Inside Soap UK 20 - 2020

“There’s still a lot of big drama to come…” With no soaps being made right now, we’re very grateful that the shows had a good batch of episodes ready ahead of time, to get us through for the next while. And there’s still a lot of big drama to come, as we found out when we sat down to chat with Corrie head honcho Iain MacLeod via video call this week. There’s some great stuff ahead on the Street, and he wanted to make sure viewers knew it. Read what he has to say on p14. However, Coronation Street isn’t the only soap with a few shocks still up its sleeve. Ben and Phil are involved in some tricky business in Walford, which we have a feeling isn’t going to…

There’s fresh hell for Leanne and Steve this week, when doctors suggest that their poorly son Oliver may have a life-limiting disease. The worried parents are staggered when they discover their little boy is to be tested for mitochondrial disease, a chronic genetic disorder. Doctors sedate Oliver, so they can perform a brain scan to find out what’s causing his seizures. After the initial tests are concluded, the medical team breaks the news that Oliver’s condition is more serious than they first thought. “Leanne and Steve have no idea what mitochondrial disease is, so they do the very thing they’re told not to, but we all do – they Google it,” explains Jane Danson, who plays Leanne. “That gives them the absolute worst-case scenario; the bare bones of what could…

Hi, Jane! This is a huge story for Leanne – what does it mean to you as an actor to get it right? It feels as if it’s the one where I’ve got the most responsibility to get it right. I’ve been lucky to have so many stories with Leanne over the past 20-odd years, but this one feels different: this one could break her. We hear that you’ve been working very closely with a charity that supports people living with mitochondrial disease… Yes, we’ve worked with Liz Curtis at The Lily Foundation. It was harrowing hearing the story of what happened to her daughter, Lily. It’s almost too much to comprehend, but I came away from the meeting completely bowled over by Liz’s bravery. She’s an amazing human being.…

Troubled Ben is left upset this week, when his operation is cancelled at the last minute – and he demands that Phil let him in on his high-stakes criminal job. Despite almost losing Callum over their dodgy dealing, Ben has no qualms about offering his back-up to Phil, as the Mitchell hard man prepares to make enough money to buy the Vic. Ben’s keen to overcome his upset about the cancelled op by throwing himself into the dangerous job, no matter what anyone thinks. But with Phil the only one who can give him the green light to step up, Ben must convince his dad. “The operation being cancelled is the cruellest blow – Ben feels angry, bitter and frustrated,” says our Walford insider. “For him, everything is riding on…

Linda’s suspicions about Phil’s motives for supporting her battle with alcoholism surface again this week – as she notices that her AA sponsor seems more preoccupied with buying the Queen Vic than he is with Ben’s operation! It was after Phil persuaded Linda’s husband Mick that no alcoholic can ever fully recover while living and working in a pub that Linda confronted Phil – and accused him of trying to manipulate them so the Carters would sell the Square’s boozer to him. However, during a heart-to-heart, the pair reached a mutual understanding – and Phil eventually agreed to be Linda’s sponsor after she accepted his offer to buy the Vic. But as she witnesses his ruthless determination – whereby not even Phil’s own son undergoing a major operation can pull…

Leyla is left horrified this week, when she arrives at work to find that her office has been trashed – and she’s sure that vengeful Leanna is behind it! The teenager has made no secret of the fact that she really doesn’t like Leyla, who is her dad Liam’s new girlfriend. However, is pointing the finger at Leanna only going to cause more trouble for Leyla? “Leanna is known for being a troublemaker and an attention seeker, so when Leyla finds out her office has been ransacked, all eyes are on Leanna,” confirms Dales star Mimi Slinger, who plays the rebellious schoolgirl. “It’s a difficult situation for Leanna because she feels neglected – she just wants her dad to acknowledge her, and show that he loves her.” Leanna was disgusted…