Inside Soap UK 26 - 2018

“It was the greatest soap moment ever!” I’ll always remember the night Leslie Grantham returned to our screens as Dirty Den, after 14 years away. It was – by sheer luck, not any strategic planning on our part – the same night as the 2003 Inside Soap Awards. The event was well underway and the drink was flowing. When we turned down the music to screen the final minutes of the episode, we thought most people would carry on with their chattering. But it quickly fell silent as the crowd realised what they were seeing. Soon the anticipation was electric. Then, there he was – Den emerged from the shadows, rasping “Ello, Princess” to cheers of pure joy. It just felt like the greatest soap moment ever. It s easy…

Young Jack Webster is rushed to hospital suffering from sepsis this week – and soon he’s in the intensive care unit fighting for his life! The poor lad complains that he’s not feeling well, following a recent fall where he cut himself. But his harassed sister Sophie sends him to school, unaware of how much danger her little brother is in… “It all happens so fast!” wails Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie. “It’s not until they get to the hospital that the doctors mention sepsis – Sophie doesn’t really know what it means, but things are moving quickly, and she’s terrified. She and Kevin are told the next 24 hours will be crucial, and they’re just left clinging to that.” Sophie’s been left in charge of her brother while their…

Sophie may be berating herself over her little sibling’s illness – but as the week draws to a close, it’s the medical centre staff she’s angry with! After Dr Gaddas fails to correctly diagnose Jack, Sophie feels the medic is culpable – and instigates legal proceedings… “It’s actually Rana who ends up in the firing line,” reckons Brooke. “She asks how Jack is and Sophie flies at her! All her emotions come pouring out, and when Rana tries to defend the medical centre, Sophie slaps her. “Her head is all over the place,” she adds. “It then pushes Sophie to see Adam, and seek legal advice about suing the medical centre.”…

Devastated Carmel looks set to miss Shakil’s funeral this week – after trying to cancel the plans made by the rest of the Kazemi family. In utter turmoil, Carmel becomes obsessed with making a success of her youth-club initiative, and refuses Kush’s pleas to help him sort the arrangements for his little brother’s service. So when she later declares that nobody is welcome at the funeral except her, Kush is forced to take a stand. Will Carmel boycott Shakil’s final goodbye? “The Kazemis are in a living nightmare right now, but Carmel’s behaviour is pushing them all to the edge,” shares our Square insider. “Kush has spent weeks being terrified about what she might do to herself, as he can’t seem to reach her. It’s a horrible ordeal for him…

The horror of the stabbing continues to have a big impact on jittery Keegan this week, as his loved ones become concerned about his mental health. The terrified youngster is convinced that he’ll be attacked again, and feels increasingly anxious while he tries to get his life back on track. Having been the victim of such a vicious stabbing, it’s no wonder that Keegan is on edge and finding it hard to control his fear of being jumped by knife-wielding thugs again. The problem is that it’s making him overreact to people surprising him for innocent reasons, such as when Carmel tries to help him this week after hearing he’s in a bad place. Will Keegan face up to his problems and try to find a solution, or will he…

There’s a very special episode of EastEnders this week, centering entirely on Shakil’s funeral. While it’s not that unusual for the soap to focus on a single story or event, for the first time the episode will also include a true-life element, with viewers hearing first-hand accounts from those who have lost someone to knife crime. We spoke to Davood Ghadami, who plays Kush, about the trailblazing instalment… How did you feel when you found out that we’d hear from the loved ones of victims in this episode? My initial thought was that it was a very bold and incredibly brave thing for EastEnders – and especially the contributors – to be doing. I have never heard of anything like this being done before, so I…