Inside Soap UK 9 - 2019

“I love it when the soaps have a special week…” You know, I love it when the soaps have a special week dedicated to one plot – a trip abroad, or perhaps a huge stunt or drama. And this week, we have two huge sets of episodes to savour. First we see Emmerdale’s Marlon head off to Northern Island on his honeymoon – which just happens to be where Paddy’s daddy Bear is working at the moment, and where Kerry’s daughter Amy is currently residing! What are the chances, eh? But unlikely as the scenario may be, I think we’re going to get a heartwarming week of episodes – and definitely a few laughs, judging by the pics of Paddy making his wrestling debut! We take a behind-the-scenes peek at…

“As a mum, Shona can’t stand by and watch her son be killed…” There’s horror for Shona this week, when son Clayton’s hostage drama comes to a violent end – and she faints in David’s arms, covered in blood. The shell-shocked mum has been held by her deranged boy for more than 24 hours, as he threatens to kill her if the police don’t give him money and a chance to escape. It’s a desperate situation that brings back terrible memories for David, the widower of Clayton’s first victim, Kylie. Is Shona going to suffer the same fate as the woman before her? “Shona thinks she’s going to die!” admits Julia Goulding, who plays her. “When she staggers out of there, she’s in total shock. It’s a blur, a dream…

The dramatic plot plays out on location in a real abandoned building. For Julia, it was a chance to do some great scenes, but it also helped her believe in the reality of the situation. “It was very scary, because when I came out of the building and there’s all the police and all the cars, it really got me in the zone,” she tells us. “It would have felt wrong for Shona to leave Clayton because even as myself, the actor, it would have felt wrong. Naturally, as soon as I ran out and saw the guns, I was immediately moving away and back indoors. “It’s hard work, but it’s exciting because it allows everyone to push themselves,” adds Julia. “We work with a fight arranger who makes sure…

Aaron takes drastic measures in his determination to have a baby with Robert this week – and ploughs ahead without his hubby’s consent. Aaron attends a surrogacy meeting alone after Robert fails to show, and when he finds a possible surrogate mum, he starts negotiating with her – unbeknown to Robert. How far will he go before fessing up? “Now that he and Robert have decided on a surrogate baby, Aaron’s all guns blazing,” shares our Emmerdale spy. “The couple already have Robert’s son Seb and Aaron’s half-sister Liv in their lives, but more than anything, Aaron now wants them to have a child of their own. So after Robert doesn’t turn up at the meeting, Aaron opts to crack on without him – despite the potentially tumultuous consequences of…

While Aaron may be about to make a reckless decision concerning Robert’s cash, Danny Miller – who plays Aaron – is busy raising funds for Once Upon A Smile, the charity he co-founded in 2011 with actor pal Daniel Jillings (pictured below) to support families after the death of a loved one. Danny recently announced plans for the organisation to build Sidley House in Manchester – a dedicated hub for bereaved families, and the charity’s head office. With spaces in the building designed for play and relaxation, Sidley House will be a fun and safe environment for grieving families. With £50,000 still to be raised, Danny was thrilled to share news of the initiative… Log on to www.onceuponasmile.org.uk for further information.…

Concerned about missing Jean, her family tries to track her down this week – with Kat and Martin hatching a plan to find out her test results. But will they just make things worse? Jean’s relatives have been beside themselves over her whereabouts, especially since they know that she may have cancer. Stacey is particularly fearful, so she goes to extreme lengths to get the police to step up their search efforts. “Stacey knows better than anyone how fragile Jean can be,” explains our Albert Square spy. “Unfortunately, the police don’t have much to go on, and Jean hasn’t been missing for long. And given that she left of her own free will, she’s not a top priority for them. Stacey tries to change this by giving the police an…