Inside Soap UK 9 - 2022

“Like a stress toy you can squish to nothing” Corrie’s Abi Webster – whose tumultuous life we chart on p10 – is a pedigree example of a special breed of soap character: the woman at which you can throw absolutely anything, yet still comes out fighting… eventually. The soaps can play any kind of tragic plot with the likes of Abi – or Emmerdale’s Charity or EastEnders’ Sharon – and somehow they return stronger than ever; like one of those stress toys you can squish to nothing, but still pops back with a patient smile on its face. Soap writers love to torture these women, and the actresses always rise to the opportunity, which is why they’re often poached by the big telly dramas. (Something I hope doesn’t happen to…

Mick and Shirley’s worst nightmare comes true this week – when the police arrive with the devastating news that they’ve found Tina’s body. Ever since Tina went missing, the heartbroken Carters have been hoping that she would walk back through the Vic doors larger than life and twice as kooky. But detectives crush their hopes when they reveal that Tina’s remains were discovered hidden at the Argee Bhajee, and a murder case has been opened… So, with Gray the last person to claim that he saw her alive, will the Carters connect the dots and realise that he was responsible for her grisly death? “This tragic news rips the Carters’ world apart – they are consumed with grief,” reveals our Square insider. “They truly believed that Tina was on the…

Linda moves to officially end her marriage to Mick this week, when she serves him with divorce papers. Although he’s accepted that it’s over, heartbroken Mick is stung when the official paperwork arrives. Instead of talking about it, though, Mick throws himself into last-minute training for the charity boxing match he’ll be fighting, scaring his loved ones. Neither Shirley nor Janine think it’s a good idea, and they’re worried sick that Mick will get battered. So, they both try to find ways to put a stop to it… “Mick is going head-to-head with a real bruiser – and it ain’t looking good for him,” says our sneak. “Shirley is so desperate to put an end to it that she even tries to flirt his opponent into submission. When that doesn’t…

Vicar Charles bears witness to a shocking confession this week – as Meena fills him in on all the grisly details of Andrea’s murder! With Meena’s plea hearing coming up, Charles hopes to get her to admit to killing Andrea so that she’ll finally face punishment for her crimes. However, Charles is in no way prepared for the blood-thirsty admission he’s about to hear. Kevin Mathurin, who plays the village vicar, tells us that his character is struggling to keep the faith… How does Charles plan to get Meena to confess? Meena actually contacts Charles, saying that she wants to be forgiven for her sins. Whether Charles believes that or not, he sees this as an opportunity to get the truth – because at the moment, she’s only been charged…

Facing off with Meena may be a traumatic ordeal for Charles, but Kevin tells us that his co-star Paige Sandhu was the perfect sparring partner for these scenes… “We were totally channelling Silence Of The Lambs – with me being Jodie Foster’s character, obviously!” chuckles the actor. “Right from reading the script, I couldn’t wait to film this. And it went better than expected, because Paige was just brilliant. “I love what Paige has done with Meena anyway, and these scenes just made me want to match her,” adds Kevin. “I’m really happy with what we’ve done, and I’m looking forward to the fans seeing it now. I’ve read ahead on what’s coming up – and it’s very exciting!”…

Guilt-riddled Abi sets off on a path of self-destruction this week – and threatens to ruin Toyah and Imran’s engagement celebration! The recovering addict is in the depths of despair, having been ditched by hubby Kevin after he discovered that she cheated on him. She’s lied to Kev that she slept with her ex, Tez – but as her life falls apart, will Abi be tempted to drop love rat Imran right in it? “Abi’s been to some dark places in her life; but right now, she’s at rock bottom,” reveals our Coronation Street insider. “She’s lost everything – Seb, Kevin, Jack, and it looks as though she’s about to lose her job and her home, too. Meanwhile, Imran seems to be getting away with their dalliance scot-free – it…