Inside Soap UK 09 - 2021

“Kat and Phil’s bunk-up has had a big reaction!” It’s great when a genuine soap surprise gets people talking. And for once, I don’t mean that gasp when a ‘whodunnit?’ culprit is revealed, or the explosive reaction to a huge plot twist that changes lives forever. No, this time, I’m taking about one simple scene, where a woman stepped out of a car, and exchanged some saucy banter with a smiling fella. Yep, Kat and Phil’s bunk-up in EastEnders has been one of soap’s most fun shocks in yonks. There’s something about the fact they’re characters we’ve known for years that makes it so watchable – especially when played by masters of their craft Jessie Wallace and Steve McFadden. We’ve had a big a reaction to the pairing (see p38),…

This is the moment that poor Yasmeen suffers a terrifying panic attack, as Geoff’s hideous abuse returns to haunt her again this week – and looks  set to end her life as she knows it! Tim’s father is most certainly dead, but the torture he inflicted on his broken wife is far from buried, as the reading of his will throws up a cruel twist – and serves to bring back painful memories of which Yasmeen may never be free… “Geoff falling to his death was never going to be the end of Yasmeen’s nightmare,” explains our cobbles insider. “Sadly, it can take years for people in her situation to recover, and while a huge amount of strength is required for Yasmeen to slowly rebuild her life, all it takes…

The support Yasmeen has from both Alya and Elaine is going to play an on-going role in her recovery, despite the issues thrown up by current filming rules. Had it not been for social distancing, we would have witnessed Alya physically comforting her gran in the wake of Geoff’s abuse – and that’s been a tough ask for the actors who want to do Yasmeen’s story justice. “That has been hard,” sighs actress Sair Khan, who plays Alya. “We’ve had some important scenes where Yasmeen and Alya have needed to be close, such as these moments where Yasmeen has broken down, and the normal thing to do would be to hold her. But what can we do except get on with it – and learn some new skills along the…

Tensions flare this week, in the wake of Ruby’s devastating accident – leading furious Martin to lash out at Stacey and Kush! Pregnant Ruby was left fearing for the safety of her baby last week, after a row with Stacey led to her falling down the stairs. But when she drops another bombshell on hubby Martin, he sees red – and ends up hitting Kush! “Ruby reveals to Martin that Stacey and Kush thought she was faking her pregnancy,” explains our Albert Square insider. “Then she goes on to tell him that they locked her in the office at the club, and forced her to do a pregnancy test to prove that she wasn’t lying! It sounds damning, and Martin is raging.” Of course, Ruby fails to mention to Martin…

It makes Inside Soap very sad to see Ruby and Stacey at loggerheads over a man after years of being each other’s biggest cheer squad. And we’re not the only ones – Louisa Lytton (Ruby) tells us that she’s also hoping the pair can patch things up… “I’d love to see them come together, and almost turn on Martin!” she grins. “I hate that there are these battles between women for the man, and I think it should turn on Martin at some point. Deep down, Ruby loves Stacey, she’s her only friend, so I hope they can get back to some sort of friendship. “On a personal note, Lacey [Turner, aka Stacey] and I are such good friends,” adds Louisa. “We work well together, and it’s been fun to…

There’s an accident at the HOP this week, which leaves Al fighting for his life –and it’s all Charity’s fault! “It could be a race against time to save Al’s life…” Desperate to find a way back into her family’s good graces, Charity comes up with a plan to steal client information from Kim Tate’s enterprise and hand it over to Chas. The valuable intel could be a goldmine for the struggling Woolpack, and Charity hopes that Chas will be impressed. However, when she breaks in to steal the details, she’s caught red-handed by Al. “Of all the people to stop Charity in her tracks, it had to be Al – the man she hates,” explains our Emmerdale insider. “As far as she’s concerned, he has wrecked her life and…