Table of contents for 26 - 2018 in Inside Soap UK

“It was the greatest soap moment ever!” I’ll always remember the night Leslie Grantham returned to our screens as Dirty Den, after 14 years away. It was – by sheer luck, not any strategic planning on our part – the same night as the 2003 Inside Soap Awards. The event was well underway and the drink was flowing. When we turned down the music to screen the final minutes of the episode, we thought most people would carry on with their chattering. But it quickly fell silent as the crowd realised what they were seeing. Soon the anticipation was electric. Then, there he was – Den emerged from the shadows, rasping “Ello, Princess” to cheers of pure joy. It just felt like the greatest soap moment ever. It s easy…

Devastated Carmel looks set to miss Shakil’s funeral this week – after trying to cancel the plans made by the rest of the Kazemi family. In utter turmoil, Carmel becomes obsessed with making a success of her youth-club initiative, and refuses Kush’s pleas to help him sort the arrangements for his little brother’s service. So when she later declares that nobody is welcome at the funeral except her, Kush is forced to take a stand. Will Carmel boycott Shakil’s final goodbye? “The Kazemis are in a living nightmare right now, but Carmel’s behaviour is pushing them all to the edge,” shares our Square insider. “Kush has spent weeks being terrified about what she might do to herself, as he can’t seem to reach her. It’s a horrible ordeal for him…

EastEnders boss John Yorke reveals that it was the sheer power of what he heard during the show’s research that saw the episode develop into something special… “The more stories we heard, the more that we felt others should hear them too,” he shares. “The episode evolved into something unique for EastEnders – real families telling their own devastating stories alongside our characters. We’ve tried to do justice to a very difficult, tragic and emotive subject – and with huge help from the families of real-life victims and the support groups they work with, we hope we’ve come some way to getting that enormity across.”…

Brace yourselves for heartbreaking scenes in Corrie , as Sean’s financial situation becomes so desperate that he is forced to beg for money and food on the streets. Our paparazzi shots of star Antony Cotton filming his character’s new storyline show Sean sitting on the pavement cradling an empty coffee cup, in the hope that passers-by will spare him some change… “It still feels inconceivable that someone with Sean’s support network would end up in this situation,” notes our cobbles spy. “But it just goes to show that anyone can fall on hard times.” Previous hints to Sean’s life unravelling have included him sleeping rough in a tent, and sporting nasty facial injuries after being attacked in a public toilet. It’s unclear whether his friends back on…

It doesn’t sound as if Sarah’s job as a parent is going to get any easier from this point on, so star Tina looks set to be very busy at work this summer! Meanwhile, the 34-year-old mum to Scarlett, eight, and Beau, three, somehow manages to juggle a busy home life with managing her own acting school at the weekend, while her partner Adam runs his own fitness classes. “Come Sunday evening, I’ll learn my lines and become Grumpy Mum, throwing several thousand items into the washing machine,” reveals Tina, laughing. “It’s not at all glamorous – just me wishing that I’d got organised on Saturday instead!”…

“You’re looking better.” “Not having to see you has helped.” Sarah may be poorly, but she’s still taking no prisoners. “Nothing says ‘bad parents’ quite like an empty fridge.” Or a crack addiction. Or two stretches in prison. Or three of your kids falling off the same roof. “Can I just say, coming downstairs to be greeted by the top two inches of your pasty old fella’s bum crevice hanging out your pyjamas is not how I like to start my mornings.” “What you and Eva did is unforgivable. The hurt and the damage that you’ve caused for everyone – Peter, Aidan, Johnny and his family. And to cap it all, you named that baby after my dead daughter, my Susan! You stay away from us.” Trust Ken Barlow –…

This twisted vendetta between Sami and James is about to get even more complicated after Ellie collapses at work – and a trip to the hospital reveals that she is pregnant! The fact that she is expecting Sami’s child will bond the Maaliks and the Nightingales together forever, whether they want to be or not. However, James could be about to get his own baby bombshell, as the flashbacks reveal that he too may have a child out there somewhere… “That would be earth-shattering news for James,” confirms Greg. “He’s never had an inkling that he might be a father, and I think it would go against every fibre in his body. I don’t think he’d know what to do – it would certainly be shocking.”…

Devious Glenn is still controlling both the women in his life, and this week he puts pressure on Maxine to keep Grace busy, while he goes to the hospital. Glenn’s doctor urges him to come clean about his health problems, which leads to more trouble for Grace when he gets home. Later, Glenn turns his attentions to Maxine, offering her more than a shoulder to cry on when they go to scatter Adam’s ashes – but will she end up falling for his charms?…

Silly David seems to be jumping from one disaster to another right now! He needs a good friend to take him under their wing and guide him – and Matthew has a few sage words for his character. “David has probably behaved the way that 80 per cent of men would,” he reckons. “It’s a complete rebound effect – Tracy doesn’t want him, so he jumps in feet first with Maya. I would probably say to David, just have a bit of breathing space and don’t jump into something else straight away. But then that wouldn’t make an exciting soap story, would it?”…

1 David Neilson was born on 13 March 1949 in Loughborough, Leicestershire – and although he harboured ambitions to become an actor from an early age, he initially made ends meet by taking on various other jobs, such as a barman, a gas-fitter and an ice cream seller! He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London during his early 20s, and made his TV drama debut in 1976 in an episode of the long-running police drama Z Cars. Guest spots in Survivors and Secret Army followed later in the decade, and by the 1980s and 90s, he was popping up in all sorts of things! 2 David made his Street debut as Roy Cropper in July 1995. Initially mentioned as a tenant at Mike Baldwin’s flats…

“Would you like to see Dee come back?” Sonya’s life has been one drama after another recently, thanks to wicked Andrea. So star Eve is thankful to take a break from it all while she answers your questions… “Would you like to see the real Dee come back to Ramsay Street?” As Eve, yes I would. I truly believe that if Dee is who she says she is, she’ll be really happy for Toadie. I reckon that the real Dee and Sonya would probably get along very well. They’re both lovely and reasonable women, so I think it could be quite nice. But it would be a lot of drama, as I’m sure you can imagine! “Now Steph has gone, who would you like to be Sonya’s new BFF?” I’d…

CORRIE’S BETHANY She’s constantly on the go in the fame game, but Lucy certainly knows how to travel in style……

I’m a bit slow on catching up, but I’m watching It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and it’s brilliant. A really young cast wrote and produced it, so you can tell that it’s come from their hearts and minds, and it’s really good, really funny and very witty. I thought The Split was excellent. It’s so refreshing because it’s about a female-led law firm, so all the main characters are female. Nicola Walker’s character represents the woman so you get to see more of her story, you get to see loads of brilliantly-written female characters on screen. It’s so refreshing and definitely the way forward. A Simple Plan was the last film I watched. I saw it 20 years ago in the cinema with my…

CASUALTY Connie Beauchamp......... Amanda Mealing Gemma Dean...................... Rebecca Ryan Iain Dean...................... Michael Stevenson Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin................ Cathy Shipton Charlie Fairhead.............. Derek Thompson Noel Garcia........................... Tony Marshall Elle Gardner.......................... Jaye Griffiths Ethan Hardy.................... George Rainsford David Hide................................ Jason Durr Jan Jennings............................ Di Botcher Dylan Keogh.......................... William Beck Bea Kinsella........................... Michelle Fox Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Rash Masum........................... Neet Mohan Eddie McAllister................... Joe Gaminara Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Alicia Munroe................ Chelsea Halfpenny Sam Nicholls........................ Charlotte Salt Louise Tyler........................... Azuka Oforka CORONATION STREET Dev Alahan....................... Jimmi Harkishin Angie Appleton................. Victoria Ekanoye Jude Appleton..................... Paddy Wallace Adam Barlow...................... Sam Robertson Amy Barlow.......................... Elle Mulvaney Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Tracy Barlow............................... Kate Ford Leanne Battersby................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby................... Georgia Taylor Chesney Brown......................... Sam Aston Mary Cole...................................…

The horror of the stabbing continues to have a big impact on jittery Keegan this week, as his loved ones become concerned about his mental health. The terrified youngster is convinced that he’ll be attacked again, and feels increasingly anxious while he tries to get his life back on track. Having been the victim of such a vicious stabbing, it’s no wonder that Keegan is on edge and finding it hard to control his fear of being jumped by knife-wielding thugs again. The problem is that it’s making him overreact to people surprising him for innocent reasons, such as when Carmel tries to help him this week after hearing he’s in a bad place. Will Keegan face up to his problems and try to find a solution, or will he…

We previously reported in Inside Soap that Sophie Webster would catch the eye of an older woman – and now we can reveal who is set to play her. Fans of Doctors will recognise the gorgeous brunette as actress Stirling Gallacher, who is best known for playing Dr Georgina Woodson for six years in the daytime medical drama, before popping up briefly in EastEnders last year as the Mayor of Walford! “Word has it that Stirling will play a lawyer who falls for Sophie as she is giving her mum Sally legal advice,” our cobbles spy tells us. “Much to the disapproval of Sally, the pair will embark on a passionate fling!” The age gap between Sophie and her new flame is bound to set the…

MONEY? Max has promised Rainie cash if their plan succeeds. While the Rainie of old would be desperate to use this money to fund her drug habit, she now seems to be clean. So although she’d be happy to pick up any dividends on offer, what else might she have in mind? LOVE? While she previously claimed not to have any interest in Max romantically, Rainie makes a bold move by kissing him this week. But does she really find him irresistible? She wouldn’t be the first to succumb to his charms – but is she just messing with his head? A CHILD? Donna’s jibes about her unsuitability to be a mum clearly cut Rainie deep. So is she, like Max, trying to make up for…

NEW HOME! Eccles arrived at the Barlows’ after Blanche’s friend Lena left her as a bequest for Mrs Hunt. Her first task? To bite Ken and show him who was boss. Blanche heartily approved. SCANDAL! Eccles befriended Ken – nobody else was going to take her for walkies. When she fell in the canal, Martha Fraser rescued her and fell for Ken! Eccles was mortified. DEATH SHOCKER! Blanche made no secret of her contempt for son-in-law Ken, but she left Eccles to him in her will. The pooch proved to be a great comfort for Ken when his beloved Dierdre died. DANGER! Amy got sick of all the attention Simon was giving Eccles, so plotted to kill her by letting her off her lead. When that didn’t work, she lied…

“I think that Hayley and Stuart in EastEnders should get together – and then move away. Perhaps to one of the moons of Jupiter!” …says reader Steve from Plymouth “Con man Nigel Havers needs to come back to Coronation Street . Obviously Mary would fall for him hook, line and sinker. Perhaps she could teach him how to love!” …dreams reader Karen from Bath “There’s not nearly enough Robert and Aaron in Emmerdale at the moment. They should be busy getting ready for their (proper) wedding! The fans deserve to see all the preparations!” …pleads reader Annie from Worcester “ Neighbours’ Paul is getting far too kind for my liking! It must be the effect of…

Marlon’s dreams come true this week, as he and Jessie have their first date together! The smitten chef has had the hots for April’s head teacher for some time, but in typical Marlon fashion, he’s struggled to let her know just how much he likes her. However, that looks set to change as Jessie agrees to join Marlon at his place for dinner – and judging by their snazzy outfits, the pair seem keen to make a good impression on each other! Both singletons are clearly very nervous, though, and when Jessie spots photos of Marlon’s ex-girlfriends littered around the flat, she begins to have cold feet about the whole thing. Is the honeymoon over before it’s even started?…

FAIR CITY Robbie reaches a crossroads this week, as he decides what to do with his future in Carrigstown. Should he stay or should he go? Elsewhere, Emmet demands answers after he learns that Tessa has a son. Also, tempers are frayed when the Collins clan throws a barbecue. RIVER CITY All hell breaks loose in Shieldinch this week – as Theresa rushes to cover her tracks while Kim’s life hangs in the balance. Plus, Caitlin has a choice to make following her affair becoming public knowledge – will she pick Gabriel or Pete? Meanwhile, Lenny and Alex come to blows. THE ARCHERS While Jennifer’s attempts to keep the peace fail, Brian seeks help from external sources – but who will he turn to in his hour of need? Across…

‘BERENA’ 4 EVER The chances of Holby City’s Bernie and Serena making their long-distance romance work didn’t look good – but the popular pair proved that true love really does conquer all. Hooray! The Berena reunion in Holby City was fantastic! Over the course of both episodes, I feared for their future together, knowing Jemma Redgrave (Bernie) was only back for a short spell. But now, I have no doubts. Jemma and Catherine’s [Russell, aka Serena] performances are always so passionate that clearly they’re as committed to this plot as much as we are. Beth, Cardiff Good on Holby City for seeing Bernie and Serena’s romance through and working around the actresses’ breaks from the show. I was worried that the decision to feature a lesbian storyline between two older…

Since losing Luke, the only bloke Alya has entertained is rapist Josh, and that didn’t end well! Instead of looking for love, she’s thrown herself into her work at Underworld. But surely it’s time for a bit of romance? “I was having this conversation in the Corrie canteen recently,” reveals Sair. “I want a positive outlook in Alya’s life. And a good romance is always fun!” The word on the grapevine is that Nick Tilsley is returning to the cobbles soon. And as he’s Carla’s ex, surely it would set the cat among the pigeons if Alya were to hook up with him? “Well, I’m all for unlikely pairings!” says Sair, mischievously. “It’s true that both Alya and Nick are ambitious. And Alya is always happy to annoy Carla. Hmm……

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WE’VE ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE persuading people to watch this series (“it’s a cartoon, but it’s for adults, and it’s about a sad horse”) but trust us when we say that it’s one of the most rewarding shows we’ve ever seen. BoJack was the star of a cheesy sitcom (Horsin’ Around) in the 90s, and now he’s a washed-up actor, bitter and deeply afraid that his entire life is pointless. One of the best portrayals of depression on TV also happens to be a very silly cartoon with lots of puns, animal sight-gags and Hollywood meta-humour. It sounds weird, and it is, but it’s also really moving. Honest.…

MIND GAMES Katherine Kelly and Three Girls Bafta-winning star Molly Windsor have signed on for new ITV drama Cheat. The four-part series explores accusations of academic deception at a university that soon spirals out of control… NIGHT AND DAY Tom Hollander has joined new BBC1 drama Baptiste. He’ll be playing the role of Edward in the series, which is a spin-off of The Missing and follows detective Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) – as he starts a new investigation in the heart of Amsterdam. GHOST OF A CHANCE The comic minds behind Horrible Histories and Yonderland are heading to BBC1 with their new comedy Ghosts. The series follows the spirits that reside in an old country house as they try to get rid of the young couple who’ve recently acquired it……

OUT CATHERINE TYLDESLEY (Eva Price, Corrie ) The Corrie star has shot her final scenes, and admitted it’s been “emotional”. But before you think that Aidan has made a shock return to the scene for his daughter, Susie, we can confirm that Shayne Ward, who played him, only made a surprise visit to the Weatherfield set to see his buddy Catherine during her last week filming. July RICHARD ARNOLD (Himself, Hollyoaks) IN  The Good Morning Britain host will appear in Hollyoaks, as the show heads to Spain. The episodes feature Jen Metcalfe’s (Mercedes) return to the soap, as well as newcomer David Tag, who plays Goldie’s brother Sylver. “It’s like looking in a mirror,” quipped Dickie as he posted a pic of himself and the…

BULLSEYE! While we adore seeing the softer side of Adam Barlow, such as his love for Eva and his cute friendships with Flora and Mary… can we see him do something SEXY soon, please? Just LOOK at him! All this caring and sharing is a terrible WASTE of his SEXINESS! Meanwhile, TWO women are fighting over KIRK, for mercy’s sake. Sorry for SHOUTING, but HONESTLY. It’s remarkable how easily Max and Stacey have snapped back into the ‘friend zone’ when, just six months ago, they were rolling around her living room floor. Anyone would think their romance was re-activated just to grab ratings at Christmas! Yes, ladies. That’s the exact same face we pull when we realise the World Cup is on in place of our favourite soaps again. Boo!…

Sophie may be berating herself over her little sibling’s illness – but as the week draws to a close, it’s the medical centre staff she’s angry with! After Dr Gaddas fails to correctly diagnose Jack, Sophie feels the medic is culpable – and instigates legal proceedings… “It’s actually Rana who ends up in the firing line,” reckons Brooke. “She asks how Jack is and Sophie flies at her! All her emotions come pouring out, and when Rana tries to defend the medical centre, Sophie slaps her. “Her head is all over the place,” she adds. “It then pushes Sophie to see Adam, and seek legal advice about suing the medical centre.”…

There’s a very special episode of EastEnders this week, centering entirely on Shakil’s funeral. While it’s not that unusual for the soap to focus on a single story or event, for the first time the episode will also include a true-life element, with viewers hearing first-hand accounts from those who have lost someone to knife crime. We spoke to Davood Ghadami, who plays Kush, about the trailblazing instalment… How did you feel when you found out that we’d hear from the loved ones of victims in this episode? My initial thought was that it was a very bold and incredibly brave thing for EastEnders – and especially the contributors – to be doing. I have never heard of anything like this being done before, so I…

For fans of Heartbeat, seeing star Mark on the wrong side of the law as Daz in Emmerdale has been a rather huge leap, considering the 15 years that he spent playing a law-abiding policeman in Aidensfield. “People are still very complimentary about Phil Bellamy and how adorable, smiley and twinkly he was,” grins Mark. “However, with Daz we’re starting to see a darker side to him, and I have realised that I love playing a bad boy. I’m not using my dimples quite as much as I did on Heartbeat!”…

Back to the 80s UKTV Drama is to air reruns of EastEnders right from the very first episode on the channel this summer. So, for any millennials wondering what hairstyles Ian and Sharon had over 30 years ago, now is the opportunity to find out! Love wins As promised by Ray Meagher (Alf ), Home and Away will screen its first gay storyline in nine years, when John and Marilyn’s foster child Ty makes a move on his friend Ryder. The plot will kick off on Channel 5 on 12 July. New McQueen! Watch out Chester, for ex-Shameless star Moya Brady is joining Hollyoaks as Goldie and Sylver’s mum, Breda! “Breda doesn’t have a lot of fear for authority,” grins Moya, who also played Roberta Cryer in The Bill. “She’s…

“Hayley has to make as much cash as she can” There’s trouble for pregnant Hayley this week, when Jean discovers her secret! However, it’s not the one that you might expect… The intrigue begins when Jean goes to answer Hayley’s phone, but finds a pile of money that she’s hidden away. What has the resourceful lady been up to? “Jean is very suspicious as to how Hayley has managed to get hold of such a lot of cash when she doesn’t even have a job,” ponders our Square insider. “You can just imagine the conclusions she jumps to! But when Jean confronts her about it, Hayley is forced to admit that she’s been using Charlie’s old taxi on the sly – and without a licence! Jean reluctantly agrees to keep…

James is on a mission to find out who framed him for killing Kyle this week – and he comes to the conclusion that it must have been Sami! A special flashback episode will finally fill viewers in on the sketchy past between the Nightingales and the Maaliks, and explain why Sami has been so desperate to get his wicked revenge on James… “Myself, David [Easter, aka Mac] and Lysette [Antony, who plays Marnie] have been transported back some 15 years,” explains Gregory Finnegan, who plays James. “It was really exciting, and we had a lot of fun filming it. Viewers will find out a lot about the root of the abuse from Mac, and a lot of the backstory regarding Sami and the Maalik connection – it all ties…

There’s a huge surprise in store for Brody this week, when Ziggy asks him to marry her – in front of everyone in the Bay! After reading Maggie’s farewell letter last week, and seeing how much her mum wants to be there for her wedding day, Ziggy decides to take matters into her own hands. And with some help from Coco and Marilyn, she makes sure that her parents are there to witness her grand proposal to Brody! He’s delighted by her public display of love, and immediately agrees to become her husband. However, after Brody overhears Maggie questioning Ziggy’s motives for proposing, he worries that she only did it to make her mum happy, and not because she genuinely loves him! Will Brody call off the engagement so soon…

DOCTOR WHO? I’m sure I recognised the consultant that Chas and Paddy saw about their baby in Emmerdale. What has she been in before? Georgie, London Doctor Todd is played by Caroline Harding, who is the real-life wife of Corrie’s Chris Gascoyne (Peter)! She’s previously played a doctor in both Emmerdale and Corrie , and been in Doctors . LIFE OF RYAN Can you remind me what the history is between Ryan and Sophie in Corrie, please? I know something happened between them in the past, but I can’t remember what. Jayne Ryan and Sophie used to be good pals, but they had a bit of a falling-out over Sian Powers. Ryan was dating Sian –…

If there was a prize for the biggest idiot in soap right now, it would hands down go to David Metcalfe. He’s well and truly messed up things with his wife, Tracy, by not standing by her when she needed him most – and this week, he blows any chance he had of winning her back by launching himself at another woman! But while it’s hard to have any sympathy for a man who’s behaved so appallingly, Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden – who plays the shopkeeper – admits that he can see where his misguided alter ego is coming from… “David’s shot himself in the foot, and he knows there’s no coming back from that now,” explains the actor, as we chat to him about David’s latest love drama. “He…

ANITA DOBSON Angie Watts “He will be a legend in TV history. The time we had together was amazing, and the chemistry extraordinary. It was very memorable, and I won’t forget him. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to touch him and say goodbye. I’ll always remember him with his hands in his pockets. He was a charmer and a rogue, and he’ll always be remembered as that.” LETITIA DEAN Sharon Mitchell “I have special memories of working with Leslie, and will cherish them always. He and Anita looked after me in my early days, always with care and kindness. He never failed to make me laugh, and I will remember him with love, affection and gratitude forever. See you up there, Leslie! Thank you for everything.” TRACY-ANN OBERMAN Chrissie…

Imagine being kidnapped by Duncan from Blue, then locked in a basement with Rick Astley! It was all in a day’s work for Hollyoaks star Daisy Wood-Davis, who plays Kim… We loved the scenes of Kim in the basement with the Rick Astley poster! Did you enjoy them? I thought it was brilliant! It brought a bit of amusement to the scenes, but also some depth – Kim was at her lowest point, and we all need someone to talk to. It’s quite difficult to have a conversation with a piece of paper, though! Did you have any feedback from the man himself ? I’ve tweeted him several times, but he hasn’t replied! I was hoping he’d make a cameo in the show – it would…

RORY DOUGLAS-SPEED & NADINE MULKERRIN They play lovers Joel and Cleo in Hollyoaks – and are partners in real life as well! So it comes as no surprise that Rory couldn’t bear to be apart from his other half Nadine while she filmed summer scenes out in Magaluf. LUCY FALLON Bethany’s love life isn’t going well in Corrie – but it seems that her real-life alter ego Lucy is having much more luck! She and partner Tom Leech shared this snap of them looking very happy in Ayia Napa. TAMZIN OUTHWAITE EastEnder Tamzin’s (Mel) new man, Tom Child, is a personal trainer – so where else to enjoy their first holiday together than a body boot camp in Ibiza? MATT WILSON Aussies Matt (aka Neighbours’ Aaron) and girlfriend Jessica Waters…

“YOU’RE SEEING INTENSE POVERTY , PEOPLE PILED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER” We’ve long thought that the celebrity travelogue racket is a good one to get into: being paid to travel to exotic destinations, stay in the best hotels, and get access to areas that normal tourists don’t get to look at? Sign us up, quite frankly. Spare a thought for Romesh Ranganathan, whose new travel series for BBC2 doesn’t quite fit that template: instead, he’ll be visiting places that probably aren’t high on your travel list because, while they’re beautiful, they can also be quite risky… “The idea behind the show was to look at places that people didn’t tend to go to,” Romesh tells Inside TV. “There are certain countries people…

If you ask us, the 80s is an unfairly maligned decade – sure, some of the fashion was dodgy, but musically, it was a great time to be alive, and Britain and Ireland were leading the world in the field of pop music. In this new series, unlikely duo Kim Appleby (who had a number one hit in 1987 as one half of Mel & Kim) and Ultravox’s Midge Ure head off on a road trip to explore the places that birthed iconic genres of music. “I’d never met Midge before!” chuckles Kim. “I saw him last year, but just in the distance when I performed at [80s music festival] Rewind. If I only knew a year later we’d be working together! He’s so lovely and down to earth. There…

BARBARA AND FRIENDS! EastEnders legend Barbara Windsor – who’s known to millions as the formidable Peggy Mitchell – has been a popular lady of late, catching up with a couple of her former co-stars and a showbiz pal. The actress – whose hubby Scott revealed earlier this year has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease – cosied up to Ross Kemp, aka her screen son Grant – as well as Jake Wood (Max) and his wife Alison. “I went round for a cup of tea and I was there for three-and-a-half hours,” revealed Ross. And despite Barbara’s diagnosis, the actor insists that she still has her famous sparkle. “She has this great ability, when she walks through that front door, where she’s ‘on’. It was like seeing my second mum,” he…