Содержание выпуска: 34 - 2020 — Inside Soap UK

There’s a sad moment in this week’s Emmerdale, when we discover that Annie Sugden has passed away. Annie was the original matriarch of Emmerdale (or Emmerdale Farm as it was back then, for those of you, like myself, of a more mature vintage), so this really is the end of an era. “Annie was the Dales’ original matriarch!” I often think there are certain soap characters who should live on forever, somewhere off screen – I like to believe Corrie’s Hilda is still brandishing a mop and singing away somewhere in Derbyshire – but in Annie’s case, it’s a little different. While she hasn’t been a regular in the show since the 90s, Annie has always been a presence, often referred to and visited by her family who still live…

It’s not just Peter who’s watching Abi’s every move this week, as she comes under intense scrutiny from Debbie Webster! Kevin’s sister is back in town – as actress Sue Devaney reprises the role of Debbie – and there is certainly no love lost between her and Abi following their strained first meeting last year… Welcome back, Sue! What does Debbie make of Abi as they clash again this week? I think that if Kevin is happy, Debbie’s happy – but she doesn’t want him to make a fool of himself again. I don’t think Debbie dislikes Abi, although she doesn’t reckon that she is very sincere. Will Debbie intervene if she thinks Abi’s behaviour is putting Kevin and Jack at risk? Absolutely! If Abi crosses Kevin, Debbie will say,…

Erinsborough bosses have replaced the actor playing Pierce Greyson at short notice, due to Covid-19. Star Tim Robards – who has played the tycoon since 2018 – was set to film Pierce’s exit in Melbourne next month. Yet thanks to enhanced restrictions in the Aussie city, Tim jetted home to Sydney, ahead of a potential travel ban, to be with his pregnant wife Anna. Stepping into the role is Don Hany, whose other half, Alin Sumarwata, played Vanessa Villante from 2011 to 2013. Don will appear on UK screens from 13 November.…

Alya finally has something to smile about this week, after hearing that Yasmeen’s heart operation has been a success. And when she later bumps into Geoff in the Street, Alya can’t help but gloat to him – informing the weasel that her gran will soon be well enough to clear her name! Yasmeen has been gravely ill in hospital for the past few weeks, after suffering a heart attack on the day her trial was supposed to start. So when Alya receives a call from her gran, who informs her that her heart surgery went well and she’s making good progress, Alya is overjoyed. In fact, after she hangs up the phone, Alya tells her boyfriend Ryan that Yasmeen sounds like a new woman! Alya is clearly delighted about her…

Chris & Charity Chris scandalised the entire village by making his call girl Charity Dingle the next Mrs Tate. Nobody could believe it when the super-rich businessman went public with his sex-worker lover, then put a ring on her finger. However, Chris was so smitten that he couldn’t care less. Stuart & Rainie Stuart wasn’t put off by Rainie’s sex-worker past – even when he was forced to save her from a violent punter. Desperate for cash, Rainie offered sex for money, but was rescued from an attack by Stuart. Not only did he declare his love for her, but now this devoted duo are engaged. Jai & Nell Curtains twitched when Jai Sharma shacked up with sex worker Nell Archer. They met at a Narcotics Anonymous session and struck…

ESSIE’S TRAGIC GOODBYE Holby City went off air with one of its most tragic episodes to date, as Essie succumbed to her cancer – just as she was about to wed soulmate Sacha! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house… Oh, my goodness, that was one of the saddest episodes of Holby City I have even seen. Poor Essie! She’s had such a tragic time on the show, and for it to end like this is utterly heartbreaking. I will miss actress Kaye Wragg – she just made Esssie so watchable. Nathan What are the Holby writers trying to do to the viewers? Giving Essie cancer again, after she’d beaten it the first time, was really awful. But killing her off on her way to her wedding to Sacha…

Like the rest of us, Daniel spent lots of time away from the people he loves during lockdown. Followers of the Corrie cast on Twitter will have enjoyed the pictures of ‘Dan’s Bar’ – a virtual hangout for Daniel and co-stars Julia Goulding (Shona), Sue Cleaver (Eileen), and their friends. But once lockdown eased, the group started attending ‘Sue’s Socially Distanced Bistro’ instead. “The first time we met up in the garden, I cried like a baby!” confesses Daniel. “It was so nice to see my friends, even if we had to keep a distance. Sadly, we’ve had to stop it since Manchester went back into lockdown.” Daniel is still missing his family as he’s not yet been able to meet up with them – but he says that when…

There’s a real treat for EastEnders fans this week, as we have a double dose of behind-the-scenes show, Secrets From The Square! Monday’s instalment brings us Linda Henry and Luisa Bradshaw-White, aka Shirley and Tina, while Tuesday focuses on the Atkins family: Jessica (Chantelle), Toby-Alexander Smith (Gray) and Karen, played by Lorraine Stanley. And Jessica tells us that she was thrilled to finally be stepping back on set to film this special episode… “Coming back on set was surreal,” she grins. “It was the first time I’d seen my co-workers in so long, so it was so nice to see everyone. And of course meeting presenter Stacey Dooley was a highlight, I’ve had a bit of a girl crush on her, too!” Jessica and Toby are two of the newest…

Anna is dating former cast mate Kyle Pryor (Laurie Shelby), and tells us that life with the ex-Home and Away actor has led to her learning a new skill… “Kyle’s favourite thing to do is surf!” she tells us. “One day, the doorbell rang and there was a surfboard waiting for me, so I realised I had to properly learn how to do it! It’s quite a commitment – however, it’s really addictive. It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally at a point where I’m competent and know what I’m doing. It’s a lot of fun!” Anna also reveals the pair’s love of travelling often includes a trip to the beach to ride the waves. “We had planned a surfing trip to Portugal, which got cancelled due to Covid,”…

Former EastEnder Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell) turned 83 recently – and the stars were queuing up to wish her a “Happy birthday”! Pals including Emma Barton (Honey), Ross Kemp (Grant Mitchell), Lacey Turner (Stacey) and Kellie Shirley (Carly Wicks) sent messages to their beloved Bar online, paying tribute to their “Wonder Woman”. Babs’ birthday comes shortly after her husband Scott Mitchell revealed he’d made the tough decision to move his wife into a nursing home, where she could receive expert care for Alzheimer’s. Lots of love from Inside Soap, Babs!…

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CELEBRITY KARAOKE CLUB A group of 13 celebrities are set to show off their vocal skills, and they’ll need to impress each other, as every singer is a judge too! Celebrity Karaoke Club comes to ITV2 later this autumn. GOOD WITH WOOD Some of the most talented woodworkers in the United Kingdom will have the chance to show off their skills in a new six-part factual entertainment show, coming soon to Channel 4. Good With Wood will be presented by Mel Giedroyc, who is looking forward to seeing how the contestants will create their innovative wooden structures. Each episode will require the hopefuls to undertake a ‘Big Build’, and expert judges will scrutinise their designs, techniques and skills. McDONALD & DODDS Following the success of the first two episodes of…

CINEMA BABYTEETH When seriously ill teen Milla falls in love with small-time drug dealer Moses, it’s her parents’ worse nightmare! As Milla’s brush with love brings her a new lust for life, she soon shows everyone she knows how to love as if you have nothing to lose! What might have been a disaster for the Finlay family instead leads to embracing the chaos of life… DVD COME AS YOU ARE Three young men with disabilities flee their overbearing parents for a road trip to a brothel in Montreal, which caters to people with disabilities – as they try to lose their virginity and embrace their independence. Starring Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, Ravi Patel. BOOK THE LIES YOU TOLD by Harriet Tyce Sadie moves back to London so her…

BULLSEYE! Fancy finding out that your sister is your mum, her son is your brother, and that he raped your wife… all in the same breath. It’s amazing that 2014’s Mick Carter has come as far as he has without needing a straitjacket. The EastEnders Christmas rota means that the Carters are due their turn to anchor proceedings again this year. We can’t wait. We’ve missed Mick most of all! Adam, Sarah and Gary are just one step away from appearing on an ITV daytime talk show. Corrie’s post-lockdown transformations are a whole vibe. Looking good, champs! It’s a shame that Leyla’s accidental date turned out to be such a jerk. He had the look of a “long lost Barton” about him. We were delighted with this eyeful of Chesney.…

Cobbles star Chris Gascoyne, aka Peter, will be taking his work home with him over the coming weeks, now that his spouse of 18 years, Caroline Harding, has bagged a role on Coronation Street! Fans of Peter’s romance with Carla needn’t worry, though, as Chris and Caroline won’t be cuddling up on screen as well as off. Instead, the actress is to play a doctor, who will care for little Oliver as part of his on-going battle with mitochondrial disease… “Guest character Dr Howarth will support Oliver and parents Leanne and Steve as they continue to navigate their son’s diagnosis,” shares our Weatherfield insider. “Oliver’s condition is going to need very close monitoring, and Steve and Leanne will want to feel reassured that his medical team are doing everything they…

Corrie on tap! Streaming service BritBox will mark the Street’s 60th anniversary later this year, with a collection of classic episodes and documentaries available to view from November. Best of frenemies? Emmerdale’s Leyla takes pity on stalker Gabby by giving her a job, but star Roxy Shahidi (aka Leyla) says their friendship will take a strange twist. “It will go in a direction you won’t expect,” teases the actress. When Angelo Rosetta returns to the Bay for the first time in nine years, he won’t be alone. The cop will be joined by his wife, Taylor, played by Annabelle Stephenson. Partners in crime…

Nate is torn between his head and his heart this week, as his indecision over Jamie’s secret is driven by his commitment to provide for pregnant Tracy. Jamie offers Nate his job back at Wylies Farm, plus a chunky bonus if he agrees to keep quiet about what he knows. Will his promise to do right by Tracy result in Nate accepting Jamie’s bribe? “Having job security and a steady income is exactly what Nate needs right now, after agreeing with Tracy that they’re going to be a family,” explains our Dales insider. “Jamie’s offer is actually very tempting, as Nate really can’t afford to be out of work at such an important time.” As Tracy’s 12-week scan approaches, she unwittingly piles the pressure on Nate to try harder in…

Overworked Noel makes a potentially fatal mistake this week – but will it prompt his superiors to hire additional help on reception? Noel is already stretched, and has been begging Connie for weeks to advertise for more staff. Nevertheless, with funding unavailable, the receptionist is forced to paint on a smile and solider on alone… So when a patient named Terri attends the hospital with a head injury, and engages in a bit of flirty banter with Noel, he’s appreciative to chat to someone who’s not moaning at him for a change! However, as he later notices that Terri has gone home, due to the length of waiting times at the ED, he realises that he should have made it clearer to her that she was a priority patient who…

ORDINARY JOE? While watching this week’s Hollyoaks@25, I’m sure I recognised the actor who played student Joe. Has he been in another soap since then? Lilia, Nantwich Joe was played by actor Matt Milburn, who now has a recurring role in Corrie as Weatherfield County striker Tommy Orpington. He’s also the real-life brother of Greg Wood, aka Corrie loan shark Rick Neelan! DEAN SENT DOWN? After seeing the most recent iconic episode of EastEnders, it got me thinking – what happened to Dean in the end? Did he pay for what he did to Linda? Pollyanna Sadly Dean never faced trial for raping Linda – it wasn’t until he attempted to rape his then-fiancée Roxy  that he was arrested.  Shirley urged her son to plead guilty, but he continued to…

“Ada [Nicodemou, aka Leah] and I share a dressing room, she’s in my little bubble – actually, most of the cast are in the same bubble!” chuckles Summer Bay matriarch Lynne McGranger (Irene), as we ask her how filming is going in the current situation. “It’s a bit stricter with filming, and I haven’t quite worked out how people are managing to film kissing scenes yet!” she admits. “But it’s just a matter of being sensible, which we all are.” The last time we spoke to Lynne, Irene was heading to court after almost killing Bella’s stalker, Tommy. Following an awful ordeal, Irene was released – and since then, she’s been back running the Diner where she belongs. Now, Irene has her hands full with Jasmine, whose behaviour has become…

It’s lovely to see how the stars get along in real-life – but while Jess is joined by screen-mum Lorraine for this week’s show, there’s one person missing from the line up: her screen dad, Roger Griffiths (Mitch). And Jess assures us that they have a much better relationship off screen than on… “Roger finds a way to connect with your character,” she reveals. “He waits until shooting to add colour to lines, in terms of seeing what the other actor does, and he’ll react to that. It really helps, as you have to be present, and let the other person’s feelings and emotions affect you. He’s great.”…

The casting of Emmerdale’s Luke Posner will have been no easy task. Bosses had to strike just the right note when pitching the character to the show’s core audience, knowing that he would go on to romance Victoria after she was brutally raped by his brother, Lee. Luke had to be the complete opposite of his vicious sibling. He had to be kind, he had to gentle and, most of all, he had to be willing to take no for an answer. Fortunately, the choice of Max Parker for the role has paid off, with the majority of viewers desperate for Luke and Victoria to be happy. But will Lee’s ghost always be there to haunt them? Star Max is keen to rattle the skeletons in the Posner family closet……

CORRIE The rocky road back! CAN DAVID GET TO KNOW THE ‘NEW’ SHONA? David knows he has to take his reunion with Shona slowly, as she tries to reconnect with him – and her life in Weatherfield. However, the Shona he’s presented with now is a changed woman, and she might never be the same again. The pair head out next week, with David buoyed by the fact that they’re spending time together and getting along. But will Shona’s unpredictable behaviour put a spanner in the works for the reunited lovebirds? EMMERDALE Cooking up trouble! With the new restaurant at the HOP finding its feet, Marlon’s nose is put a little out of joint next week – however, will the Woolpack chef end up making a foolish mistake? HOME AND…

Peter and Abi set sail for romance at the beginning of 2019, as she helped him fix up an old boat that he planned to sail around the world. The spark between the recovering addicts was instant, as they shared some cosy nightcaps below deck. However, Peter soon found himself drifting into unchartered waters after Abi made it clear that she’d fallen for him hook, line and sinker – offering to accompany him on his travels and be his first mate. Abi’s heart sank, though, when Peter later poured cold water on the idea, spelling the end of their fling. Worse, he accused her of setting fire to his ship in revenge – a blaze that was actually perpetrated by Roy while he was sleepwalking. Harsh!…

Bradley Johnson (Vinny) reckons that his character and the object of his desire, Liv, would be a great match – if only his mum would back off! “I want them to go on a date without Mandy breathing down their necks!” he laughs. “She needs to give them a chance together. They are well-matched because they both have older role models in Mandy and Aaron. Liv is wise and sensible, which is attractive to Vinny because being around Mandy made him mature too. It’s a perfect match!” Meanwhile, Bradley is all for Mandy and Paul getting back together… “I’d like us to be a family and move into Pollard’s place,” he laughs. “That barn looks like a massive party palace. I know Vinny hopes they can become a perfect family…

It won’t be long until we finally discover midwife Ruhma’s fate in Doctors after she was caught kissing a patient’s husband, now that the cast and crew has returned to set! Following in the footsteps of EastEnders and Holby City, BBC1’s daytime medical drama has resumed production, having been forced to down tools in March – with the exception of a special episode that aired in June, entirely self-shot by the cast on their mobile phones. Doctors will air again in late-2020.…

“Ben Shephard and I have such a connection. We’re talking bolts of lightning. Cupid would club him mercilessly over the head. I’ll always have to stay two metres away from the married father-of-two. I ain’t no homewrecker.” It’s one of those times when the Corrie writers decide to make Mary borderline insane. “My son will always have my back. I walk on water – whereas you just grow wrinklier and more boring by the day.” No one insults our Sally. He’s got to go! “I don’t suppose that it helps that your mum’s in Spain, either.” “I love you to the Red Rec and back.” Maria knows that’s not actually very far, right? “Oh good, no banging or hollering coming from the barn today. Paul’s a howler, in’t he?” “You…

“It’s obvious that Billy still cares deeply for Todd…” When Corrie recently announced it was bringing bad boy Todd Grimshaw home with a new actor in the role, Team Inside Soap was giddy with excitement. Not only have we been dying to know what happened since Todd made his shock exit three years ago, but we’re desperate to see if sparks still fly between him and former love Billy Mayhew. What’s more exciting is that Billy is loved up and playing happy families with new man Paul, who isn’t likely to take kindly to Todd’s penchant for mind games. So, no wonder star Daniel Brocklebank – who plays Billy – is bubbling with enthusiasm when we catch up with him for a chat on the very day Todd’s return is…

“I love it!” she enthuses. “Honestly, we’re so blessed on the show. We have wonderful young actors, and I love working with everyone. Sometimes I just feel as if the ones who come through the Beach House are my own kids! Gosh, if I go back over the years and think of all of the ones I’ve worked with, there’s not a single one of whom I’d say, ‘You picked the wrong profession’! “In the past, there were people I really didn’t enjoy working with – not mentioning names,” adds Lynne with a smile. “But over the past 10 years or so, we’ve been very lucky to have lovely actors.” But who will be the next person through the doors of her home? “Maybe John, if he doesn’t sort things…

Hollyoaks@25 reaches the end of its run this week, taking us back four years to 2016, with one of the show’s most spectacular stunts. It involved a funfair, a fire, and a furious showdown between two of the village’s most notorious serial killers – as Cameron Campbell lit a blaze that would do away with teen murderer, Nico Blake… or so we thought! We chatted to Hollyoaks star Anna Passey – who plays Nico’s mum Sienna, and hosts this special week of episodes – for a look back at the drama… Hi, Anna! How did you feel about journeying back to this week of episodes? I was really happy, because I loved that week, they were some of my favourite episodes of all those I’ve done on Hollyoaks. It went…

Fame isn’t always a good thing, as Dales stars Claire King (Kim) and Charley Webb (Debbie) can tell you! They’ve recently spoken out about the hurtful posts directed at them by trolls on social media – and how it’s driven them to delete their profiles. “I came off Twitter because some of the comments got very personal, and it’s always age-related,” Claire told OK! magazine recently. “I had messages calling me a ‘wizened old woman’. It’s cruel – but surprisingly, a lot of trolls were middle-aged women.” Meanwhile, her co-star Charley has also hit out about vicious criticism she’s received online regarding her parenting, after posting a picture of her son Bowie with his long hair. “Mainly I block it out, I’m not interested in what anyone else thinks,” she…

POP STAR In 1998, aged just 15, Billie became the youngest-ever artist to debut at No 1, with her rebellious track Because We Want To. It was the first of a handful of chart hits for the star, who returned to the top with Girlfriend and Day & Night. DJ’s WIFE Billie shocked many when she married broadcaster Chris Evans in a secret Las Vegas ceremony in 2001, after just six months of dating. She was only 18, while he was 35. Although the pair split five years later, they remain on good terms. SPACE GIRL Deciding to focus on an acting career, Billie’s TV break came when she was cast as Rose Tyler in the BBC’s revival of Doctor Who in 2005, initially alongside Christopher Eccleston, and latterly David…