Table of contents for 24 - 2017 in Inside Soap UK

“The biggest slice of cake is for you!” Let’s party! Yes, it’s a very happy birthday to us this week! It’s been 25 years since the first issue of Inside Soap, so we thought it deserved a bit of a celebration. But here at Inside Soap, we’re such party animals that we don’t want the celebrations to end – so we’re making the birthday last till next month! Let’s face it, we’ve all got a friend like this, eh? The festivities kick off with this bumper issue, in which we celebrate 25 years of fun times with Emmerdale – before we continue partying for another four weeks! We’ll have issues dedicated to EastEnders, Corrie, Hollyoaks, and the Aussies – even good old Brookie will get a cheeky mention at one…

The penny seemed to drop for Phelan when he recently came face to face with his secret daughter, Nicola! While viewers wait to see what Pat does with the information – and whether it encourages the Corrie villain to change his ways – actress Nicola Thorp tells us to expect fireworks… “Nicola is the light of his life, but what’s interesting is that she has a feisty side, too,” grins the newcomer. “There are moments where she and Phelan are at loggerheads, and Nicola just gives as good as she gets!” Star Nicola hit the headlines last year, but not as a soap star. She sparked a nationwide debate after her employer sent her home without pay for not wearing high heels to work – and…

“I’ll go for a singer for my king – it’s a toss-up between Ed Sheeran and Eminem , but I’ll go for Ed as I’m really loving his new album.” “I’d have Jamie Borthwick [Jay] and Harry Reid [Ben] as my court jester, as they come as one. They’re so funny together and I always have fun with them .” “As ruler I’d declare there should be free sweets for everyone, because you can’t be mad at someone giving you free sweets, can you ? I’d choose those bubblegum cola bottles – the pink and blue ones.” “My national anthem would have to be a happy song, not one that would offend. I’m going to be really cheesy here… maybe a Little Mix song ? Or a Spice Girls track,…

Naive Neeta finds herself in an awkward predicament this week, when she gets drunk and lets besotted Hunter take her home! And as we chat to actress Amrit Maghera about what’s to come, she reveals things get even juicier when the student and teacher cross paths abroad… “We got to go to Ibiza about three weeks ago, and that was the most amazing thing ever!” she gushes. “It was such a good group of people, and it was fun as well as hard work, with lots of sunshine. There’s loads coming up on the show over the summer – and it’s going to be great!” Neeta is joined on her hols by boss and flatmate Sally, and this pairing is a match made in heaven as far as Amrit is…

EMMERDALE Legends! PHOTOS DAN GOLDSMITH When Inside Soap first arrived on newsstands back in 1992, Emmerdale was regarded by many as the bridesmaid of the soaps. But this show – then screened only twice a week, occasionally in a teatime slot in certain ITV regions – was a sleeping giant. Fast-forward 25 years, and Emmerdale is a soap juggernaut, screening six episodes a week and sweeping the board at every awards ceremony going – a run which began with the Best Soap prize presented at the Inside Soap Awards in 2013. Here, some of the show’s long-standing stars reflect on their role in the journey to Dales superstardom… Elizabeth Estensen FIRST APPEARANCE 1999 The Sugdens are Emmerdale’s first family, and these days Diane is head of…

This year alone she has hosted Let It Shine, Let’s Sing And Dance For Comic Relief and the search for our Eurovision Song Contest entry. With Pitch Battle becoming her fourth singing contest in six months, is it safe to say Mel Giedroyc is a bit of a fan of the genre? “I’ve been so lucky this year – I’ve never had a year like it, it’s been brilliant!” enthuses the star. “Any show that has music as its main backbone gets a big thumbs up from me!” And Mel knows what it’s like to be brought together in a group by the power of song… “I went to a wedding up in Scotland where a minibus picked up 20 guests at the station and none of us knew each…

BEAUTY MARKS Robson Green, Sue Johnston and Polly Walker are to star in new drama Age Before Beauty for BBC1. Polly plays Bel, who throws herself into running a beauty salon after her children leave home. STRANDED STARS A new batch of brave stars have signed up for the next series of The Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls . Among them will be Corrie’s Ryan Thomas (Jason), Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte and TOWIE babe Lucy Mecklenburgh. RIVAL ROLES BBC2 will be showing Feud: Bette And Joan later this year. The eight-part drama stars Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon as Hollywood royalty Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, who shared a bitter rivalry.…

“This is vile Nathan’s last chance to cash in on Bethany” Predatory Nathan is close to smuggling his young victim Bethany out of the country this week – as he plots a nightmarish future for the traumatised teenager. Now she’s home and apparently safe, Sarah and Gary don’t realise that brainwashed Bethany is preparing to flee to Belgium with Nathan. She’s convinced, despite all the horrifying things he’s done to her, that Nathan truly loves her and wants to make a new life together on the Continent. But as the pressure intensifies, sinister Nathan’s mask slips and Bethany gets a glimpse of who he really is… “Nathan is an ugly, selfish, cruel bully who is trying to control Bethany through both fear and flattery,” reveals Chris Harper, who plays the…

Two of Hollyoaks’ most popular stars are making a comeback, as Sarah Jayne Dunn and Gary Lucy rejoin the teen soap as Mandy Richardson and Luke Morgan! Bosses are keeping tight-lipped on what brings them back to the village, and whether or not the old spark between their characters will be reignited. However, the actors themselves have hinted that their characters’ paths will indeed cross… “It would be rude if they didn’t!” laughs Sarah, who played Mandy on and off between 1996 and 2013. “It would be a wasted opportunity due to their past, so it makes sense!” Mandy was at the heart of some of the show’s biggest storylines, including the sexual abuse she suffered as a child, her brother Lewis’ suicide – and the…

“ Mary should informally adopt Daniel and make up for the years he spent without a mother. She’d enjoy cooking for him (he looks like he needs a decent meal), and could drive him to Oxford in her camper van if he resits his exams.” …emails reader Carol “In Casualty , a cyclone shakes Cal’s body till his heart restarts. Delighted, Ethan becomes an adorable geek again – and doesn’t notice as the cyclone carries off Alicia . Meanwhile, Zoe and Max renew their vows, and a roof collapse kills Louise .” …pleads (imaginative) reader Sophia “I’d like Louise’s crush Travis to be in every scene of EastEnders ! He’s so cute!” …pants reader Radiya “ Maxine’s sister Mitzeee should return from America and…

“Lawyer Pierce knows how to disrupt Rhona’s case against him…” Rhona is put under the spotlight this week, as the investigation into Pierce’s violent attack on her is stepped up. Having found the courage to go back and identify Pierce as the sadistic brute that assaulted her, Rhona knows the police need to find evidence in order to support her claim. But now that her friends and family are going to be interviewed about what they saw, she worries that her ordeal will soon be the talk of the village… “It’s hell for Rhona, however it’s the only way to stop Pierce from doing this again,” says our Dales spy. “Only a few people know about what happened on their wedding day, and even those closest to her didn’t get…

Cal may have been laid to rest, but that’s not the end of this story – and George hints that Ethan will be doing all that he can to avenge his brother’s death! “From the funeral onwards, it gets a lot darker quite quickly,” he teases. “Ethan distances himself from all the people who are trying to look after him, like Alicia and Charlie. He’s on a mission to get justice for Cal, and he really starts to question who he is, because he’s behaving so out of character. “It’s been a challenge to play, but really enjoyable to take Ethan away from that strong moral compass that he usually displays,” adds George. “There is light at the end of the tunnel for Ethan – but we’re not quite at…

Addict Brody finds himself in even more trouble this week – when he decides to hijack a stranger’s car and ends up with a whack over the head! Desperate for cash to buy drugs, Brody steals his sister Raffy’s ‘sparrow’ necklace and tries to pawn it. But after Brody goes berserk and smashes up the pawn shop, he’s forced to make a getaway – which is when he flags down driver Scarlett and orders her to floor it… “Brody is desperate – so desperate that he steals from his little sister,” says Jackson Heywood, who plays him. “He’s unhinged and in a rage – and he’s making bad decision after bad decision.” Once Scarlett stops the car and commands Brody to get out, offering up her handbag as an incentive,…

Jasmine makes a horrifying discovery this week, as she continues to investigate the care home where Jac and Fran grew up when they were young children. Convinced that Jac’s childhood experience is to blame for their fractured relationship, Jas gathers evidence and attempts to talk to her half-sister, who doesn’t want to listen. However, as Jasmine delves deeper into the past, the story takes a shocking turn. Is Jasmine ready for the secrets she’s set to uncover?…

LAUREN’S BABY BOMBSHELL! EastEnders’ Lauren is flying high in her new City job, and her home life with Steven is looking less and less appealing. And if that wasn’t confusion enough, she had a shock pregnancy to cope with! I reckon Lauren is doing the right thing in having an abortion. She likes her new job, and has clearly fallen out of love with Steven, so why would she want a child tying her to him for the rest of their lives? Claire, Beaconsfield The timing isn’t ideal, but Lauren should think before making any rash decisions. Plenty of mothers nowadays are capable of managing a job as well as looking after a child, and she has lots of family and friends who would be more than happy to help…

“I know who is playing Chrissie’s uncle, and he’s fabulous!” It’s not difficult to see why Chrissie White is a deeply troubled individual. Her husband left her for a fella and her son tried to kill her father – who she’s learned was never her dad in the first place! This week, she discovers Lawrence has been lying to her again, as she finds out that she can still track down her biological dad. But is that a good idea, given the angst she’s already dealing with? “Sometimes it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie – especially in the White family!” shares Louise Marwood, who plays the Dales heiress. “But Chrissie is impulsive, and figures that if she gets answers, she’ll be happy. She doesn’t tend to think things through…

I’ve just watched Big Little Lies on Sky Atlantic . I binge-watched that – I watched the whole thing in four days! I’ve recently finished Line Of Duty too, and I can’t believe that I’ve got to wait two years for the next one… I love cookery programmes like MasterChef , Bake Off: Creme De La Creme , Great British Menu . I download and watch them in bed on my iPad because Harry [Sheree’s husband] is just like, “I’m not watching that”, so I wait until he’s away and watch them all at once! We watched the film Mrs Doubtfire as a family the other day. It was great to introduce the little ones…

It’s been a turbulent time at Versailles in the second series of the historical drama. But while relationships between Louis and Philippe have been strained, Alexander Vlahos, who plays Philippe, assures us that things couldn’t be more different off screen. “I look forward to the days where I’ve got a scene with George [Blagden, who plays Louis],” he tells us. “I don’t have a brother in real life, I’m an only child, but we are really close friends. There’s always that joy of turning up to set and knowing that I have a scene with him, and we get to shout and scream and throw some chairs about!” In this week’s finale, Louis is on the verge of identifying which of the nobles have been buying…

The party continues! BUMPER ISSUE! SPECIAL BONUS SECTION! We celebrate Inside Soap’s 25 years of good times with EastEnders … Plus... TAKE A VERY SPECIAL TRIP EXCLUSIVE TO THE SQUARE PHOTO WITH SHOOT OUR ! EMMERDALE Emma exposed? AN UNLIKELY HERO COULD SCUPPER HER EVIL PLANS… BUMPER ISSUE ON SALE TUESDAY 20 JUNE Emma has managed to keep a lid on her murderous secret by the skin of her teeth – although we’re not sure how, as she’s nearly been caught out on so many occasions! But next week, her nine lives look set to be up, as THAT video of her and Ashley resurfaces. Which villager exposes Emma’s true colours? And what lengths will she go to in order to silence them?…

BULLSEYE! We’ve loved having Denise Osbourne back on the Street – taking potshots at everyone in an attempt to justify Daniel’s behaviour. It was a masterclass in bare-faced cheek. And we hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her. Denise is the only person we can think of who’s worthy of taking Deirdre’s place. Peter and Tracy loathe her, so it would be great fun! We suspect the cash-strapped Barton family would make more money renting out their dinner service than they would selling feeble Finn’s body. Across the country, a million husbands shuffled in their seats and crossed their legs self-consciously. A millon wives suddenly decided they had a headache coming on. Sure, the new red-headed hunk who’s moved in to Emmerdale is all smiles now. But if…

Clayton’s mum Shona was heartbroken when David called time on their blossoming romance recently, after she confessed her true identity. But these sneaky snaps of stars Julia Goulding and Jack P Shepherd filming on location suggest that David won’t stay mad at Shona for long… “David was gutted to learn Shona’s true identity, as he was really falling for her,” insists our Weatherfield insider. “The hatred he has for Clayton will never go away, but it looks as if his feelings for Shona aren’t going to budge either!” Our pictures give us a sense that the characters will team up again, but that could just be the actors joking around in between scenes. Will David realise that he can’t live without Shona after all?…

Emmerdale actor Jonathan Wrather is terrifying on screen as nasty Pierce, but in real life he’s an absolute sweetie. After his co-stars Zoe Henry (Rhona) and Michelle Hardwick (Vanessa) played out the emotional scene where Rhona told Vanessa that Pierce raped her, Jonathan was full of praise. “[The performance] was so good tonight that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen,” tweeted the 48-year-old. This has been a tough story, but it’s one that all three actors, and costars including Dominic Brunt (Paddy) and Mark Charnock (Marlon), are proud to be involved with. For Jonathan, what’s vital is that the show can raise awareness around the issue of rape. “The flood of positive responses and support for this story continues,” he shared with his followers on Twitter. “Thank you.…

FAIR CITY Heather wants her family reunited this week, and decides to move to Brazil with Ellie and Brendan! Elsewhere, Yasmin makes a move on Laura, who’s unaware they’ve been seen leaving their night out together. Also, Carol spots tension between Nora and Cathal. RIVER CITY Angus prepares for surgery this week, by hosting his own wake! Bob and Cassie are aghast, but Angus is in for another shock… Meanwhile, Annie is devastated to learn that neither Frankie nor Jules turned up at the festival. Also, Pete tries to reignite his and Caitlin’s relationship. THE ARCHERS Tony and Pat are furious with Tom this week, after he ruins their sale of Bridge Farm land to Justin. Is the deal doomed? Elsewhere, disaster strikes when Lilian is thrown from her horse,…

“I’ve got a day off today – I’ve had a bit of a cold, so I’m on the Lemsip. I’m much better now, though!” The day before we chat to Lorna Fitzgerald, a sore throat had caused her to lose her voice. Like a trouper, however, she’s popped on the phone for our interview, despite still being a bit croaky, to mark the milestone of Abi turning 21. And as her character continues her attempts at ruining everything for her big sister Lauren, our first question for Lorna has to be: what on earth is the birthday girl playing at? “Abi is being very mischievous at the minute!” chuckles Lorna. And she’s not wrong! With Abi’s jealousy at fever pitch, she sees fit to commemorate her 21st by spilling the…

GAVIN SULLIVAN Sharon discovered biological dad Gavin had coined her adoptive dad Dirty Den’s “Hello, Princess” phrase. But Gav was so twisted, he made Den look decent! JAMES BARTON Why couldn’t the universe just let Adam believe lovely John was his father? The truth that it was actually James changed nothing for Adam, and now the poor guy has two dead dads! DEV ALAHAN Dev has about 900 secret kids out there – but the bonkers plot where Sunita uncovered his numerous children has been erased from Corrie history.…

“Finn has been found out – so he decides to leave the country!” “I’ve been in London since Saturday and I love it – I want to move here!” gushes Neighbours star Rob Mills, who plays wicked Finn Kelly. “I’ve had a few meetings this week with agents and casting directors, so I’m putting the feelers out there. Now all I need is an English bride – maybe Inside Soap could find me one?” While the eligible ladies of the UK would no doubt be falling over themselves to date a handsome Aussie soap star, Rob may have a battle on his hands to convince them that he’s not his scheming alter ego! The acting head of Erinsborough High has even gone…

“Who else on Corrie would you fancy playing for the day?” …asks reader Jodie Harris , via email I really like Eva, I think she’s great. She’s so feisty, and is a very strong woman who has that girl power and independence about her. It’d be very cool to work in the Rovers Return, too! Every week, we put your questions to a star of the soaps. Look out for requests on our Facebook page, or email your questions to youask@insidesoap.co.uk, putting the actor’s name in the subject line. Our favourite question each week will win a £20 prize !…

THIS SHOW IS DAFT. Deeply, deeply daft. And we mean that as a compliment – it is completely aware that it is daft, and it goes out of its way to be as daft as possible . One of the other reasons we’ve come to love this show is that it’s one of the nicest comedies on TV – the jokes aren’t mean-spirited or rude, but just arise from a group of eccentric characters misunderstanding everything around them. We also enjoy seeing a brilliant dramatic actor like Rory Kinnear showing off his comedic chops as Michael, the would-be ‘lone sane man’ of the group and a perfect foil for Arthur’s ridiculous capers.…

Following a run of TV and movie auditions that led to nothing in 1980s Los Angeles, actress Ruth Wilder stakes her last hopes on a mysterious casting call looking for ‘unconventional women’. When she arrives at the audition, however, she discovers the show she’s actually up for is called Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling , and her career is about to move in a very different direction. “When we meet Ruth in the first episode, she’s sort of at the end of the line,” reveals Mad Men star Alison Brie, who plays her. “She can’t pay her bills, and she’s just having a hard time. So when she gets the opportunity to audition for this crazy new show, it actually becomes something really exciting for her, and she…