Inside Soap UK 16 - 2022

“Will we ever know her like again?” One thing June Brown was famous for, and rings out in the praise sung by her colleagues, was the care she took to make Dot feel like a real person. June understood that, after a certain age, people rarely change to any significant degree – one’s weaknesses and portion of happiness are already baked-in – so she would fight any attempt to ‘develop’ Dot. June took this right down to the details of her costume – insisting, for example, that Dot must keep wearing the treasured coat left to her by her friend Angie Watts long after the costume department might have cast it aside. The loss of June makes me ponder if we will ever see her like again. There are powerful…

Phil’s little sister Sam Mitchell breezes back into Walford this week – and immediately starts wreaking havoc! It’s been six years since Sam was last on the Square for her mum Peggy’s funeral, though she’s clearly been in close contact with brother Phil during her time away in Portugal. But while Sharon, Kat, Ben and Billy are keen to know why Sam has made a sudden reappearance, she’s tight-lipped about the reason for her surprise visit… “I don’t want to give too much away, as there’s a lot to look forward to,” teases returning star Kim Medcalf, who last played Sam back in 2005. “But Sam is back on the Square for a reason. Let’s just say she’s got work to do, and being Sam Mitchell, there’s obviously going to…

Ben doesn’t have much time to touch base with his Aunt Sam this week, as he’s too busy trying to cover his tracks after his recent outburst. The mechanic let his temper get the better of him after he was subjected to homophobic abuse by a man called Steve – and lashed out, beating his tormentor to a pulp. But the guilt of what he’s done is weighing heavily on Ben, prompting him to pay a visit to his victim in hospital to check how he’s doing… Lying to Steve’s mum that he’s an old pal, Ben looks on in horror at the devastation he’s caused. He’s totally disgusted with himself, and terrified that he’ll be implicated in the attack if Steve wakes up. So he later seeks out Sharon,…

Summer is thrown into a life-or-death situation this week, as she’s arrested for being drunk when she’s actually in a diabetic coma. The police pick her up after they discover her slumped in Victoria Gardens next to boxes of alcopops and assume she’s hammered. The officers put her in a cell to sleep it off, unaware that diabetic Summer is terribly ill. It’s only when Aadi and Asha alert Craig to the danger that he rushes to save her… “Summer could die if she doesn’t get the treatment she needs,” warns our Corrie insider. “Aadi and Asha are frantic when they find Craig and beg him to go and check on her. When he gets to her cell, Craig finds Summer in a bad way, and he screams for an…

Amid her struggles, there’s some hope on the horizon for Summer, when she meets a lovely new friend at her support group. Billy encourages her to attend a session for people living with diabetes, and Summer reluctantly agrees. And while she might have her doubts about how useful it will be, Summer is pleasantly surprised when she is welcomed by her peers. One guy in particular, called Aaron, befriends Summer and gives her his number so that they can stay in touch. Aaron knows what Summer is going through because he’s also a teenager dealing with Type 1 diabetes and its challenges. That means a lot to Summer, who feels completely alienated from her school friends as they don’t have the condition. Billy is delighted to see her making friends,…

There’s an almighty row between Rhona and Mary this week, when the worried mum suggests that her daughter should consider separating from Marlon. Mary is desperately worried about the impact of Marlon’s condition on Rhona and the kids, and so voices her fears. For Rhona – who is already on the edge – it’s too much, and she blows up, ordering her mother to leave the family home for good. “Mary is worried that if Rhona becomes Marlon’s full-time carer, it will irrevocably alter her life,” shares Louise Jameson, who plays the Dales newbie. “She urges Rhona to take serious stock of her options, and that’s when she has a full-on tantrum. Rhona lashes out because of her own fears, when really I think she knows Mary is talking a…