Table of contents for 36 - 2020 in Inside Soap UK

Kheerat’s heroic efforts to save Chantelle look set to cost him dearly this week, as it’s revealed he’s in huge financial trouble! As Trading Standards visits the Panesars to check in on Kheerat’s business affairs, Suki lets slip that Gray reported them – and demands Kheerat cut ties with Chantelle. But how much bother does the family empire stand to be in if Kheerat has given her all his spare cash? Meanwhile, Jags is keen to tell his mum that he and Habiba are dating, although his secret girlfriend is not so keen – and continues to hide the truth from her sister, Iqra. Will hurt Jags feel compelled to reveal all? And how will the couple’s opposing families react should the truth of their secret romance come spillling out?…

Life couldn’t be sweeter for Ruby this week, as she and new boyfriend Martin blissfully emerge from being loved-up in lockdown. But the stage is set for huge drama when Ruby’s best friend, aka Martin’s estranged wife Stacey, returns to Walford and witnesses what the pair have been getting up to! Meanwhile, star Louisa Lytton – who plays Ruby – explains how she and co-star James Bye (Martin) are creating the illusion of a red-hot romance, while social-distancing… Hi, Louisa! Firstly, how is Ruby feeling now that she and Martin are together? Martin is the sort of person Ruby has always wanted. She’s come from a terrible background and had been on her own for many years, and when I came back to the show [in 2018] you could tell…

Dawn cracks under the pressure of her dark secret this week – and tells Will that she bumped off evil Malone! Dawn is left with no choice but to fess up, after frantic Will arms himself with a gun, convinced that the dangerous detective is going to re-emerge and take his revenge on them all. Dawn hates the idea of her dad bringing a firearm inside their home, and also can’t bear to see him so on edge. So she finally blurts out the truth… “Dawn has tried desperately to keep a lid on the secret, but this is her father, and she can see that Will’s mental state is getting worse,” explains actress Olivia Bromley, who plays the guilt-ridden mum. “As he tries to plan ways to protect the…

There’s horror for Leanne and Steve this week, when their poorly son Oliver is rushed to the hospital and placed on life-support. The heartbreaking moment comes as his blended family is preparing for a holiday in Cornwall, determined to make wonderful memories together during the little’un’s short life. But in the middle of packing, Oliver’s seizure alarm goes off, and they rush to hospital. Once there, things get steadily worse as the true extent of Oliver’s condition is laid bare. “This sends Steve and Leanne spiralling,” explains our Corrie insider. “They’ve just about accepted the situation, and resolved to make every moment count, so to lose Oliver before they’ve had time to make that happen would be unspeakably cruel. They are praying this isn’t the end.” “To lose Oliver now…

There’s relief for Daniel this week, when missing Nicky finally shows up alive and well. He’s been worried sick about her since she failed to show for a drink at his place. What Daniel doesn’t realise is that Adam stepped in after discovering the true nature of Nicky and Daniel’s relationship, and tried to pay her off. But it looks as if the solicitor’s plan has backfired when Nicky makes a return, and Daniel is delighted to see her again. It’s no wonder Adam was horrified to hear that Nicky had been paid to dress up as Daniel’s late wife Sinead and help him recreate their life together. He thinks Nicky’s taking advantage of a grieving widower, and the situation needs to stop. But Daniel wants Nicky in his life,…

BEST IN THE BUSINESS The last episode of Casualty was quite simply the best in its entire history! Receptionist Noel’s horrible, and potentially fatal, mistake amid a Code Red emergency made the drama even more intense than usual – and Tony Marshall is worthy of much praise for his performance. Luke, Tingley THE CLASSICS It was lovely to watch Linda Henry talking about the good old days of EastEnders with Stacey Dooley! It’s great to see her reminiscing about Shirley’s brilliant storylines, especially with Kevin and Dean. Plus, I aways love to see how different actors are from their characters, and Linda really pulls it out the bag with Shirley! Melinda, Birmingham If you’re missing Shirley, she’ll be back in action very soon. THE NEWEST RECRUIT Ooh, Amber from Home…

“What an ending that was!” chuckles EastEnders star Letitia Dean, aka Sharon, as we relive that magical moment when Sharon and Ian were revealed  to be the new owners of the Queen Vic. “As we filmed that scene, we obviously didn’t know we were going to be coming off air, so it was a very fitting cliff hanger! The Queen Vic means so much to Sharon, and after the year she had losing Denny and everything that happened with the baby, this was exactly what she needed. And, of course, she got one over on Phil too [laughs]! She’s feeling quite positive about the future.” Viewers have spent the past three months desperate to find out how Sharon and Ian have been faring during lockdown, when they’ve inevitably had to…

Neighbours fans were left shocked recently, when the Aussie soap announced it was recasting the role of Pierce, following actor Tim Robards’ decision to leave earlier than originally planned. But having spoken to the actor just a couple of weeks before the news broke, Inside Soap was already privy to the turmoil he’d been going through – having been separated from his pregnant wife, Anna Heinrich, thanks to pandemic-related travel restrictions. “I’ve been locked down, and haven’t seen my wife for a month!” he told us a few weeks ago. “That’s been very tough for me. Anna and I live in the state of New South Wales, and usually I travel south to Melbourne in the state of Victoria for work each week. But due to the restrictions, I’ve been…

As this raunchy comedy comes to Netflix, we’ve taken a look to find out what it’s all about… The Duchess? We love a bit of Downton-style class… Well, this absolutely isn’t that! It’s the hot new sitcom written by and starring Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan, whose stand-up specials on Netflix went down a storm – and rightly so. So what’s the story? The old adage ‘write about what you know’ serves London mum Katherine very well here, as she plays, er, Katherine – a single mum living in London. Real Katherine calls pretend Katherine “a heightened version of me. She’s an all-round bad version of myself”. It’s the story of a bad mum? Quite the opposite. Katherine loves being fashionable, confident, and raising a kid alone. She’s not at all…

While we’re loath to mention the prospect of darker nights, we do at least have the promise of tasty recipes to keep the chill off once they do arrive, courtesy of Mary Berry’s new six-part series – which is handily scheduled just before Nadiya’s baking show – featuring the simplest dishes to warm us up as the seasons change… “We all love comfort food!” declares Mary. “I love a good, slow roast of pork or lamb – that makes me feel glowing! So we decided it’d be a lovely theme for this next series.” In this first instalment, Mary’s off to Paris, where her first stop is a fromagerie, to pick up cheese for her croque monsieur. But France isn’t the only destination on Mary’s culinary adventure – which will…

Following a two-month break from our screens, EastEnders returns this week. As for most of us in the past few months, where lockdown restrictions have slowly lifted, life is getting back to normal – but in Albert Square, of course, ‘normal’ simply means a whole heap of drama! “We all wanted EastEnders to return with a bang!” explains the show’s producer, Jon Sen. “We wanted a huge level of ambition story-wise, and we also wanted to use it as a chance to have a great jumping-on point for viewers.” We’ll join the residents of Albert Square post-lockdown, something which will be reflected in the storylines… “We have some amazing stories about how lives have been affected during that time,” says Jon. “Chantelle hasn’t had it easy – that’s a huge…

The future looks rosy for Ben and Callum this week, as Ben gets ready to ask Callum if he’ll move in with him – but could Ben’s dirty dealings scupper their happiness? The two very different worlds that the boys have each chosen to navigate in life are set to collide in catastrophic fashion, after new police recruit Callum is tasked with investigating villain Danny Hardcastle – and stumbles across evidence incriminating Ben in the process! “Callum knew joining the force was always going to be a conflict of interest after falling for a Mitchell,” points out our Walford insider. “But what were the chances of him stumbling across Ben’s criminal dealings on his very first case? This is Callum’s worst nightmare!” “Callum is told to gather evidence on Danny…”…

Ruby and Martin are on the receiving end of snarky comments and dirty looks from Stacey’s cousin, Kat, this week – as their romance becomes public knowledge. But Kat’s bullying is soon the least of Ruby’s worries, after she realises someone has stolen her bank details – and is making big money purchases in her name! Yet there’s trouble ahead when Ruby decides to play dirty to remedy the situation… “The penny drops after a debt collector turns up on Ruby’s doorstep,” shares our Square insider. “However, there is little she can do other than watch on helplessly as her finances hit rock bottom.” When club DJ Vinny suggests staging a burglary at the nightspot Ruby owns, so she can claim on the insurance, she is tempted – and tells…

Like the other soaps, EastEnders returned to filming with social distancing – a real headache when you’re trying to create the bustling world of Albert Square. Producers Jon Sen and Kate Oates tell us their filming secrets – and reveal a few spoilers… A WHOLE NEW PERSPEX-TIVE! One of the show’s techniques is to use a perspex screen as a barrier, so actors can get closer than two metres on set. “The screens give intimacy to the performance,” says Jon. Lorraine Stanley (Karen) reveals she’s even done a screen kiss this way. “It was weird, literally snogging the screen – looking at a person through it and wiggling your head,” she says. “Can’t tell you who it was… it might be Max!” CLOSE FRIENDS… The soap came up with a…

Evil Geoff could be on the verge of getting his comeuppance this week, as Sally steals his laptop – and attempts to download the CCTV footage that proves he’s been abusing wife Yasmeen! After Tim mentions to Sally that his dad installed a security camera following the break-in, her mind starts whirring, and she realises it could be the key to proving Geoff’s guilt. So she sets out to wipe the smug smile off her father-in-law’s face once and for all… “Sally thinks if there is CCTV footage, then this could show Geoff’s true colours,” explains Sally Dynevor, who plays her. “First, she has to figure out where it is – Cathy says Dev’s is on his computer, so she decides to get hold of Geoff’s laptop. Anything’s worth a…

As with most soap murderers – some of them manage to slip under the radar! – judgement must be passed in the end. So is Olivia worried for her future on Emmerdale, if Dawn is destined to be punished for her crime? “It was self-defence, and Dawn was put in an impossible situation – so I feel as if what she did was completely understandable,” argues the star. “However, Dawn is in a very vulnerable position in the village. The truth does tend to come out, and I think she deserves a really good hearing. So if the soap gods are listening, just remember that Dawn is a good person!”…

Andrea returns to the village this week – only to find that her deceitful husband has invited his new squeeze, Belle, to move in with him! Andrea comes back to Home Farm just as Jamie is moving Belle into the marital home they once shared. Her estranged husband then goes on to drop the bombshell that he wants to push on with the divorce proceedings as quickly as possible. And not only that, but Jamie admits to Andrea that she now isn’t the only one who knows his awful secret… “Andrea’s floored when she realises Belle knows the truth about the hit-and-run…” “Andrea is completely floored when Jamie admits that he’s revealed the truth about the hit-and-run to Belle,” reveals our Emmerdale insider. “It shows just how much Jamie trusts…

There’s an extra shock for Nick during little Oliver’s ordeal at the hospital, when he bumps into his old flame, Natasha Blakeman. Their romance ended badly almost a decade ago, but the ex-couple are perfectly civil when they cross paths in the hospital car park. Nick explains to Natasha why he’s there and the situation with Oliver, while she tells him she’s in for a dermatology appointment. It’s a friendly encounter that distracts Nick from what’s going on with Leanne and Oliver – and he’s surprised that Natasha is so pleasant, given that their split was so messy and bitter. So, is Natasha’s life as simple as she’s making it out to be? Or does she have something to hide?…

Nicola is in her element this week, as she takes the reins for a new community initiative. She’s dreamed up the idea of a village clothes swap, so needs to get her friends and neighbours on board to provide the threads. It’s a fun idea, especially as many Emmerdale residents will need to unload unwanted garments after de-cluttering during lockdown. Who knows what treasures (or horrors) were lurking at the back of some people’s wardrobes? There’s one person sure to root them out… Nicola!…

Karl and Susan are horrified this week, after spotting Toadie cosying up to Susan’s school nemesis – Angela Lane! After trying, and failing, to get back into dating after Dee’s departure, Toadie is pleased when he’s approached by Angela in the Waterhole. They quickly hit it off, leaving Karl and Susan appalled when they spot them together! As the head of the school PTA, Angela has caused a lot of problems for principal Susan, as well as Elly when she was teaching at there – so it’s no wonder that later on, Karl and Susan issue a warning to Toadie. They tell him about all of the awful things Angela’s done in the past to make Susan’s life difficult. But Angela is livid afterwards when she hears what the Kennedys…

This week, we see the makings of the Sally Webster we know, love – and feel that wee bit sorry for. She’s enjoying her new role as supervisor at Baldwin’s Casuals just a little too much; putting her on a collision course with old lags like Ida Clough. The problem is, deep down, Sally just wants to be liked, but she can’t help herself when there’s a sniff of a chance at ‘bettering’ her lot in life. One day, perhaps, she’ll look around and realise she’s happy with what she has, and we hope we’re there to see it. Also trying to shin up the greasy pole this week is Maxine, who – following her success at the recent talent night – dreams of topping the bill at local nitespot…

Ian may be the proud new owner of the Queen Vic, but he could be in hot water when Max finds out! As viewers will recall, Max recently signed over his half of Walford East to Ian, in an effort to prevent his wife Rainie from getting her hands on it in their divorce proceedings. But when Kathy hears about their deal, she realises that her son has gone behind Max’s back – and used the restaurant as collateral to buy the pub! Kathy warns her son that Max will be on the warpath when he finds out the truth – and surely it’s only a matter of time before that happens… “Ian and his money issue, eh?” muses Adam. “It’s terrible timing for a new business venture, and things…

Brave Chantelle sets the wheels in motion to divorce Gray and flee Walford this week – but her violent husband suspects that she is plotting to dissolve their marriage! Life in lockdown was hell for Chantelle while she was cooped up with Gray, yet it helped her to realise that she and the kids need to break free of his grasp. So as restrictions start to ease, Chantelle formulates a plan – and puts all her trust in smitten boss Kheerat to help her… “Quarantine with Gray made Chantelle realise he’s probably never going to change,” says actress Jessica Plummer, who plays her. “I think, in that confined environment, she saw him for who he really is. Gray wasn’t as physical with her, as the kids were around all the…

Hollyoaks returns to screens with a bang this week – kicking off with a police probe into a horrific crime! Many villagers are hauled in for questioning in the wake of the shocking events that have taken place at Mitchell and Scott’s wedding. And as flashbacks reveal, Mitchell’s vengeful siblings Toby and Celeste are at the centre of the drama, as their wicked revenge plan finally comes to fruition… “It’s such a big week – we’re coming back all guns blazing!” teases Andrea Ali, who plays Celeste. “We brought as much intensity to these scenes as we could. It’s high on emotion for the viewers, there’s a lot of suspense and there’s a big mystery that’s set to play out!” “Toby is on the verge of going rogue – and…

Since the start of this sorry saga, Tim has staunchly stood by his dad – but Sally reckons this week’s events could force him to face up to the horrid truth. “The whole situation with his mum turning up when he thought she was dead was a massive revelation for Tim,” she reminds us. “He’s trying to get his head around the fact that his mum is still alive and his father could be an abuser, but of course that’s not easy. Sally is taking very gentle steps with him, because it’s so massive for him. “I think this will make them even stronger,” adds star Sal. “Tim thought that his dad was the one constant in his life, so if he finds out he’s not, I hope Sally will…

Mac and Ari’s relationship goes from strength to strength this week – prompting Tane to confess to Nikau that he’s in love with Mac! Although Mac admitted to Ari that she had feelings for his brother, she’s now fully committed to their relationship, and the couple head off on a romantic fishing trip. Meanwhile, Nikau advises Tane to steer clear of Mac, pointing out that he doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to women. Will Tane take on board his wise nephew’s warning?…

FAIR CITY ● The soap is back on our screens this week, as our Carrigstown favourites try to return to normal after lockdown. When the action resumes, Bob gets a worrying phone call from his brother, leaving him lost for words. Meanwhile, things become increasingly fraught between Doug and Erica. Plus, Damien wonders who exactly Mariead’s celebrity free pass could be… THE ARCHERS ● Jolene is desperate to drum up business at the Bull this week, but will she go too far? Elsewhere, Philip and Gavin land themselves in hot water and wonder if they need a plan B. Plus, Susan and Tracy discover a crime and turn detectives! FAIR CITY RTÉ1, RTÉ Player (Ireland only) Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs 8pm (NI only: Sky 161, Virgin 875) THE ARCHERS BBC…

He’s had enough! Ricky Butcher is sick to the back teeth of being “messed abaht” by Bianca. (If we’re honest, it’s not all Bianca’s fault. Ricky couldn’t be more of a doormat if he lay on the hall floor and stencilled WELCOME across his back.) It all leads to a classic seduction scene, where Bianca’s supposed best friend Nat gently circles Ricky like a hungry cat with a wounded budgerigar. “It’s nice to have a man who can just be a friend…” purrs Nat. “Bianca thinks I’m an idiot,” wails Ricky. “Oh you’re not, I think you’re great,” whispers Nat. “I wish she was more like you!” sighs Ricky. Well, you get the general idea. We’d better leave them to it as nature takes its course… The next day, Ricky…

Ryder is one of the cheekiest chaps in Summer Bay! However, will Lukas be just as bold when we put your tricky reader questions to him? “Would you say you’re anything like Ryder in real life?” We probably have the same lame sense of humour [laughs] – I reckon that’s an accurate description. My friends don’t think I’m very funny, but I still keep cracking the jokes! With Ryder, there’s also a bit of emphasis on family, and I have that too. I’m very close to my friends and family. “What was your first day on set like?” “What was your first day on Home and Away like?” I remember it was very fun. I was filming on Palm Beach on my first day, so I got the full Summer…

Louis Theroux has been telling fascinating stories about people and cultures on the edge of society for a quarter of a century. In this new four-part series, he’s delving into his extensive archive to revisit some of his most memorable participants – an opportunity that he relished… “I’ve always been open about the fact that when I started out, I had no real clue what I was doing,” Louis admits to Inside TV. “I was anxious that I’d been blagging it, and for years I’ve wanted to go back and make sense of the programmes I’ve made, to find out what happened to some of the contributors, and to update their stories.” Over the years, Louis has scrutinised a wide range of diverse subjects. His Weird Weekends series examined topics…

Nadiya Hussain’s new baking series provides perfect recipes for getting us in the cosy zone – with pure deliciousness in store: “Sometimes you just have to throw all the chocolate at it,” Nadiya proclaims – and who are we to disagree? With beautiful bakes guaranteed to put a smile on your face, Nadiya reveals her favourite recipes with a twist, in an eight-part series just oozing with delight… “For me, baking really is my happy place,” she beams. “Food is love, and we should never take that away from anyone. Baking and cooking and being in the kitchen gives us peace, and allows us to be focussed and creative.” Each week Nadiya tackles a different baking theme, brimming with a warm enthusiasm as she shares her skills in straightforward fashion…