Table of contents for 04-2023 in Inside Soap UK

“Noele’s story proves tragically timeless” It’s my pleasure to devote four pages of our issue to the marvellous Nolly; a new three-part drama – hilarious and moving by turn – telling the story of surely the ultimate British soap star, Noele Gordon, and her sudden sacking from Crossroads at the height of her fame. (It was soap’s first big backstage scandal – well, if we’re not including the death of Grace in The Archers in 1955, burnt to death in a stable after the actress dared to ask for the same salary as her male co-stars.) Crossroads itself may lie outside your own memory – it’s pushing it for me, and I know a lot of relative whippersnappers read Inside Soap – but Noele’s story proves tragically timeless; of a…

Charity’s planning her wedding to Mack – does she want a big do? There are some hints that they’re going to go for a big wedding if it does go ahead. Charity just thinks, ‘What’s the point in holding back?’ I imagine it’s going to be big, bold and brassy – she wants the full meringue! I love filming weddings. Are you looking forward to Charity finding out Mack’s secret? Yes! As an actor it’s always going to be challenging and exciting to find out the news. There’s a baby coming soon, so there are two secrets in a way; it’s not just that he’s cheated, but he also has the baggage to prove it. There’s a lot at stake. Will Charity ever be able to forgive Mack? I don’t…

Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas (Donte) has revealed the adorable moment that his son, Teddy, found out he’d won the part of Tommy. It turns out that Teddy made it down to the last two actors, and initially lost out to the other lad. However, when the boy hired was later no longer available, Adam and his niece Scarlett – who plays Izzy – were thrilled to inform Teddy that he would be joining the BBC drama with them. Check out Adam’s Instagram for the cute video, as little Teddy bursts into tears when being told the news.…

Caleb may be causing trouble between Kim and Will, but he hopes to have the opposite effect on his warring siblings. Moira warns Caleb that Cain will never forgive Chas for her affair with Al, despite his wishful thinking that his siblings may be reunited. But Caleb remains determined to broker peace between Chas and Cain – and realise his own dreams of finally being part of a happy family unit. Meanwhile, there’s more heartache for Paddy when Chas reveals to him that her love for Al was stronger than anything she ever had with him! The confession leaves Paddy utterly broken – and Chas with the realisation that all hope of saving their marriage has now been completely shattered……

Karen’s attempt to keep fit takes over her life this week, with some potentially dangerous results! Since her heart attack, the rattled receptionist is reluctantly trying to stay healthy, though hubby Rob has had to force her into doing regular exercise. When Rob gives Karen a fitness tracker she gets obsessed with increasing her step count, and suddenly goes from not being interested in physical activity to practically pushing herself to another heart attack! Can concerned Zara convince her colleague not to overdo it?…

Reiss comes up with a suggestion to solve Sonia’s money worries this week – she should get a lodger! Sonia loves the idea, and pushes ahead with finding a suitable candidate. However, Kathy later points out that Reiss may have made the suggestion in the hope that Sonia would ask him to move in… It looks as though Reiss is out of luck when Sonia meets Jed – but will he turn out to be the ideal housemate, or will she wish she’d asked Reiss instead?…

Poor Edna is left distraught this week – clearly a lonely soul, she has enjoyed having charmer lodger Mack around more than she would admit. So much so that she’s failed to notice he’s a bit of a wrong’un. Not a full-on soap serial killer wrong ’un, more of a chancer wrong ’un. The type of fella who might use his influence to have Edna help win him a big repair contract at the church, before scarpering with the cash deposit. Of course, Edna is humiliated to realise what he’s done, so as well as having a hole in her life, she now feels responsible for the church’s £8,000 deficit. Elsewhere, the tug-of-love for Debbie between foster mum Emily and real mum Charity continues. We’ve no idea why – the…

MINE’S A DOUBLE… In Hollyoaks, they’ve put a bar with a neon sign in the house that Prince and Hunter live in – I’d love one for my kitchen! Where can I get it from? | Lillie Yes, doesn’t it look great? The glowing cocktail sign is the GUOCHENG Neon BAR Sign from Amazon. And to make it even better, the sign comes in a range of colours. FORGOTTEN HISTORY? In Corrie, Todd took the blame for Paul’s attack on Mike because of Paul’s bad record. But doesn’t Todd have a record, too? I thought something happened when he left the show years ago. | Margaret, Cork At the end of 2017, Todd disappeared suddenly from Corrie (for the purpose of writing out actor Bruno Langley). Todd kidnapped foster daughter…

DANNY BALDWIN Not content with handsome Jamie on her arm, Leanne did the unthinkable when she had an affair with his dad Danny. They were a toxic combination, and when they were found out, they ended up plotting to rob his dad Mike – who was living with dementia – of his fortune. PAUL CONNOR Leanne’s boyfriend, Liam Connor, had no idea she was working as an escort – and she didn’t know that one of her clients was his brother! Leanne and Paul’s arrangement went so badly wrong that he died in a car crash, having kidnapped her and thrown her in the boot. PETER BARLOW What seemed at times like true love, Leanne and Peter were in fact a totally toxic twosome. Their relationship, and brief marriage, was…

Nikki has recently taken part in the second series of Hollyoaks: IRL, where the show’s stars meet people who’ve been through similar experiences to their characters in real life. In the new series, Nikki meets up with Zan Moon, who successfully campaigned for increased CCTV cameras on the London Underground after being sexually harassed. “Zan has turned her negative experience into a positive, and has been very proactive in changing the rules,” shares Nikki. “Some people are too frightened to report an assault immediately – they need time to come to terms with what’s happened before they reach out for help, and by that time the CCTV footage may be gone. So it’s fantastic they keep it for much longer now.” Hollyoaks: IRL can be watched on the show’s YouTube,…

Early life While we don’t know much about Eve’s upbringing, she revealed that she was raised alongside her twin sister, who later died in a car crash while driving drunk. Eve’s dad didn’t approve of her sexuality, so Eve left home to live life on her own terms. Soap arrival! Eve made quite an impression when she arrived in Albert Square – landing a punch on both Zack and Martin in her very first scene! Heather describes Eve as “loveable and quick-witted, but her personality always gets in the way so she can’t avoid getting into trouble”. Love of my life She may be married to Stacey, but Eve has fallen for Suki, who has never been open about her feelings for women before. Things got more complicated when Suki…

Art dealer Jack Turner (Belgravia’s Adam James) “Jack appears to be one thing and turns out to be quite another,” reveals Adam. “He likes women, booze, cars and money. He’s definitely got an edge!” Nightclub performer Claudine Pascale (Ladhood’s Lily Frazer) “Jack’s lover Claudine is a force of nature,” says Lily. “She says whatever she wants, wears whatever she likes… She rocks the boat, but in the best way!” Deputy mayor of Portofino Vincenzo Danioni (Industry’s Pasquale Esposito) “Vincenzo likes to be in control,” explains Pasquale. “He does not like the English – as a fascist he resents anything that isn’t Italian.” Bella’s son Lucian Ainsworth (Noughts + Crosses’ Oliver Dench) “Lucian seems very relaxed, but you come to understand how PTSD [from WWI] has taken its toll on him,”…

Brooke Hathaway Charlie Dean Cindy Cunningham Damon Kinsella Felix Westwood Goldie McQueen Honour Chen-Williams Imran Maalik Jack Osborne James Nightingale Joel Dexter Juliet Nightingale Liberty Savage Lizzie Chen-Williams Maxine Minniver Mercedes McQueen Nadira Valli Nancy Osborne Norma Crow Peri Lomax Sally St Claire Scott Drinkwell Shaq Qureshi Sienna Blake Ste Hay Tom Cunningham Tony Hutchinson Verity Hutchinson Vicky Grant Walter Deveraux Warren Fox Zara Morgan Competition rules of entry: 1. Competitions are open to all residents of Great Britain and Ireland. Employees of Hearst UK or their families are not eligible to enter. 2. The competitions in this issue open on 24 January 2023 and close on 6 February 2023. 3. The winners will be drawn the day after the closing date. Winners will be chosen at random. A list…

BULLSEYE! We struggled with Corrie’s terrorism story, and the jury’s still out on whether killer Stephen will strike storyline gold. The Street needs a bit of sauce, so we’re putting all our eggs in the basket of dodgy Damon, who we know is set for a sizzling affair… Judging by the crackle between him and Carla, perhaps she’s the one set to have her head turned by Peter Barlow v2.0? We bet you 50p! Tyrone laying the emotional groundwork for a storyline that Corrie should totally resurrect. (We never believed for a second that Evelyn’s daughter is dead.) Would you rather: walk a tightrope suspended over a ravine of snapping crocodiles? Or cook lunch for Suki and Nish? So, HOP plans to offer axe-throwing lessons to school children. Well, at…

Singleton Dee-Dee enjoys a fun flirt with Damon this week, unaware of what he’s really like. She’s at the Bistro event, where Damon takes to the decks and then lays on the charm as the pair chat. For Dee-Dee, it’s great fun to receive some attention from a handsome, confident guy. She’s been all about business since she first arrived on Coronation Street, so Damon’s interest is something that she laps up. However, what Dee-Dee doesn’t know is that she’s being playful with one of the most dangerous men in Weatherfield. As a legal eagle, she’s used to dealing with low-life criminals with scary résumés. Although right now, she just sees Damon as a charming potential crush. Could Dee-Dee end up getting badly hurt?…

Laura-Jayne snoops behind the big soap headlines… Inside Soap can exclusively reveal that soap favourite Ben Hull has landed a guest role in Corrie – as a new love interest for Jenny! “Smooth-talking Owen will set the cat among the pigeons as a rep for an American company interested in Sarah and Michael’s new business,” reveals our Corrie insider. “But it’s not just loungewear that Owen sets his sights on, once Jenny catches his eye…” Owen is confident, handsome – and in the market for romance. Yet his fondness for Jenny will surely put him in competition with killer Stephen, with whom she still shares a spark following their brief fling. “What’s more, Stephen has invested in Michael and Sarah’s business, and won’t take kindly to someone muscling in on…

While the Slaters try to do their best by Lily, this week her stepdad Martin is offered the chance to work in Turkey for a month. As he worries about being so far away from Lily, and how he’ll break the news to Stacey, the real-life explanation to what sounds like a brief departure is that actor James Bye, who plays Martin, was on holiday from EastEnders recently to renew his wedding vows to wife Victoria in the Caribbean – as the couple celebrated 10 years of marital bliss. That’s not forgetting that the pair are due to become parents for the fourth time, having revealed that James managed to fit in some baby-making while competing in the recent series of Strictly! “How we found the time we’ll never know…

“T his is Zack’s worst nightmare – he thinks he’s going to die,” explains EastEnders star James Farrar, as we catch up with him for the first time since his alter ego was diagnosed with HIV. “He starts to lose his mind; this is as much a story about mental health as it is about physical health. The whole thing blows up over the next couple of months, and Zack is really put to the test. This is just the start of things unravelling.” Zack’s initial reaction is hardly surprising, given the misconceptions that still exist about HIV. EastEnders is working closely with Terrence Higgins Trust in a bid to educate viewers on the realities of living with the virus in 2023 – and the charity reported a staggering 75%…

Hi, Lewis! It’s pretty obvious that Nicky likes Gabby. Why did he back off ? They got a bit carried away, but when the kiss almost happened, Nicky thought, ‘We shouldn’t be doing this’, and focused on his job. I think if they’d met in any other circumstance, it might be different. Did he think he’d get the sack? Yes, he panicked! Potentially, it could be a problem at Home Farm if they got together. So far, Nicky fits the bill for Kim because he takes away the kids and those responsibilities so she can have Gabby’s time for the business. Her priority is that things run smoothly. You’ve only been here five minutes, and you’re already breaking hearts! Are you having fun getting to know the Emmerdale cast and…

WATERLOO ROAD | BBC1 TUESDAY “I ’m as gutted as the next fan by Chlo’s death,” confesses Waterloo Road star Rachel Leskovac, as we chat about the shocking events in this series so far. “Over lockdown I binged through all the old series; I was hugely invested in Chlo and Donte’s return, so my jaw dropped when I saw the first script. I kept thinking, ‘They can’t do this’!” The first few episodes may have been full of heartbreak for the Charles family, but they’ve also had some great comedic moments in the corridors. Rachel – who you may recognise as Corrie’s Natasha Blakeman – plays no-nonsense English teacher Coral Walker, who is having a rough first term at the school… Hi Rachel! How has Waterloo Road treated you so…

She was the ‘Queen of Crossroads’ and Britain’s biggest soap star, but the real drama and the most jaw-dropping twists took place behind the scenes. Over 40 years after actress Noele Gordon was savagely axed as Meg Mortimer – the role that made her a household name – a major new drama reveals the untold story of the TV legend’s fall from grace. Crossroads originally ran on ITV from 1964 to 1988, and glamorous motel owner Meg was the much-loved matriarch who’d been there since day one. In 1981, Meg was suddenly written out as producers sensationally sacked Noele (affectionately known by her nickname ‘Nolly’), with no explanation. Fans fumed and the actress publicly called out producers for treating her so unfairly at the height of her fame. Acting titan…

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Whether Lola will welcome her mum to the Square with open arms remains to be seen. But in real life, actress Danielle Harold is over the moon to have former Emmerdale and Holby star Patsy Kensit playing the role of her on-screen parent… “It’s been so lovely having Patsy join the cast, and an absolute honour to have her play my mum,” she grins. “I was really nervous about working with her because she’s just so great, but I was also really excited by it! “Patsy was so lovely and we’ve filmed some great stuff together – I have love, love, loved working with her,” adds Danielle. “Plus it’s been lovely to finally have a mum after being surrounded by men all of these years!”…

Charity receives a call that turns her whole world upside down this week – but who is it from, and what do they tell her? The information she’s told rocks Charity to her core, and she spirals into a full-on meltdown. In fact, the news she’s just learned is so shocking that she can’t even confide in her nearest and dearest about it… “Charity’s just going through a pretty average day, putting together a little mobile device for when Chloe’s baby comes along,” reveals Emma Atkins, who plays her. “There’s a phone call out of the blue, and the audience doesn’t know who it’s from. But what Charity hears shocks her, and sends her flying off the handle. “Mackenzie doesn’t know there is anything wrong at this point, but they…

Raging Will struggles to keep his jealousy under control this week, after his missus Kim ditches him to spend time with her new business partner Caleb! Kim and Will are at odds after he blames Sam for stealing his watch, and Caleb gets right in the middle of their argument. However, when Sam is proven innocent, Will’s false accusation could cost him more than just pride – as Kim waltzes off with Caleb and leaves her hubby stewing… “Will jumps straight to the conclusion that Sam must be behind the theft – after all, he is a Dingle,” points out our Dales insider. “Will has no evidence whatsoever, other than the fact that Sam comes from a family who are well-known for dodging the law. However, Will is so convinced…

FAIR CITY Sharon’s thrown by Raffety’s presence in McCoy’s this week – so Sharon flirts with Georgie to make him jealous! Elsewhere, Zoe makes excuses to avoid attending Juliet’s going away party. Plus, Paul and Orla return from their honeymoon… RIVER CITY Lydia is forced to deal with Andrew for the first time since the assault this week, and Lenny starts to dig into what’s going on. Meanwhile, Lou is unnerved when DCI Brooke Shaw starts talking about her dead sister. And Madonna plots to take revenge! THE ARCHERS Lilian finds herself feeling isolated and unhappy this week, but Justin has an idea that might cheer her up! Elsewhere, Harrison has to intervene when one resident wanders somewhere they shouldn’t… Finally, Tom seems distracted about a new opportunity. See TV…

It’s funny how soaps can soar to the highest heights, then suddenly just crash and burn. For months now, the Classic EastEnders lunchtime double bills have been the highlight of our telly day. Then, suddenly, it’s all gone a bit off. We have a tensionless tale where gangster Angel (played for some reason by rapper Goldie) plants a bomb at the Arches. Meanwhile, Kat andZoe go to war over Zoe’s unconvincing engagement to dull Dr Trueman, with the loyal-to-the-end Slaters all conveniently turning against little sis for the sake of drama. Then we’ve got Lynne bumping into ‘old flame’ Jason, clearly using some scripts with the name ‘Beppe’ scored out and ‘Jason’ crudely scribbled in following star Michael Greco’s abrupt departure last week. We wouldn’t mind, but we didn’t buy…

TESTING TIMES FOR ZACK We really thought life was on the up for Whitney in EastEnders – however, Zack testing positive for HIV will surely prove challenging for them both. But what do our readers make of the story? Zack’s only big stories on the show have been about romance and how he’s such a ladies’ man. So, it’s about time EastEnders gave him something with a bit more emotion and heart. | Jennie One thing I’ve loved since Brett turned Zack’s life upside down is how much Sharon has been there for him. She’s really proving to be an amazing big sister, and will be someone Zack can rely on now that he’s discovered he’s HIV positive. | Olivia, Reading I thought the majority of the episode leading up…

As viewers, we’re rooting for Zack to tell Whitney about his diagnosis so the two of them can finally get together! And we’re not the only ones… “I’m in the same boat as the audience!” declares James. “I’m watching Zack, going, ‘Please do it, please just do the right thing!’ Zack has strong feelings for Whitney, but because of all the other dramas, it’s not being said. “I love working with Shona [McGarty, who plays Whitney],” he continues. “Shona is such a warm soul but plays a broken character who just needs a break. Zack could have been that – but currently he’s just creating more heartbreak for her.”…

Channel 4 WEDNESDAY If we’d been through even half the horrors Maxine has endured during her time in Hollyoaks village, we’d probably be on the first bus out of there in search of a quieter life! Yet no matter how many times she’s been knocked down, Maxine never fails to pick herself up, keep calm and carry on. Facing off with crossbow-wielding maniac Eric has clearly done nothing to shake Maxine’s confidence, and this week, she rallies the villagers into a protest for safer streets. As star Nikki Sanderson tells us, she’ll never tire of playing tough cookie Maxine… Hi, Nikki! How is Maxine coping after she threw herself into the middle of a hostage situation? I think what the viewers see in Maxine is that she’s resilient, and bounces…

Natasha Blakeman was killed in 2021 after a tragic mix-up when Harvey went after Leanne, and shot Natasha instead. And she’s been mentioned in recent scenes when her poor son Sam confronted the killer in prison… “I haven’t been regularly watching, if I’m honest,” admits Rachel. “But I’m still in touch with Jude [Riordan, who plays her son Sam] and his parents. His dad, Paul, is a director who I worked with on Hollyoaks. We clicked straight away andI fell in love with Jude the moment I met him. People said they loved our chemistry, that’s because it was real!”…

Paul Henry Lloyd Griffith Always smiling from beneath his character’s iconic woolly hat, Paul played Crossroads’ childlike handyman Benny, a source of light relief among the affairs and betrayals. Think Sam Dingle in a beanie. Jane Rossington Antonia Bernath Meg’s precious daughter, Jill, was the only character to survive the soap’s initial 24-year run, and Jane one of the few stars to be spared the axe. Notoriously unlucky in love, Jill was married five times, which sort of makes her the female Ian Beale. Susan Hanson Chloe Harris Susan made down-to-earth waitress ‘Miss Diane’ a fan favourite, who was so popular she earned the ultimate on-screen tribute after she died from a brain haemorrhage – they named a donkey after her. Larry Grayson Mark Gatiss Showbiz legend Larry, who hosted…

ACROSS 4 __ Winter, nearly had her kids taken away from her in Coronation Street (5)9 Weatherfield __, location of a playground and charity shop (8)10 Full first name of Aggie Bailey’s husband in Corrie (6)11 __ Baker, Karen Taylor’s old flame in EastEnders (5)12 __ Sutherland, works at Underworld with husband Kirk in Corrie (4)14 US award that Brookside’s Anna Friel won (4)15 __ Lawrence, plays Vicky Grant in Hollyoaks (4)16 __ Taylor, the new Mr Kim Tate in Emmerdale (4)17 __ Dunlop, married her Emmerdale co-star Chris Chittell in 2016 (6)18 Period of teaching such as Daniel Osbourne might deliver in Corrie (6)19 Not good, like evil Eric Foster in Hollyoaks (3)22 & 21D Hollyoaks bloke with an eating disorder (5,6)24 See 39A26 __ Dean, original EastEnders cast…

CASUALTY Paige Allcott ...... Shalisha James-DavisSah Brockner ................ Arin SmethurstFaith Cadogan .................Kirsty MitchellIain Dean .................Michael StevensonCharlie Fairhead ........ Derek ThompsonTeddy Gowan ...................... Milo ClarkeEthan Hardy ............... George RainsfordDavid Hide ........................... Jason DurrJan Jenning ..........................Di BotcherDylan Keogh......................William BeckMarty Kirkby ........... Shaheen JafargholiRash Masum ...................... Neet MohanJacob Masters ..................Charles VennRobyn Miller .......... Amanda HendersonStevie Nash .................... Elinor Lawless CORONATION STREET Aadi Alahan ....................Adam HussainAsha Alahan ................... Tanisha GoreyDev Alahan ................. Jimmi HarkishinIzzy Armstrong ..........Cherylee HoustonAggie Bailey .................... Lorna LaidlawEd Bailey .......... Trevor Michael GeorgesDee-Dee Bailey Channique Sterling-BrownMichael Bailey .................. Ryan RussellRonnie Bailey ................... Vinta MorganAdam Barlow ............ Samuel RobertsonAmy Barlow ..................... Elle MulvaneyCarla Barlow ........................ Alison KingKen Barlow ................... William RoachePeter Barlow ................. Chris GascoyneSarah Barlow ..................... Tina O’BrienSimon Barlow .........................Alex BainLeanne Battersby .............. Jane DansonToyah Battersby .............. Georgia TaylorSam Blakeman .................Jude…

CORRIE Marriage troubles BUSY SARAH HAS BEEN NEGLECTING HUBBY ADAM… Sarah’s been throwing herself head-long into her new venture with Michael, determined to prove to everyone around her that she’s a savvy businesswoman capable of running her own empire. But all work and no play means that Sarah has been neglecting her home life – and it hasn’t escaped hubby Adam’s notice that she’s been busy. Next week, he sits Sarah down to discuss an important topic with her. But what exactly is on Adam’s mind? EMMERDALE Calling it quits? E than has a huge dilemma on his hands next week, after his shady boss Greg tries to discredit him! Things get so bad that Ethan considers leaving his job – will he let Greg win? HOME AND…