Table of contents for 32 - 2020 in Inside Soap UK

“Sometimes I feel as if I’m Doctor Who” As editor of Inside Soap, sometimes I feel as if I’m Doctor Who. Not the ‘dashing around in a long scarf fighting monsters’ part – though I do enjoy the feel of knitwear next to the skin, as you can see – I mean the way that he (or she!) flits through time and history. This week, while watching Secrets From The Square on BBC1, I’ll see Tiffany Butcher-Baker (aka Maisie Smith) looking back on her life in Walford. But in EastEnders 2008 on iPlayer, she’s still just a six-year-old girl dreaming of a big future. Meanwhile, in Classic EastEnders over on Drama, Tiff’s parents Ricky – sorry, Rickaaaaay – and Bianca are going on their first dates; so Tiff is merely…

Filming a scene like the one where Leyla confronts her intruder this week can be very tricky under the current social-distancing guidelines – but star Roxy tells us that in this instance, the space actually helped capture the tension of the scene… “It was definitely tricky to film, because Take A Vow is a small set,” she reveals. “But just having someone in your space in the dark is scary – I hope we managed to capture how afraid Leyla is. “The intruder doesn’t attack her,” continues Roxy. “Leyla actually throws a vase at them, and the act of throwing something is a lot more powerful with more distance. So I reckon that we used the fact that we had to be quite far apart to our advantage with that…

“Grim as it may sound, I want Maya back in Emmerdale after deciding she wants to fight David for custody of that baby. Someone needs to stir things up!” …suggests reader Susan from Kent “I’m not surprised Jane’s marriage to Des has already fallen apart in Neighbours. There was only ever one true love for Jane – it’s time Mike Young returned to make her happy at last! Is Guy Pearce busy?” …muses reader Sharon “Wouldn’t it be fun if Hollyoaks did something really crazy when it comes back on air, like set the show in some kind of parallel universe? Grace Black would be a goody-goody nun, while old Walter would be gadding around the village with his toy-boy boyfriend Sylver!” …fantasises reader Charlie “With so much of the…

Head teacher Susan’s first day back at Erinsborough High ends in disaster this week, and she finishes up fleeing to her office and locking herself in! Susan has taken a prolonged leave of absence from her role in the wake of the Finn Kelly drama, and returns to find the school in the midst of a drugs scandal. But as the education department arrives on site to tackle the worrying situation, the pressure gets too much for Susan – and she buckles… “Susan comes back from her time off, still quite traumatised,” explains Jackie Woodburne, who plays her. “Once the drug situation is apparent, we see how much of a crisis of confidence Susan is having. She’s gone from someone who was able to make clear, informed decisions very quickly…

Watching episodes of a soap from over two decades ago requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Not only for the fashions, or for the fact that anyone ever thought Terry Woods was an interesting character, but because we have to pretend not to know the twists. This week, for example, Frank Tate is called to identify a body found in a car pulled from Demdyke Quarry pond – and yes, he says, that’s definitely Kim. Of course, we know that Kim is still alive, well and clip-clopping round the village in 2020, so this must be a trick. But back in 1997, it was all very plausible. Emmerdale  even took photos of actress Claire King’s leaving celebration, to throw viewers off the scent. We’re left to wonder, however, how that…

Soap characters whom we tend to view as ‘part of the furniture’ are often the ones we take most for granted. Yet they’re always there, bustling away in the background of stories even when they don’t have a huge plot of their own, and we come to rely on them for a bit of light humour, to serve a beer, or provide some much-needed wisdom. In Emmerdale’s case, that person is Bob Hope. Sure, he’s a bit of a berk at times, and we’re among the first to poke fun at some of his nonsense. However, the village really wouldn’t be the same without him, and that’s most likely why star Tony Audenshaw, who plays him, is celebrating an incredible 20 years in the role this year… “Bob’s had a…

Ben and Maggie’s loved ones gather to bid a fond farewell to them this week, as the newly reunited couple prepare to embark on their life-long dream of moving to Italy. It marks the end of the Astonis’ three years in Summer Bay; and as actors Rohan Nichol and Kestie Morassi – who play the couple – join us for a chat, they admit that saying goodbye to the show is bittersweet for them… Viewers seem to root for Ben and Maggie!KESTIE It’s great to chat to you both! What’s it been like for you playing out Ben and Maggie’s ups and down over the past three years? Kestie It’s been a roller coaster, hasn’t it? It’s helped that we have remained fantastic friends. Our friendship with each other has…

Ali became a mum to baby daughter Isla earlier this year – and with UK lockdown now easing, the actress is desperate to share her bundle of joy with her friends and family… “I gave birth, and the country went into lockdown!” she tells us. “So we came home from hospital and didn’t see anybody else for months. In some ways, it was really tough. But my husband David was at home during that whole time, so I felt totally supported. “It’s really nice to be around our family a bit more now, though, and for people to meet her,” adds Ali. “I’ve shared so many more pictures of Isla on social media than I would have imagined, just because I couldn’t show her off in person!”…

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CORONATION STREET No Abi ending? SEB’S DEVASTATED WHEN HIS MUM LETS HIM DOWN ONCE MORE… Seb is left fuming next week, when his mum Abi once again fails to turn up to say goodbye to twins Charlie and Lexi before they move to Australia. But little does he realise that it’s not his mother’s fault this time – as she has landed herself in a deadly situation that she’s struggling to get out of! So will Seb be able to rescue his mum from the clutches of danger before it’s too late? Or will he vow to have nothing more to do with her after this latest let down – and leave poor Abi perilously hovering between life and death as he disowns her once and for all? HOME AND…

“I don’t understand! A hit-and-run on a jet ski in the middle of the ocean? Why?” We love the old Hollyoaks episodes. You don’t get dialogue like that any more. Well, not often. “Did he flip through the air like a rag doll?” Maria wanting to know the gory details of Gary’s accident wins the award for Strangest Dialogue Of The Year, let alone the week. “You need to get out of here, and go and die somewhere else!” Say what you like about Harriet, she’s a very modern vicar. “Imran said this actually might help, as now we have time to find Elaine.” Yasmeen must be thrilled to learn how lucky she was to have a heart attack. “How many times have I got to say? I’m only going…

I’m glad that Gary saved the lovely Sarah Platt in Corrie – but does that mean he has held on to his morals, or that he’s actually still in love with her? Surely if Adam had rumbled him and run into the road, Gary would have just let him get squished by the oncoming car. Kylie, Purley I’ve come to realise discretion isn’t Gary’s strong point! He was running around all over the place trying to find Rick’s watch – didn’t he realise that people were going to start getting suspicious when he put so much effort into getting it back, despite him not being a watch collector as Bernie claimed? Ed, Cumbria Always look both ways when you’re crossing the street – something Sarah obviously missed from her lessons…

Growing up on Albert Square is never an easy ride – but Keegan Butcher-Baker has had a tougher time than most teenagers in Walford. He’s lost his best friend Shakil to knife crime, suffered racial harassment from the police, and run away to Gretna Green to get hitched to his teenage sweetheart, Tiffany! But as actor Zack Morris joins co-stars Lorraine Stanley (Karen) and Maisie Smith (Tiffany) for a trip down memory lane in this week’s Secrets From The Square, he reckons that Keegan has matured hugely over the past three-and-a-half years… “To start with, Keegan was the cheeky and rebellious friend of Shakil,” recalls Zack. “The first year or so he was still in school, and was very, very different from me. And I loved the fact that we…

Ben and Maggie aren’t just exiting the Bay this week, they’re also leaving behind their daughter Ziggy – as well as their youngest Coco, who’s away studying. And both Rohan and Kestie admit that working with their screen clan was the most magical thing about being on Home and Away… “Kestie and I were so lucky to be able to tell some incredible stories throughout our time on the show,” grins Rohan. “I’ll always have fond memories of us working together with Sophie Dillman [Ziggy] and Anna Cocquerel [Coco] – the awesome Astonis.” “We adored each other right from the start,” adds Kestie. “We have a tri-annual Astoni family dinner where we get together at someone’s house. We eat and then laugh our heads off playing weird board games! We…

FIRST contact “When I first auditioned, EastEnders hadn’t disclosed that the role was actually for Peter Beale in the scripts that I’d been learning. The character was called ‘Tommy’, and I was working as a bricklayer at the time, so I can remember nipping off for a few ‘dentist appointments’ here and there [laughs]! My agent rang me on a wet and freezing Friday in the middle of November, and when I answered he said, ‘Put your tools down because I have some good news’. I thought they wanted me to play this Tommy character, which I imagined would only be for a couple of months, then I found out the role was really for Peter. I remember screaming  down the phone at the top of some scaffolding,…

WIT AND WISDOM “You know, all I really want is a quiet life. But life has other ideas.” David “David’s got eight pints of poison coursing through his veins!” Tina “Who’d have thought moving a dead body would be so stressful?” David “None of this would have happened if David hadn’t tried to kill me!” Nick THE BIG STORIES DEAD WRONG! David launched a hate campaign against mum Gail by penning beyond-the-grave notes from serial killer stepdad Richard Hillman. He was trying to frame her new love, Phil, for the evil scribblings, but Gail got wise and dragged David to the police station. DON’T PUSH ME! David lost it when he discovered girlfriend Tina had secretly had an abortion behind his back, with support from Gail. During a vicious fight,…

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CASUALTY Connie Beauchamp.......... Amanda Mealing Rosa Cadenas......................... Jacey Sallés Faith Cadogan...................... Kirsty Mitchell Charlie Fairhead.............. Derek Thompson Noel Garcia.......................... Tony Marshall Ethan Hardy.................... George Rainsford David Hide................................ Jason Durr Jan Jenning............................... Di Botcher Dylan Keogh........................... William Beck Fenisha Khatri........................ Olivia D’Lima Marty Kirkby................ Shaheen Jafargholi Jade Lovall.......................... Gabriella Leon Lev Malinowski........................... Uriel Emil Rash Masum........................... Neet Mohan Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Will Noble................................. Jack Nolan CORONATION STREET Aadi Alahan...................... Zennon Ditchett Asha Alahan......................... Tanisha Gorey Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Izzy Armstrong............... Cherylee Houston Aggie Bailey......................... Lorna Laidlaw Eddison Bailey....... Trevor Michael Georges James Bailey..................... Nathan Graham Michael Bailey....................... Ryan Russell Adam Barlow...................... Sam Robertson Amy Barlow.......................... Elle Mulvaney Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Sarah Barlow........................... Tina O’Brien Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Leanne Battersby...................…

Do you think Sarah wants to get back with Gary? I think she’d be the first person to say she would never go back to him. They had a toxic relationship towards the end, but she truly loved Gary, so doesn’t want to betray him. How does she feel about Gary marrying Maria? Sarah’s happy for them both, although there’s a tinge of, “Oh, God, Maria doesn’t have a clue”. Plus, Sarah’s a newlywed, too, and when her life should be just beginning, it feels as if it has come crashing down! Gary killed Rick and has fessed up, yet he’s the one who has landed on his feet, while Sarah’s marriage could be over. So, I think there is a little bit of resentment towards Gary. Was it weird…

Romance could be on the cards for Kathy when the Walford drama returns this autumn, following the news that she’ll be on the hunt for a new fella! Actress Gillian Taylforth let slip the juicy gossip… “Kathy is going to join a dating app,” teased Gillian, who turns 65 next week. “She is older now, and has been looking after everyone else, so it’s about time she had a bit of love. Kathy needs a nice gent in her life, and who knows? She could meet the man of her dreams!” Sadly, Kathy’s previous love interests have often been the stuff of nightmares – especially when you consider that she was forced to fake her own death after getting involved with evil Gavin Sullivan. Perhaps Ian’s long-suffering mum will never…

Inside Soap is pleased to report that Kim Tate hasn’t left Home Farm for good! Actress Claire King is simply waiting for the green light to resume filming, due to safety restrictions put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I have arthritis, so my immune system is compromised, which puts me at greater risk from the virus,” explains the star. “I’m not back at Emmerdale yet, so it’s a case of waiting to be written back in. “When I get a flare-up, it’s not nice,” adds Claire. “I have to have my buttons .done up for me e by the costume people now, and I can’t wear killer heels any more at ou’ll notice Kim mostly wears riding boots now.”…

Leyla is left fearing for her life this week, when she’s attacked by a mysterious hooded figure in Take A Vow! It’s after Leyla hears a noise coming from the office that she creeps in to investigate, and she’s horrified to find an intruder trashing the place. But as the unknown assailant takes a swing at Leyla, can the terrified woman defend herself in the face of this assault? “This is the climax of a scary chain of events,” admits Roxy Shahidi, aka Leyla. “I don’t think there could be anything more intimidating than going into a space where you think you’re safe, and someone being there. Her first thought is, ‘They want to hurt me’. “Leyla defends herself,” she continues. “She does throw something at this person –she doesn’t…

This week’s instalment of Holby City will be the last we see of the medical drama for a while, as it takes a break from our screens. The show has run out of episodes that were filmed before the UK went into lockdown. However, the good news is that the team is already back in the studio – and filming a special episode that’ll see the hospital gripped by the coronavirus pandemic… “It’s with great pleasure that we open the doors at Elstree, to welcome back the exceptional cast and crew of Holby City,” shares BBC Studios’ head of continuing drama, Kate Oates. “We have some compelling stories to tell as we explore how the lives of our characters have been changed since the start of the pandemic – and…

Jane makes her way back to Erinsborough this week, and comes face to face with her estranged daughter, Nicolette! Following the breakdown of her marriage with Des, Jane is back on Ramsay Street after hearing her daughter is also in town. But it’s soon obvious that the mother and daughter don’t have the best of relationships… “The pair of them rub each other up the wrong way,” says Annie Jones, who plays Jane. “I think Jane wishes Nicolette would be more like her, but of course she isn’t – she’s the polar opposite in many ways!” When Nicolette and Jane meet in Erinsborough, tensions rise. While Jane is livid over Nicolette’s reaction to her nuptials, Nicolette reveals she’s still angry about how Jane reacted when she came out to her…

A GOOD NIGHT I really loved the green and blue patterned dressing gown that Andrea was wearing in Emmerdale, after spending the night with Jamie. Where can I get it from? Janet, Chard Andrea’s lovely dressing gown is from Marks & Spencer, in Satin Crane Print. It also comes in a long nightdress version, as well as matching PJs, if you want to match up your nightwear. PURE EVIL… I’ve been catching up with the Hollyoaks@25 episodes, and am totally loving Rob as the villain! I’m pretty unfamiliar with him – was this the last we ever saw of Rob Hawthorne? Addie, Birmingham Definitely not! Rob planned to take further revenge after almost killing the teens. He returned to the village and began a relationship with Beth Morgan – and…

As you’ll see this week, Zack shares a close bond with co-stars Lorraine and Maisie – and he says the two are his best mates. “Lorraine and I get on brilliantly, and we have done since day one,” he grins. “What’s so cool about a show like this is when you have families on screen, the relationships you build become like a real family. I don’t see those guys as just co-stars. We look out for each other. Lorraine is just brilliant to work with – she’s always prepared, and she’s a laugh as well. “Maisie and I get on really well too,” adds Zack. “We’re always on set together, our storylines now revolve around each other, more than ever – you’re going to become close. Maisie has a cool…

Hollyoaks continues its look back at some of the biggest stories in its 25-year history this week, with the shock reveal of school teacher Becca Dean’s affair with her teenage pupil, Justin Burton. The storyline had viewers gripped when it first aired back in 2006 – and 14 years on, actress Ali Bastian (who played Becca) tells us that it was a moment that shaped her career… Hi, Ali! How did you react when Hollyoaks told you it was revisiting the Becca and Justin episodes? I was really excited. We all worked so hard on that storyline, and I was so proud of it. I’ve actually had a sneak peek at the episodes, just to remind me of what happened in that particular week, and it was amazing to look…

BULLSEYE! Where were you when Lucy’s killer was revealed, and Kathy returned from the dead via a taxi at The O2? Inside Soap watched the drama unfold as a team at our office – and how we cheered for Kathy! – with nowt but shattered nerves and chocolate mini rolls for company, waiting for that blimmin’ #EELive hashtag to pop up in the corner of the screen every two minutes. What a night! What a week! Our favourite game is spotting new ways the soaps are achieving social distancing in a scene – and folding a king-size bed sheet is the best yet. What next? Table tennis? When you watch it back, it’s properly obvious that Jane is guilty as sin. But we never did find out… How was Adam?…