The week’s biggest soap news.
The greatest bad guys in Soapland have been the subject of a lot of headlines this week, with fresh information emerging on Tom King of Emmerdale and Joel Deering of Coronation Street.
The unfortunate news that several well-known faces would soon be disappearing from our televisions has also been making headlines along with a number of cast changes.
Both Australian soap operas have other plans to kill off characters soon, but the managers of Home and Away and Neighbours are keeping their identities a secret, so we can only speculate as to who will be let go.
This week, did you miss any news? This is our weekly Sunday summary of the most important soap opera stories.
Emmerdale’s Tom makes a dark new plan
The plotline of domestic violence on Emmerdale has been temporarily removed off our screens as Belle King is presently travelling to Scotland to visit her relatives.
But according to fresh leaks, the plot will return on Wednesday, August 14, when villainous Tom gets ready for his estranged wife’s return.
After Belle returns to the hamlet, Tom employs every stratagem he knows to coerce her into making amends with him. He’s shocked when Belle demonstrates her strength by refusing to back down and makes it plain that she has had enough of him.
Even though Tom seems as though he respects Belle’s requests, his actual intentions are made evident when he uses some covert security feeds that he put up to spy on her while she is abroad. Belle’s lack of solitude in her own house makes her susceptible to Tom’s next devious manoeuvre.
The walls close in on Coronation Street’s Joel
Dee-Dee Bailey of Coronation Street proved to be a wise woman this week when she showed signs of discomfort due to her fiancé Joel Deering lying to her in public.
Next week, things get more serious when Dee-Dee investigates Joel’s flat, which he had purportedly given up after moving in with her, and finds further evidence of his dishonesty.
Given the increasing likelihood that Dee-Dee would soon discover Joel’s culpability in the Lauren Bolton case, it should come as no surprise that Calum Lill, who portrays the antagonist, has hinted at the conclusion of his narrative.
This week, he stated, “As an actor, I believe it’s bittersweet. It’s becoming progressively more juicy, but as soon as this reaches a crescendo, I go from this amazing spot that has hosted many individuals that I have grown to know, love, and count among my closest friends over the past 18 months.
“I’m very excited to get to the end of the story but it will be very bittersweet because it’s the most incredible place to work.”
Might Dee-Dee be the one to set Joel on his unavoidable path to failure?
Home and Away’s mystery death
This week, Home and Away debuted an eye-catching teaser in Australia that hinted at the impending death of a beloved character.
Originally identified as the three characters in peril were Felicity Newman, Cash Newman, and Irene Roberts. All three of them had major storylines in recent episodes that aired in Australia.
However, after relapsing into alcohol misuse, Irene has now left for recovery on Australian screens. She will likely not be seen on film for a few months since her actor, Lynne McGranger, has been working on a theatrical production.
It would appear that sorrow lies ahead for the Newman brothers now that one character has reportedly been eliminated from the cast.
Next week, the drama will air on Australian televisions coinciding with Cash and Eden Fowler’s engagement celebration. But who will survive the day unscathed?
EastEnders return for Bianca
This week, EastEnders officially verified a casting rumour that surfaced after fans noticed telltale clues suggesting Patsy Palmer might be returning to film the BBC soap opera.
The renowned Patsy character Bianca Jackson will be returning to Walford in the upcoming weeks, the show’s executives have officially stated. Bianca doesn’t know that her father David Wicks would be arriving soon as she heads back.
A statement issued by the series teased: “With a whole heap of unfinished business to resolve, and having previously implored Sonia to steer clear of Reiss, it’s safe to say that Bianca is a woman on a mission.”
Hollyoaks exit for Leah Barnes revealed
Later this year, Hollyoaks bids farewell to another well-known figure as Leah Barnes leaves the area.
After portraying Leah for 13 years, Ela-May Dermican is said to have stepped down from the role, though no formal statement has been made.
Ela-May began appearing on the program in 2011 at the age of four, so for Ste Hay and his on-screen family, this marks the end of an era.
Coronation Street return for Damon Hay
if he lives in Australia, Coronation Street guest star Ciarán Griffiths never seems to be away from the show, even if it’s a 9,000-mile trek to the cobbles.
This week, after being sighted close to the soap opera’s location at Media City in Salford, the actor was being suggested for a third spell as Damon Hay.
When Damon was imprisoned for his role in an armed robbery in March, that is when we last saw him.
Damon’s release from prison doesn’t appear realistic, so is a visitation possible?
Neighbours’ Death in the Outback week
Neighbours is marketing a mystery death that will air in the not-too-distant future, much like its long-time competitor Home and Away.
Earlier this year, the cast and crew left the show’s usual Erinsborough locale to film a week of episodes set in the Outback of Australia.
Throughout the episodes, guest villains Tess Carmichael and Heath Royce share the spotlight with Toadie Rebecchi, Melanie Pearson, Holly Hoyland, Mackenzie Hargreaves, and Haz Devkar.
The stakes for who may be killed off appear higher than ever because Toadie will soon be departing the show and it’s unclear if the door will be left open.
This week, Neighbours’ executive producer Jason Herbison was also questioned about the unexpected choice to remove Toadie from the program. However, he was careful not to reveal too much about the popular character’s future.
Coronation Street exit for Stu Carpenter
Bill Fellows, a star of Coronation Street, also stated this week that he was leaving the soap opera industry.
Since 2021, Bill has portrayed Stu Carpenter, Yasmeen Metcalfe’s partner. However, he is leaving the character to take on new roles.
Could this have anything to do with the simmering hostilities between scared teenager Dylan Wilson and Mason Radcliffe, Speed Daal’s newest employee?
Hollyoaks time jump teasers
Recently, Digital Spy had the pleasure of visiting the Hollyoaks set in Liverpool and having a conversation with the actors while they participated in a picture session for the Inside Soap Awards 2024 nominations.
As we interrogated the celebrities about upcoming projects, the 12-month time jump—which will debut on screens in mid-September—naturally dominated the talk.
James Sutton revealed that after the leap ahead, his character John Paul McQueen would be in a new relationship, while Kirsty-Leigh Porter clarified that the plotline of Leela Lomax’s sadness won’t be overlooked.
Charlie Clapham also said that Freddie Roscoe, the character he plays, will make the leap ahead. This news may not come as a big surprise considering how swiftly the show’s executives invited him back.
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