Inside Soap UK 41 - 2020

“There’s a sense of family off-screen in the soaps…” It’s lovely the camaraderie and sense of family that comes across off-screen as well as on in the soaps. It’s great to read our chats this week with Sue Cleaver and Gareth Pierce (Corrie’s Eileen and new Todd), where both talk about welcoming Gareth to the family and how quickly they settled him into the role and felt at home. It’s good to know that behind all that on-screen drama, there’s genuine love and kindness shining through. It’s a good job too, as there’s not much love and kindness in the soaps this week! The previously mentioned Todd and Eileen are up to their necks in it, and are even held at gunpoint (see over the page), while the battle lines…

Eileen’s reunion with her prodigal son Todd ends in terror this week, after the pair find themselves held at gunpoint by a dangerous gangster! Following his shock return to Weatherfield, Todd confessed to his mum that he owed a shed-load of money to a dodgy bloke named Mick Costello, who’s now gunning for him! Todd reckons the only way out is to fake his own death – but after Eileen refuses to go along with the ludicrous scheme, they both end up staring down the barrel of a gun… “Eileen is suddenly thrown into a world that she never believed she would have to get involved with – gangsters, and the underbelly of society,” explains Sue Cleaver, who plays her. “Eileen is suddenly thrown into a world of gangsters…” “Here’s…

It’s not just Todd and Eileen at Mick’s mercy this week – Gary also ends up on the receiving end of his violence! After Mick somehow gets it into his head that Gary and Todd are in cahoots to rip him off, the gangster turns up at the furniture emporium, and threatens Gary. Of course, it’s not the first time Gary has had to deal with a dodgy character shouting the odds, and you would think he’s more than capable of handling himself. Yet, as Mick and his cronies screech away in their car, Maria finds her hubby lying battered and bruised on the floor! Luckily, Gail has snapped Mick’s car registration number on her mobile – and as Maria forces Gary to tell Craig everything that happened, the police…

Hi, Sue! What’s it like having Gareth play Todd? He’s so good. He’s such a subtle actor, with great nuances. He’s slotted in perfectly. We saw a few people during casting for the chemistry test – to see how we all worked. It was instant with Gareth. There was an essence of him I knew I could relate to. There was the essence of Todd – the bad boy, but with a loveable and vulnerable side. Does Eileen blame herself for Todd’s actions? There’s an element of, that, but he’s done some really stupid things in his time. He’s not a child – he’s an adult who’s making his own decisions. She did the best she could, and if it wasn’t enough, well, sorry, but it’s time to get over…

Denise finds out about Phil’s continuing contact with Raymond this week – and goes all out to stop him! The furious mum can’t believe it when Lola reveals Phil has lied his way into the hospital to spend time with their son. Still torn by her feelings over Raymond, the child they gave up for adoption, Denise can’t bear the thought of Phil getting involved in his life. So, determined to thwart Phil, Denise makes a call to Ellie… “There’s no way that Denise is going to let a dangerous criminal like Phil get close to that little boy who has lost so much,” explains our Square insider. “It’s almost destroyed Denise to see Raymond in hospital, trying to comprehend that his adoptive parents and big sister have all been…

The battle for Raymond is on, but who has the legal right to decide what happens to the orphaned tot? Once you give up a child for a closed adoption, just as Denise and Phil did after Raymond’s birth, you legally surrender any parental rights to them. So, in the event of the adoptive parents’ death, their next of kin become reponsible for the child. So, unless Ellie’s son and daughter-in-law made other arrangements for Raymond’s wellbeing in their will, Ellie is now the only person with a legal right to decide his future. But how far may Phil or Denise go to influence her decision, as they both draw closer to their son?…