Inside Soap UK 29 - 2021

“Her Maj had a grand day out at Corrie…” It must be a funny old life being the Queen. One day you’re opening a hospital or knighting a couple of worthy subjects, the next you’re sharing a gossip with Ken and Rita outside the Rovers Return in Weatherfield. Her Maj certainly had a grand day out at Corrie – it’s just a shame the show couldn’t persuade her to do a little cameo spot, like her son Charles did back for the Street’s 40th birthday. Following the Queen’s acting debut with James Bond star Daniel Craig at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, she might have got a taste for it! Maybe Kirk could have bumped into her out on his deliveries, but of course nobody believes him! Or she could…

An eerie silence falls over the village this week, as the locals reel from Leanna’s sudden death. While her devastated father, Liam, is urged to accept that his daughter’s fall from the humpback bridge was a terrible and tragic accident, viewers know that poor Leanna was pushed to her doom by mad Meena! And as the psycho nurse works to cover her tracks – while shamelessly ‘helping’ Liam to work through his grief – horrified Leyla is disturbed by what happens next. Is Meena close to being found out? “The aftermath of Leanna’s death is a total inconvenience for Meena,” splutters our Dales insider. “She has zero remorse and just expects life to carry on as it was. But the ripple effect of Meena’s actions start to interfere with her…

Hi, Mimi! What a way to go! How did you react when you discovered Leanna’s fate? I knew last year that Leanna would meet an untimely death, but I didn’t know any details until just before the scripts were published. I had decided to leave Emmerdale, and was looking forward to hearing how the writers were going to engineer my exit. I have to say I was shocked, but so excited! What was it like filming the bridge scenes with Paige Sandhu, who plays Meena? It was dramatic. Paige is great at playing a psycho – it was quite scary! I also enjoyed my scenes with Jonny McPherson [Liam]. There were lots of tears, but I loved the challenge. Although, falling 40ft from a bridge was going to be too…

Now here’s a sight you don’t see every day – Street staples Dev and Kev channelling their inner next top model! They’ve both been signed up by Curtis for his charity calendar, which aims to raise the final £4,000 that Steve needs to take his late son Oliver’s fund up to £100,000. However, stripping for the camera isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so how will the fellas fare when the time comes to take their clothes off? “It’s the moment of truth, and the models are either going to rise to the challenge – or wither under the pressure!” exclaims our Corrie insider. “Brian’s been tasked with snapping the money shots, yet once he sets up at the garage for Kevin’s moment in the spotlight, things don’t go to plan…”…

It becomes clear this week that Emma’s new boyfriend Curtis isn’t the guy she thinks he is – as he’s been hiding a massive secret from her! The drama kicks off after Curtis fibs to Emma that he has a dentist appointment, but Steve later catches him looking cosy in the Bistro with an attractive woman! “It looks as if Curtis has been stringing along Emma, while seeing someone else!” gasps our Street spy. “The fact that Curtis has been lying to his girlfriend is a red flag for Steve, and he’s keen to keep Emma from ending up heartbroken. However, there’s more to this story than first meets the eye…” After Steve lays into Curtis and berates him for cheating, the student feels he has no choice but to…

Chaos erupts at the Butcher-Baker house this week, when Keegan thinks sister Bernie’s pregnancy test belongs to his wife Tiff! The misunderstanding takes hold as Tiff tries to support troubled Bernie in her secret surrogacy plan, worried about her best friend’s state of mind. Despite having undergone artificial insemination, surrogate Bernie is still demanding diet pills from Tiff, who is worried they could harm her and her baby if she’s pregnant. So, when Tiff insists that Bernie does a pregnancy test to determine if the procedure was successful, the girls inadvertently spark off a runaway train of events… “Bernie is in way over her head, and Tiff is worried for her…” “Bernie is in way over her head, and Tiff is really worried for her,” warns our Walford insider. “It’s…