Inside Soap UK 10 - 2018

“Fiz still seems like the girl next door…” While other characters may come and go, their plots shining brightly but burning up quickly, some of our soap favourites more quietly act as the backbone of their respective shows – consistent and believable as people. But it doesn’t mean that those characters are boring or don’t get their fair share of the plots. Take Corrie’s Fiz, for example. She still seems like the girl next door, that neighbour or pal we all have – but let’s not forget that Fiz was married to a serial killer who she wed in jail, she gave birth after a tram crashed on to the Street, her daughter beat cancer, and she once even streaked on the roof of Underworld! Oh, and she was engaged…

“Josh doesn’t see this as rape – he believes it’s consensual…” David faces a horrific ordeal this week, when his new best friend Josh spikes his drink and rapes him when he’s out cold. The nightmare begins as Josh manipulates David into joining him for a drink – and while on the surface the pair are having fun and a bit of a laugh, scheming Josh decides to lace David’s drink with drug GHB. He then takes David back to his place, with his victim barely conscious… “In Josh’s head, it isn’t sexual assault,” explains Ryan Clayton, who plays the Street’s new villain. “He doesn’t see it as rape – he thinks, ‘I’m sure that David will be up for it, and I might just slip something into his drink…

Did you know from the start where this storyline was going? The story was given to me at the first audition, but I wasn’t told who it was with until I’d accepted the role. It gives it a whole other level once you know who it is happening to. Do you think it’s important that Corrie is tackling the issue of male rape? Yes, there was a recent BBC documentary about male rape, and in the first three minutes one of the guys said, “You don’t see or hear about male rape, it’s totally under-represented”. I thought, ‘Wow, there we go – this is a story that needs telling’. They are certainly powerful scenes. How were they to shoot? When we did the rape scene, it…

“Can Liv face telling Aaron the truth about what she’s done?” The Woolpack plays host to a shocking scene this week, as Liv and Gabby’s foolish bid to mess with Daz goes catastrophically wrong. Having stolen a vial of the anaesthetic ketamine from vet Vanessa’s medical bag, the silly girls plan to put it in Daz’s drink. But after Liv mistakenly pours the dangerous drug into Lisa’s pint instead, Lisa suffers a cardiac arrest… “It’s a life-and-death situation for Lisa – and all because of Liv and Gabby,” snaps our Dales sneak. “This isn’t the first time Lisa has had a heart attack, and it’s a terrifying moment for her loved ones as medics rush to stabilise her before it’s too late. Is Lisa’s heart strong enough to recover, though?”…

While Liv didn’t have an easy childhood, her move to the village should have set her up for a better life. But wayward Gabby’s influence hasn’t helped – and Isobel Steele, who plays Liv, reveals that this new drama will knock her for six. “Liv has more perspective than Gabby, who’s very immature,” shares the 17-year-old star. “Even though she’s young, Liv understands how things can go wrong, and how other people can suffer. She feels overwhelming guilt at what she’s done to Lisa. “That will affect her massively,” continues Isobel. “Lisa is a big part of Liv’s life, so this huge betrayal is hanging over her. It’s going to play on Liv’s mind, and she’ll really struggle – which will lead to her drinking more than usual…”…

“After talking to Mitch,Karen decides it’s timeKeanu knew the truth” There’s drama for the Taylors this week, after Keegan’s dad Mitch hits the Square. However, as man of the house Keanu steps up to protect his clan, he’s in for a bombshell revelation of his own! It’s been a while since Karen laid eyes on her former lover, and when Mitch pays a visit to the garage, Keanu is keen to get rid of him. But little does he know what’s in store for him… “Mitch turns up at the Arches on Keanu’s first day working there,” reveals our Walford snitch. “So the poor lad is thrown right off his game when his mum’s ex-boyfriend arrives and asks for his car to be worked on. Mechanical expertise isn’t all Mitch…