Inside Soap UK 51/52 - 2021

“Oh, it’s wild drama this Christmas!” Ho ho ho! Greetings of the season to you from soapland; that special place where it always snows at Christmas – or, if not, you can at least expect a dusting of festive ash from some local inferno or other. It’s also that parallel world where it’s a perfectly reasonable choice to hold your wedding on Christmas Day. Frankly, it’s an achievement that morning if I can dress myself and crawl to the sofa in time for Top Of The Pops – imagine getting married? We are blessed with three weddings this Christmas, with two brides – Chelsea and Emma – surely hurtling toward heartbreak. Indeed, it looks as if Chelsea could save by double-booking for a funeral on Boxing Day. Oh, it’s wild…

There’s a nightmare before Christmas for Whitney, when she discovers proof that Gray murdered his wife, Chantelle – and she mounts a desperate mission to save his new bride, Chelsea. With final preparations under way for a romantic ceremony for Chelsea and Gray, Whitney gathers vital evidence against the serial-killer groom. Gray might have thought he’d covered his tracks, and the secret of Chantelle’s murder would be buried with her, but when Whitney uncovers the shocking truth, she’s hell-bent on keeping Chelsea from marrying a murderer… “Whitney never thought Gray was capable of this” “It comes as a huge shock when Whitney finds out the truth about Chantelle – she’d never have thought Gray was capable of anything so terrible!” reveals Shona McGarty, who plays the unlikely sleuth. “It’s like…

Hi, Shona! Would you like Whitney and Chelsea to team up to take down Gray? I absolutely love working with Zaraah Abrahams [Chelsea], we do the best scenes and get on really well. So, yeah, I’d love that! We want Whit to find the truth about Gray killing Kush too. If she does, will she seek revenge? It’s a bit weird to say, but – as an actress – I hope she wants the ultimate revenge and does something that is unexpected and isn’t safe! However, I don’t know what’s going to happen yet, which is really annoying and exciting at the same time. Do you still get excited about Christmas in Walford? I do, to be honest. I’ve been at EastEnders since I was just 16, which is a…

Bride Denise faces heartbreak on her wedding day, as betrayed sister Kim makes plans to leave Walford forever. Kim can’t forgive Denise for lying to her about Vincent’s murder, and no longer wants anything to do with her. Chelsea pays Kim a visit and begs her to reconsider, saying it won’t feel right without her there. However, even when Denise makes a heartfelt last-ditch plea, it seems that Kim just won’t budge. Denise is emotional as she tells her sister what it would mean to her to have Kim there as she weds Jack. But despite saying she’ll think about it, Kim forges ahead with her plans to move back to Scotland. She wants Pearl and Mica as far away from Walford as possible, and there’s nothing Denise can say…

Scheming Janine goes all-out to make it a perfect Christmas for Scarlett – but is her Mrs Claus act more for Mick’s benefit than her daughter’s? As our pictures show, Janine creates an enchanting festive scene in the middle of the Square, complete with a sleigh, real reindeer, and fake snow! It’s exactly what any little girl would want to make her Christmas Day the most magical one ever – yet Scarlett isn’t the only one Janine wants to impress… “Forget the crackers – the only thing Janine wants to pull this Christmas is Mick!” chuckles our Albert Square insider. “She’s doing all she can to prove herself to him at the Vic, organising the pub’s big Yuletide event, and even coming to the rescue when Mick realises there are…

Janine makes one last gasp to ensure her name is at the top of the naughty list, as she sets out to humiliate arch-enemy Stacey! When the Vic hosts a Best Spouse in the ’Ouse quiz, Janine spies the chance to make some mischief. So, ahead of Stacey and her new missus Eve taking their turn, Janine switches out the questions for much more revealing ones about Stacey! Eve’s left confused, while Stacey’s fuming so she wastes no time in letting Janine know what she thinks of her……