Table of contents for 14 - 2019 in Inside Soap UK

It’s a funny old life, you know, being paid to watch the soaps. Of course, it’s like a dream come true for a soap nut like me – but it does mean you rather take your work home with you. You sit back on your sofa, after a hard day immersed in the world of soap, only to… erm… immerse yourself in the world of soap again! “I’d rather have dragons like Evelyn!” I’m not moaning – although keeping up with all things soap does mean I miss out on other shows, and can’t join in any conversations about Game Of Thrones or Killing Eve. Frankly, though, I’d much rather have dragons such as Corrie’s Evelyn over those ones of Westeros, or whatever they call it. And as for assassins,…

Hi, Jamie! What’s going on? We thought Jay was well into Ruby… He is! As far as Jay was aware, Lola was gone and dumped him over the phone for his mate. Now he’s got this new person who he likes a lot and is really into – but then Lola’s back like a whirlwind. It all kicks off again. Who do you think Jay will end up with? I don’t know which way it’s going to go! I’m just really lucky, aren’t I? Whatever they spring on me, I’ll happily take – both the girls are good. I think he’s more suited to Lola, but there’s something serious about Ruby that I love. They are both different. How are you finding working alongside Max Bowden as Ben Mitchell? I…

He’s renowned for having Corrie viewers in stitches – but funny man Steve McDonald’s next plot is to be no laughing matter! Horrifying snaps taken while the soap filmed on location recently reveal that the Streetcars owner will be set upon by one of his minicab passengers, after the knife-wielding wrong’un holds up a petrol garage… “The thug is carrying a huge blade, and he doesn’t look scared to use it,” reckons our Coronation Street source. “Poor Steve is left fearing for his life, and drops to his knees to beg for it.” Rumour has it that Steve will pick up the brute like any other taxi fare, and will be only too happy to oblige when he asks to stop at the garage during his journey. However, the cabbie…

Star quality! This Morning presenter Alison Hammond is set to make a cameo in Hollyoaks! Curiously, the bubbly host will arrive in the village with an envelope filled with cash for Maxine –so what exactly is it that brings her to Chester? Tongue-tied! Corrie’s Samia Longchambon, who plays Maria, has revealed that a certain member of the cast can’t resist slipping her the tongue during their kissing scenes! Does that mean there is new love on the horizon for her alter ego? New blood Meanwhile, reports claim that Street bosses are to introduce a new LBGTQ+ character named Kai. Check back here for details on who will play the football-loving lad once we know more.…

As Dawn, she plays a struggling ex-junkie, but in real life, Olivia Bromley is a talented singer as well as a great actor! Olivia and her band Damsen have recently released their debut track, This Isn’t Love – and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. The London-based five-piece’s song features Olivia on lead vocals – and we think the Woolpack needs to book Damsen for its next event ASAP! Olivia’s co-star Sandra Martin (Jessie) – who is an acclaimed singer herself, having performed with the likes of Kate Bush and The Charlatans – took to Twitter to congratulate Olivia, tweeting, “Love this track, babes. Go on!” Head to YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music or Amazon to buy or stream it yourself!…

Scott sets out to end the ongoing feud between Mercedes and Grace this week, as he unveils ‘Gracedes’ – a drag combination of both fearsome women! Last week, the divas began a competition over who could throw the best night out. But when Grace later saw Scott performing in drag as her, for Mercedes’ night at the Dog, she declared war – and the claws soon came out. “Mercedes and Grace have loved throwing shade at each other,” reveals our Hollyoaks insider. “However, after Scott’s popular performance in the pub, Grace is desperate to get one up on Mercy – and books him for the Loft to perform his act as Mercedes. There’s a problem, though… Scott realises he’s also booked for a performance at the Dog!” So, Scott bravely…

There’s a nasty surprise for Mel this week when she comes face to face with Ben Mitchell. Phil’s son was boarding a ferry with a bag full of money he’d swindled off her sister-in-law, Ciara Maguire, when Mel last saw him. Mel told him to return the dosh or regret it – a threat he ignored. Ben may not have ended up with all the cash, but he did pocket a decent amount, and as he’s still in rude health, it seems Mel’s threat was empty. Yet, as the duo meet, it’s clear they have unfinished business. Ben winds up Mel and makes cruel digs about her son – seeing her temper flare… Are they destined to clash again?…

As his dad prepares to make the trip back to Northern Ireland this week, Paddy is keen to have a proper conversation with him before he leaves. But what is it he needs to say? While they’ve come a long way since Paddy first found out that Bear Wolf was his biological dad, neither is finding it easy to get used to the idea. Bear’s unexpected visit to the village has given him and Paddy a chance to get to know each other better – but how will he react when Paddy says they need to have a serious chat?…

Marilyn and John are beyond excited this week, when Jett turns up in the Bay! But what’s the reason for his sudden return? Jett shares the good news with his adoptive parents that he’s graduated from Duntroon Officer School as a Lieutenant. But while Jett is bonding with Raffy, John is puzzled at why he turned up without telling them he was coming. Later, John confronts Jett, who admits the truth – he’s being deployed to Afghanistan in 48 hours! How are they going to break the news to Marilyn?…

FAIR CITY Orla and Wayne are devastated this week, when their surrogate pulls out – leading Orla to make Sash a shocking proposition… Across town, Dearbhla senses that there’s something going on between Doug and Erica. Plus, Paul tells Melanie that he’s done with love! RIVER CITY Alex hatches a plan to escape prison this week – but with him being closely watched by a prison warden in hospital, will he succeed? Elsewhere, Ellie attempts to impress a social worker, while Dougie manages to persuade Scarlett to give him a job! THE ARCHERS Freddie struggles in Lower Loxley this week, as the reality of being a former convict hits home – will anyone give him a second chance? Meanwhile, Jazzer makes a decision that he may well live to regret……

FUR THING Hollyoaks’ Lily has a really lovely fur jacket, it’s sort of a lilacy-purple colour. Do you know where I can get one please, Sarah? Annabelle I do indeed! Lily’s Teddy Faux Fur Biker Jacket is from boohoo.com, and is currently in the sale for £37.50. It’s also available in brown if the purple one is a bit too bright! WHO’S ALEX? When Corrie’s Wayne was catching up with Roy, he said his mum Sheila had a new bloke, who’s nothing like her old boyfriend Alex Swinton. Who is this Alex fella, and what did he do that was so bad? Jayde, Croydon Wayne ran away from home because Alex was aggressive towards him! When Alex realised that  Wayne was living with Roy and Hayley, he demanded cash from…

Grief is a process that comes in stages, and Coronation Street’s Imran Habeeb is firmly in the anger phase right now. The horrifying death of his adored sister Rana has brought his whole world crashing down, and the only thing that’s keeping him going is his determination to make the culprit pay. Like most Street residents, he believes that the factory collapse is down to one person – Carla Connor – and he wants to see justice for Rana. However, his fixation on blame is causing concern for his loved ones, particularly girlfriend Toyah… “Imran wants justice to be served – and it’s become his obsession” “Imran’s completely devastated, and the way in which he’s expressing that is by projecting everything outwards in a blind fury,” warns Charlie de Melo,…

Making a mistake at work is bad enough in most jobs, but when you’re a police officer, it could be fatal. In this new Canadian crime drama, detective Kate Jameson slips up on the job – and discovers how hard she’ll need to work to come back from it… “In the first episode, she leaves her gun in her car,” reveals Gotham star Jessica Lucas, who plays Kate. “That has massive consequences for her and her partner. She spends the rest of the series keeping a giant secret from everybody, while also trying to prove that she’s capable of her job.” To make matters worse, Kate comes from a family with a tradition of law enforcement, as her late father was a respected detective who was killed on duty. Now…

AMANDA & JUNE ARE HARD-TO-PLEASE OAPS! Ex-Corrie star Amanda Barrie (Alma Halliwell) and EastEnders’ June Brown (Dot Branning) are two of the stars taking part in a new ITV show which sees pensioners getting to grips with technology. Hard To Please OAPs is a six-part series coming to your screens later in April – when you can watch Amanda and June trying out the likes of smart speakers, electric cars, remote-controlled golf trolleys, home saunas and pooper-scooper vacuums. Amanda, who’s 83, says of driverless cars: “They sound really sinister and dangerous – but they’re not coming out for another five years and I’ll be dead by then.” Meanwhile, 92-year-old star June asks: “Why isn’t life simple? I hate gadgets, and I hate social networks!” BILL TARMEY’S SON PASSES AWAY There’s…

EMMERDALE Moving on AS MATTY PREPARES FOR SURGERY, HIS ANXIETY IS THROUGH THE ROOF… There’s a major milestone in store for Matty next week, as the day of his surgery approaches. While he braces himself for the life-changing operation, his mother Moira is right by his side. But with both mum and son a bag of nerves, the atmosphere between them is tense. Can Moira manage to be there for her beloved boy? CORRIE Watch out, Wayne! With Weatherfield locals crying out for answers as the investigation into Underworld’s roof collapse continues, health and safety inspector Wayne is already under pressure. But when he’s targeted by a mystery ruffian next week, who’s on his case – and what’s their intention? EASTENDERS Family misfortune? Phil is busy batting off baddies from…

BULLSEYE! We’ll bet our Easter eggs on Peter being to blame for the roof collapse in Corrie. We think he was shadowy figure we’ve christened ‘The Fiddler On The Roof’. Our reasoning? Well, no matter how awesome Carla and Peter are together, they’re doomed to make each other miserable for eternity. And what could be more cruelly ironic than Peter being unable to save Carla from blame, because he committed the crime himself ? When did Saint Sarah become so high and mighty about being part of a cover-up? After she helped bury a man under her mum’s granny annexe, we presume? They’ve done a tremendous job with the recast of Wayne on Corrie. We’re just sad that Hayley isn’t here to see the fine, upstanding chap he’s grown into.…

“This isn’t an easy journey that Pete and Rhona are on – that’s visible for all to see,” warns Zoe. “I reckon that Rhona will struggle to let go of this idea of Pete not wanting kids any more, because I think she knows deep down that he probably does. He’s so much younger that I don’t believe she can bear the thought of being the one to stop him from having children. So there are rough currents ahead for them!”…

Oblivious Emmerdale dad David will soon learn the sickening truth of Maya’s abuse of his teenage son Jacob. Dales star Matthew Wolfenden – who plays the lad’s father – has revealed that he’s poised to film the fallout of the controversial grooming plot… “The storyline is set to get darker, which will be hard to play, particularly because I’m a dad,” shares the star, who has two children, Buster and Bowie, and a third child on the way with his wife and cast mate Charley Webb, who plays Debbie. “What you’re seeing on screen at the moment wasn’t too difficult for me to film, as David doesn’t have a clue what is going on behind his back. “He’s naive to it and he thinks his relationship is going really well,”…

“I want Rainie to take on the role of Dot’s permanent carer, and go the full ‘Kathy Bates in Misery’ on her. While Rainie is doing her best Annie Wilkes impression, Stuart could notice what she’s up to – it’d be interesting for him to be the hero for once.” …thinks reader Coco “Wouldn’t it be great to find out more about Neighbours’ Mark Brennan when he was in witness protection? Perhaps he could discover a secret son he never knew? He’s always wanted to be a dad!” …suggests reader Zoe “I’d love to see romance for Corrie’s Dr Ali and Abi. We know he likes a cougar and, after the terrible year they’ve both had, it’d be nice to see them have a bit of fun for a change.…

“I know how to handle teenagers.” Understatement of the century. “You and Charity? You’re like, exactly the same person. She’s like you, in a dress.” “That’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever said.” It’s also completely true! “Now I hate you. You used me and you threw me to the dogs. Well, listen to me. You’re dead to me. I want you to stay as far away from me as you can. You and me, we’re done.” ‘Me, me, me, me, me, me.’ Well, it takes two to tango, Keanu – and you knew what you were getting into! “You sleep with me, and that photo of Joe pings up on your phone. Is that an offer you can afford to refuse?” Kim’s indecent proposal was pretty desperate stuff. You’d be…

James is determined to find out who really bumped off Mac this week – sending serial killer Breda into a blind panic! After overhearing James stating that whoever murdered his dad must have poisoned him too, she slips the empty vial of poison into James’ coat pocket. However, she realises too late that it wasn’t actually James’ coat at all – it was Romeo’s! Has Breda just unwittingly sealed the teenager’s fate, or will she be discovered?…

Jimmi’s struggling with a bad neck this week, but is reluctant to wear a neck brace since he’s due to make a court appearance as part of his forensic medical examiner role – and fears the reaction of the formidable judge! Unfortunately, after Emma insists that he has no other option but to wear the brace, Jimmi’s fears over Judge Tennyson’s controversial manner seem to be well-founded. But as he rips into Jimmi’s account, threatening him with contempt of court, will the outraged medic back off?…

You know how treasured a serial drama character is when new family members are cast around them. But in the case of Holby City’s Dom, he’s gained a biological mother and a sister he never knew existed! Jaws hit the floor as Holby newcomer Ange realised recently that Dom was the child she put up for adoption when she was just a teenager, setting the wheels in motion for a heartbreaking story that will see Dom go on a journey of self-discovery. Meanwhile, the plot has given Inside Soap a great excuse to catch up with lovely David Ames, who plays Dom and is no stranger to tackling hugely powerful subject matters on the show. Here, the 35-year-old star lifts the lid on what’s next for his alter ego –…

They are at odds in Emmerdale, but in real life Chris adores sharing the screen with Rebecca Sarker, aka Manpreet. This isn’t the first time the pair have been in a soap together, though, as they played siblings Nita and Vikram Desai in Coronation Street… “It’s lovely to have Rebecca on set – although it’s been years since we were both on Corrie,” shares Chris. “It’s fun to be back together again, and Rebecca is really hardworking.” However, the dynamic is different now, with Rebecca’s alter ego married to Chris’ screen father Rishi. “She was playing my sister, and now she’s effectively my mum!” he laughs. “I think it bothers her more than me!”…

Corrie favourite Bhavna Limbachia broke all our hearts with Rana’s tragic exit, and it seems Charlie’s still recovering from her departure. The actor prepared himself for watching the disaster episodes, revealing on social media that he was clutching a very large glass of wine as the episodes began, with the caption, “Got a feeling I’m gonna need this tonight!” The co-stars were close pals and had worked together since Charlie’s arrival in Corrie… “I’m sad Bhav has gone – she was the first person I worked with, and we had that sibling bond from day one, which made the difficult scenes much easier to film,” he said. “I’m going to miss her!” And Charlie reckons his screen sister was the inspiration for his performances since Rana’s death. “I wanted to…

“You never quite know which way Natalie will go…” Nick might like to think he’s a master-manipulator – but while he’s a dab hand at wrapping mum Gail around his little finger, he’s currently being given the runaround by his canny blackmailer, Natalie. And if Nick reckons he’s getting one over on her anytime soon, Cassie Bradley – who plays Natalie – insists that he’s very much mistaken. “Natalie’s more than a match for Nick!” chuckles the ex-Casualty star, as she joins us for her first Corrie chat. “When I read her character briefing, I was thinking that she’d be an amazing poker player, because you never quite know which way she’ll go. She can be manipulative, but she can also be very witty and fun!” Nick hired Natalie’s assistance…

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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 Archie Hudson..................... Genesis Lynea Jan Jenning............................... Di Botcher Dylan Keogh........................... William Beck Marty Kirkby................ Shaheen Jafargholi Jade Lovall.......................... Gabriella Leon Jacob Masters....................... Charles Venn Rash Masum........................... Neet Mohan Robyn Miller................ Amanda Henderson Will Noble................................. Jack Nolan Ruby Spark................................ Maddy Hill CORONATION STREET Dev Alahan........................ Jimmi Harkishin Izzy Armstrong............... Cherylee Houston Amy Barlow.......................... Elle Mulvaney Ken Barlow......................... William Roache Peter Barlow....................... Chris Gascoyne Simon Barlow.............................. Alex Bain Leanne Battersby................... Jane Danson Toyah Battersby.................... Georgia Taylor Emma Brooker............... Alexandra Mardell Chesney Brown.......................... Sam Aston Claudia Colby.......................... Rula Lenska Mary Cole.................................. Patti Clare Carla Connor.............................…

This week marks the start of a huge storyline for Carla, which will lead to a standalone episode this spring exploring her mental health – and sees the Underworld boss end up on the streets! Star Alison has been filming on location with co-star Tristan Gemmill, who plays Robert, another of the Corrie roof fiddler suspects… “It’s been the toughest storyline yet for me,” she confesses. “It’s been a real challenge every day, being in different sorts of mania from 7.30am, working your body and mind into a frantic state.” Meanwhile, it’s thought that the reveal of the Street’s big ‘whodunnit?’ is likely to air towards the end of May. This Morning’s Sharon Marshall recently hinted that the culprit will be unmasked in the run-up to “a big awards ceremony”,…

How did you react when you heard Lily would die in such a tragic way? I was really shocked, to be honest. Lily’s been through so much, and everyone just wants her to have a happy ending. That would have been the easy way to go out of the show, though – I knew this story would be challenging for me, and I wanted to do it justice. Did you have to do any research into sepsis? I’ve actually got a friend who has recovered from sepsis twice, so she really helped me to understand how it affected her, and gave me a detailed response of how she felt at the time. That really helped with the physical side of it. What would you like viewers to take away from…

Ramsay Street is to welcome a new member of the Robinson family – and the actress who will be playing her happens to have an Erinsborough legend for a dad! Jemma Donovan, the daughter of former Neighbours actor and pop singer Jason, is set to follow in the footsteps of her famous father… “This is Jemma’s moment,” gushes Jason, who shot to fame playing Scott Robinson from 1986 to 1989. “There are so many great memories for me looking back, and my dad Terence [Donovan, who played Doug Willis from 1990 to 2016] had a wonderful few years. I’m sure Jemma will also embrace the experience and honour the past. What an opportunity!” Nineteen-year-old Jemma will play “whip-smart, diplomatic and complex young girl” Harlow, and is due to make her…

Nick faces his own financial nightmare this week, when the police request the factory accounts. Sarah happily hands them over, unaware that her older brother has dark secrets hidden within the paperwork – including a trail leading back to the money he stole from his own grandma. Knowing that the investigators will comb through every line of the books, conniving Nick is terrified that they’ll spot Audrey’s cash and reach damning conclusions. Later, Nick warns David that they could both face a prison sentence if questions are asked about where the money for their barber shop came from. As the net closes in, can the brothers find a way to wriggle out of trouble?…

Imogen is terrified this week, when she’s targeted by a mystery stalker who sends her a pig’s head in a box! The lawyer has come under scrutiny recently for agreeing to represent wicked Finn Kelly in court. But after there’s a fire in the building where Finn’s police files are kept, destroying all the evidence against him and throwing his case into jeopardy, the community is left even more outraged. The locals soon point the finger, with Ned accusing Finn’s brother Shaun of deliberately starting the fire to help his sibling! Although Shaun protests his innocence, he nevertheless urges Finn to change his plea to not guilty… Imogen is dead against the idea, and refuses to carry on representing Finn unless he maintains his guilty plea. But after she receives…

Every time there’s a McQueen wedding, I wonder how they can possibly top the last one. But Myra’s didn’t disappoint! I can tell how much fun the costume designers had with that episode. Myra’s dress will go down in soap history – although not necessarily for the right reasons! Helen I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like Myra’s dress and pumpkin carriage! I needed sunglasses just to watch the wedding episode! Nieve It was so heartwarming to see Hollyoaks treating its first transgender wedding just like any other McQueen wedding – with all the drama and carnage that comes with it! I’m sad that Sally and Myra didn’t get hitched in the end, as I would have liked to see them live happily ever after. But Sally deserves…

When Holby City bosses released a thrilling spring preview video a few weeks ago, the clip that gleaned the biggest reaction from fans was the one of Dom coming face to face with his abusive former boyfriend and colleague, Isaac Mayfield. Ex-EastEnders star Marc Elliott is reprising the role for a story that will see Dom himself instigate the violent surgeon’s return… “Dom is going through such a huge, monumental time in his life, and everything is just so fractured,” explains David. “He needs to deconstruct his life to put it back together again – and in order to do that, he needs to revisit a few demons and speak to Isaac. So Dom gets in touch with him, and it goes from there. “People definitely didn’t expect to see…

1 Star Rula Lenska was born on 30 September 1947 in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Rula’s love for acting began at school. But aged 19, she was rejected from the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art, so she went on to do a secretarial course and worked in a bank. Luckily for us, though, the lure of the stage was too strong… 2 Rula’s full name is the rather grand Róza Maria Leopoldyna Łubienska – and she’s actually a countess. Her family is from Poland and fled to the UK as refugees after World War II. Her mother was Polish aristocracy, but when Rula began working as an actress, she dropped the title from her name. “In Britain, it doesn’t count, if you’ll excuse the pun!” laughs the star. Rula has two…

HEATED DEBATE Sir David Attenborough is to present a landmark documentary for BBC1. In Climate Change: The Facts, scientists will explore our extreme weather, and its impact on human nature. WHAT’S UP, DOC? Filming has begun on a ninth series of ITV’s Doc Martin. The new run sees Martin Clunes’ cantankerous medic investigated by the GMC following complaints about his approach to patients, while his wife Louisa embarks on a new career as a child counsellor. IDENTITY CHARADE Anna Friel is to return as the troubled detective in a third series of ITV’s Marcella. Following the dramatic ending of the last run, Marcella is now working undercover to infiltrate a crime family – but has she truly left her old life behind?…

JENNIE McALPINE (Fiz Stape, Corrie ) IN Tyrone’s other half Fiz has been away from the cobbles while she takes their daughter Hope to a special school in Birmingham. In real life, star Jennie McAlpine has been on maternity leave, after the birth of her second child, Hilda. However, Jennie says she’s keen to get back to work soon. “I’ve been in Corrie for 17 years – I love it!” she told the Humans Of XS Manchester podcast. “I can’t take it for granted, because [the writers] might have other ideas. But for now, I have my life in Manchester.” Later this year NICOLE BARBER-LANE (Myra McQueen, Hollyoaks ) OUT After 13 years, Myra has left the village, as actress Nicole Barber-Lane…