Inside Soap UK 28 - 2018

“I find the soap theme tunes very comforting!” You know what? For all the fact that the theme tunes of our favourite soaps are there to herald the drama and excitement of the latest episode, I always find them rather comforting. I suppose it’s because these familiar melodies tell your brain that it’s time to forget your own worries for half an hour and lose yourself in someone else’s problems instead. This is quite surprising, considering that one of the most famous – the EastEnders theme – kicks in with a drum beat that’s more likely to make you jump out of your skin than relax into your sofa, if it catches you unexpectedly! We catch up with the man who wrote that famous theme some 30-odd years ago, composer…

Johnny is a desperate man this week, after mediation talks concerning custody of his granddaughter Susie descend into chaos. Convinced that he’s lost all hope of bringing up Aidan’s little girl, Johnny hits rock bottom – and concocts a reckless plan… Kidnapping Susie from the Rovers, he hides out with her in a hotel room while all hell breaks loose back home. Knowing he can’t take care of Susie alone, Johnny calls on close friend Liz, who rushes to be by his side. But as he reveals that he plans on fleeing to Spain with his granddaughter and wants Liz to join them, will she go with him – or force him to see sense? “Johnny’s not thinking straight at all,” admits Beverley Callard, who plays Liz. “He’s stolen the…

While Liz battles her feelings for Johnny, it won’t be long before her jailbird ex Jim reappears on the cobbles. And with a high-voltage storyline planned to mark his return, Johnny’s problems will likely end up the least of Liz’s worries! Jim has been languishing behind bars since robbing a building society in 2011, in a foolish plot to help Liz buy the Rovers. In 2014, Liz and their son Steve cut all ties with Jim, after finding out he’d been blackmailing inmate Peter Barlow in a bid to persuade his family to visit him. But actress Beverley can’t wait to have her former co-star Charles Lawson, aka Jim, back on set. “I’m so excited about working with Charlie again!” she beams. “Liz and Jim have such a complex relationship,…

Lachlan has murder on his mind yet again this week. But as he sets his killer sights on Liv, Robert and Rebecca, who will be breathing their last? Driven to distraction by the anonymous texts that he’s been receiving, courtesy of a mystery stalker claiming to know all of his deadly secrets, Lachlan is a desperate man. So when he reckons he’s worked out that Liv is to blame for the messages, he wastes no time in taking action... “Lachlan is a total wreck at the moment – he’s lost control completely,” admits Thomas Atkinson, who plays the killer. “The texts he’s been getting are playing with his head, and he doesn’t know what’s going on. So when he suspects that Liv has been sending the messages, she has to…

How are you finding playing a serial killer? Fantastic! It’s been great. It’s not something you get to play very often – and in a way I hope it’s not the last time, because it’s been a lot of fun trying to cover up all these crimes. The scripts have been absolutely brilliant, so I’ve really enjoyed it. What reaction have you had from viewers? There’s been hate, mostly! But that doesn’t surprise me, because I’d hate my character if I was a viewer. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as every show needs a villain, doesn’t it? It doesn’t bother me if people don’t like me. Are you looking forward to Lachlan finally getting his comeuppance? I think it would be great to see him get caught, because it’s…

As temperatures soar in the UK, Hollyoaks is preparing to turn up the heat with a week of episodes set in sunny Spain! After the fun and frolics of the soap’s summer jaunt to Ibiza last year, it’s the McQueens’ turn to head abroad and hit the party town of Magaluf in Majorca, where Mercedes will reunite with her old flame, Russ Owen… “I couldn’t have asked for a better return,” says actress Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes. “I feel so fortunate that the bosses have invested so much in Mercy’s comeback with the #MagalufOaks special, which is ram-packed with lots of shenanigans. It’s a must-watch!” Long time Hollyoaks fans will remember Russ – played by returning star Stuart Manning – as Mercedes’ first husband, who…