Table of contents for 40 - 2021 in Inside Soap UK

“From Mr Loverman to weary father” Just two issues to go! Yes, Super Soap Week is now so close you can practically hear the sirens, smell the leaking petrol and taste the tang of gunfire in the air. However, I’m horrified to learn that my fave soap family of the moment are to face mortal peril on the Weatherfield ring-road. Say it ain’t so! I love the Alahans because they seem so real. Sure, Jimmi Harkishin’s performance can be eccentric, but that makes him all the more believable, because people are eccentric. And Dev’s journey from Mr Loverman to weary father of teenagers is so funny and true. Parenting issues are high on the agenda this issue. My thoughts go to EastEnders’ Sonia, who will soon discover not only that…

Exciting news for fans of Waterloo Road – the show is coming back after a six-year absence! The action-packed school drama, which initially ran from 2006 to 2015, is returning to its roots by filming in Greater Manchester. BBC bosses have promised that the new series will explore the big issues facing teachers and students today. “Waterloo Road is the perfect lens through which to explore post-Covid Britain, from the perspective of those who have arguably been affected most: young people in education,” says Piers Wenger, the director of BBC Drama. “We’re thrilled to be returning to this brilliant format – its thrills and spills, unmissable characters and high drama – at a time when audiences across Britain need it most.” Casting details are under wraps for now, but with…

There’s more misery for Marlon this week, when struggling April points the finger of blame at him. April is horrified when Bob approaches Marlon to ask if he can see her, only to get warned off. She begins sobbing as the enormity of what’s happened takes a terrible toll, and when Marlon sees her distress, he rushes over to try to console her. But April reacts angrily –and tells Marlon that now he’s the one making her feel terrible! Will Marlon realise it’s truce time?…

IMPORTANT SIGNS… I have to give praise to Dolly-Rose Campbell with the sign language she is doing as Corrie’s Gemma. She delivers scene after scene effortlessly, and makes it look as though she has been doing it for years. Well done Corrie for covering such an important issue. Nicola, Redditch HOTEL MADNESS I’ve loved the Lassiters drama after the strike on Neighbours. I think we can all agree that it was funny to see Paul frazzled for once! He was definitely in the wrong for giving Harlow the promotion. Speaking of which, what a little madam Harlow is turning into – a Robinson through and through. Vikki We have been surprised by Harlow’s sassy attitude! GIRL GUIDANCE… So much has come out in the Cathy bullying April storyline in Emmerdale…

“Honey’s been in Walford 16 years, and she’s never been slapped before,” reveals EastEnders star Emma Barton, as we grill her about Honey finding herself on the receiving end of Suki’s palm this week. “To have another woman slap you in soap is pretty cool [laughs] – it’s quite a box ticked in terms of iconic moments. Scenes between the likes of Pat and Peggy, they always got the biggest gasps!” There’ll be gasps ringing out when Suki lashes out at Honey (see p23) – and so far, Honey has been far too nice for her own good! But as Emma explains, enough is enough now… How has Honey been dealing with Suki’s unpredictable behaviour? It’s really uncomfortable – Honey feels as though she’s walking on eggshells. She doesn’t know…

POISON PEN Gail was rattled when she thought she was receiving cards from her late serial killer husband Richard Hillman. But she was even more disturbed to discover they were being sent by her own son, merely to torment her! DEAD CRUEL In a piece of typically manipulative theatre, David faked his own death – writing a suicide note, and driving his car into the canal – just to wreck his sister’s wedding and cause mayhem for his family. STAIR-GATE David saw red after discovering that Gail had helped his girlfriend Tina end her pregnancy. Following a heated row, furious David pushed his interfering mother down the stairs, and she was fortunate to escape with her life.…

Denise’s Emmerdale character Joanie may be six feet under now, but her Corrie alter ego Denise is very much alive and kicking. So might she ever make a return to the cobbles? “I saw on social media recently that Denise had given Daniel £40,000 – she’s doing better than me!” laughs the actress. “Having seen Daniel as a man now, I could never understand why Denise didn’t go back; maybe we’ll find out, maybe we won’t. “Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel, was huge fun to work with,” adds Denise. “And god, he’s a good actor. I stayed with him when I was filming, and we had such a laugh together. If there was a need for Denise and the story was good, then I would love to go back.”…

There’s so many! Having worked with Barbara Knox [Rita] a bit, she tells stories about Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner, and she just sounds brilliant. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall back in those days! And Annie Kirkbride [Deirdre] too – she sounds like such an eccentric person! 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!…

Colin Jordan “The real Jordan was a fringe figure in politics,” explains Rory Kinnear. “But a figurehead of the British far-right, as leader of the National Socialist Movement.” Soly Malinovsky “Soly is principled and reckless, with a terribly short temper,” admits Eddie Marsan. “But his heart is in the right place. He’s more of a street fighter than an academic.” Nancy Malinovsky “Nancy is brave, fearless and clever,” declares Tracy-Ann Oberman. “She’s the brains behind the 62 Group and takes on the role of mentoring Vivien.” Jack Morris “Jack is a very passionate and determined guy,” insists Tom Varey. “He’s willing to die for a cause he believes in.” Liza Epstein “Liza is a typical Jewish housewife,” reckons Sam Spiro, of Vivien’s mother. “But through her daughter, she realises there’s…

As her fascinating tour of the Cotswolds reaches its final destination this week, poet Pam Ayres gives us chapter and verse on her favourite televisual treats… What was the last series you binge-watched? I really enjoyed a series on Netflix called Fauda – that was dynamite. It’s set in Israel and stars Lior Raz as an unlikely hero. There are three series, and I watched them all! What else have you enjoyed most recently? I’m enjoying Vigil, it’s quite tense. And Kate Winslet was absolutely marvellous in Mare Of Easttown. It was a good, believable story. I just thought it was wonderful. How about your favourite comedy shows? I think Peter Kay is exceptional, and Only Fools And Horses is fantastic. And more than anybody else, Billy Connolly has convulsed…

EASTENDERS Digging up the past! KIM IS ON THE TRAIL OF HER MISSING HUBBY, VINCENT… Kim is given a shock reminder of her estranged husband Vincent next week, and enlists Denise’s help to try to track him down! She’s sure he’s out there somewhere – Hollyoaks, perhaps? – and she’s determined to find him and bring him home. But what’s that we see across the Square? Is it a shifty look on Phil’s face? Of course, he knows what REALLY happened to Vincent, and he’s determined to keep the truth buried at all costs… EMMERDALE Grave concern Will is left with a serious dilemma next week, when murdered cop Malone comes back to haunt him! Can Will prevent the rotten detective’s body from finally being unearthed? CORRIE Jenny’s toy boy!…

Seeing Nina’s fragile mental state renews Kevin’s fears about Abi – and he vows to track her down! His search takes him to the Dog & Gun, where he meets Seb’s dad, Tez, who swears that he hasn’t seen or heard from Abi. But can Kevin really trust him? Corrie star Mike Le Vell tells us more... situations to try to find her and bring her home. Kevin is not someone who has ever found himself in this dark underbelly of society, he is out of his comfort zone and putting himself at risk. He goes as far as videoing Tez and trying to blackmail him – risky! How has Kevin been coping since Abi left? He is doing his best in a typical Kevin way, but he is quite…

Debbie isn’t the only enemy Zeedan finds himself up against this week – as his father-in-law Hashim rocks up unannounced in Weatherfield! Zee is clearly spooked when he arrives at the restaurant to find his gran talking to Hashim. We already know that the reason Zeedan returned to the cobbles with no prior warning is because he’d left his new wife, and he confessed to his shocked relatives that her father was threatening to kill him… So it’s no wonder that Hashim’s surprise arrival at the restaurant has Zeedan running scared. Soon, Hashim outlines exactly what he wants from his son-in-law – but is Zee willing to accept his punishment for messing with Hashim’s family? And what will it mean for Zeedan’s loved ones?…

Al’s offer to buy the Woolpack wins support from an unlikely source this week – Paddy! Despite detesting the slick businessman, Paddy is the one who pushes wife Chas and best mate Marlon to do a deal with the devil. It’s a massive U-turn, given that Paddy resorted to horse-doping to raise the cash so they wouldn’t need Al. But now he’s adamant that Chas and Paddy need to reconsider or face losing the business altogether. “Al has been blackmailing Paddy, and now he needs Paddy to help him win Chas and Marlon over,” muses our Emmerdale insider. “They all have history with Al, and they all despise him. But if they don’t take his money, there won’t be a pub to fight over, and none of them is willing…

Jenny tries to set up Daisy with new man Leo this week, but will her matchmaking attempts pay off? Daisy is outraged when Daniel turns her down for a date, so Jenny pushes Daisy to serve a handsome stranger in the pub. The stranger introduces himself as Leo, and Jenny chats with him hoping to get him interested in Daisy. But Daisy’s irritated by her meddling and still has her sights set on Daniel… Will Leo get the girl, or could Jenny’s attempts prove futile?…

It looks as if Faith’s drinking could be out of control this week, as she tries to self-medicate with alcohol. She’s struggling with the pain she’s experiencing due to arthritis, and uses drink to control her symptoms. Of course, the wayward woman has always been fond of a snifter or two, though she’s drinking a lot even by her standards. But with Chas consumed by issues at the Woolpack, will anyone notice that Faith’s boozing is getting out of hand?…

THE COTTONS’ BIG CON! It shocked us all when EastEnders’ Rocky revealed himself to be none other than Dotty’s secret uncle, Tom! And it’s safe to say that none of our readers saw this twist on the horizon… What on earth!? How can it be that Rocky is a Cotton and not Sonia’s dad? Something did seem a bit off about him from the start. But I’m not sure how Tom is related to Nick – wasn’t he supposedly an only child? Mike, Yorkshire his character. Serves me right for expecting one person to come into Albert Square and be genuine… Polly Well done to the EastEnders writing team for pulling this one out of the bag – no one cottoned on to that! It’s an epic twist. I wonder whether…

Star Emma admits that she’s enjoying having two men fighting over her character… “I don’t know where this story is going and whether Billy and Jay will ever bury the hatchet, but as long as we’re together, I don’t care!” she grins. “It’s good to play, and it’s good to watch!” “Perry [Fenwick, aka Billy] and Jamie [Borthwick, aka Jay] are the dream to work with, I adore them,” adds Emma. “They play off each other so brilliantly. I love being on set, it doesn’t even feel like work!”…

Eco-warrior Zara may be determined to save the world, but her mission to help her brother is failing this week as Luke’s dementia worsens. And Hollyoaks star Kelly Greenwood tells us that her character is doing her very best to stop the family from falling apart… “Zara really is the glue holding everyone together,” she explains. “I don’t think the extent of Luke’s illness has hit her yet because she’s trying to sort everyone else out. Zara’s always been the one who fixes things, so the realisation that she can’t fix Luke is heartbreaking.” Luke shocks his family by gambling his mum’s inheritance – then trying to kiss Ollie’s girlfriend, and being rude to Becky in the village! “The kiss is bad for Cindy because she’s Luke’s partner – but…

1 Max Factor Nailfinity Gel Nail Polish Red Carpet Ready Add a touch of glamour to your manicure with this high-shine, gel-like colour. 2 STARSKIN Red Carpet Ready Coconut Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Hydrating Face Mask Achieve flawless skin with this sheet mask soaked in plumping serum. 3 Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Secret Lash Tricks – Hollywood Red Carpet Lash Get an instant touch of Hollywood glamour with these false lashes. 4 Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red Lipstick Get show-stopping style in one swipe with this ruby red matte lipstick.…

DON’T… BREAK A LEG! Like Meena, mad Emma Barton honed her nursing skills to keep ex-hubby James captive after he broke his leg. Bonkers scenes followed, including Emma popping on her old wedding dress and feeding James chickens freshly slaughtered from their backyard! DO… PASS ON THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING! No one, least of all Ian Beale, would have suspected his oldest friend Sharon of slowly poisoning him. Yet in her mission to avenge son Denny’s tragic death, Shazza spiked Ian’s figgy pud – before mixing a deadly toxin into his spaghetti carbonara! DON’T… GET KIDNAPPED TWICE! Prison taught John Stape nothing after he was jailed for holding Rosie Webster hostage for five weeks in the attic of his grandmother’s house. Sometime later, he snatched Rosie again –…

There’s discord in the Walford chippy this week, when Martin decides he’s had it with Peter’s bullying management techniques. Ian’s son has been busy lording it over Martin ever since he took him on at Beale’s Plaice, and the fed-up bloke decides he has, well… other fish to fry. He’s incensed by Peter’s heavy-handed management style and starts slagging him off to friend Zack. But when Zack, in typical style, takes matters into his own hands, things reach boiling point. “It looks as though the Beale genes didn’t skip generations – Peter has gone full Ian!” laughs our insider. “Like his father, Peter is about to be brought down a peg or two by those he’s mistreating. He should just count himself lucky that Zack is taking it out on…

Sienna struggles to work through her grief this week, in the wake of Brody’s horrifying death – and it’s not long before she has one of her classic Sienna meltdowns! The situation is made worse as Damon and Sienna clash over funeral plans; before Sienna goes to work and makes a mistake that could end up jeopardising her teaching career. Anna Passey (Sienna) gives us the lowdown… Hi, Anna! How is Sienna coping in the run-up to Brody’s funeral? As well as can be expected – badly. Brody was a huge part of her life, he was her stability and Sienna doesn’t know how to operate without him. She’s trying to distract herself by proving Summer’s guilt, and now planning the funeral. Why are Damon and Sienna not getting along?…

Tori and Christian are at loggerheads over their wedding venue this week, and some drunk online shopping doesn’t help the situation either! After their first failed wedding attempt, Tori and Christian still can’t decide where to hold their nuptials this time around. Still struggling to make a choice, the couple decide to drink their troubles away – and Justin and Leah return home to find Tori and Christian glugging wine and ordering things for their wedding online! When the couple wake up with a hangover, they discover what they’ve ordered – a chocolate fountain and a huge cheese-tiered wedding cake! Justin quickly makes his excuses to leave the house while Tori and Christian sort out their new mess… Will the pair of them manage to call off the orders in…

FAIR CITY Carol and Tommy are alarmed by Zak’s plan to escape Ritchie’s grasp this week. Meanwhile, Cleo makes her feelings about playing happy families with the Collinses very clear – but Anto asks for another chance! Plus, Junior catches Orla and Paul together. RIVER CITY Maggie meets her abusive brother this week, but he’s there to plead for her forgiveness and drop a bombshell… Elsewhere, Bob tries to play matchmaker between Angus and Rebecca. And the aftermath of Cameron’s betrayal affects Eve. THE ARCHERS Beth is keen to make a good impression on Jill’s birthday this week, though Josh is scheming in the wings! Meanwhile, Brian is confronted with the truth from Stella – but can he put his pride aside? Finally, Lilian hears a worrying rumour at Home…

Remember when little Max Turner used to be a sweet-natured blonde angel who everyone doted upon? Well, those days are well and truly done! It’s looking like teenage Max has far more in common with wild child mum Kylie and wicked dad Callum, and stepdad David is just starting to realise that he has his hands full. Mind you, some might say this is karma after the hell David himself gave Gail over the years! We caught up with Corrie favourite Jack P Shepherd to get the inside story… “It’s going to be interesting to play the other side of this,” laughs Jack, who recently filmed a series of night shoots for a big storyline that’s coming up this winter. “David can see a bit of himself in Max. Their…

Louise Appleton In like Flynn, Rodney started dating glamorous barmaid Louise almost the moment he arrived in the village. But their relationship fell apart after two-timer Rodders bedded Diane! Val Lambert Rodney had cheated on Diane with her sister and was shocked to discover he was the father of Val’s son, Paul! He and Val rekindled things, yet he ditched her again for Diane. Lesley Meredith Lesley was delighted when they spent the night together! But Rodney didn’t feel the same, and ended up dumping her for Kelly Windsor – despite her habit of dressing as a chicken. Anyone paying When Rodney signed up to an escort agency in order to earn some extra cash, he proved wildly popular – with one client, Veronica, even offering to pay double! Misty…

There aren’t many actors who get to put one long-running soap role on their CV, let alone two! So the fact that Denise Black has been in both Corrie (as Denise Osbourne from 1992 to 2017) and Emmerdale (in which she played Joanie Dingle for two years) is a huge achievement. Yet she’s the first to admit that her characters weren’t always the most popular with viewers… “They both made bad choices, didn’t they?” ponders Denise. “However, it’s funny how sometimes the public loves you for it, and sometimes they hate you for it! A lot of people felt that Joanie shouldn’t have been mucking around with the Dingles’ marriage, and with Denise… I’m sorry, but if you sleep with royalty, you must die! “Denise was very flawed; but I…

Inspired by real-life events – and based on the acclaimed novel by Jo Bloom – this four-part drama is the story of Vivien Epstein: a young Jewish woman from Manchester who follows her first love, Jack, to the East End of London in 1962. There she finds him embroiled with the anti-fascist ‘62 Group’, working undercover in the ultra right-wing National Socialist Movement, led by the neo-Nazi Colin Jordan. After Vivien finds work in a Soho hair salon, she is herself soon involved with the 62 Group – a genuine organisation created in response to anti-Semitic attacks – run by her strong-willed aunt and uncle. With an all-star cast including former EastEnders favourites Tamzin Outhwaite and Tracy-Ann Oberman, Ridley Road is a Sunday night must-see. Here, star Agnes O’Casey, who…

As a third series of the brash comedy Brassic kicks off this week, Vinnie is finally out of prison, doing his best to lie low – until Farmer Jim comes knocking with a highly lucrative proposition. Here, Michelle Keegan, who plays Vinnie’s pal Erin, reveals how her character ends up arrested… “She’s totally out of her depth; she’s never dealt with that,” shares the star. “She’s always been the good one, telling people what’s wrong and what’s right. Now, she’s ended up where she didn’t want to be. The first series, she was trying to get away from this lifestyle; second series she was dragged back into it, this series she’s right at the heart of the drama!” Drama indeed – as in one action-packed scene, Erin finds herself involved…

DVD VERA – SERIES 11 DCI Vera Stanhope again leads her diligent team of detectives as they investigate six complex crimes in two episodes. Whether crossing the Tyne on the trail of a murderer, or braving the stark natural beauty of Northumberland National Park to follow in the footsteps of an unfortunate victim, Vera brings her usual brand of searing insight and wit to these compulsive mysteries. Starring Brenda Blethyn. DVD BLACKLIST – SERIES EIGHT Raymond Reddington and Elizabeth Keen face off against their most daunting enemy yet: each other. After their fall out, Liz teams up with her mother, the infamous Russian spy Katarina Rostova, while Red and the Task Force are left to grapple with the implications of Liz’s actions… BOOK THE COUPLE AT NO.9 by Claire…

BULLSEYE! We were blown away by Freda’s passionate defence of deaf culture this week. Corrie has done a stunning job of dismantling prejudice and showcasing the richness of life experience in the deaf community. At the heart of it all is Ali Briggs as Freda, who turned in a raw and emotional performance. We demand she moves to Weatherfield full-time, because we want to know more. Couldn’t Rainie have pulled some photos off Facebook for her flyers? Though bonus points for Max’s carrot-topped clip-art baby. Todd left a voice message for Freda. We’ll say that again. Todd left a voice message for his deaf client, Freda. What a twonk. “I don’t know how much more I can take!” wailed Chas on her ongoing pub misery. We feel exactly the same,…