Table of contents for 17 - 2019 in Inside Soap UK

It’s great when the soaps take one little event, and spin it off in several different directions, with multiple consequences for a whole heap of characters. “One event can lead to multiple consequences!” This week’s Emmerdale shows just that, as a split-second mistake by Megan (she looks at a text while driving) leads to all kinds of trouble. The ensuing car crash sees Jamie Tate late for his vet’s interview (which plays straight into scheming mum Kim’s hands), while poor Pollard ends up hospitalised, leaving the way clear for Bear to make a move on Faith! As for Megan, she might be facing prison for her negligence – but her alter ego, Gaynor Faye, tells us on p44 that she thinks Megan might actually do all right in the clink!…

“In the coming weeks, we’re going to see Leanne taking control of certain situations,” teases Jane. “She has more of a supporting role in this storyline, but every now and then the Leanne of old comes out, and it’s a survival-of-the-fittest thing. There’s a little bit of her becoming Lady Macbeth – we’re going to see her taking the reins and taking back control. “If I was Leanne’s friend, I’d be telling her to pack her bags and go!” admits the star. “However, Leanne will always find a way of making situations work in her favour, whether it’s right or wrong. She has a moral compass and isn’t a bad person – but ultimately, whatever she’s doing is for the greater good…”…

“I don’t suppose you want to come for your tea?” “I’m taking the twins clog dancing. Cathy will never forgive me if we miss it. She’s up for the Under 12s Clog Dancer of the Year.” Say one thing for Emmerdale – it’s full of surprises! “You escaped Mel, then? Is it the black widows who eat their lovers when they get bored of them?” Says the human equivalent of a praying mantis. “All of your shops are closing down… They are falling off a cliff… with your kids inside!” Steve’s desperate attempt to raise Dev’s blood pressure gave us the biggest laugh of the week. “He’s 16 years old. When I was his age, I had a different one every week. Two sometimes. Three on a…” “You don’t call…

“As actress Charley Webb is pregnant in real life, Emmerdale should write it into the show and make Debbie the surrogate for Robert and Aaron. I think Debbie would do it, too!” …says reader Anna from Durham “There was a mention of the Connors’ cousin Suzy who lives in LA in Corrie this week. I hope we get to meet her. I nominate Jaime Murray for the role – she was great in Hustle and then went to LA.” …suggests reader Roanna from London “When Ziggy finds out about Brody’s affair in Home and Away, I hope she finally gets together with Dean. There’s so much chemistry between them!” …pleads reader Farrah from Burnley “I’ve loved seeing the softer side of Keegan with Bailey in EastEnders. Remember when he was…

Elly takes her baby lie to a whole new level this week, as she tries to pass off a scan of Mark’s dead daughter Caitlin as their unborn baby! Elly has been lying to Mark that the baby she’s carrying is his – so after Mark tells her that he’s booked her in for her first ultrasound, Elly knows she must find a way to get out of it. When Mark arrives at the hospital, Elly tells him that the scan was brought forward, so she had to go in without him. Mark accepts her explanation, but when he asks her about the photo, Elly is flummoxed! However, an opportunity presents itself once Dipi hands Elly a box of Caitlin’s things to give to Mark. And as Elly spots the…

Yasmeen upsets her fella this week, when she cancels his plans for a romantic meal together, and instead invites round Sally and Tim for a healthy curry! Geoff is mightily peeved, as he’d been hoping for some quality alone-time with his woman. So when Yasmeen makes it clear that she’d rather be nattering away to their neighbours, he starts to wonder if they even have a future together! Will Yasmeen realise how much she’s upset Geoff, or are they destined to split?…

TWIN TEASER Can you explain why twins Gemma and Paul in Corrie have two different surnames? Has Gemma been married, or did she take a stepdad’s name? Darren, Stoke-on-Trent My Corrie mole tells me that after their parents split, Gemma went to live with their mum and Paul went to live with their dad – and each took a different name. DAD DARREN? I completely forgot that Hollyoaks’ Darren had two other children until drunk Nancy reminded me! I think I remember that they were twins with Rhys Ashworth’s mum Suzanne – is that right? Where are they now? Rachel You’re correct, Rachel – Darren does in fact have twins with Suzanne Ashworth! The pair had a drunken bunk-up at a wedding, which later developed into a full-blown affair. Suzanne’s…

For someone who’s always been so commitment-shy with women in the past, Damon’s certainly pulling out all the stops to make girlfriend Maxine happy – a recent Hollyoaks trailer even showed him getting down on one knee to pop the question! But with Damon believing that Maxine is seriously ill – perhaps even Hollyoaks star Jacob Roberts tells us that his alter ego feels duty-bound to give her what she wants… “He’s definitely feeling the pressure,” admits the actor. “I think some of the decisions he makes are quite spontaneous! His head’s in a pickle, and he wants to prove that he can look after Maxine properly. But when he asks people what he should do, they don’t give him the best advice!” Damon’s worried sick about Maxine’s mystery illness,…

Every bit of spare time I have, I want to be with my baby, Coco. My work can mean long days, but every day I’m not working, I spend with her. There’s a really amazing play area in Cheshire and we go there a lot – Coco absolutely adores it. It’s the biggest play area I’ve ever seen! So we’ll make a day of it, and then get some dinner. Every week, we put your questions to a star of the soaps. Look out for requests on our Facebook page, or email your questions to youask@insidesoap.co.uk, putting the actor’s name in the subject line. Our favourite question each week will win a £20 prize!…

1 James Burrows was born on 7 July 1991 in Derby, and grew up in Alvaston with his parents and sister. “I lived in Alvaston until I was about 10,” explains James. “Then my family moved to Duffield.” James has always been interested in acting, and it was his mum who first suggested he join the Derby Youth Theatre. “I got into the Youth Theatre, and then I went to the Television Workshop in Nottingham,” he reveals. “Before I knew it, I had my first job in the film This Is England!” 2 James joined Coronation Street as Dr Ali Neeson in 2018, taking over the role from Dario Coates, who had originally played Ali a decade earlier. Ali is Michelle’s son, but he was raised by another family after…

I love Black Mirror so much – it’s so progressive and always pushing the limit of what TV is. I watched Bandersnatch, which was cool – it was a very weird experience. It s more interactive than I thought it was going to be. It felt more like a game than a TV show. I only got round to watching Toast Of London last year, which seems mad because I’m a massive Mighty Boosh fan and I think Toast Of London isn’t too far from that. There’s a lot of absurdist comedy going on in there. Matt Berry references so many funny, awkward things about being an actor, and amplifies it into a much more surreal example! I think The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the best things I’ve ever…

GIRLS ON TOP Channel 4’s comedy smash Derry Girls will be heading for a third series next year. The first episode of series two has so far racked up 3.68m viewers, making it the channel’s biggest UK comedy launch in 15 years! TWO OF A KIND Rylan Clark-Neal will join Zoe Ball on the presenting team for the Strictly Come Dancing sister show It Takes Two when it returns later this year. “I’ve always been a massive fan of It Takes Two, and to be working with Zoe is a real dream!” enthuses Rylan. SCAR TISSUE Jason Manford and Catherine Tyldesley will star in BBC One’s new comedy Scarborough, from Benidorm creator Derren Litten. The series follows a group of families in the North Yorkshire seaside town through the bonds…

AMANDA MEALING (Connie Beauchamp, Casualty ) OUT Casualty actress Amanda has revealed that she’s left the show – at least temporarily! The star tweeted a video of herself shutting the door to her dressing room, with the caption, ‘The last out turns the lights off. Casualty, it’s been emotional’. However, although that might have sounded pretty final, a BBC spokesperson later confirmed that Amanda would be back as Connie in the autumn. Phew! Soon JAKE RYAN (Robbo Shaw, Home and Away ) IN Robbo was last seen racing out of the Bay in his truck, having called off his engagement to Jasmine in the wake of Tori’s baby lie. In real life, star Jake took a break from the soap after landing the lead role…

BULLSEYE! When Mel was first brought back to EastEnders, we were sceptical. Did we really care about her enough 16 years ago to give a flip now? But, if there is anything actress Tamzin Outhwaite has brought to the show, it’s the ability to make us care about a character again. Tired as we are of hideous Hunter, he’s given his mum a reason to channel her inner super-bitch. All hail, Queen Owen! Evil Ben surely can’t keep up this Mr Nasty routine forever? His reputation dictates that he’s too much of a half-wit to actually execute this grand plan of his. It’s a crime that the men (or indeed women) of Weatherfield are not queuing up to date Abi. Look at those amazing pins! We enjoyed Rita’s newsagent doppelganger…

While Faith frets over Pollard, she may soon be worrying about her own mortality. With Kim Tate back in the Dales, there’s the matter of Faith pushing the Queen of Home Farm off that balcony last year – and Kim doesn’t seem to us like the sort of person to forgive and forget! “Maybe Kim will be a little more subdued now that she’s been pushed over a balcony – who knows?” laughs Sally Dexter, who plays Faith. “I doubt it very much, though! I really look forward to maybe Kim and Faith having some good old spats. Claire King [who plays Kim] has a cracking sense of humour – she’s just very naughty!”…

Walford’s Bex has the whole world at her feet as far as parents Sonia and Martin are concerned – but sadly for the strung-out schoolgirl, life is set to take a dark and frightening turn. Our sneaky snaps of EastEnders actress Jasmine Armfield (who plays Bex) filming on location, show the poor girl clearly distraught and looking lost on the streets. How has straight-A student Bex ended up in such a precarious situation? “Bex isn’t coping well under the pressure of her looming exams and the thought of going to Oxford University,” hints our Square source. “She’s tried sharing her fears with Sonia and Martin, yet they’re so giddy at the idea of their daughter being accepted into such a prestigious institution, that her cries for help are falling on…

We know Jamie is set to stick around in the Dales for a while yet – and we can’t wait to see what the offspring of Kim and Frank is really like! But Alex hints that his alter ego might not follow in the footsteps of his power-hungry parents… “It’s hard to be in the village and not be aware of the Tate name,” he chuckles. “Jamie knows a bit about the family legacy, but not the full extent. He doesn’t like it as he’s very different from his parents – he wants to distance himself from the Tate name. “The one line that I’ve already said a few times is, ‘I’m nothing like my mum!’,” he adds. “For most of his teenage years he’s been on his own, and…

Inside Soap’s love affair with Rob Kazinsky began back in 2006, when EastEnders tipped us off that it was in the process of casting Stacey Slater’s older brother, Sean. Rob’s agent read our article and bagged him an audition at the eleventh hour – with Rob impressing bosses so much that he nabbed the part from another actor! The rest was history, as Rob proved an instant hit with our readers and scooped two Inside Soap Awards – for Best Actor and Sexiest Male. He even dressed up as Prince Charming for one of our Christmas photo shoots, and we’ve been smitten ever since. So, just imagine the high-pitched squeals that erupted from our office after EastEnders dropped us a line to say that Sean Slater was making his way…

What happens when one seemingly small bad decision turns your world upside down? Emmerdale’s Megan is about to find out, after sending a text while driving and causing a crash that leaves Pollard and Jamie Tate injured (see p8). This ill-judged moment could have catastrophic ramifications for all concerned – not least Megan herself, who is wondering if she should confess and take the blame for being so reckless. “It’s the first time that Megan has made an error of judgement like this – I don’t think she’s the kind of person who’d do this sort of thing normally,” explains Gaynor Faye, as she joins Inside Soap to give us the goss on her alter ego’s latest drama. “We all know people who do this. I constantly pass people on…

So Kyle’s hooking up with Chloe, but is he still in love with Amy? Of course he is! Amy gets him – he loves a girl who can hold a power saw or a grinder! But the last thing Kyle expected was for her to be engaged to his dad. Awks! “It’s an absolute honour to be back on Neighbours,” grins Aussie actor Chris Milligan, as we chat to him about reprising his role as Ramsay Street’s Kyle. “I love working at this place, and I felt I had unfinished business with Kyle.” But as Kyle gets down and dirty in the laundry room with Chloe this week, Chris tells us that his alter ego is set to stir up more trouble… What advice would you give Kyle about his…

EastEnders actress June Brown has admitted that her eyesight is failing – and recently revealed her hearing was impaired after a freak accident at home – but she clearly has no intention of slowing down… “I have no central vision, so I have to recognise people on set by their shape,” shared June, “otherwise I would have to get two inches from their face! If I went around peering at men’s faces, they’d think I was chatting them up!” The 92-year-old star also explained how she lost the hearing in her right ear after lightning struck her Surrey home at Christmas. “It caused a plug point to explode in the lounge with an almighty bang,” said June, who’s also currently appearing in ITV’s Hard To Please OAPs. “I was lucky…

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WE’VE BEEN GRIPPED BY THIS tale of the underground ‘ball culture’ in 1980s New York, and the people who participate in it. It’s a world we weren’t that familiar with, but one that’s so immaculately realised that it erupts into life right off the screen. It’s great to see diverse talent breaking through too, with trans actors Mj Rodriguez and Dominique Jackson delivering brilliant performances as the Mothers of rival houses. And we simply must give a shout-out to Billy Porter as Pray Tell, whose dialogue is so superbly quotable we’ve started watching with a notepad and pen to write down the best lines……

CHRIS’ STRIPPER STRIKE! Chris Quinten, who from 1978 to 1989 played Corrie’s Brian Tilsley (Nick and Sarah’s dad), faced strike action recently – from the strippers who work at his nightclub! The actor had to deal with a mutiny from angry nude dancers at his West London club Secrets, after he changed the rules over what percentage of the money they charged should go to the club. The unhappy strippers claimed that the new regulations effectively cut their pay by half! However, after a one-day strike, Chris caved in and agreed to the women’s demands. JULIE’S GLASS HOUSE Another ex-Coronation Street star, Julie Hesmondhalgh (Hayley Cropper), is teaming up with comic actress Dawn French for the upcoming ITV drama Glass Houses. The pair will play best friends in the six-part…

A run-in with his ex-girlfriend Ruby this week reminds Sean that he made a fair few enemies when he was last on Albert Square! After Sean is reunited with his mum at the Vic, Ruby arrives on the scene and makes it clear that there is no love lost between them. She is no longer the naive girl that Sean manipulated so easily all those years ago, and she lets him know it! However, given that Sean has – by his own admission – returned to the Square to make amends, can he muster an apology for Ruby that she is willing to accept? Or is she determined to make him pay for his past misdemeanours?…

The good news is that it’s not doom and gloom for all the Square locals, judging by these fun paparazzi shots of Whitney’s nearest and dearest out shopping for wedding dresses! It looks as if the Queen Vic barmaid will tie the knot with her fella Callum – aka Halfway – this summer. Could it be that unlucky-in-love Whit has finally found the man she is going to marry? “Whitney doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to men, although she seems to have found a genuine, honest and loving guy in Halfway,” gushes our EastEnders insider. “It makes sense that they want to take the next step in their blossoming relationship. “Whitney seems thrilled as she and Tiffany try on dresses – however, that is always the…

Since Lily’s tragic death, her husband Prince has found an ally in Liam – who this week advises him that, to get over grief, you need to reinvent yourself. Then Liam shows Prince his gun! Later, Prince is utterly heartbroken to discover that Lily kept love letters not only from him, but from Romeo too… Back at the Loft, Liam discovers that his gun is missing – and realises that Prince must have taken it! Just what lengths is Prince prepared to go to in order to get justice for Lily?…

Hi Olivia! Did you always know that Will would arrive in the village? I didn’t know he’d physically come back, but I knew he would be a presence! Will’s been guiding most of what Dawn does, and the plan to tell Harriet he was dead was what he asked her to do. Did she ever blame her dad for what happened to her? She did for quite a while, as he was the one in prison, until she found out that it was really Harriet’s fault for ruining her life. She’s had such a difficult time and a complicated relationship with a lot of men. Have you enjoyed working with actor Dean Andrews, who plays Will? I’ve loved it! Dean has done so much different stuff, and he brings quite…

FAIR CITY Tommy worries about Zak and Charlotte’s growing attraction to each other this week – and their bond soon sparks some problems… Meanwhile, Anto believes his first shift at The Station went swimmingly! Plus, tensions rise at a committee meeting to save the park. RIVER CITY Caitlin and Joe’s relationship hits the rocks this week, and is made worse when Joe is told he’s being evicted from his flat! Meanwhile, across town, Kim begins to feel overwhelmed with her responsibilities… And how will Charlotte react to Lou and Amber’s bombshell? THE ARCHERS Clarrie is left shattered this week, when she discovers that some of the money for the Lent fund has gone missing! Has it been stolen? Meanwhile, Ed disappoints a friend to cover his tracks. Plus, Freddie’s day…

I knew it! I knew Harriet’s stalker would turn out to be Dawn’s dad! I always thought the story about him being dead was a bit sketchy, and clearly the whole point of having the link between Dawn and Harriet was to bring back Will to cause havoc. I wasn’t surprised! Mal, Devon I’m so disappointed in Dawn! While everyone else was pointing the finger at her and accusing her of being the stalker, Harriet stood up for her. I really wanted to believe she was back on the straight and narrow. After everything Harriet has done for her, it’s shocking that Dawn would treat her like this. Catherine So is anything about Dawn’s story actually real? Does she truly want to get custody of her son Lucas again? Because…

Rob’s not the first actor to swap soapland for a career in the US – but he’s one of the few who can say they’ve cracked it. After leaving EastEnders, the star went on to appear in hit US shows Law & Order: LA, Brothers And Sisters and True Blood. He’s also been in huge movies such as Pacific Rim, and this year’s blockbuster film Captain Marvel. So which among them are his highlights? “That’s a tough question!” laughs Rob. “It all comes down to the people who you work with. When I think of people like Charlie Hunnam [with whom Rob starred alongside in Pacific Rim], he is the hardest-working person I’ve ever acted with. And after working with Anna Paquin on True Blood, it makes me think how…

They’ve recently joined the cast of EastEnders, making a huge impact on viewers with their sass and one-liners – and glamorous Walford newcomers Priya Davdra (aka Iqra) and Rukku Nahar (who plays Habiba) are making waves on the red carpet, too! Joined by co-star Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Adam the dentist), the pair struck a pose for the cameras as they attended this year’s Asian Awards – an annual ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London to celebrate Asian excellence. The current stars certainly stole the limelight as they made their way into the event – however, it was former EastEnder Nitin Ganatra (aka Masood Ahmed) who was centre of attention once the ceremony got under way, as he was given an award for his career in acting. “It’s an…

“YOU’RE SEEING CHILDREN IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT…” XAND It’s safe to say that the world, as our children experience it, is unlike the world any of us grew up in – but what can we learn from the way they see it? This new three-part series, presented by twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken, puts kids between the ages of four and seven through a series of challenges to see how they handle them, and what they’re capable of when their parents aren’t there to guide them. “It’s really an observational documentary where we have put children in situations and allowed them to figure out what they want to do,” explains Chris. “The series is asking some big questions about the way we treat our children and the effect…

CASUALTY Connie Beauchamp.......... Amanda Mealing Gemma Dean...................... Rebecca Ryan Iain Dean..................... Michael Stevenson Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin................ Cathy Shipton Charlie Fairhead.............. Derek Thompson Noel Garcia.......................... Tony Marshall Elle Gardner.......................... Jaye Griffiths Ethan Hardy.................... George Rainsford David Hide................................ Jason Durr Archie Hudson..................... Genesis Lynea Jan Jenning............................... Di Botcher Dylan Keogh........................... William Beck Marty Kirkby................ Shaheen Jafargholi Jade Lovall.......................... Gabriella Leon Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Rash Masum........................... Neet Mohan Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Will Noble................................. Jack Nolan Ruby Spark................................ Maddy Hill CORONATION STREET Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Izzy Armstrong............... Cherylee Houston Amy Barlow.......................... Elle Mulvaney Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Leanne Battersby................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby.................... Georgia Taylor Emma Brooker............... Alexandra Mardell Chesney Brown.......................... Sam Aston Claudia Colby.......................... Rula Lenska Mary Cole.................................. Patti Clare Carla Connor.............................…