Table of contents for 9 - 2022 in Inside Soap UK

“Like a stress toy you can squish to nothing” Corrie’s Abi Webster – whose tumultuous life we chart on p10 – is a pedigree example of a special breed of soap character: the woman at which you can throw absolutely anything, yet still comes out fighting… eventually. The soaps can play any kind of tragic plot with the likes of Abi – or Emmerdale’s Charity or EastEnders’ Sharon – and somehow they return stronger than ever; like one of those stress toys you can squish to nothing, but still pops back with a patient smile on its face. Soap writers love to torture these women, and the actresses always rise to the opportunity, which is why they’re often poached by the big telly dramas. (Something I hope doesn’t happen to…

MAY 18 Abi lands a job at the garage, and moves into Eileen’s house while she’s away. SEPT 18 Tipsy Abi snogs Steve – who’s married to her mate, Tracy! NOV 18 After taking the rap for Seb’s crime, Abi is sent to prison for vandalising Preston’s Petals. JAN 19 She’s released from prison, and moves in with former cellmate Sally. MAR 19 Abi embarks on a romance with fellow addict Peter Barlow – but he’s still in love with Carla! OCT 19 Food fight! Furious Abi tips spag Bol over Sal. JULY 20 Her twins Lexi and Charlie move to Australia, leaving Abi devastated. AUG 20 Abi’s left fighting for her life after being crushed by a car, and is tempted to take morphine. SEPT 20 Furious Abi discovers…

So over it! While the Dingles continue to feel Aaron’s absence, former village star Danny Miller has no regrets about leaving. “I think it was time for a change,” explains the actor. “I’m not sure if the character was a bit tired.” Casualty crushed! Disaster will strike for the BBC medical drama in the coming weeks when the roof caves in on the ED! Dylan is closest to the impact – but will anyone else be hurt? Welcome to Chester! Two fresh faces are poised to cause a stir in Hollyoaks. While sparks fly between Misbah and newcomer Zain ( Jonas Khan), village detective Zoe ( Garcia Brown) will solve crimes by day before coming out to party at night……

Smitten Ethan makes a last-ditch attempt to get Marcus to stay in the village this week – but can he convince him not to leave? Once Pierce’s will-reading is over and done with, Marcus can see no other reason to hang around in Emmerdale. So, keen to persuade him to stay in the village a bit longer, Ethan asks Marcus out on another date… “The two of them have been enjoying a flirtation, and Ethan really hoped it would lead to something more,” explains our Dales spy. “The lawyer hasn’t had much luck in love since arriving in the village, and he really thinks that Marcus could be the one to turn things around. But does Marcus feel the same way?” Poor Ethan is disappointed when Marcus turns down his…

There’s another new face in Corrie this week, as Jack P Shepherd takes over the role of David Platt from Thomas Ormson. With Sarah’s pregnancy under way, it was the perfect time for David to take centre stage – where Jack remains to this day. HARD TIMES While Streetcars will enter into Corrie lore, Danny and Sally’s hardware store, which opens this week, is sadly long forgotten. It turned out mix-ups over a two-by-four order didn’t have quite the same dramatic or humorous potential for the show as a busy cab firm. It won’t be long before the residents are back down B&Q.…

There’s nothing in soapland as pure as the romance between Dana Monroe and Bobby Beale. This adorable duo is meant to be – if only their families would let them be. Of course, the path of true love never did run smooth, and that suits EastEnders star Barbara Smith just fine, because she’s having a ball as one half of Walford’s teen couple – and is delighted that viewers have taken Dana into their hearts, too. “It was a bit of a surprise to get this amazing reaction,” enthuses the actress, who joins us on a Friday afternoon after an early start on set. “I wasn’t sure what viewers were going to think of Bobby and Dana as a couple because she’s quite an unusual character for soapland. So, the…

Considering that Adam owns a solicitors’ firm, we rarely see him flexing his legal muscles in the Corrie courtroom – whereas his colleague Imran seems to tackle big cases, such as defending Yasmeen for her attack on Geoff, and more recently Kelly for the murder of Seb Franklin. So, is it time Adam took on his share of the workload? “Yeah, without a doubt!” laughs Sam. “I’ve never had any court scenes. To be fair, when I watch Charlie [De Melo, who plays Imran] and hear some of the monologues that he delivers, I don’t envy him at all. I get to pick up the pieces when Imran comes back to the office! From what I’ve been led to believe, though, there are going to be some changes for the…

“Every time I think they’ve done what they can with Ste, they throw in something new!” exclaims Kieron Richardson, as he passes the milestone of 16 years on Hollyoaks playing Ste Hay. “This story with Anna [Passey, aka Sienna] is the last thing I expected. We’ve known each other for 10 years now, and never really worked together. But with all this, I love the silliness, the freedom, and the fact that I get to go home smiling!” Kieron might be loving the dark humour on-screen, although Ste isn’t having the best time right now. With Ethan watching his every move, James struggling with grief and the cleaning business not bringing in money, Kieron tells us that Ste is a man on the edge… Hi, Kieron! Tell us a bit…

I think I’m A Celeb… would be good, but I’d be that person who screams at everything! I also love The Chase – me and my parents watch it all the time. Bradley Walsh is a favourite of mine, I love him! 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!…

This new series is a dramatised version of the real-life events that led to the Netflix mega-hit Tiger King. Inside TV provides the lowdown on this take on the infamous foes’ battle… Give us a recap, please… The eponymous duo are Joe Schreibvogel – aka Joe Exotic, also aka The Tiger King – and Carole Baskin, owners of rival animal parks in Oklahoma. The pair became locked in a bitter feud over the running of Joe’s G.W. Zoo, leading to a murder-for-hire plot against Carole, for which Joe was found guilty and imprisoned. So what’s this version? Joe Vs Carole is a scripted, eight-part adaptation of the 2020 podcast Tiger King: Joe Exotic, by American author Robert Moor, who spent time with the main protagonists. Who’s in it, then? Comic…

Facing off with Meena may be a traumatic ordeal for Charles, but Kevin tells us that his co-star Paige Sandhu was the perfect sparring partner for these scenes… “We were totally channelling Silence Of The Lambs – with me being Jodie Foster’s character, obviously!” chuckles the actor. “Right from reading the script, I couldn’t wait to film this. And it went better than expected, because Paige was just brilliant. “I love what Paige has done with Meena anyway, and these scenes just made me want to match her,” adds Kevin. “I’m really happy with what we’ve done, and I’m looking forward to the fans seeing it now. I’ve read ahead on what’s coming up – and it’s very exciting!”…

The brand-new series of Waterloo Road is set to look reassuringly familiar when it returns to BBC One this year – thanks to a star-studded line-up of former soap favourites! Bosses of the school drama have signed up three ex-Corrie stars and an old Emmerdale favourite to join original faces Angela Griffin and Adam Thomas for the new series. In the meantime, Inside Soap has managed to get hold of their report cards with all the details on who they’ll be playing… Kym Marsh Staff member: Nicky Walters Job title: Dinner lady Background: When canteen worker Nicky isn’t serving hot meals during the lunch hour, she’s a mum at home to pupils Preston and Tonya. Played by: Kym Marsh Soap connection: Ex-pop star Kym played Corrie’s Michelle Connor from 2006 to…

MICHAEL Tommy’s biological father, Michael, was a stone-cold wrong’un who took delight in making other people’s lives a misery. No stranger to scheming, violence and moral ambiguity, Michael would have murdered his wife Janine, if she hadn’t got to him first. DANNY Gun-toting madman Danny was always a bit unhinged, but he embraced his dark side after joining Johnny Allen’s crew. It ended up being the death of him, yet before he copped a bullet, Danny stabbed Dennis Rickman in public. ALFIE Alfie crossed the line from loveable rogue to villain when he set fire to his own house and knocked up Hayley Slater. His handling of the baby Cherry situation and violence towards the Slater women proved his downfall – and saw Alfie’s good guy rep destroyed forever……

“Maybe I clipped her lungs, or something. Are you drowning in your own fluids, Leyla babe? If you are, can you do it quieter? You’re ruining the vibe a bit.” That Leyla – so needy and attention-seeking. “I love Elsie, and I love you too. But the fact of the matter is, I cheated on you – and every day I’m half-expecting you to snap and throw me out.” Stop bringing it up then, for mercy’s sake! “I’ve been looking at my fertility app again, and I’ve been able to sync it with my work calendar, so I know my cycle and I know when I’m fertile.” Here at Inside Soap, we have a 15-minute window on a Friday, between sending an issue to press and starting the next one.…

FAIR CITY Orla tries to help Ruth this week, but realises she’s bitten off more than she can chew – and tensions between them only escalate! Elsewhere, Hayley continues to keep her hurt about Ger’s disappearance from Sharon. Plus, Jon asks Alex to work on one of his songs… RIVER CITY Bob’s hurt this week, as Roisin refuses to tell people they’re dating – so he is forced to show how serious he is about their relationship… Meanwhile, Lenny sets a trap to prove Karen is spying on him! Also, Caitlin spins a dangerous lie to protect Ellie. THE ARCHERS Rex enjoys playing the man of mystery this week, as Ambridge guesses his next move – but who’s ready for the truth when it’s revealed? Elsewhere, Neil is thrown when…

VALENTINE’S DAY HORROR! Dawn and Billy’s big day ended in disaster, when Meena returned to the village intent on revenge! And following her violent attack on the happy couple, our readers had a lot to say… Meena’s hijacking of the wedding limo was slightly predictable – but brilliant all the same! The one thing I didn’t see coming was Leyla getting caught in the crossfire, the poor woman. Abby, Hertfordshire I thoroughly enjoyed the stand-off between Meena, Dawn and Billy. But with two against one, and Billy actually having the gun at one point, I don’t understand why they didn’t overpower her, take her to the police, and then search for Lucas… Neil I know this isn’t the end of Meena’s reign in the village. But I do think it…

Plenty of actors have to learn about their character’s professions to play a role, but for Barbara, there’s no need. She worked as a waitress before landing her gig in EastEnders, and says Dana’s day job reminds her what a struggle that was. “I was easily the worst of the waitresses where I worked,” laughs Barbara. “I was terrible at it! Even when I’m doing a scene now where I’m carrying multiple plates on my arm, I’m struggling. It brings back all those memories. However, I like it because waitressing is a popular job for a 19-year-old, so it makes Dana more rooted in reality.” Another soap tradition is characters having unlikely friendships, and Barbara has a shock BFF for Dana! “I’d love to see Dana interact with Phil Mitchell…

There’s joy all around for the Paratas this week, as Ari and Mia get engaged! However, there’s not much time to celebrate, as the situation later turns ugly when Chloe’s father Matthew turns up… What happens next is set to have shocking consequences for Chloe, Mia and Ari. And Sam Barrett, who plays Chloe, tells us that it’s upsetting to see her character spiralling to such a dark place. “I’m sad for Chloe, because you get invested in your character and you want the best for them,” she shares. “But it’s exciting when you get a plot that’s so intricate, and playing that out was incredibly fun for me. It’s a complicated story with an unfortunate ending.” The week starts off on a high after Ari pops the question to…

I If you take pleasure from the profound joy of others, then Starwatch is the page for you this week, as we bring you a round up of the hottest soap date nights from the most romantic day of the year. It’s not that we’re nosey as such, it’s just nice to see a bit of happiness, isn’t it? The biggest smile must surely belong to Corrie’s Alexandra Mardell (Emma), brought out by a bunch of red roses from her handsome fiancé Joe Parker. Looking no less delighted was her co-star Jack P Shepherd (David), who was “spreading love across the city” with his partner Hanni  Treweek. How lovely! We hope they mopped up afterwards. With a similar vibe of “the cat that got the 51% controlling share of the…

Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle) Tommy’s only sister and widow of communist Freddie Thorne, with whom she has a son, Karl. Ada ended the previous series pregnant by intelligence officer Ben Younger, killed before he learned the news. Lizzie Shelby (Natasha O’Keeffe) Tommy’s former secretary and his second wife, mother of their daughter Ruby and stepmother to Tommy’s elder son, Charles. Michael Gray (Finn Cole) Polly’s manipulative son, whose disloyalty has prompted Tommy to banish him and wife Gina from the family. Gina Gray (Anya Taylor-Joy) Michael’s scheming wife, who returned to Birmingham with him after they met while he worked for the Shelby clan in the US. Captain Swing (Charlene McKenna) A formidable IRA boss, with a reputation Tommy respects.…

CORRIE Gary under pressure Sometimes we forget that Gary Windass is a cold-blooded killer. The way he’s taken in homeless Kelly and is looking after her is truly heart-warming – or it would be, if he hadn’t battered her dad Rick to death and buried him in the woods! Gary’s even managed to convince himself that he’s the good guy; yet next week, his actions come back to haunt him when the subject of Rick’s whereabouts crops up again. Can Gary cover his tracks? EASTENDERS Welcome home? After months of misery, Chelsea finally gets some good news next week, when she’s told that she can bring home her tiny son Jordan from hospital. But will all go to plan? EMMERDALE Fresh horror Manpreet firmly believes that she’s put the nightmare…

Linda moves to officially end her marriage to Mick this week, when she serves him with divorce papers. Although he’s accepted that it’s over, heartbroken Mick is stung when the official paperwork arrives. Instead of talking about it, though, Mick throws himself into last-minute training for the charity boxing match he’ll be fighting, scaring his loved ones. Neither Shirley nor Janine think it’s a good idea, and they’re worried sick that Mick will get battered. So, they both try to find ways to put a stop to it… “Mick is going head-to-head with a real bruiser – and it ain’t looking good for him,” says our sneak. “Shirley is so desperate to put an end to it that she even tries to flirt his opponent into submission. When that doesn’t…

Guilt-riddled Abi sets off on a path of self-destruction this week – and threatens to ruin Toyah and Imran’s engagement celebration! The recovering addict is in the depths of despair, having been ditched by hubby Kevin after he discovered that she cheated on him. She’s lied to Kev that she slept with her ex, Tez – but as her life falls apart, will Abi be tempted to drop love rat Imran right in it? “Abi’s been to some dark places in her life; but right now, she’s at rock bottom,” reveals our Coronation Street insider. “She’s lost everything – Seb, Kevin, Jack, and it looks as though she’s about to lose her job and her home, too. Meanwhile, Imran seems to be getting away with their dalliance scot-free – it…

Neighbours bosses have lured back their first legend to play a part in the show’s finale ahead of its axing this summer. Reports state that 83-year-old Ian Smith – who played fan favourite Harold Bishop – has already started filming, while rumours swirl over whether Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue will reprise their iconic roles as Scott and Charlene. Meanwhile, former Erinsborough favourite Natalie Imbruglia – who recently won as Panda in The Masked Singer – is open to returning as Beth Willis, mum of current character Ned. See p98 for who Inside Soap would love to see back……

We make no secret of our appreciation for Adam Barlow here at Inside Soap. In fact, the banter in the office currently is how surprised we are that his Fatal Attraction stalker isn’t a member of our editorial team! Joking aside, the swift unravelling of Adam and Sarah’s marriage thanks to scheming Lydia hasn’t been nice to see – and we wholeheartedly sympathise with star Sam Robertson, as he tells us how gutted he is to watch his telly marriage falling apart… “Adam has no idea of the impact he’s had on this girl’s life…” “It’s been tough on myself and Tina [O’Brien, aka Sarah] to go from playing the fun side of Adam and Sarah’s relationship to them being at each other’s throats!” exclaims the star, as he joins…

Here at Inside Soap, we’re used to actors telling us how much they love filming stunts – so it’s refreshing to hear Roxy admit that she was happy to take a backseat and let the professionals do their thing… “I’d like to say I did my own stunts, but that wouldn’t be true!” she chuckles. “I couldn’t do anything adventurous. I was quite scared of the actual stunt and being shot, so I was very grateful that I had a stunt double who was very good at her job and dealt with that stuff. I just did the things either side of it, I was lucky.” And Roxy also tells us that she didn’t tune in to watch the dramatic week unfold on screen… “I never watch myself,” she confesses.…

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Aunt Polly – the unofficial head of the family – has always been a popular Peaky character. However, with the passing of actress Helen McCrory last year, both she and Polly are greatly missed as the series returns… “Helen projected so much joy in that character,” shares executive producer Jamie Glazebrook. “Polly was actually very vulnerable. It’s that vulnerability that makes those moments where she is kick-ass so incredibly exciting and joyful. You can see why viewers just embraced her so much.”…

After the emotional ending to series three, in which former agent Eve Polastri and assassin Villanelle met on London’s Tower Bridge to seemingly go their separate ways, series four finds Eve out for revenge on the elusive ‘Twelve’, while Villanelle has become part of a church community. As we follow these wondrous women for the final time, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer – who play Eve and Villanelle respectively – reveal what we can expect… Hi, both! Tell us where we meet your characters in season four… Sandra Eve has come to a place of decisiveness and action. In some ways, what she’s been chasing hasn’t changed that much, but her attitude towards it has. She’s not scared of it any more. Jodie Villanelle is done with the rigmarole of…

CASUALTY Matthew Afolami..................... Osi Okerafor Sah Brockner....................... Arin Smethurst Faith Cadogan....................... Kirsty Mitchell Iain Dean....................... Michael Stevenson Charlie Fairhead............... Derek Thompson Teddy Gowan............................ Milo Clarke Ethan Hardy..................... George Rainsford David Hide................................. Jason Durr Jan Jenning................................ Di Botcher Dylan Keogh............................ William Beck Marty Kirkby................. Shaheen Jafargholi Rashid ‘Rash’ Masum.............. Neet Mohan Jacob Masters........................ Charles Venn Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Stevie Nash.......................... Elinor Lawless CORONATION STREET Aadi Alahan.......................... Adam Hussain Asha Alahan......................... Tanisha Gorey Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Aggie Bailey.......................... Lorna Laidlaw Edison Bailey......... Trevor Michael Georges James Bailey...................... Nathan Graham Michael Bailey........................ Ryan Russell Ronnie Bailey......................... Vinta Morgan Adam Barlow.................. Samuel Robertson Carla Barlow.............................. Alison King Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Sarah Barlow............................ Tina O’Brien Simon Barlow............................... Alex Bain Leanne Battersby.................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby.................... Georgia Taylor Sam…

BULLSEYE! As Neighbours fans pin their hopes on Kylie and Jason’s comeback for the finale, we’re putting in an early bid for the Erinsborough power couple that have lived in their shadow since 1988. Plain Jane Superbrain and Mike Young gave us the most touching partnership; as the nerd won the heart of the hunk. And with Annie Jones having already returned, how can Guy Pearce refuse? Steve should give Jacob a chance. There was a time when Steve was auditioning to be drug dealer Jez Quigley’s right-hand-man – yet he managed to turn over a new leaf! Stacey’s baps are on offer for a very reasonable price. You can get your hands on them for less than £2. Emmerdale’s big week, you say? Little Lucas stole the show eight…