Inside Soap UK 44 - 2017

“Mel’s return has had fans in a lather!” Well, they’re certainly having a bit of a shake-up down Walford way. Of course, the big headline of the week is the shock return to the Square of Mel Owen, and the heavyweight plots that will follow her. Tamzin Outhwaite starred in the show during one of its most popular eras, so news of her comeback has had fans in a right old lather. But besides her connections to ex-husband Ian and former flame Phil, what excites me most is that she was pregnant with Steve Owen’s baby when she left Walford. Now, Martin Kemp as Steve has always been my favourite EastEnders bad boy, so the thought of a 15-year-old Steve – or Stevie if Mel had a girl, I’m all…

“James still believes he didn’t do anything wrong – he’s deluded” This is the moment that horrified Kathy comes face to face with her rapist James Willmott-Brown again – almost 30 years after he attacked her. Their showdown has been brewing since Willmott-Brown was unveiled as the puppet master pulling Max Branning’s strings in his bid to destroy Albert Square. But creepy Willmott-Brown still has a few scores to settle before he puts his plan into action – starting with the woman he ignorantly blames for ruining his life… “The scene where they see each other for the first time is really eerie,” shudders actress Gillian Taylforth, who plays Kathy. “All the lights are off in the café as Kathy is closing up, and James comes through the door. She…

While Willmott-Brown seizes the opportunity to visit Kathy, his son Luke continues to woo Ben in his bid to infiltrate the Mitchells. The clan are gathered this week for Louise’s birthday meal, and Phil is sceptical when he hears Ben will be bringing Luke with him. He’s right to be suspicious, as Luke deliberately mentions Kathy in an effort to learn whether she has told Phil about Willmott-Brown’s visit to the café. At this point Phil has no idea, so Luke secretly calls his father and tells him that Kathy hasn’t breathed a word of their encounter. However, when Phil does get wind of it all and heads off to confront Willmott-Brown, how long will it be before he makes the connection between him and Luke? Is Ben’s back-stabbing new…

As Willmott-Brown puts the next phase of his plot into action, his daughter Fi plans to rekindle her romance with Max. The couple fell out after she double-crossed her secret boyfriend and stole confidential council information from Carmel’s house, when Max had refused to do any more of Willmott-Brown’s dirty work. So as Fi comes crawling back this week, has she decided to reject her father, too? Or is she just using her feminine charms in order to get Max back onside? “Some of the performances that Fi has put on so far have been Oscar-worthy, and Max should be wary of her,” warns our Square source. “She clearly wants to impress Willmott-Brown, otherwise she wouldn’t have stabbed Max in the back so callously. “That being said, you do get…

“Mary honestly believes she is doing the right thing reporting Angie” The tensions between Mary and Angie go through the roof this week – when Mary reports her daughter-in-law for drink-driving! The drama unfolds after baby George falls ill and Angie insists on taking him to the hospital. However, Mary is convinced that Angie is an alcoholic and in no fit state to be behind the wheel of a car, so she panics… “Mary is horrified that Angie is prepared to drive when she’s supposedly been drinking,” says star Patti Clare, who plays Mary. “She couldn’t live with herself if there were a crash and anything happened to George, so she honestly believes that she’s doing the right thing by calling the police.” Of course, Mary has her wires crossed…

Mary has been part of the Weatherfield furniture for a decade, so it was about time bosses brought in some relatives for her. “It’s wonderful having her family on the Street,” gushes Patti. “Little Romeo [George] is gorgeous, and we’ve all fallen in love with him. Paddy [Wallace, aka Jude] is wonderful, as is Victoria [Ekanoye], who plays Angie.” But don’t go expecting Mary’s clan to get along as well as the actors who play them… “It’s not all happy endings,” warns Patti. “It’s a bumpy ride with people getting to know themselves – and there are more skeletons to come out of the closet!”…