Table of contents for 12 - 2021 in Inside Soap UK

Time seems to go quickly in soaps, as I realised this week when we celebrated 20 years of Coronation Street’s Fiz. Actress Jennie McAlpine had plenty to say about her arrival on the cobbles two decades ago, and also spilled the beans on Fiz’s future now that the huge Alina bombshell has blown her life apart. “I enjoy our catch-ups with ex-soap stars…” We take another step back in time this issue, as we enjoy a chat with Tony Discipline and Matt Lapinskas – aka EastEnders’ Tyler and Anthony Moon –who look back on their time on the Square a decade ago. I find these catch-ups fascinating, especially because the stars can now talk about their experience a little more candidly than they could at the time, and also reflect…

“With Faith back in the village and flirting with Pollard, surely now is the perfect time to let jealous Brenda go full-evil? Faith’s on her final warning with the Dingles, so let’s have Brenda secretly plot to scupper her attempts to make amends at every turn. It’d be hilarious, and just the dose of fun the show needs.” …says reader Clare from Herts “There’s one solution to Leanne’s current troubles in Corrie – the return of her stepmum Janice! She’d easily have scared off nasty Harvey, given Simon a talking-to, and had a massive ding-dong in the Rovers with Jenny – all before the first ad break!” ..suggests reader Ffion from Cardiff “Why was Home and Away’s John bothering with dating apps? His perfect lady is right under his nose…

Ed continues to reel this week, from the revelation that he might not be Michael’s biological father. However, a sudden health scare with baby Glory sees the truth outed sooner than expected… The week begins with Ed growing more and more uncomfortable with his brother Ronnie’s continuing presence, particularly as Michael gushes about his uncle’s generous gifts – including the offer of a car! But the situation takes a shock turn once Michael reveals that his newborn daughter is suffering from anaemia, and Ronnie reveals to Ed that he might know why… “Ronnie tells Ed that he’s a carrier of sickle cell disease,” reveals our cobbles spy. “And that could explain why Glory is ill. But of course, if that is the reason, then Michael must be Ronnie’s son and…

Whitney’s newfound happiness with Kush is on shaky ground this week, as jealous Gray ramps up his campaign to wreck their relationship. The envious killer seizes the opportunity to meddle as the new couple get ready to take Kush’s son Arthur on a day trip. The plan was to gently break the news to Arthur about the impending jail sentence that his dad is likely to get for the heist. Yet when Kush bumps into Gray, the sly lawyer advises him it should be a strictly father-and-son conversation, leading Whit to get left behind. “Gray knows that small, subtle efforts to undermine Kush can pay off big time,” shares our Albert Square gossip. “Kush is not a perfect man by any means, and Gray spies plenty of ways to shake…

Dotty figures out a new way to make money this week – by adding extra charges to customers’ tabs at Ruby’s nightclub. She hits on the idea when Tiff accidentally overcharges a punter, only realising once it’s too late, after they have left. Dotty realises that, following a boozy night, many of the club’s customers don’t even look at the charges on their receipts and will just pay up. Adding small tips on each bill without mentioning it will go unnoticed by them, and owner Ruby will just assume they are genuine gratuities. Can the young women get away with her scam?…

Trish is making plans for the upcoming grand opening of her new dance school this week – and it’s clear that she wants all the bells and whistles for her new venture! Sally is dismayed to hear of Trish’s plans for her school sports hall, but it’s full-steam ahead with the preparations. Meanwhile, teenager Leah is keen to sign up for the lessons, but there’s no way father Ste can afford to send her there. Can the cash-strapped dad strike a deal with Trish, and ensure that Leah’s dance dreams come true?…

Corrie underwent a revolution between 1997 and 1998. Much has been written about the behind-the-scenes drama, as a new producer swept his new broom right up that dusty old Street, determined to lure back audiences who’d abandoned the Rovers for the Queen Vic. But while we all know about this controversial period in the soap’s history – when viewers lapped up Kev falling under the spell of Natalie’s welcoming lips, but loathed the loud-mouth Battersbys, etc – there is one reimagining which isn’t talked about nearly enough: the transformation of Emily Bishop from community coffee morning monitor, to radical sexagenarian eco-warrior. Swept out of the dustiest of character corners by the new regime, Emily was polished up with the arrival of nephew Spider. Soon, Aunt Emily was grabbing Spider’s didgeridoo…

PETITE CHIC I really love the camel jacket Manpreet’s been wearing in Emmerdale, and I’m short like her. Where can I get one from? Terri Manpreet is petite, and we’ve found a few jackets that might work. There’s the ‘Petite Belted Camel Coat’ from New Look, the ‘Single Breasted Coatigan’ in caramel from M&S, and the ‘Petite Wool Look Coat’ in beige from Boohoo.com. WEDDING BLUNDERS… In Neighbours recently, Melanie Pearson reminded Paul of the time that she ended up on his honeymoon! What on earth happened there? Sandra, Kent Back in 1991, Paul and Christina decided to get married on a cruise ship. After all the guests left, Paul and Christina went to their cabin, when Melanie stumbled out of the bathroom after passing out from sea-sickness. Paul was…

Cousins of Alfie Moon, brothers Tyler and Anthony set hearts racing when they pitched up in Walford in 2011, having been introduced with the typical fanfare that you would expect for a new Walford duo. Just a couple of years later, however, a change in producer resulted in stars Tony Discipline and Matt Lapinskas, who played the lads respectively, waving goodbye to the Square – with Tony going on to join the fire brigade, and Matt taking on building work between acting gigs. So, what happens when you suddenly jump off the treadmill of a fast-moving soap and step out of the limelight? The boys – who are set to feature on podcast Soap From The Box, spilling more secrets from their time on the Square – join us to…

On stage it would be Macbeth. I really like Shakespeare, and that’s one of my favourites. And on screen, literally anyone in a Bond film! The man himself would be great, or the villain, Q, M, Moneypenny – just anyone. That’s the only film franchise that I’m really into. Every week, we put your questions to a star of the soaps. Look out for requests on our Facebook page, or email your questions to youask@insidesoap.co.uk, putting the actor’s name in the subject line. Our favourite question each week will win a £20 prize!…

With the current situation taking its toll on us all, we’ve been trying to put our best foot forward in life. But judging by this picture, Corrie star Ali Mardell (Emma) has gone a bit further than that! The actress struck this rather impressive pose after preparing herself a glamorous night of cocktails and sushi – and with chopsticks in hand, she was ready to go. Why not, eh? We all ought to treat ourselves at the moment……

CASUALTY Connie Beauchamp.......... Amanda Mealing Faith Cadogan...................... Kirsty Mitchell Leon Cook....................... Bobby Lockwood Charlie Fairhead.............. Derek Thompson Ethan Hardy.................... George Rainsford David Hide................................ Jason Durr Jan Jenning............................... Di Botcher Dylan Keogh.......................... William Beck Fenisha Khatri........................ Olivia D’Lima Marty Kirkby................ Shaheen Jafargholi Jade Lovall.......................... Gabriella Leon Lev Malinovsky........................... Uriel Emil Rashid ‘Rash’ Masum............. Neet Mohan Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson CORONATION STREET Aadi Alahan......................... Adam Hussain Asha Alahan......................... Tanisha Gorey Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Aggie Bailey......................... Lorna Laidlaw Edison Bailey......... Trevor Michael Georges James Bailey..................... Nathan Graham Michael Bailey....................... Ryan Russell Ronnie Bailey........................ Vinta Morgan Adam Barlow................. Samuel Robertson Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Sarah Barlow........................... Tina O’Brien Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Leanne Battersby................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby.................... Georgia Taylor Emma Brooker............... Alexandra Mardell Chesney…

BULLSEYE! Corrie kept us hanging on through an excruciating four episodes and 23 minutes before Will Mellor – aka drugs boss Harvey – was let loose, and he was well worth the wait. In fact, Will’s such a perfect fit for the part that we’ve already come up with a story so he’ll stick around permanently: Leanne falls for her son’s drug dealer boss – and Harvey’s redemption plays out faster than you can say Gary Windass. Simples! The way that Nick and Carla interact with one another these days is so sublimely casual that it’s easy to forget they once got married, before he slut-shamed her into leaving Weatherfield. Breezy! Janet was a welcome ray of sunshine in what was an otherwise slightly overcast week in Walford. She perks…

Natasha makes a move on Nick this week, after he mistakenly believes that Leanne is cheating on him. Nick goes to Leanne’s flat, and realises that she’s hiding a man in her bedroom – having no idea that Leanne’s become involved with drug lord Harvey. After everything the estranged couple have been through together, Nick is destroyed when he thinks he’s lost Leanne to another man. Toyah also believes that Leanne’s cheating, having seen her sister sloping off with Harvey. Unable to reveal the sickening truth, Leanne can’t correct them. Nick returns home to the flat he’s sharing with his son Sam and Natasha, where his former girlfriend reveals that she still has feelings for him. As Leanne watches Nick, Natasha and son Sam looking like the perfect family, has…

Corrie will put cobbles stalwart Rita front and centre of a huge new plot to air later this year, as her estranged foster daughter Sharon Bentley returns – and ignites a fierce new rivalry with Jenny! The Rovers landlady is set to come out fighting in her stepmother’s defence when Sharon re-enters Rita’s life 22 years after they parted on bad terms – and turns it upside down once again… “Sharon returns across some badly burned bridges to reconnect with Rita, but her presence becomes destabilising and dangerous, in ways I hope viewers won’t see coming,” teases Street boss Iain MacLeod. “The question is: what has Sharon’s life become since she was last on the Street? The answer to that will drive a massive story for us, which runs into…

Grieving Ruby and Martin are devastated this week, when the doctor informs them that Ruby might struggle to have a child in the future. Following her miscarriage, Ruby wants to know if she can still have kids, and so she and Martin visit the medical practice to learn more. It’s a cruel blow as Ruby is told she might have endometriosis, a condition that affects her fertility. Having gone through the terrible trauma of losing her longed-for baby, Ruby is already in a fragile state and hanging on by a thread. So, to hear that she and Martin might never be able to have a child together completely floors them both. Although Martin tries to support his heartbroken wife, Ruby is understandably inconsolable. What will the news mean for the…

Mack and Aaron’s war may be just beginning, but Lawrence Robb and Danny Miller are already firm friends in real life, following Lawrence’s arrival on the show last year. The co-stars posted on Twitter, revealing the fun that they’ve been having filming together. According to Danny, Mack has already become one of the show’s best pranksters – a title which Lawrence seems to be delighted with! “Working with @lawrencejarobb again today! One of my favourite windup merchants in the cast: Mackenzie, not Lawrence. But I do like Aaron and Mackenzie’s love-hate relationship!” wrote Danny, before cheekily adding, “And Lawrence is all right as well.” “What a laugh we had!” replied Lawrence to Danny’s tweet.…

Kim limbers up for the mother of all fights this week, as the divorce proceedings between Jamie and Andrea heat up! Given how acrimonious the couple’s split was, it was always clear that Andrea wasn’t going to settle for walking away from Jamie empty handed. After all, he was the one who ended their marriage by cheating on her with Belle… Yet when Andrea states she wants Dale View Cottage in the divorce settlement, in order to provide security for her daughter Millie’s future, Kim’s outraged – and vows Andrea won’t get her hands on anything from the Tate property portfolio However, with a child to support, Andrea is entitled to her fair share – so is this a battle that Kim simply cannot win?…

FAIR CITY • Mairead fears Damien is having second thoughts about the wedding this week, and suggests couples’ counselling to get them back on track. Meanwhile, Seán warns Vinny she’s on a trial run as a tenant! And Juliet is shocked by Amy’s revelation… RIVER CITY • Rebecca and Angus plan to spend a rare day off together this week, but Angus has plans to spend time with Kim instead! Elsewhere, Lenny learns that Rory has deteriorated and may need a transplant… Plus, vengeful Cameron has Eve firmly in his sights. THE ARCHERS • Susan enlists the help of Shula in order to prove herself to Lynda this week – and later on, Susan hatches a master plan to achieve her goals. Meanwhile, reality sets in for Chris and Alice…

“There has been a lot of body-double kissing in the soaps during the pandemic, so I keep offering my services to Coronation Street,” reveals incoming Hollyoaks star Robert Beck, whose real-life wife Jane Danson plays the cobbles’ Leanne. “They’re not interested, though, as I’m too bald to play Nick Tilsley! And Leanne might not be in the right headspace for romance right now, but I’ve told them that I’m here if they need me.” However, Robert might not have the time to drop into Weatherfield anytime soon, as he’s busy with his new role as Hollyoaks baddie Fergus. The job takes the actor back to Liverpool, where he first started his soap career in 1991, playing Peter Harrison in Brookside. Since then, he’s enjoyed short stints in both Corrie and…

“I’d definitely like to do a duet with Bradley!” laughs Isobel. “We’ve actually talked about recording one as soon as we can. Bradley and I get on so well, and I love singing with him, so we do that anyway. We have a really similar taste in music, and I think we’d probably do an older song – anything you hear on Smooth Radio! Or maybe a newer one, but strip it down and change it a bit to make it sound fresh. I don’t think we’ll ever bring it into Emmerdale, though. I know Bradley has done some singing on the show, but I think Liv would just be too embarrassed – she would never do it!”…

It’s fair to say that Suki Panesar hasn’t exactly made a lot of friends in Walford! Since arriving on the Square just over a year ago, she’s made it clear that she’s not to be crossed – just ask her son Jags what happens if you get on the wrong side of Suki! Yet there’s a sense that all the hardships life has thrown at her have made her this way, and she’s just doing whatever it takes to keep her family safe. Balvinder Sopal, who plays the Machiavellian mum, agrees… “Suki doesn’t believe in relying on the wider community” “Part of her does enjoy being bad, but there’s also a part of her that’s had to do it,” she considers. “Suki’s just trying to provide for her family, and…

Family! Along with cousin Alfie, dad Eddie, and their creepy brother, Michael, cheeky chaps Tyler and Anthony symbolised the dawn of a new era for the Moon clan… Fights! After Michael manipulated his brother into taking part in an unlicensed boxing match, Tyler faced the fight of his life when he had a seizure in the ring! Fires! The Moons’ business went up in smoke after Lola set fire to their antiques’ emporium, in retaliation for Anthony and Tyler giving her grandad Billy a hard time! Females! While Tyler fell for Whit, Anthony made moves on Poppy Meadow, Jodie Gold, Alice Branning and Amira Shah. In real life, Tony dated Jacqueline Jossa (Lauren), and Matt romanced Shona McGarty (Whitney)!…

Anyone who follows Vicky on social media may have seen her hilarious posts featuring behind-the-scenes silliness on the Line Of Duty set – often involving ‘persuading’ her co-stars to get on down, TikTok-style… “Vicky ambushes you into these things – you’ll be sitting in a room, and she’ll go, ‘Right, we’ve all got to dance!’. Next thing you know, a million people have watched it!’” laughs Adrian. “But I don’t mind.” “I just wanted to make people smile!” insists Vicky. “As a country, we’ve been going through a rough time, so it’s a worthy cause. We also made up an AC-12 Christmas song – but Steve and Adrian took it way more seriously than I did! Perhaps we should release it this December…”…

DIGITAL THE KID DETECTIVE Once-celebrated child detective Abe, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. That is until naive client Caroline brings him his first adult case – to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend. A thrilling mystery drama starring Adam Brody and Sophie Nélisse. DVD MARCELLA – SERIES 3 Marcella goes deep undercover in Belfast, and adopts a whole new identity as well as a snappy new haircut. However, don’t be fooled – Marcella may have gone blonde, but this series is as dark as ever! Starring ex-EastEnders actor Ray Panthaki (aka Ronny Ferreira). BOOK THE PAPER MILL GIRL by Glenda Young Ruth works long hours at a paper works with her sister Bea – and once Bea reveals that…

“Well, golden rule in retirement: Never do more than one thing in any given day. Ration the excitement. I’ve just been to the library and the chemist – and I suspect tomorrow might be rather boring.” As ‘tomorrow’ was a Tuesday and there would be no Corrie on, we tend to agree, Kenneth. “Jamie forcing me to participate in the mum’s race at school sports day, that was a particularly low point. I had six-inch heels on – but as I told him later, after walking over the finish line last, it’s the taking part that counts.” But we bet we know who the dads raced to afterwards. “How many people are you hoping to feed with this takeaway?” “Nobody gets on with Nicola. Between you and me, my kids…

Jimmy and Nicola clash this week, after reading scathing online reviews of the haulage firm – but things look set to get worse… Tensions between Jimmy and Nicola are already high as they continue to look into how to stop Juliette on her mission to get custody of Carl. So once Jimmy reads some damaging anonymous reviews about his haulage company, he and Nic soon end up at loggerheads! “It’s a tough situation for them both,” sighs our Dales sneak. “Obviously the reviews from the online troll are tough to read and, in the long run, they could affect Jimmy’s livelihood. Plus, things remain tense between the pair since Nicola made the error of going behind Jimmy’s back to meet Juliette.” Meanwhile, as Jimmy and Nicola clash, Juliette’s PI is…

Former Corrie star Wendi Peters (Cilla Battersby-Brown) makes a guest appearance this week, as Emma and Zara launch a support group for women going through the menopause. Wendi plays Nicky Connelly, who joins The Mill session along with fellow participants Dr Sadiqa Anwar and Esther Waterman. But when Sadiqa starts making notes –claiming they’re for a research study – Emma’s unhappy that she’d not announced her work beforehand… The ladies agree to let Sadiqa to remain in the meeting – but when her husband calls, it transpires that she’s lied to him about where she is by claiming she’s at a uni seminar. So when Sadiqa flees the session after becoming upset, Zara is quick to run after her to make sure she’s okay. What could have prompted Sadiqa’s distress?…

Laurel is making her family situation in Emmerdale even more complicated. It’s a huge thing to suggest to a young woman who isn’t actually your daughter that you will raise their child as your own. And to make matters worse, she hasn’t even spoken to Jai! Anna, Filton I really feel for Gabby. An unexpected pregnancy can be scary for any woman, and Gabby is so young. Plus, she doesn’t really have anyone to turn to, with her mum being abroad and the father of her child not exactly being supportive. Talia, Essex What kind of man manipulates a young girl into terminating her pregnancy? Jamie Tate, obviously! The way he treats women is just awful – I’m not sure what Gabby saw in him in the first place. Dawn…

For the past decade-and-a-half, Rob’s biggest role has been ‘Dad’, staying at home and bringing up his sons while wife Jane has been working at Corrie. And he admits that taking on a full-time job himself has been difficult… “This is the first time we’ve both gone to work – that’s been tricky,” shares Rob. “I’ve been with the kids since they were born, so leaving them was tough. But they’ve been fine, they don’t need me anyway.” The couple’s sons Harry and Sam are both now in high school, yet Rob doesn’t imagine they’ll be tuning in to watch him in Hollyoaks! “They may watch my first scene and say, ‘Well done’, then they’ll be done,” he reckons. “They’re not bothered. I’ve tried to show them things I’ve done…

“To be honest, I found it very shocking,” says Balvinder, when we ask her what her reaction was to Suki sleeping with Peter. “I didn’t think that would happen in a Punjabi household. But just because we don’t hear of it, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. We’re exploring a woman that we have never before explored from an Asian perspective on EastEnders, and Suki doesn’t give a damn about who she tramples over! “I didn’t watch it with my folks, because there are just some things that you can’t watch in front of them,” she adds. “But my mum loved it! She said to me, ‘I think Suki Panesar was really powerful’. I wasn’t expecting that – but if we don’t push the boundaries of Suki, we’ll never see…

EastEnders legend Ben Champniss (Shrimpy) had a great anniversary present recently – the news that he and wife Georgie are expecting their first child together later this year! “Georgie and I are delighted to announce that we’re having a baby,” Ben proudly posted on social media. “We couldn’t have wished for a better way to celebrate 10 years of being together and three years married. We can’t wait to meet you, baby boy!” With EastEnders co-stars, including Lacey Turner (Stacey) and fellow Walford market trader James Bye (Martin), having added to their families in recent years, Ben’s obviously gathered some tips. “Now to get as much sleep as we can!” he joked.…

1 Flower by Kenzo Eau de Vie Eau de Parfum Fall in love at first scent with this zesty ginger and orange blossom fragranced perfume. 2 Floral Street Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum Featuring Balinese coconut blended with jasmine petals, this sunny scent will awaken your senses. 3 Marc Jacobs Daisy Spring Eau de Toilette Capture the essence of the season with a burst of pink rose buds and rosewood blossom. 4 Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Garden Eau de Parfum Transport yourself to a blooming garden with this fresh scent of frangipani and vanilla.…

Superintendent Ted Hastings “Things have moved in all kinds of directions, and the past is crucial,” teases Adrian. “For those who’ve stuck with it from the get-go, there’ll be a lot of pay-offs!” DI Kate Fleming “Kate remains dedicated to the job, but still has a tricky personal life,” reveals Vicky. “We’re 18 months on from series five, and still facing the consequences of all that went on…” DS Steve Arnott “The relationship between Kate, Ted and Steve is strained,” shares Martin. “Plus, Steve has issues with painkillers because of problems with his back…” DCI Joanne Davidson “Joanne is enigmatic, and people don’t know whether they can trust her or not,” admits Kelly. “It was really nerve-wracking to become part of such a well-loved show, but it’s very exciting!” DC…

With Kate Garraway’s husband Derek hospitalised after contracting Covid-19 last March – and still fighting his illness under constant care – the presenter shares the challenges of this past year in an emotional documentary. “Derek is the sickest person that the doctors in the lung hospital have treated who has lived,” explains Kate. “His kidneys have failed, his liver’s failed, and his heart is being supported with medicine.” Kate’s strength as she and kids Darcey and Billy adjust is inspirational – something her GMB co-host Ben Shephard attested to when she returned to work last August… “If Kate’s voice can represent some of those families who can’t be heard like she can, hopefully that will make a huge difference,” shares Ben in the film, in which Kate also meets Covid…

EMMERDALE Wedding daze! Wedding bells ring out in the village next week – but as Mandy finishes the final preparations, little does she know what’s in store. Okay, although Mandy is aware that Paul’s not exactly the man of her dreams, she doesn’t realise that he’s very quickly becoming the man of her nightmares! His sins are catching up with him, but Paul is determined to get to the altar – and he won’t let anything, or anyone, stop him… EASTENDERS Looking to the future! Sharon realises that she needs a change in her life next week, and is intrigued by a new opportunity. However, is it related to business or pleasure? Or could it be both? CORRIE Love pains! With their romance fizzling out as quickly as it began,…