Table of contents for 50 - 2021 in Inside Soap UK

“A terrifying grande dame of soap” In the quiet before Christmas, we typically find ourselves short on news. So thank you ITV and top writer (and Inside Soap reader) Russell T Davies for announcing Nolly: a drama based on the life of 60s and 70s soap legend Noele Gordon: aka Crossroads’ majestic Meg Mortimer. Now, Noele lives just on the fringes of my memory – watching Crossroads with Mum on sick days from primary school – so younger readers may not know her. She was one of those terrifying grande dames of soap –Birmingham’s answer to Norma Desmond – who’d arrrive at the studio in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce (registration NG 10). To say she was a little bit camp is to say the Atlantic is a little bit damp. Noele…

Despite fans launching a petition to save axed medical drama Holby City, the end is certainly nigh as the cast begin filming for the show’s final episode. Actress Dawn Steele, who plays Ange, took to Instagram to tease her followers with a snapshot of her last script, while BBC chiefs stand by their choice to cull the drama after 22 years. “It was an incredibly difficult decision,” says Piers Wenger, director of the BBC. “We had EastEnders and Holby in the south and Casualty in Wales. We need dramas to reflect life in the north, which is why we’ve chosen to bring back Waterloo Road.”…

DO… have a heart We often forget that Corrie’s Gary Windass is the cold-blooded killer who bumped off Rick Neelan, because most of the time he seems so normal. Both Sarah and Maria know what he’s done, yet are willing to turn a blind eye. And Gary’s trying his best to make up for his crime by looking after Rick’s daughter, Kelly. He’s practically a saint. DON’T… hide the body too close After Dawn and Harriet offed Malone, they thought the Emmerale graveyard was the perfect place to bury the body – after all, what’s one more corpse in a place that’s full of them? But their wrongdoing was almost rumbled when the cop’s shallow grave was exhumed, and Will had to move the body. DO… have an escape plan…

Friends or lovers? When Tiff’s best pal Bernadette fell in love with her, Tiff struggled to figure out how she felt. They shared a kiss, but Tiff also locked lips with Bernie’s brother Keegan, which made life very complicated. In the end, Tiff only wanted friendship with Bernie. All About Evie Tiff became embroiled in a gang where leader Evie had her dealing class-A drugs. When the gang bosses attacked Evie, Tiff tried to save her life. Only intervention from Jack put Evie in witness protection and got the gang off their backs. The cost of beauty Tiff spent hundreds on cosmetic treatments, including dodgy fillers. Not only did she have a bad reaction, but Keegan went mad after finding out she’d rinsed their savings. When Tiff collapsed after…

“We keep pitching an idea for the writers to send us to Benidorm!” chuckles Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson, aka Ste, as he chats to Inside Soap on his way to work early one morning. “I want it to be Ste, Leela, James and Sienna – they’re from completely different backgrounds, but I love those four together. Plus the furthest I’ve ever been to film is Dublin, so I’m like, ‘Come on, please! Take me to Benidorm!’” We can just picture the disgusted look on James and Sienna’s faces when they step off the plane in the Spanish tourist hotspot! It’s been fun to watch the partnership between Ste and Sienna on screen since she signed up to work for his cleaning company – and as we chat with Kieron, it’s…

TELLY! The stars aligned for BBC1’s True Love, which saw characters face love dilemmas in Margate. It featured Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Billie Piper, Line Of Duty’s Vicky McClure and EastEnders’ Lacey Turner. The drama was partly improvised by the actors. FILM! The top film of the week was sci-fi drama Prometheus, a prequel of sorts to classic horror Alien. It also had some connection to classic soaps, with Guy Pearce – always Mike from Neighbours to us – part of the main cast. HITS! The top single was Call My Name from Girls Aloud star Cheryl. Her reign only lasted a week and she was knocked off her perch by Maroon 5’s Payphone. Sounds painful.…

We thought we’d been given an early Christmas treat when these pics of Corrie star Charlie de Melo (Imran) wearing a rainbow kilt popped into Inside Soap’s inbox! The actor was joined by co-stars including Ali Mardell (Emma) and Dolly-Rose Campbell (Gemma) to turn on the Christmas lights in Manchester’s Gay Village – and Charlie certainly embraced the festive spirit in his colourful outfit. We hope he had some thermals on under that kilt – we wouldn’t want him to get frostbite……

ALESHA DIXON “Jeopardy is the best word to describe this show – it’s about taking a chance on yourself,” reckons Alesha. “Walk the line and trust you have the talent to go all the way. There are some super-talented individuals at the heart of this show. Some have been too shy to perform on other talent shows – but Walk The Line’s game show element has enabled them to step out of their comfort zone and go for it!” GARY BARLOW “There’s a fabulous display of diverse musical talent, from opera to pop to folk – you name it,” declares Gary. “I love working with undiscovered talent and I love Simon’s shows. The advice I’d give the acts is that if music is the sole reason for being on the…

We’re more than happy to get on board with Meena’s murderous antics, but there’s just one thing we don’t quite understand – why is she willing to kill to be with men as boring as David and Billy? Meena’s sassy, sexy and switched on. Okay yes, she clearly has a screw loose, but you’d think she’d go for a bloke with a little something about him. How about someone dangerous like Cain? Or someone with a bit of banter, like Mack? It strikes us as odd that, after declaring Rishi was far too boring for Manpreet, Meena would opt for a pair of wet blankets herself. Come on love, if you’re going to risk going to prison for murdering your love rivals, at least make sure the man’s worth it!…

From Walford to The Wall, EastEnders star Danny Dyer – who plays Mick – will host a special festive edition of the hit BBC game show, which will see his Albert Square co-stars Maddy Hill (Nancy) and James Bye (Martin) playing to win big money for charity! Can the duo work together to execute a strategy of general knowledge and downright luck? Or will The Wall play the role of The Grinch, and rob them of the ultimate cash prize? Meanwhile, faces from Weatherfield and Hotten will compete once again in The Big Soap Quiz: Coronation Street V Emmerdale. The villagers have often triumphed over the cobbles folk – but will 2021 see a new team of champions crowned? Finally, not content with entertaining us year after year with the…

Family matters Walford’s Bernie is absent from the Square, yet actress Clair Norris promises she will return. Might Karen’s daughter be back in time to celebrate with the Taylors over the festive period? Home for Christmas! Meanwhile, two faces that we can expect to be back on our screens in the near future are Mercedes and Sylver McQueen! The popular duo will return to the drama in Hollyoaks following their recent getaway to Alicante. Secrets explode! Elsewhere in Chester, look out for new character Honour. Played by Vera Chok, Warren’s prison psychiatrist will coax the bad boy into making a deadly confession……

It’s a busy week for Al, as he takes time off wrecking people’s lives to flirt up a storm with a new love interest. Kerry is very impressed with Al and his charming ways, and she makes sure that he knows it. After living under the control of an evil gang boss for so long, Kerry would likely be unfazed by Al’s dodgy dealings. However, Marlon is horrified to realise that he’s lining up yet another woman after making a play for Chas in recent weeks. It was only a few weeks ago that Al made out that he was still in love with ex-fiancée Priya and willing to fight his own son for her heart. So, as Kerry is lined up as his next conquest, does Al have anything…

Getting dumped by Tiff is the least of Aaron’s worries this week as the pressure ramps up from his far-right ‘friends’. He’s hell-bent on stopping sister Dana from converting to Islam, aware that his fellow extremists would see this as his failure. Aaron turns to dad Harvey to block Dana’s plans, bullying him into quizzing Dana about her real intentions. Harvey is relieved when she admits that it’s not a definite plan, just a possibility for the future, but that’s not good enough for Aaron. Later, Aaron is thrown when he meets up with Neil, a fellow member of his radicalised group, and gets a dressing down. According to his twisted mate, Aaron isn’t doing enough for the ‘cause’, and Neil wants to see some action. Aaron’s already proved he’s…

FAIR CITY Tyler confesses to Ritchie’s murder this week, but how will Lucy react when she discovers what he’s done? Meanwhile, Dearbhla runs into trouble at Hot Pots and vows to find out who posted the fatal fur photo online. Plus, Cristiano wonders if Áine is avoiding him. RIVER CITY Ellie turns to Roisin for support this week, but Roisin urges Caitlin to make amends with her sister before it’s too late… Elsewhere, Scarlett is stunned when Duncan confronts her with a truth. And Lou brings shocking news from Kim’s past! THE ARCHERS Pat and Tony are feeling a little overwhelmed this week, but can Tony sort through the chaff and get to the real heart of the problem? Meanwhile, Will is keen to impress Martyn Gibson on his first…

MEENA’S NEXT VICTIM… Poor Ben was the next Emmerdale resident to be bumped off by Meena! And with Ben’s friends on a mission to uncover the truth, we wonder who is next on Meena’s kill list… It was sad to see Ben meet such an oar-ful end in Emmerdale. And to think he was so close to escaping the village for good. If only he hadn’t tried to clear his name first. Since Ben called Billy with his suspicions, I reckon he’ll be next… Lucille, York Judging by what’s happened with Ben, there’s really no telling who Meena could go after. It seems anyone who’s in the wrong place at the wrong time could end up dead. I don’t even think Meena would be opposed to killing her own family.…

From devoted doggy carer to sassy Street siren, Maria has undergone quite the transformation in two decades – and Samia is the first to giggle with us as we leaf through her Corrie photo album. “It makes me feel really old when I think about it,” confesses the 39-year-old, who joined Corrie when she was just 18. “It’s strange; normally when you have dodgy pictures of yourself you can hide them in a drawer, but I’ve never been able to do that. I think I was described as a female version of Tyrone when I started, so hopefully Maria’s changed a little bit since then! “I think she’s in a good place right now,” adds Samia. “I didn’t think that Maria would have been with as many men and had…

We knew the fallout of Emmerdale’s survival challenge horror would be intense, but for stricken Priya Kotecha, the nightmare never ends. The physical and emotional pain of her injuries, coupled with the return of her eating disorder, means life is almost unbearable for the struggling mum. But this week, things take an even darker turn when Priya accidentally abandons daughter Amba and inadvertently puts her life in danger. We caught up with Dales star Fiona Wade, and asked her what the reaction has been like to Priya’s big story so far. “The viewers feel so sorry for Priya!” says the actress. “I’ve had an amazing reaction, and I’m so thankful to everyone for their support. For the viewers, it’s been good to see another side to Priya. For me, I…

“I’m probably the first person in the country to put my tree up, I get so excited about Christmas!” grins Kieron, when we ask him about the decoration pics we’ve already seen popping up on his Instagram. “I think it confuses the kids though, because they’re like, ‘It’s Christmas now!’ and I have to tell them, ‘No, it’s still weeks and weeks away yet!’ “We have two seasons in our house, it’s either birthday or Christmas,” adds the star, who’s dad to twins Phoebe and Chase. “Every day, I get, ‘Can I put that on my birthday list?’ then once the birthdays are out of the way in May, it’s, ‘Can I put that on my Christmas list?’ I just say yes and hope that they’ll forget most of them,…

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BULLSEYE! Farewell then, Ben Tucker – off to the great kayak shed in the sky. Emmerdale clearly has no intention of eking out Meena’s murder spree as it zooms full-speed ahead. Our only niggle? Her next target has to be MEGA. There’s only so many C-list, second-strand folk she can nobble before this plot becomes as predictable as taking the bins out every other Tuesday. Go big or go home! “It’s time for a new challenge,” declared Aaron, as some bloke who looks just like him choked down fermented catfish. The brightest star in the galaxy has nothing on Corrie hero George. Our hearts are full after watching him with Sam. So, if Maria and Sally are hissing and sniping at each other now… …we look forward to seeing how…

For months we’ve suspected that Curtis is too good to be true, but now viewers know the awful truth! We grabbed Corrie star Sam Retford, who plays Curtis, to find out how he feels about his character’s secret… So Sam, did you know right from the start that Curtis wouldn’t really be dying? I did! I knew from the outset, when I did the screen test for the role with Ali Mardell [Emma]. Gosh, this feels really naughty – I’ve been at so many events over the past few months where people have been trying to get me really drunk, then ask what Curtis is hiding! How difficult has it been for you to keep this secret? It’s been pretty tough. But I’ve had a lot of friends and family…

It looks as though the Barlows and Platts will be spending Christmas Day together as Sarah and Adam try not to offend anyone! Ken is aghast to hear that Adam is planning to have a quiet day at home with his wife instead of spending the festivities with the Barlow clan. Over at the Platts’, Sarah risks a very similar reaction if she ditches mum Gail for the day to have a low-key Christmas. So, in a bid to preserve peace on earth on the day itself, they suggest the two clans unite for a Yuletide extravaganza. Given how many ‘complex’ personalities are in the mix here, it’s going to be fascinating to see if all Platts and Barlows can survive such an occasion. However, as Sarah and Adam try…

There’s another shock in store for Zeedan this week, when his estranged wife Marrium arrives unannounced at Speed Daal! Given all the grief his father-in-law Hashim has caused, the last thing Zee needs is for his wife to stir up more trouble. But what is it that Marrium wants from him? “Relations aren’t exactly great between the spouses,” our Coronation Street spy reminds us. “Zee left Marrium after stealing a whole heap of cash from her family! So he’s not exactly thrilled when she turns up out of the blue.” Zeedan’s in the middle of cleaning up after the fire at Speed Daal when Marrium walks in, and given the devastation her father has caused his family, he’s understandably not in the mood to see her. However, after everything that’s…

Sam and Lydia remain steadfast in their decision to split this week, though it’s clear they still love each other. The pair had a major falling out after Lydia dobbed Liv into the cops, and Sam was furious with his wife for breaking the Dingle code. As a consequence, Lydia moved out of the family home, and in with Marlon and Rhona. Now it’s clear that Lydia has outstayed her welcome, so Marlon and Rhona try to get her and Sam back together so she can move home. Will their plan work?…

Valerie’s hen do has typically disastrous consequences this week, after a game of ‘truth or dare’ turns fractious, and Emma and Zara fall out! Meanwhile, Valerie has arrived at her bash – the night before her sologamy marriage ceremony – with saucy sashes for all, in eager anticipation that her pals will have booked her a stripper for her big night. As Zara stumbles outside following her barney with Emma, Valerie looks set to be disappointed on the stripper front – unless she can persuade the barman to oblige……

Emmerdale’s Angel of Mercy finds her halo a little heavy this week, as Kathy struggles looking after Jack’s family. Not only is doing the boys’ tea every night getting right in the way of her hobbies – mainly hooking up with unsuitable fellas – but it turns out two troubled teenage lads are quite the handful. Kathy’s stressing over Jack’s secret plan to sell the farm, and when Andy stays out all night, with Cain of all people, she’s worried sick. Soon, Robert plays up too, swanning off to hang out with Richie – chief witness for Jack’s prosecution. It all kicks off big time as the boys arrive home to find an estate agent at the farm. Fed up, Kathy pops on her turquoise puffa and declares she’s washing…

GOING GREEN The undercover cop in Hollyoaks was wearing a really cool green jacket – I think it would be a great Xmas present for my son. Where can I get it? Imogen, Bath Undercover policeman and market stall owner Nate wears the ‘ASOS Design oversized polar fleece varsity jacket in deep green’. It’s in the sale online, so grab it now if you want to save some pennies! YOU, AGAIN! Is the ‘Stuart Wolfenden’ who’s playing Chloe’s dad’s lackey Lynden in Emmerdale the same Stuart Wolfenden who was in Corrie many moons ago? Julie, Hastings You are correct! Stuart first appeared in Corrie as a paperboy back in 1986, then took on the role of hot-headed mechanic Mark Casey for two years from 1999. He returned to Weatherfield…

It takes a lot of courage and conviction to walk away from a job you love, so we have nothing but respect for EastEnders favourite Maisie Smith. She’s been playing Tiffany Butcher-Baker since she was just six years old, and the nation watched her grow up on screen. Since she came back as a teen tearaway, there’s been no end of drama for Tiff, but Maisie is keen to explore what other opportunities are out there. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but as she filmed her final scenes, Maisie admits she broke down… “Shona McGarty [Whitney] and I literally cried the whole way through our last scene together!” she shares. “We got so emotional because I’ve known her since I was a baby, and she would carry me around…

Priya is unlikely to have much to smile about this Christmas, but Fiona’s celebrations promise to be better than ever. The Emmerdale star credits her husband, Simon Cotton, for making this time of year extra-special. “My husband changed Christmas for me because he loves it so much!” laughs the star. “He makes decorations from scratch, bakes the oranges and puts them on a string, he’s incredible. He has a big family, and because he’s missed a good three years of being with them on Christmas Day due to work and Covid, there will be a big celebration. They do Christmas in a big way, and his family are majorly into it, so it’ll be fun!”…

Sometimes soaps can be woefully inconsistent – characters go from moral high ground to manky lowlife within weeks, or a bad lad will suddenly turn model family man to fit a producer’s whim. So, thank the lord for Janine Butcher, forever grade-A bitch on the outside, and little girl lost on the inside. Although, that’s not to say she can’t change… It was interesting when Janine, who wrote the book on daddy issues, fell in love with Michael Moon and got pregnant. Would we suddenly see a model wife and mother? Thankfully not. But she did let her guard down… “Janine knows she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body,” laughed Charlie Brooks at the time, before conceding: “She’s been married before, this is different. This is settling down.…

Hollyoaks dance teacher Trish Minniver would be positively green with envy if she could see the glitzy, glamorous, showbiz bash her real-life alter ego Denise Welch put on recently! The Hollywood-style charity ball marked the 20th anniversary of the event, and Denise’s soap pals from both Weatherfield and Chester were out in force to help her raise money for Rochdale’s GEM Appeal. Among the revellers were Denise’s former Corrie co-star Jane Danson (Leanne) and her real-life hubby Robert Beck – who just happened to play Denise’s on-screen squeeze, gangster Fergus, in Hollyoaks. Denise made quite the entrance to the party, flanked by Vegas-style dancers, and being revealed from behind a wall of feathers! Meanwhile, Street star Sue Devaney (Debbie) wowed the revellers with her singing, taking to the stage alongside…

CASUALTY Matthew Afolami..................... Osi Okerafor Sah Brockner....................... Arin Smethurst Faith Cadogan....................... Kirsty Mitchell Iain Dean....................... Michael Stevenson Charlie Fairhead............... Derek Thompson Teddy Gowan............................ Milo Clarke Ethan Hardy..................... George Rainsford David Hide................................. Jason Durr Jan Jenning................................ Di Botcher Dylan Keogh............................ William Beck Marty Kirkby................. Shaheen Jafargholi Rashid ‘Rash’ Masum.............. Neet Mohan Jacob Masters........................ Charles Venn Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Stevie Nash.......................... Elinor Lawless 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 Carla Barlow.............................. Alison King 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 Sam…