesis. However, not even the raging storm taking place outside the hospital could put out the spark between old flames Jac and Joseph as they shared a passionate kiss – proving that true love never dies……

NEIGHBOURS Scarlett Stalker Scarlett had been desperate to get her hands on Ned for weeks – and after breaking up his relationship with Yashvi, Scarlett made her move! As the pair headed on a romantic break, Ned’s pals were on to her, and – sensing the walls closing in – Scarlett stabbed Ned! Luckily, he survived her brutal attack. HOME AND AWAY Irene After confessing to attacking Tommy, Irene went to court to answer for her crimes – and was stunned to come face to face with vile predator Tommy! Irene was found guilty, but there was some good news, as the judge showed her leniency, and Irene escaped a jail sentence. HOLBY CITY Ric Having discovered that he was suffering from a brain tumour, Holby surgeon Ric went under…

“You must have known that I’d find you one day… I’m your son.”NATE When Cain discovered that his wife Moira had been having an affair with farmhand Nate, he vowed to kill them both! He lured the cheating pair out to a secluded lake on a boat, where he revealed that he knew all about their fling, before launching himself at Nate. But the biggest shock of all came when Nate revealed exactly why he’d bedded Moira… because Cain was his father! Cain barely had time to process the news before Moira went overboard, and when Cain jumped in to rescue her, the boat exploded. Thankfully, all three got out of the wreckage alive – but there were a lot of questions that still needed answering……

HARRY I have a son now, you realise that, yeah? I’m a dad. I’m running away from all of that; I’m not going to see him grow up. My son is going to have to live his life without me because of what you did. MERCEDES Okay then, so what? I did it, yeah. I ran her off the road; I did the hit-and-run. What are you going to do about it? HARRY Go to the police, I guess. MERCEDES No, because I will not let you destroy my family. HARRY Destroy it? You’ve been sleeping with Liam behind your husband’s back! MERCEDES What proof have you got? Right, you open that mouth and I will come after you, do you understand me? HARRY Mercedes! MERCEDES I mean it! You…

What better way to kick off the new year than with a happy occasion, such as a wedding? Sadly there was no fairy-tale ending in store for bride Mel, though, as she’d just found out that her future hubby Ray was already married – to two other women! Having met up with Ray’s wives, Maddie and Nicola, Mel opted not to confront her bigamist fiancé, but to forge ahead with the wedding instead. Her plan was to fleece dodgy Ray for every penny he had, before marrying him, reporting him to the cops and having him arrested – so she and her son Hunter could live a life of luxury from Ray’s ill-gotten gains. It would have been a brilliant plan too, if only Ray hadn’t got suspicious of Mel’s…

There’s no such thing as a quiet Dingle wedding – but Marlon and Jessie’s nuptials were more dramatic than most, after Dingle legend Mandy gatecrashed proceedings! It had been 17 years since Mandy was last in the village, and the fact that she turned up with her 16-year-old son Vinny in tow raised a few eyebrows – especially since she’d been in a relationship with Paddy just before she left! Could he be Vinny’s dad? It didn’t take long for a fight to break out between Mandy and Chas, but Mandy actually had another bombshell in store for Paddy when she revealed a secret about his father……

EASTENDERS Habiba & Iqra Arshad and Mariam’s granddaughters Iqra and Habiba turned up on the Square – and were soon causing mayhem! It turned out that Iqra was running away from her wedding, having been keeping her true sexuality hidden from her loved ones – while Habiba was soon embroiled in a steamy affair… HOME AND AWAY Bella After searching for years, Colby was elated when he found his long-lost sister Bella, and she came to live in the Bay. But it quickly emerged that she was a very troubled young woman… EMMERDALE Bear Wolf Paddy’s search for his biological father took him to a wrestling convention in Hotten, where he came face to face with the legendary Bear Wolf – the man he believed to be his dad! Sadly,…

“To one of life’s gentlemen… aren’t many of them left now”DOT It was a sad month for the Walford residents as they said goodbye to their long-time local GP and dear friend, Dr Harold Legg. He’d been treating ailments and delivering babies in the area for over 50 years – and although he had since retired, the medic was still held in high esteem by many of his former patients on the Square. His trusted friend Dot was by his side as he battled pancreatic cancer, and she brought Dr Legg back to her house so he could live out his final few days in familiar surroundings. Dot was crushed by his passing, and she wasn’t the only one. A whole host of familiar faces turned up to his funeral, including…

RANA We need to get married, just in case. Tell me your vows, let’s get married now. KATE You are everything to me, my whole life. Someone said that love is one soul in two bodies, and that’s us. I can’t exist without you. You are the most beautiful person in the whole world. And you look a million times better than I do! See, I put that in before seeing you, and it’s true. And then, I was going to say that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. All my love, always. RANA Always. KATE Go on, do yours… RANA I can’t remember! I told you, I need the rings, I can’t remember. That’s why I came back… KATE I know, I know.…

Inside Soap was lucky enough to be invited on a trip to Ireland in March, as the Emmerdale gang headed over to Belfast to film some special episodes. It was supposed to be Marlon and Jessie’s honeymoon, but their romantic break was gatecrashed by Paddy – who wanted to tag along to track down his biological dad, Bear Wolf! As if that wasn’t bad enough, Kerry then invited herself too, after getting word that her estranged daughter Amy was also living in Belfast. It was a trip full of fun, frolics and fraught family reunions – but sadly not a lot of alone time for newlyweds Marlon and Jessie! Also in March……

The best day of Colby’s life quickly turned into the worst when – hours after marrying his sweetheart Chelsea – his new wife was kidnapped by his violent stepfather, Ross! The thug was furious that Colby had taken his daughter Bella away from him, so took Bella, Chelsea and pal Willow hostage, before luring Colby out into the bush and making him choose which of the girls he would spare from death! What followed was a terrifying shoot-out, which saw Willow seriously injured when she took a bullet. As Ross fled the scene, Colby and bestie Dean were soon in hot pursuit, resulting in a high-octane car chase through the Australian outback. The scenes were spectacular, and ended with furious cop Colby shooting Ross dead in cold blood……

EMMERDALE Dan With his relationship flagging, Dan thought the best way to revive things between him and Kerry was to ask her to marry him – in front of everyone in the Woolpack! Although Kerry initially said yes, it was only to save face, and she later revealed to heartbroken Dan that she had no intention of becoming his wife, as their romance was over. NEIGHBOURS Gary Gary pulled out all the stops to make his proposal to Amy as romantic as possible. What he didn’t bank on was his son Kyle – who also happened to be Amy’s ex-boyfriend – choosing that exact moment to return to Erinsborough… HOLLYOAKS Liberty Hopeless romantic Liberty was over the moon when she and new boyfriend Sami got engaged. The problem was, he…

By April, it was clear that Corrie builder Gary was a desperate man. With his business facing financial ruin, he’d borrowed money from violent loan shark Rick Neelan to keep the company afloat – but he was struggling to keep up with Rick’s repayment demands. With his finances looking more dire by the day, Gary was forced to work for Rick, conning old ladies into signing up for shady loans that they’d never be able to pay back. However, when Gary was unable to bring himself to rip off fragile pensioners, he had to come up with another way to get himself out of debt – and fast……

It’s never easy saying farewell to a soap character who we’ve known and loved for many years. So when Emmerdale’s Lisa passed away just hours after her wedding to Zak, we could barely control our tears! We’d been primed for Lisa’s tragic death ever since she revealed to Charity that she was suffering from amyloidosis, a condition that made it difficult for her organs to work properly. Lisa knew she didn’t have long left, and soon broke the news to her devastated daughter Belle that she was dying. But at least we were treated to a proper Dingle knees-up before she quietly slipped away… Also in May……

We knew that the entire Platt family going on holiday together could only end in disaster – but we certainly enjoyed watching the whole thing implode! All Audrey wanted was for them to have a nice time together, but even a surprise appearance from TV presenter Lorraine Kelly couldn’t save this lot from the holiday from hell! The drama kicked off when Nick’s dodgy employee Natalie Watkins gatecrashed the party, and Shona accused her of having an affair with David! But the truth was much worse, as David eventually confessed to his gran that Nick had stolen her life savings – and he’d helped him spend the lot……

“You’re my wife, Sinead, you belong to me!”LAURIE When Hollyoaks first cast former Home and Away star Kyle Pryor as Sinead’s new husband Laurie, the Inside Soap team was over the moon. We’d loved him as Summer Bay’s Hunky Dr Nate, and we couldn’t wait to meet his Chester alter ego. Sadly Laurie was nothing like the mild-mannered medic from the Aussie soap – and as this story started to unfold, we soon figured out he was an absolute monster! Not only was he subjecting Sinead to emotional abuse, flirting with other women and making out that she was the crazy one, he was also physically abusing her by forcing her into sex! But the whole village was about to see his true colours… 1 CREEPY COLLEAGUE It wasn’t just…

Once the secret about Maya’s sick grooming of Jacob was out in the open, his parents David and Leyla wanted her locked up. But with the teen refusing to admit that he and Maya had slept together, there was nothing to prove what had actually happened. The only evidence they had against the twisted teacher was some text messages she’d sent to the lad, so she was charged with inappropriate contact with a minor. On the eve of her court case, Maya met Jacob, and the pair planned to run away if she got off the charges. Luckily, she was found guilty – and sentenced to a year in prison. Also in June……

June was a sad month in the Holby City ED, as long-serving nurse Duffy opted to hang up her uniform. She’d been diagnosed with vascular dementia earlier in the year, but with the help of her husband Charlie, she had vowed to keep working for as long as possible. However, new department boss Ciaran was keen to get rid of her, and she eventually decided to take a step back from her nursing duties. Luckily, she stayed on at the hospital, just in a less demanding role – and it all seemed to be working out fine for Duffy. But things were set to get worse for her in the coming weeks, after clinical lead Connie made a terrible mistake – and let poor Duffy take the fall for it……

EMMERDALE Lydia When the remains of a baby were found at the local school, the village was soon rife with gossip about whose child it could be. The heartbreaking truth was that the little boy belonged to Lydia – aka Jenny Finn – who’d got pregnant as a teenager, and kept it a secret from everyone. When she gave birth, her baby had already died, and she laid him to rest at the school – before fleeing the village and changing her name… HOLLYOAKS Sienna While visiting Maxine’s wedding venue, Sienna was stunned to see young twins who she was convinced were her missing kids, Sophie and Sebastian! She plotted to snatch them back, but their nanny persuaded her that they weren’t hers. However, it was later revealed that they…

“Our dad is in there, you’ve got to go and get him!”VANESSA Tragedy struck the Dales over the summer, when Kerry and Amy managed to accidentally set fire to the factory – killing poor Frank in the process! The village had just played host to a Wild West-themed charity event to make money for the local children’s ward, and the villagers were riding high on the success of the fund-raiser. Little did they know that the jubilant mood was about to change completely. Adding to the tragedy was the fact that the factory fire alarm was faulty, and when it went off by accident, the Sharmas were forced to turn it off completely. The fire would leave the business gutted, and Tracy and Vanessa without their beloved dad… 1 DEBT…

When Seb met nail-bar worker Alina, he thought he’d finally found the woman of his dreams. However, she was desperate to hide their romance from her boss Rachel – and Seb was horrified to discover that Alina was a victim of a modern-day slavery ring! She’d been brought to the UK as part of a people-smuggling racket, and was scared that if anyone found out the truth, Rachel and her husband, Nikolai, would hurt her family back home. With the help of Jan and Eileen, Seb managed to get the crooks banged up – but was forced to say goodbye to Alina as she returned to Romania. Also in August……

Medical drama Casaulty was on fire over the summer – quite literally – after a bomb went off at a local market! Poor Ethan was caught up in the catastrophe when a second blast occured, trapping him under the rubble. Thankfully he made it out alive, but the terrible incident would haunt him… Meanwhile, Connie had got addicted to prescription pills as she struggled to cope with her post-traumatic stress disorder. Disaster struck when she was forced to go to a local pharmacy for drugs, and suspicious Archie followed her – then the pair were caught up in a robbery! Archie was stabbed, but luckily pulled through.…

“Five women I’ve failed – I can’t do this again…”PAUL We love it when old faces return to soap – so when we heard that the Alessi twins were making a comeback to Neighbours, we were beside ourselves with excitement! But it wasn’t just them, all of Paul’s other former wives made an appearance on our screens too, in the lead-up to his wedding to Terese. First, his second wife Gail arrived on Ramsay Street, closely followed by Lyn Scully and Rebecca Napier – and soon Paul began to suspect the former Mrs Robinsons were plotting against him! He and Terese decided to elope to escape his exes – so imagine his shock when he arrived at the hotel, only to be confronted by his other ex-missus, Christina! The whole…

HOLLYOAKS Maxine Maxine had been lying to her loved ones, claiming that she was dying. She actually had Munchausen’s syndrome – a mental illness which meant she couldn’t stop telling fibs! Sienna found out, and urged her pal to come clean. But after her husband Damon was charged with stealing all the money from her charity fund, Maxine was devastated when the truth about her illness was finally revealed. Damon went to prison, and declared their marriage over. CORRIE Asha Since her return from India, teenager Asha had been using skin-lightening cream to alter her appearance. It was causing her terrible pain, but still she continued to use it, and kept it hidden from her family. Her dad Dev went mad when he found out what was going on, and…

“Every single day I have to watch this thing eating away at her, and there is nothing I can do about it”DANIEL We’ve been in absolute bits this year as Sinead and Daniel’s tragic love story has played out. We’d been lulled into a false sense of security, after Sinead was told that she had beaten her cancer, and we thought she had a bright future ahead with Daniel and their baby son, Bertie. However, on Sinead and Daniel’s wedding day, the bride discovered a lump on her neck – and there was no doubt in her mind that her cancer was back. A visit to a specialist confirmed that the cancer had spread, and was terminal. It was a devastating moment for the newlyweds – and as Sinead lived…

Cindy’s plans to take over the village ended in carnage when she started work on her Grand Bazaar without proper planning permission – leading to a crane crashing into the Roman tunnels beneath Hollyoaks! She’d hired cowboy builder Woody to do the work – and when drunk Luke got behind the crane’s controls, all hell broke loose! The vehicle sunk into the fragile ground beneath it, causing maximum damage and putting many lives in danger. Still, Nancy and Darren made the most of their near-death experience while trapped underground – they decided to get passionate! Also in October……

Fans of ‘Vanity’ were left distraught when the pair broke up! Vanessa had been devastated to learn that Charity was up to her old tricks again, and had actually been involved in the casino heist with Mandy and Vinny. She gave her fiancée the chance to come clean, but was left hurt and disappointed when Charity lied through her teeth. Realising that the situation was never going to change, Vanessa ended their relationship. Poor Charity was gutted, as were Emmerdale devotees up and down the country. Could the popular couple reconcile and get their romance back on track?…

“I know that I could pull down your pathetic little life with one phone call…”MEL Mel was a woman on a mission as the year drew to a close, determined to make the Mitchells pay for her son Hunter’s death. After working out that Keanu was the father of Sharon’s baby, she was threatening to tell Phil the truth unless Sharon sorted her out a shedload of cash and a villa in Portugal! Then things got even more tricky when Lisa started asking questions, and the blackmailing came to a head when Sharon and Mel were involved in a high-speed car chase to get to the airport to meet Phil! We already knew the pair would end up in a terrifying crash, thanks to behind-the-scenes pics – but the big…