Inside Soap UK 37 - 2020

“We have some great treats on the way…” Oh, the joy of six! Six appeal! Six of the best! I could go on forever with these (don’t worry, I won’t), but basically, I’m very excited that Emmerdale and Corrie are back up to their six-episode-a-week quota. More drama! More cliffhangers! More episodes to write about in Inside Soap! While we’ve enjoyed being your soapie substitute every week during the rationing of episodes, nothing beats the real thing, does it? With the return of the ITV soaps to full pelt, plus Hollyoaks and EastEnders both blasting back on to our screens, Inside Soap will be more packed than ever. We have some great treats on the way in the coming months, beginning with a fantastic Corrie preview on p16. It’s great to…

EastEnders’ hard-hitting domestic abuse plot featuring Gray and Chantelle reaches a stunning conclusion this week, as Chantelle finally plucks up the courage to leave her violent husband – and his fury leads to her tragic death! It’s a truly horrific turn of events that’s set to leave EastEnders viewers numb with shock. But as Toby Alexander-Smith (Gray) and Jessica Plummer (Chantelle) join us to chat through this gritty plot, they insist that this was the way the story had to end… This week’s scenes will be harrowing to watch. What was your reaction when you heard the story would end with Chantelle’s death? Toby It will certainly be a shock for viewers, and I think it’s important that it concludes in such a tragic way. We’re encouraging women to speak…

This week’s scenes see Chantelle make the difficult decision to leave her abusive husband, as she and her parents head off on a family holiday. And Jessica tells us that her character barely has time to pack up her belongings before preparing to flee with her children… “She’s running away with literally just the clothes on her back,” confirms the actress. “All she packs is a shoe box of things that represent the memories she doesn’t want to leave behind. It contains pictures of her children, hospital tags, things that mean a lot to her.” However, Gray’s suspicions have been piqued by his wife’s sudden getaway – and he suggests that she leave their kids Mack and Mia at home with him, so that she can truly enjoy herself! What…

Kirin returns to the village this week, and tells Charity: “I’ll let you adopt my son if you pay me a hefty sum”… After months of trying to become Johnny’s legal guardian, Charity is delighted when she hears the process is on track. However, the boy’s biological dad, Kirin, is lurking in the village – and after a failed attempt to extract money from his ex-stepmum Priya, Kirin decides to blackmail Charity. ÉKirin’s greedy for fast cash and wants to extort money from Charity…” “When Charity comes face to face with Kirin, she’s shocked,” explains Emma Atkins, who plays her. “Kirin’s already seen Priya, who warned him off and told him to go. But Kirin is greedy for some fast cash and wants to extort money from Charity. Ultimately, Charity…

Despite Kirin making a return to the village, you may not recognise him, as the character was previously played by Adam Fielding. Star Adam left the role in 2016, and has gone on to appear in shows such as Ackley Bridge. Making his debut in the Dales as Kirin Kotecha this time around is Rish Shah, who you may have seen in Years And Years, Doctors and Casualty. And Emma was delighted to work alongside the newcomer… “Rish is a great actor,” she says. “He played the desperation and panic in Kirin brilliantly. We had a lot of fun filming these scenes.”…

Doctors devastate Leanne and Steve this week, when they say it’s time to switch off Oliver’s life support – until Nick offers a ray of hope. But what will the cost be of following this new lead, as Leanne puts her determination to fight Oliver’s fate above anything else? At the start of the week, Leanne’s cautiously optimistic as medics prepare to reduce Oliver’s sedation in the hope that his seizures are under control. Tragically for the parents, their son starts to have fits again the moment the medication dosage is lowered, and doctors admit that his condition is now beyond their control. Gently they deliver the horrifying news that the only thing keeping Oliver alive is the life-support machine – leaving Leanne and Steve now faced with a terrible…