Inside Soap UK 30 - 2021

“Meena and Gray find themselves exposed…” Killer plots are always great fun in soaps. The way they twist and turn, and those moments where you think the game is up, only for the agile assassin to slither their way out of it, it’s all fantastic entertainment. Our current two soap killers – Emmerdale’s Meena and EastEnders’ Gray – both find themselves exposed this week, as pieces of incriminating evidence are ready and waiting to throw their evil deeds out into the open. Can the murderous pair get themselves out of these tricky situations? As always in soaps, you’ll have to wait and see… Elsewhere this week, one of Gray’s victims comes back from the dead! Well, not really, but he is reborn as Davood Ghadami lifts himself off those tube…

Todd finally comes unstuck this week, after Paul gets evidence to prove that Billy’s fiancé is a snake in the grass – and reveals it in the most public way! Just as Todd and Billy set a date for their wedding, Paul finally acquires the evidence he needs, a recording of Todd gleefully confessing to orchestrating his break-up from Billy. It’s young Will – who has been blackmailing Todd over his sins – who gifts Paul the footage. And soon Paul hijacks the big screen that has been erected in Victoria Gardens to launch the Street’s charity calendar, where Todd’s treachery plays out for all to see… “Will reels off a list of Todd’s various crimes...” “Poor Billy is forced to accept that his relationship with Todd is built on…

While Todd seals his fate as public enemy No 1 this week, his real-life alter ego Gareth Pierce is getting on so famously with his co-stars that a troupe of them recently went camping together. The actor was joined by Daniel Brocklebank (Billy), Sue Cleaver (Eileen), Tony Maudsley (George) and Julia Goulding (Shona) as they pitched up their tents in the countryside and soaked up the sun with a few cheeky liveners. “Living my best life,” posted Daniel on social media. “I love our gang!” Meanwhile, we’re not ruling out the possibility of Todd worming his way back into the affections of those he has hurt, judging by a cryptic teaser that Weatherfield head honcho Iain MacLeod let slip to us earlier in the year. “Todd will lose everything, but…

Leanna’s devastated loved ones turn on each other this week, as the plans for her funeral descend into fighting. But while Leyla worries when Liam and Jacob have a major falling out, a bigger drama is on the cards. To Meena’s horror, she could be revealed as the killer, just as Leanna is laid to rest… At the beginning of the week, grief-stricken Liam is locked in his own personal hell and doesn’t want any other input into the funeral plans. Meanwhile, Jacob and Leyla believe that the occasion needs to reflect who Leanna really was and honour her memory. So, when Liam tells his wife and stepson to stay out of it and leave him to do this alone, Jacob kicks off… “Things are getting really nasty!” warns our…

Dear Jacob, It’s an awful time for anyone who ever loved Leanna, isn’t it? There’s her dad, who’s worshipped her since the day she was born. Then there’s you, the boy who ghosted her for months, came back from out of nowhere to propose, then dumped her on her birthday. So, while we agree Liam’s funeral plans sound a bit rubbish, we’re unsure as to why you’re even in the room! The last decision you made regarding Leanna was, “Shall I discover the world with a beautiful girl, or spend the summer pricing up baked beans in my dad’s shop?” And you made a mess of it. So why would Leanna’s grieving father allow you to decide anything about her funeral? The best thing you can do is keep your…

Tiffany takes drastic measures in her quest to look ‘Insta-ready’ this week, as she desperately tries to make cash for more fillers! Tiff’s hubby Keegan was recently horrified to discover that his missus had spent an extortionate amount of money on facial injections, designed to add volume to her lips and define her cheeks. But is Tiffany’s splurge on cosmetic enhancements just a one-off? “What Keegan fails to realise is that his wife’s self-esteem is at an all-time low,” sighs our Walford spy. “She’s comparing herself to other women – many of whom have tweaked and filtered their photos to look nothing like reality – and poor Tiff doesn’t feel she measures up. She wants to look perfect – but the fact is that perfection is impossible to achieve.” “Tiff…