Inside Soap UK 3 - 2017

Debbie Dingle is back in the Dales this week, and we all know what that means... trouble! It’s amazing to think that Debbie has been in the show for 15 years, and all of them dramatic. Often child actors – Charley was 14 when she took on the part – flounder when the show takes them to adulthood. The solution normally sees the character heading off somewhere for a number of months, then returning with the new head of a more experienced actor on their shoulders. But Charley’s performance over the years has seen Debbie go from troubled child to even more troubled adult, and only made the character of Debbie more complex and fascinating. And with the return of Charity from jail last year, it means she, Cain and…

“IT’S VERY SAD - STEVE DOESN’T KNOW HOW HE CAN HELP MICHELLE…” Devastated Michelle and Steve face their worst nightmare this week, as they hold a funeral service for their baby son, Ruairi. It’s a horrid ordeal no parent should ever have to go through – hence why heartbroken Michelle finds herself teetering dangerously close to the edge of a high bridge just days before the ceremony, leaving Robert, who finds her there, fearing she is about to do something terrible… “Michelle is in a very dark place,” explains actress Kym Marsh, who plays the shattered mum. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing – she just walks and walks until she ends up alone on the bridge.” After miscarrying her precious little boy 23 weeks into her pregnancy, Michelle is…

As much as we adore Michelle and Steve as a couple, the chemistry between her and Robert has come as a welcome plot twist. But how do loyal fans of the McDonalds feel about Michelle potentially swapping her husband for a new Street fella? “It’s a mixture really, people do seem to like Michelle and Robert together,” reports Kym. “Having said that, everyone loves Steve and Michelle –and seem really worried that they’re going to split up!” As we well know, the chances of that happening look extremely likely if Michelle eventually finds out that Steve is the father of Leanne’s child… “After losing Ruairi, Leanne’s baby is of even bigger significance,” sighs Kym. “Whether or not Steve and Michelle are able to get through that when it comes out…

“THE SCENE WHEN WE FIRST SAW THE BABY WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING” Coronation Street screened what many viewers have described as its most emotional scenes ever last week, as long-time favourites Steve and Michelle tragically lost their baby son. With both Kym Marsh and Simon Gregson – who play the pair – having lost babies under similar circumstances, making the episodes has been especially poignant. The duo told us about filming the scenes and the good they hope the storyline will do… Kym, how did you feel when you were first approached to do this storyline? I was spoken to very early on by [Corrie series producer] Kate Oates, and she said in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t want to do it, then I wouldn’t have…

“Initially, I had a drink with Kym, and she talked through her story. This is Michelle’s story, played brilliantly by Kym, with a lot of her experience brought to it. And we did some other research as well – we watched documentaries, listened to podcasts, went on forums, read blogs, and pulled together all sorts of different experiences through that. “When we put it all together, I took the unusual step of showing Kym the storyline, which I don’t think I’ve ever done before. She read it beat by beat, before the writers had it to write the episodes. I just wanted to make sure that there were no surprises, and that this was what she wanted. “Kym will have recognised bits of herself in there, and there would have…

“DEBBIE’S LIFE IN FRANCE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN CHAOTIC - IT ALWAYS IS!” Debbie Dingle makes an explosive return to Emmerdale this week – with the police and some seriously dangerous thugs on her tail. Cain and Charity are stunned to see footage of their daughter on a crime television show, but it’s not long before she’s off their telly and stood right in front of them! As usual, Debbie is in dire straits and she needs the help of her devoted family. However, with the authorities and a group of scary criminals after her, what impact will her return have on the Dingles? “Debbie has got herself into big trouble!” reveals Charley Webb, who returns to the Dales to play her after a year of maternity…