Inside Soap UK 36 - 2018

The past is often an uncharted territory in soaps, and even if you think a character’s previous life has been all mapped out, the show will sometimes take that idea seriously off course! Take this week, for example. We thought we knew all about Charity’s chequered past – but little did we realise the real heartbreak behind her younger times. Turn the page to see if she’ll finally get closure on her horrific ordeal at the hands of Bails. Over on Corrie, there’s an agonising time for Liz as she comes face to face with the daughter she thought had died as a baby, mere hours after birth. It’s going to be an emotional watch, as Liz comes to terms with what she’s missed out on for the past 20-odd…

Emotions run high in the Dales this week, when Bails goes on trial for raping Charity. But as she anxiously prepares to give evidence against the vile cop, their son Ryan is taking matters into his own hands – and attacks his father! Hoping to save Charity the heartache of proving that Bails abused her for years, Ryan naively appeals to his dad to confess his crimes and plead guilty. However, as Bails still has no intention of doing so, Ryan can’t help but lash out – and throws a plank of wood at him! After Bails reports Ryan and he’s arrested for assault, could the fella’s well-meaning actions have cost Charity the justice she so desperately needs? “When Charity finds out that Ryan’s been arrested, she’s gobsmacked,” admits Emma…

Emma waxes lyrical about acting alongside her recent co-stars… “Rocky Marshall, who plays Bails, is brilliant!” she grins. “I love him so much. He’s a wonderful actor, and we’ve had a giggle working together. It’s funny when you know Rocky and what a gorgeous personality he has. He’s nothing like Bails, which just goes to show what a fine actor he is.” Since Charity came back into Ryan’s life, his adoptive mother Irene has struggled with their bond. But Emma hopes Ryan’s mums can find peace – allowing Eithne Browne, aka Irene, to return. “I hope Irene comes back for more as she’s a fabulous character,” she beams. “Eithne is incredible, strong and so good – she’s perfect as Irene!”…

Lusty Imran proves he loves living life on the edge this week – by bedding both Leanne and Toyah in the space of a few days! The naughty fella can’t resist when he’s given the offer of no-strings fun by both sisters, and winds up believing they are also cool with this bizarre arrangement. Why does he think that the Battersbys would agree to be two parts of the Street’s ickiest love triangle? “Imran hasn’t set out to have his cake and eat it!” laughs Charlie De Melo, who plays the sexy solicitor. “It’s like an Ealing farce because it all happens through miscommunication. There is a half-hearted attempt by Imran to establish some clarity between Leanne, Toyah and himself – yet both of them make it clear that they’re…

Imran’s behaviour towards women is pretty terrible right now – but in real life, Charlie can often be found campaigning for feminist causes. Alongside his girlfriend, former Corrie co-star Nicola Thorp (Nicola Rubinstein), Charlie has got involved in activism around women’s issues, politics and diversity – and he uses his Twitter account to highlight the initiatives he cares about. Recently, Nicola launched a campaign about period poverty in the hope of getting people to talk openly about menstruation using the hashtag #HonestPeriod – with Charlie encouraging his followers to talk more openly about periods as well. The pair also frequently discuss misogyny and the #MeToo movement. If you’d like to find out more information about Nicola’s activist work, follow her on Twitter at @Nicolathorp_ and Charlie on @CharlieDemelo.…

Rainie’s left reeling this week, when she finds out that Max has told Jack the truth about their marriage of convenience. Angry and hurt, she decides the time has come to move on from Walford – but will she lash out before doing so? Although Rainie and Max only got hitched to help their custody battle for baby Abi, the pair have become close. So after she finds out that he still sees their relationship as merely a business proposition, it cuts her to the very core… “Rainie thinks she could be the one to tame Max Branning” “The way Rainie sees it, things are going swimmingly between her and Max – and they’re starting to fall in love with each other,” reveals Tanya Franks, who plays her. “They’ve had…