Inside Soap UK 5 - 2020

Well, that was quite the shocker when Pierce’s craggy face loomed up on our tellies last week, and the nation realised he was the man who was going to end Graham’s life. Kudos to Emmerdale for delivering a fantastic twist. But the question is, how twisted has Pierce become? And what’s in store for Rhona now he’s back? “How twisted has Pierce become?” While it seems Pierce has gone classic soap pyscho (consider the evidence – he’s grown a beard, lost the abilty to use hair product and battered someone to death in cold blood), actor Jonathan Wrather tells us on p10 that things may be a little more complicated than that… And talking of shock returns, the lure of a lovely big slice of birthday cake (oh, and perhaps…

Wicked Geoff pulls an unforgivable stunt this week, leaving terrified Yasmeen shaken to the core… After the magician forces Yasmeen to take part in his ‘crushed in a box’ routine for a children’s birthday party, mortified Geoff blames Yasmeen when the trick doesn’t go to plan. So when the pair get home, he sadistically traps her for real – locking his wife in the box again while he heads off down the pub! The cruel irony of Yasmeen’s nightmare is that, on the same day, Alya wants to treat her grandma to a relaxing massage – until Geoff scuppers their plans by roping Yasmeen into being his magician’s assistant at Michael’s daughter’s party. “Geoff doesn’t want Yasmeen to spend time with Alya…” “Geoff doesn’t want Yasmeen to spend the day…

Hi, Shelley. What do you think Yasmeen saw in Geoff in the beginning? Yasmeen is like so many women of my age – she was alone, then this man walked into her life and began to take care of her. Geoff is charming, and he knows how to talk to women… We hear you met a survivor of coercive control. Has that helped you to play such a complex role? It really made me appreciate the care that has been taken here at Coronation Street to understand, and to let the time span play out properly. The lady I spoke to told me about her own experiences, which weren’t unlike Yasmeen’s. We also are in regular touch with charity Women’s Aid. What has the audience’s reaction been like? Many people…

There’s fresh hell for jailed Marlon this week, when his daughter April flees the village. Having been arrested for killing Graham, on the back of seemingly damning evidence, Marlon is already trapped in a living nightmare. But hearing that his daughter has run away pushes him over the edge – and he tries to break out of jail! “Marlon is in a terrible place,” sighs star Mark Charnock, who plays him. “So when news reaches him that April has run away, he loses his mind. It’s the worst possible scenario, as he can’t control the situation – and he just goes nuts. He starts fighting with a prison guard and is dragged back to his cell, screaming…” After being charged with Graham’s murder, Marlon is desperate to convince the police…

Can Cain keep Marlon from harm? Of all the Dingles, Marlon’s one of the least likely to have ended up in jail – but his clan is determined to support him every step of the way. And as Mandy launches a ‘Free Marlon’ campaign in the village, Cain steps up as his most vital prison mentor… “The Dingles swing right behind Marlon, and he’s touched by the campaign,” grins Mark. “When his friends and family visit him, they all perform different functions – and the purpose of Cain’s visit is to train him how to behave in there. Marlon’s not equipped for jail, but Cain has a bit of experience in that area! “Cain tells Marlon he has to toughen up, but he’s also very sweet to him. Marlon is…

In the days leading up to the much-anticipated reveal of who murdered Graham, Inside Soap was invited to a secret audience with the unnamed actor behind the killer character. A few hours prior to this clandestine meeting, we were given privileged access to watch the big reveal episode before anyone else – and as Rhona’s convicted rapist of an ex-husband Pierce loomed out of the darkness, we were knocked for six! While it’s of course a delight to come face to face with star Jonathan Wrather again, the last time we saw Pierce was back in the summer of 2017, when he was being sent down for raping Rhona on their wedding day. So he was the very last person we expected to be rearing his ugly head in the…