Eastenders has been on particularly good form for a while now. Linda has been breaking my heart in every scene; Suki and Eve set the screen on fire with a mere look across the counter at the Minute Mart; Zack’s diagnosis is moving and frustrating in equal measure; I am so confused by the fact that I actually like Sam Mitchell now; I wish Denise would just ditch both Jack and Ravi because they’re both a waste of space; the sensitive handling of Lily’s pregnancy has been fantastic and every episode leaves me crying out, “Why can’t Whitney just be happy?! Why?!”
The writing is so engaging and one of the best things about the show at the moment, I think, is that it has some of the strongest female characters it has had in a long time: Linda, Denise, Suki, Stacey, Kathy, Sharon, Kat, Jean, Eve, Whitney, Chelsea, Shirley, Kim, Karen… the list goes on. Women who have lived. Women who have loved. Women who have suffered. Women who have survived. Women who are strong.
And this shone at its brightest in last night’s special episode, written by Daran Little, where Linda, Kathy, Denise, Sharon, Stacey and Suki all had a lock-in at the pub. All with their own problems. Linda was distraught over seeing a photo of Shirley with rapist, Dean on social media. Kathy stepped up to support her, a rape survivor herself. Denise was still flip-flopping between neglectful, dinosaur husband, Jack and wannabe lover, Ravi while Sharon had just had sex with Keanu and then found out he’d had a fling with Sam (his third Mitchell woman) while living in Spain.
And my favourite moment of the episode was the heart to heart between Stacey and Suki, who opened up to her about her marriage and about Eve. The dialogue was absolutely amazing throughout the whole episode but especially here. I loved the way the episode was filmed – it almost felt live. I felt like I was right there, on a night out at The Vic. The writing was brilliant and all the actors brought their lines to life.
And then came the twist! Once the women toasted the awful men who have used and abused them, we flashed forward to Christmas 2023 and a wedding. However, it wasn’t Kat and Phil’s wedding, as discussed earlier in the episode (they changed the date to ensure that Lily would be in Walford, not with Ryan, as requested/demanded). It was Sharon in a wedding dress (either that or she really didn’t get the memo over what not to wear to a wedding!) and Kat wasn’t even there…!
Stacey had blood on her hands and looked shell shocked (remembering Archie’s death, perhaps?)
And Denise had a broken bottle in her hands – so, did she do the deed?
The man in question was wearing cufflinks so he must have been attending the wedding… so someone Sharon cared enough about to invite? The groom? Keanu? Phil?!?! No way, would they kill Phil off. But why would anyone kill Keanu?
Who else is Sharon close to… Ian? Is he coming back?! Zack? Martin?
Or is it not about Sharon at all? Just a guest…? I mean, the obvious would be Nish. He’s been controlling Suki. If these women have bonded this night, if he attacked Suki, did they step in and protect her? But wouldn’t Eve have been involved in this story somehow? Or has he found out about them and killed her?! NO! That is NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Or Ravi? Does he go too far with Denise? Or Jack?! His anger has been spiralling rather out of control… Any of these women’s husbands/partners would have been invited to Sharon’s wedding – Rocky, Jack (or Ravi?), Nish… I mean, there are a few characters I could happily nominate to get killed off if you’re taking a vote…!
Could it be someone who just infiltrated the wedding? Kathy promised Linda that they would protect her from Dean no matter what. The lock-in started because she was so distraught over the photo. She never got justice for what he did to her. Is this the final conclusion to that story?
So, in conclusion, I have no idea what’s going on! But I am SO excited to find out over the next ten months! This is the first time, to my recollection that Eastenders have played with time in this way. Hollyoaks did it at the end of 2019, flashing forward a whole year, from New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Eve and then the pandemic hit and production got shut down for months. Things got so rushed and confused and I don’t think it turned out the way they wanted it to. I for one, completely lost the whole thread of the story. By the end of it, one of the characters was being played by a completely different actor than in he was in the flash forward! It was such a monumental, never been done before thing for them to do and felt so sorry for them that it all got so mixed up. I really hope everything goes smoothly for Eastenders. I have really high hopes for this story and I am so excited! It already has me completely hooked!
I cried during pretty much every episode of Eastenders last week. I felt very affected by Ben’s storyline and I felt that it was very well written, very well directed and all three actors – Max Bowden (Ben), Aiden O’Callaghan (Lewis) and Tony Clay (Callum) really gave stellar performances.
Max Bowden as Ben Mitchell (Digital Spy)
I have been avidly reading Twitter, as I often do, regarding this story and there has been a real mix of feedback. There has been a lot of criticism, a lot of which has been that ‘this kind of story’ shouldn’t be aired at 7:30pm. Well, every soap has now covered the horrific subject of rape and they all air before the watershed. So, reading between the lines, I can only conclude that the people raging about ‘my kids (that should probably not be watching Eastenders anyway) shouldn’t have to see that’ weren’t actually talking about the crime.
Heartbroken Ben and predatory Lewis flirted heavily before the attack… (Digital Spy)
Excluding Doctors for a moment, only two other soaps have covered the issue of rape between two men – Hollyoaks twice and more recently, Coronation Street.
The first time, was one of the most ground breaking storylines, back in 2000. It was so violent and such a taboo story that it was covered in Hollyoaks Later, airing at 10pm. I was sixteen years old and to this day, I still remember sobbing my way through the episodes. I have been genuinely sad, through Gary Lucy’s return to Hollyoaks that Luke Morgan’s story arc, post rape, turned him into an alcoholic, who never recovered from what happened to him as a teenager. Since then, he has developed Frontotemporal Dementia and in the next few weeks, we will see him pass away. But I think essentially, this is the point. Although I wish he had returned to the Village as a superstar, it would have been unrealistic for him not to be haunted by his past so I suppose my sadness is the mark of good storytelling.
The Hollyoaks rape storyline was a ground breaking piece of television… (Radio Times)
Hollyoaks tackled the rape of a male character again in 2014 but this time, it was less graphic and shown in their 6:30pm (Channel 4)/7pm (E4) slot. The story was similar to Luke’s in that it followed months of harassment and bullying. Luke was bullied by fellow footballer, Mark Gibbs and teacher, John Paul McQueen was bullied and harassed by students, Finn O’Connor and Robbie Roscoe. The thing that that made John’s Paul’s situation particularly interesting was that he was an out gay man and the boys’ bullying was based on homophobia. After school one day, Finn pushed things further and raped him.
Finn bullied his own teacher, John Paul (Irish Mirror)
Four years later, over in Weatherfield, David Platt made a new friend in Josh Tucker but on a night out, Josh drugged and raped him. David woke up with very little recollection of events but began to piece together what had happened and eventually, with the support of his family, namely, wife Shona, he went to the police. These were two heterosexual males and it aired between 7:30pm and 8:30pm.
Josh drugged and raped David (Liverpool Echo)
Luke was pinned down and attacked, as was John Paul. David was drugged. With Ben and Lewis, it started differently. It started as a matter consent, before Ben categorically said no and so was pinned down and attacked. And that it why I think that underlying homophobia was the root of so many of the unpleasant comments I read on Twitter after the episode was aired. I don’t believe it was just the rape itself that was the issue, even though that was enough to make me cry my eyes out. I believe it was that they were in an intense, romantic situation first, which Ben very definitely called a halt on, that got the keyboard warriors going.
Ben retracted his consent (Mirror)
But the point is that Ben said no. He put a stop to things and Lewis ignored him. He wanted what he wanted and he took Ben’s choices away. It has been so devastating to see Ben having to live with the consequences of what has happened and that because of his past behaviour, everyone thinks the worst of him. Usually such a bolshy, mouthy character, he has no words to tell anyone the truth of what has happened. I hope that now he is staying with his Mum, who has suffered the same kind of violence in the past, he will be able to speak up and get the help he needs.
I have also heard criticism about an LGBTQ+ character committing a sexual offence and I totally understand that. We are so desperate for positive LGBTQ+ role models and presence on our TV screens and in our literature. And Eastenders have written Lewis as such a likeable guy, I for one was so shocked at how things have turned out. However, domestic violence and sexual assault does exist in same sex situation (and not just between men either). We do need positive representation but just like the Gray and Chantelle storyline must have helped women who needed help or when Linda was raped, that would have helped people too, those of us in the LGBTQ+ community also need to see ourselves in the darker, harder hitting storylines. And it’s not just about us suffering abuse from the straight community. Men do assault men, women do assault women, even when they are meant to love them. There are Queer people out there who need to see it, recognise it and feel they are being spoken to, as much as the heterosexual community are being spoken to.
And the more the keyboard warriors, harbouring underlying homophobia see us on screen in all kinds of scenarios, perhaps they will have no choice but to accept us.
Gillian Wright is one of those not so secret weapons that Eastenders knows they are so very lucky to have. Jean is there to offer love and friendship and support to all who need her. She can swoop in and steal any scene with only one witty line that the other characters have been working so hard to build up. The show’s light was dimmed years ago when she departed to live in Brighton and it brightened again when she returned. I for one, hope that she stays forever!
Stacey and Shirley’s attempts to get Jean help were thwarted (image: Radio Times)
The beauty of Jean is that as well as warming our hearts with her earnestness, her strength and her kindness, she can break them when we witness her constant battle with her mental health. This recent spiral into a manic episode with her bipolar has been devastating to watch, particularly with Stacey, played by the incredible Lacey Turner, who has been desperately trying to get the right help for her mother but with no support. As a bipolar sufferer herself and having lived with her Mum going through these episodes all her life, she knows exactly what the signs are and it has been so hard to see her being ignored by an understaffed and overstretched NHS. Not to mention the ignorance of Jean’s boyfriend, Harvey, who has no concept of the ‘real’ Jean and has been completely unable to recognise that the Jean who jumped into bed with him on their first date, who has been baking like she’s on Bake Off, who tried to hook up with Rocky in the Vic toilets, who has lacked so much compassion for him and everyone around them, who was pushing for a rushed, not to mention expensive wedding and who doesn’t care about her family anymore and would call the police on her own daughter, who is still on probation, is not the Jean we know and love. He has never met that Jean before.
I don’t know if we are meant to feel sorry for Harvey or not. I don’t, really. I don’t feel sorry for him over Aaron, whose views seem to only be a very exaggerated version of his father’s. But because Harvey would never be physically violent, murderous or aggressive to non-white people, we are apparently not meant to consider him racist, just old fashioned. On top of that, if you love someone, you care about their safety. Even if he hadn’t met Jean outside of her manic symptoms, so many of the things she has been doing are unsafe and out of the ordinary of what most people would do. And Stacey was telling him over and over again that there was a problem. He had the warning and he ignored it. Over and over again. The ignorance has been so frustrating. It didn’t need to come to this. He could have helped sooner. Or at all. While Martin and Stacey were tracking Jean down in Southend, he was feeling sorry himself, getting drunk and eating wedding cake, talking about how embarrassed he is that it was Jean’s bipolar that was attracted to him, not Jean herself. Well, that’s not helpful to the situation and yes, he should be embarrassed but not about that, specifically. He doesn’t deserve Jean, quite frankly. The only thing that makes me waver in my opinion was in Monday’s episode when he lent his support to Stacey, as he visited Jean in the hospital. Afterwards, she begged him not to let her face the situation alone and he assured her that he would be there.
Harvey blindly ignored Stacey’s desperate pleas for him to understand her Mum was ill (image: Digital Spy)
As for last week’s episodes… I hardly have the words. They were incredible – particularly Thursday’s episode. Even if you’re not a big Eastenders viewer, I defy you not to get something out of the beauty of this particular episode. It was written so perfectly (by Lauren Klee) and directed so magically (by Karl Neilson). Gillian Wright was at her absolute best and Lacey Turner was amazing. The episode depicted Jean’s reality compared to what was really going on around her. It made me genuinely emotional, as she charged around Southend in her wedding dress, people laughing at her and getting impatient and some feeling concerned while she flitted from the joy of getting married, apparently to Daniel to becoming confused and frightened and at times, euphoric as she rode rollercoasters and played on the beach.
Jean went to Southdown in her wedding dress, believing she would marry her late partner, Daniel (image: Digital Spy)
There were so many little moments of genius in this episode, including the heightened confusion of Stacey trying to find Jean in the hall of mirrors. Also, a hilarious little moment of Stacey walking into a mirror, which has become a delightful meme for all to enjoy! And finally, the climax to the episode between mother and daughter, where Jean admitted she was ill and attempted suicide.
Stacey found Jean in the sea, absolutely broken (image: Digital Spy)
Jean has a long road ahead of her but I am confident she will be able to come back from this and that Stacey will be by her side throughout, as will the rest of the family because that’s what Slaters do. I hope Eve will be included in this, as she has been notably absent during these episodes and up until this point, she has been so supportive of Stacey and she seems to care for Jean very much. Presumably, we are supposed to assume she’s been in the background, helping out but we just haven’t seen her on screen. She is a great character and isn’t used enough. As for Harvey, time will tell, I suppose. But I am so proud of Eastenders for the way in which they tell Jean’s story. She is by far, one of the show’s most beautiful gems.
So, with Doctors, Home and Away and Neighbours done for the year, it’s left to Eastenders, Corrie, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks to entertain us over the festive period.
Eastenders
I am so excited for Eastenders this Christmas! This week, Whitney is desperately tying to get to the truth about Gray and to protect Chelsea from him and things look set to get far more intense at Christmas. I will be on the edge of my seat. I love Eastenders for putting Whitney in the hero/rescuer role instead of the victim role. I cannot applaud them enough.
Then we are due the big reveal about Rocky actually being Tom Cotton (although I like him so much that I want everything to be forgiven anyway! If we can forgive Stuart for everything he did…)
I am also very interested to see the first Mitchell/Slater Christmas… I love Kat and Phil together; I just hope that Sharon pining for the granddaughter she completely mishandled the custody of doesn’t mess up the relationship. I am also hoping for lots of Eve!
The only downside to Christmas on the Square is the rumour that Janine and Mick are going to get together/closer. For starters, this is a tired story. The last time Linda disappeared, he went off with Whitney. Plus we’ve already had an affair between Linda and Max. Obviously, they’ve had to create a reason for Linda to leave, as Kellie Bright is on maternity leave but can’t Mick just behave himself while she’s gone instead of this cliché every time? It’s so boring. These two arrived on the Square as the most solid, in love couple who had never been with anyone else and never loved another; I wish Eastenders would just keep them intact. I am really hoping that they have something up their sleeve with this one.
And from reading my beloved Inside Soap, I gather that Eastenders are not letting up after Christmas and the Square will also be bringing in an explosive New Year as well. I cannot wait!
Emmerdale
I am equally gripped by Emmerdale’s plots this Christmas, particularly Meena’s psychotic rampaging through the Village! This week, she has discovered that Billy, her newest obsession just isn’t that into her either! He is still in love with Dawn. And she is not happy about it. She has also fallen out with Manpreet, who is well on her way to discovering some truths about her past that Meena would rather she didn’t.
So I am pretty sure that not everyone is going to come through Christmas alive… Well, I hope not anyway! Honestly, I have never enjoyed a soap serial killer storyline so much – I think there might be something wrong with me…
Whoever created the character of Meena and the people who write for her deserve awards. She is incredible. And I can’t seem to stop saying how wonderful and talented Paige Sandhu is.
The Woolpack will also be left very vulnerable on Christmas Day, with Al’s scheming coming to a head. I called it ages ago that when Chas was being all compliant with him that she was playing him at his own game. She is far too clever to let him come and take her precious pub away from her. And I loved Nicola standing up publicly for the pub and the Village this week as well.
Coronation Street
I confess I am not quite as enthralled by the Corrie Christmas stories as I am for what Eastenders and Emmerdale have to offer this year but I am looking forward to them proving me wrong. You just never know with the soaps; they are full of surprises.
I adore Emma and I have been following her and Curtis’s story very closely. I felt so sorry for her this week when Curtis was arrested on their wedding day. I felt less sorry for him. Then there’s little Sam, who will apparently speak for the first time in weeks over Christmas. I also believe with are due some emotional scenes from Abi, not to mention some shocks! Sally Carmen has been stealing so many scenes recently. She’s just wonderful, as is Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina.
Hollyoaks
Now, I don’t know about you but I have already blitzed Hollyoaks on All4, taking me right up to the episodes due to air on 30th December. I’m not even sorry. I couldn’t wait!
However, I can report that it is definitely worth watching and there are some really amazing moments. The bit that really got me was Cindy’s desperation to have a positive Christmas with/for Luke and the almost impossibility of it and of the situation. It was utterly heartbreaking.
The Maalik Family confront Ali
The Osbourne Family get a big surprise
Cindy struggles through Christmas with Luke
Ollie’s new relationship with conspiracy theorist, Becky causes problems
I am so intrigued by the story we are venturing down with Gray, Chelsea and Whitney in Eastenders. I think this is one of the cleverest and most intricately written stories we have seen in such a long time.
There was a lot more to Gray and Chantelle’s relationship than people knew… (Metro)
We first met Gray when he was married to Chantelle. They were presented as the perfect couple. They were beautiful and successful, they’d bought the fanciest house on the Square, they had their gorgeous children; everything was presented as the couple intended people to see them as. After a while, I realised that we only ever saw them outside of their beautiful house and that that must have been done on purpose – so what was happening inside the house? Gray was giving off uncomfortable vibes. And sure enough, one day we witnessed the violence and it was clear that this was not the first time he had harmed his wife.
As viewers, we then experienced Chantelle’s heartbreaking life as she tried to keep her family together and protect her children from the hell she was living through with her husband’s violent rages. It was clear she loved him and there were so many desperate episodes where I shouted at the screen, begging her to tell her Mum, Karen, what was happening to her.
Chantelle died at her violent husband’s hands – with the help of the dishwasher… (Entertainment Daily)
Eventually, she connected with neighbour, Kheerat, who fell in love with her and she decided that it was time to leave Gray and take her kids to start a new life. I remember those awful (but brilliant) episodes where she was so close to telling her Dad, Mitch and if only she had, things might have turned out differently. But instead, before she could leave Gray for good, he killed her. And now, all these months later, her parents still don’t know the truth of what happened and still believe their daughter’s widower is a good and grieving man. They also have no idea he has killed two more people since then! (RIP Tina and Kush.)
I thought it was really brave of Eastenders to take the story in this direction and I don’t think anyone was expecting it. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any domestic abuse storyline that has ended in the death of the victim; it’s always been about surviving. In fact, it’s usually the abuser that ends up dead (such as being buried under the patio). But with domestic homicides on the increase, this storyline has played a brave and important role in social consciousness. While Coronation Street is doing a great job of showing Yasmeen, a woman who will forever be haunted by her experiences of living under the coercive control of her abusive husband (who incidentally died by falling off a roof), Eastenders has shown the other side: not surviving at all. Both stories have been devastating in different ways.
Gray and Whitney began to grow closer… (Metro)
Another interesting aspect of Gray’s story is the obvious assumption that he would then get together with Whitney not taking place. For starters, she is Eastenders’ constant victim (Tony King, Leo King etc.) Gray fixated on her very quickly – he even killed Kush to stop them from leaving together (and murdered poor Tina because she worked out the truth about Chantelle)! He ruined Whitney’s chance of working on the cruise ship, which was very cruel. He worked very hard to manipulate her into a relationship with him too.
However, the moment she saw that flash of his anger, the hateful way he spoke to her when he found out that she already knew about Chelsea’s pregnancy and accompanied her to the clinic, she walked out on him. I was certain that it was already too late for poor Whitney and she was already too drawn in by Gray but really, I should have known that he’d shown his cards too early. I was so very proud of our Whit for halting things and knowing that this was a road she did not want to go down.
Gray proposed after discovering that Chelsea was pregnant (Metro)
My last comments, regard Chelsea. Her relationship with Gray has been so interesting from the start. I wasn’t a massive Chelsea fan to begin with. To be honest, she was very annoying when she first returned to the Square! I find her shallowness quite grating and that whole drugs story was beyond tedious. However, now all that nonsense with Lucas and the drugs are over, her character has massively improved and putting her together with Gray was a stroke of genius. She has certainly kept him on his toes so far – spending his money and retaining a lot of the power between them. However, that power is clearly waning. We can see this with that way that he moved her in without even telling her and went over her head and told the children about the baby when she wasn’t ready.
One of the really interesting things to watch here, I think is that Gray and Chantelle came to the Square as a ready-made couple. We don’t know how things began between them, how this beautiful, strong woman, who was raised by a powerhouse of a mother ended up in such a terrible situation. We have also only recently gained any insight into Gray’s upbringing. Although he has told people that his father was a deadbeat Dad who abandoned the family, we now know that it was a lot more complicated than that – Gray was clearly a violent young man. It sounds like he harmed his mother and frightened his father. So it will be very interesting to see Gray, who is hiding many secrets – including three murders and has just had the loss of his job uncovered – get together with pregnant Chelsea. He is already beginning to take control of their relationship and she is already starting to feel vulnerable. Will Chelsea’s pregnancy protect her from violence? That was a tactic Chantelle used at one time when she was frightened of her husband.
Rumour has it that over Christmas, when Gray and Chelsea are due to wed, Whitney will uncover a lot more regarding Gray’s crimes so will everything come to a head at last? And will everyone come out alive? I for one, will be absolutely gripped. I absolutely love these characters, this story and the writing. And the actors have all been incredible from the start.
The rainbow bunting came out in my house recently when Eve marched onto our screens in Eastenders and what a march it was! Honestly, when Heather Peace announced on social media that she had joined the cast… well, it was actually more exciting than the day that Simone Lahbib made her announcement (but only because my wife and I both adore Heather and with Simone, I stand alone). In fact, for the entirety of Simone’s stint, I sensed an undercurrent of jealously – lots of ‘your Simone is on screen’ – that sort of thing. It was all very unbecoming.
Heather Peace as Sam in Lip Service (insidemediatrack.com)
But my wife and I were both smitten with Heather since the ill-fated Lip Service, the Scottish version of The L Word. Then she popped up in Waterloo Road. We have seen her twice in concert, including going to see her in Eastbourne for our first anniversary. So yes, you can imagine the excitement at the thought of her being on TV again several times a week!
As for her character, I have to say that Eve made possibly the best entrance I have seen in a very long time! To turn up, flirt with Shirley and then punch Martin and Zack is quite the entrance! I already love the dynamic between her and Stacey (who I suspect she does have feelings for) and since her departure and return, I can see a slight glimmer of her and Jean beginning to bond. It was a great twist that she is actually a solicitor, which adds to the layers of her character (as opposed to the lack of layers when she was wandering around in her pants!)
Eve and Stacey: Reunited fashionmodelsecret.com
I was very disappointed that Sean and Jean scared her away, although those scenes were brilliant – Heather Peace, Rob Kazinsky and Gillian Wright were just dynamite together. I was thrilled to see her back, drunk and causing merry hell with Suki. Now I am very much looking forward to seeing what havoc she might cause and to what connections she will make. Heather Peace and the character of Eve are most definitely a great addition to the show!
I remember watching the soaps when I was a closeted teenager, in awe of the likes of Zoe Tate, who was such a rare gem on 90’s TV. Not only had she been out and proud since the early nineties, but her sexuality was also only part of her story. She was a powerful, even formidable character. She had money and knew how to use it. She had her own career as a vet, that she loved. She had a wicked streak. In later years, actress Leah Bracknell portrayed the most heartbreaking scenes as Zoe battled Schizophrenia. When people think back to the nineties in terms of the presence of LGBTQ characters, their minds immediately flashback to Beth Jordache and ‘that kiss’, which is of course important but Zoe came out a year before this and was the first lesbian character in a British Soap. She was also the first gay character to have a wedding/blessing, many years before Civil Partnerships or equal marriage were even dots on the horizon for any of us. I was genuinely saddened in 2019 when Leah passed away from cancer.
‘That Kiss’ in Brookside
Flash forward to present day and this past June when many of us have been marking Pride month with such gratitude that we are here, that so many things have changed and that we have the capacity and strength to try and change the things that still need changing. I have seen so many things online that remind us of why we still need Pride so much. One of things that struck me hardest was a post about while we live in a world where kids are still sat at home believing they would be better off no longer in this world than being gay, then we still need Pride. Pride isn’t a party. Pride is a march of survival. It’s a moment in time where we embrace every single ounce of ‘different’ inside and let it sing. Even if we sing out of tune.
I’ve been that kid, sat at home, scared for my future because I didn’t fit in, because while all my friends were watching the boys on TV, I was watching the girls. And it has been a long road in terms of being and out and proud soap addict to watch these shows change their characters, their storylines and their attitudes towards their characters and their storylines over the past twenty five years or so, when I first started tuning in and I started consciously battling my sexuality.
Lindsey fell for best friend, Shelley in Brookside
I remember, back in the day, that occasionally, a soap would have two dimensional gay man in it to back up another character and have no plot of their own. They certainly wouldn’t have a love life. Then there came the phase of the scandal storylines to boost ratings, where quite frankly, the characters and the LGBTQ viewers were badly mistreated. There was the random storyline of Lindsey Corkhill falling in love with her best friend, Shelley who actually had a thing for her mother in Brookie. Then there was that time that Todd kissed Nick in Corrie purely to pull viewers in to witness a ‘shock, gay kiss’ between two attractive men. And more recently, Tracy Barlow slept with Paula for literally no reason.
Charlie and Joey had a short lived romance in Home and Away #CJ
But Willow and Alex got a happy ending! #Willex
Over in Australia, back in 2009, Home and Away’s Charlie Buckton had a dalliance with Joey Collins, which I confess I got completely sucked into. It ended when Charlie cheated on her with some bloke and Joey left, never to be seen or heard of again. Charlie (the police officer) slept with one criminal bloke after another before she got shot and died. Delightful. They did redeem themselves recently though with Willow and Alex’s relationship, which I also fell in love with – they actually got a happy ending. Off screen, of course. Well, you can’t have everything.
The landscape of how soaps have presented the LGBTQ characters and relationships have definitely changed in a positive way over the years, I think. So many of the partnerships people have grown to love and adore, have not been heterosexual ones. Once upon a time, a soap would have to handle every aspect of gay relationships with ‘sensitivity’, in case they offended the homophobes when really, people like me and fellow members of the LGBTQ community were just desperate to see ourselves and our lives (or the lives we wanted to live), validated on TV.
Tony and Simon in Eastenders
Lana and Sky finally got their happy ending in Neighbours
I remember back in the day when in Eastenders, Tony left Tiffany for her brother, Simon. It was a scandal, not because of the affair but because of the sexuality aspect. I remember Shannon and Mandy falling in love so subtly that you could have missed it. Neighbours attempted to have Lana and Sky get together but the homophobia was so strong, they abandoned the story. They were so proud that for their 35th anniversary to be able to rectify this and have the girls get married. It had always felt for the show and for the actors like an unfinished storyline.
Christian and Syed lived happily ever after in Eastenders (in Birmingham, actually)
Ben and Callum are one of Eastenders’ most popular couples today #Ballum
I also remember the huge story that Eastenders took on when they got Christian and Syed together. It was amazing! Not only were they addressing Syed coming to terms with his sexuality, he also had to work out how this fitted with his religion. And despite the complaints, they became such a loved and popular couple. Since then, one of the show’s most popular couples are ‘#Ballum’ – Ben and Callum – who got together in a very similar way to Christian and Syed (an affair in the lead up to a wedding). And one of the most special moments in the show’s history was the moment that Johnny came out to his Dad, Mick and received nothing but pure love and acceptance in return – no hesitation.
Robert and Aaron were made for each other in Emmerdale #Robron
Throughout the soaps, there have been some amazingly popular couples and characters, which show the strength of writing, performance and on-screen chemistry. Who can forget Robert and Aaron – #Robron – in Emmerdale? Not my favourite, granted, but massively popular and there were a lot of devastated fans out there when Robert was sent to jail. Their counterpart, if you like, are Vanessa and Charity (who I much prefer). I am very hopeful that when Michelle Hardwick (Vanessa) returns from maternity leave, a reconciliation will be on the cards! Charity herself was initially one of those ‘ratings bisexuals’ when she had a random affair with Zoe Tate in the early noughties. So it was brilliant when they revisited this and created what has become a fantastic relationship with Vanessa. Until it all went badly wrong. Oh and let’s not forget that once upon a time, Charity’s daughter, Debbie, had a fling with best friend, Jasmine, played by Jenna Coleman. Jasmine went to prison. I don’t think she’ll be coming back…
I still believe in Charity and Vanessa! (Emmerdale) #Vanity
John Paul and Ste belong together (Hollyoaks)
One of my favourite Hollyoaks pairings is John Paul and Ste. Between them, they’ve had more relationships than hot dinners and many would say that John Paul’s true love is Craig and Ste’s true love is Brendan. But personally, I never subscribed to either of those relationships. Neither of those men ever treated John Paul or Ste very nicely. Brendan was violent and Craig dangled John Paul on a shoestring for most of their relationship. But although I have adored people like Doug and Keiron (RIP) and James and Harry (RIP) have been great players thrown into the mix, I firmly believe that Ste and John Paul belong together.
Aaron and David are the perfect couple in Neighbours
Chloe in Neighbours
Over in Australia, Neighbours has excelled itself in waving the rainbow flag. For me, they have outshone every soap. Years ago, it dipped its toe in the water with the character of Chris and from there, more and more gay characters arrived. Now, it can celebrate one of the best partnerships the show and in fact, soap, has ever seen in David and Aaron who are not only legally married (and walked down the aisle to Kylie and Jason!) but have also been foster parents and are expecting their first child. Aaron’s sister, Chloe is also bisexual and not just telly bisexual where she’s actually straight and goes off with a girl now and again to boost ratings. Chloe is such a vibrant character and has brought so much diversity to show in terms so showing someone who can love and have relationships with people for who they are, not for what gender they are.
Emma and Jasmine in Doctors
In more recent years, Doctors have created some great character development with Emma who now identifies as pansexual after being very surprised to find herself falling for a female friend. Since then, she has had relationships with either gender and a couple of years ago, the show had an extremely harrowing storyline where Emma and her then girlfriend, Jasmine experienced a homophobic attack. It was not dissimilar to that awful story of the girls on the bus in London a few years ago.
The amazing Mackenzie from Neighbours
Neighbours has taken Pride further in recent years with the amazing trans activist, Georgie Stone, who plays Mackenzie. Following Mackenzie’s story has been so emotional and so enlightening. She has been the Hayley Cropper of the millennial generation. But joking aside, it has been incredible to watch this young person, both the actress and the character, essentially explain her journey. She has not only portrayed the character but also been involved in the writing and story lining and I have genuinely wept during parts of her tale, as she had undergone surgery and struggled with acceptance from her family.
Hayley Cropper, Coronation Street. The Original.
I remember years and years ago, attending a transgender workshop and the first thing the trainer said was that they would love to say their charity was responsible for the education regarding trans people but it was actually Coronation Street. Everyone laughed because it was funny and also because it was a little bit true. This is the far reach of soaps and also the heavy responsibility they have to make sure that as well as entertaining people, they are socially responsible. I remember when Hayley first turned up in Corrie and it was such a scandal. I was about thirteen years old and still trying to get my head around my sexuality. I had no idea about gender diversity or anything and I had never heard of being transgender before. But the idea of someone not quite fitting, not feeling like they were who or how they were meant to be, completely connected with me. And Hayley turned out to be this angel, the kindest woman to ever walk the cobbles and they put her together with Roy, the kindest man to ever walk the cobbles… Well, the magic was made.
Sally from Hollyoaks
Since then, of course, Sally has turned up in Hollyoaks and the actress who plays her helped Coronation Street create Hayley so even though Hayley is gone, it’s kind of like she lives on. So even though Corrie was extremely late in bringing in the L, the G and the B, they did lead the charge with the T, something other soaps haven’t always been that eager (or that good) at doing. Currently, it’s only Emmerdale, (alongside Neighbours)who have Matty with any trans visibility. His story is particularly special as we actually knew his character as Holly, years ago. This hasn’t been done before. What’s also been a turning point in recent years with LGBTQ characters is that most of the actors who are playing the roles are members of the LGBTQ community.
So, at the end of this June – Pride Month – I am happy to reflect on how hard our soaps have worked to become inclusive and reflect the society we do or should live in. I am happy that I have all manner of characters and pairings to discuss, enjoy and dislike amongst all the different soaps. I love that I don’t have to cling to the single character that exists in each soap just because they’re gay. Firstly, there are plenty to choose from (except in Home and Away) and secondly, they are written so well that actually, sometimes they’re just not very nice. Because not all gay people are nice! Not all gay men are camp and fluffy. And gay women come in all variations too! Imagine!
Swooning (over) Shannon in Home and Away
When I was growing up, that just wasn’t how it was. You only knew Shannon liked Mandy because she talked about her incessantly. A bit like I talked about Shannon, actually! You were lucky if Zoe could hold hands with her wife. And two guys together were a rare scandal. Now, homophobia on screen is rare and definitely dealt with. I am reminded of a scene in Eastenders where Callum’s Dad was vile to him and Ben and Phil Mitchell to stood up for them. It was such a fantastic and affirming scene.
All the while people are not safe in the world because of their gender or sexuality, there is a lot of work to do. All the while there are people who don’t feel they belong in this world because of their gender or sexuality, there is a lot of work to do. But just for a brief moment in time, it is nice to reflect on how far this small corner of our society has come, even in my lifetime. When I was a teenager, I absorbed every message that these shows delivered to me and I am overwhelmed at how the messages have changed. You couldn’t pay me any money in the world to be a kid today with social media and mobile phones constantly beeping at me and recording my ever move and mistake. But I do think the positive approach to diversity and acceptance is a special thing that I definitely didn’t have twenty (ish) years ago. Soaps are intended to reflect life. They beam their way into our homes on a daily basis and right now, I praise them for doing a good job of positively affirming us, the LGBTQ community.
I am continuously impressed with the storylines The Carter Family are thrown in Eastenders. Individually, each character stands up on their own, dating back to when Shirley turned up as Hev’s mate, full of attitude and from the off, the family were thrown in at the deep end. We’ve had some amazing and emotional stories such as the truth about Shirley being Mick’s mother, Linda’s rape, Johnny’s coming out, Lee’s depression and last year, we had the incredible Kellie Bright tackle some of the strongest episodes ever as Linda was caught up in the midst of her battle with alcoholism.
We then suffered the horror of watching her and Mick drift further and further apart as Mick couldn’t open up to Linda about his childhood sexual abuse but despite her own experiences, she couldn’t seem to recognise the signs of trauma and instead, got sick of him pushing her away and bedded local lothario, Max Branning. It was hideous, shout at your screen viewing.
Frankie has found a family in The Carters
Thankfully, it seems to have all turned out okay. The truth is out, Mick and Linda are stronger than ever, he has pressed charges against his abuser, Katy, and they have even welcomed the daughter he never knew he had, into the family home. And it truly has been lovely watching them very tentatively getting to know each other. Frankie is one of the best soap characters ever written. She is so feisty and so funny. She allows no sympathy for being deaf. It is not a disability, it is part of her and unlike Ben (who appears to have had this operation and very unrealistically had his hearing restored to absolute perfection the second he woke up), she wouldn’t change it.
I am enjoying watching her get to know Shirley. There are a lot of similarities there! And this week, Nancy returned, which is brilliant in itself but throwing in the sister she never had is only going to make that all the more interesting. My only sadness about Nancy’s return is that it is likely to spell to end of her and Tamwar.
Katy has a lot to answer for…
As for Mick and Katy – this story has been absolutely incredible so far. I think it is some of the cleverest casting ever. Danny Dyer is so brilliant in Eastenders anyway and although Mick is very capable of being a gentle character, he is usually cast in the ‘tough guy’ role and has been throughout his career. Casting the incredible Simone Lahbib as Katy was a stroke of genius. She is always the girl next door; she is always the one you are rooting for. As Helen Stewart on Bad Girls, you were so desperate for her to succeed, to overthrow the system and of course to get a happy ending with Nikki Wade. So I think it’s really clever to essentially have a role reversal of the ‘good girl’ in the evil role and the ‘bad boy’ as the person who has been the victim of abuse. It’s very clever writing and the way all the actors have portrayed these scenes (especially in the current circumstances) has been amazing.
Plus, I am sure I am not the only lesbian who feels a little conflicted during her scenes in Eastenders – I feel the suitable amount of hatred for the character of Katy but I adore Simone to the point that my wife is finding Eastenders a little irritating. In fact, Katy hasn’t been on screen for a while. Is she coming back?
Throwback to the days of Bad Girls – Helen and Nikki got their happy ending!
At first, Mick didn’t believe a word of what Frankie had to say but then clearly recognised her mother’s name. While Frankie had initially been told her father walked out on her mother when he learned she was pregnant, she recently found letters from Mick which proved otherwise and wanted to find him. Now, I have to say, I am shocked that Mick has completely rejected the poor girl. He has always been such a moral, family man. But he told her that Linda didn’t know about her mother and was an alcoholic who would never cope with the news that he had another child. Well, to be honest, we’re all a bit stunned that Eastenders have re-written Mick’s entire history.
So, while Mick was all over the place, struggling to come to terms with the latest revelations and snapping at Linda, little did he know that Max has now thrown his hat into the ring. Well, I mean, who needs to worry? It’s not like Max is an infamous lothario or anything… Although Linda didn’t confess about drinking, she did confess to Max kissing her. While Mick weirdly didn’t react to Linda, he was quick to warn Max away from his wife.
Mick warns Max away from his wife… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Callum’s superior tried and failed to get him to wear a wire at home to capture any dodgy conversations but all Phil is really concerned with right now is getting custody of Raymond anyway. Like Denise, he has started visiting the hospital and befriending his grandmother, Ellie.
Callum decided that enough was enough and he was out. Now, the thing I am most stunned about is the revelation that Callum thought this was a legal operation. I have been reporting this all wrong. I assumed he knew that being a completely bent cop was illegal. But apparently, he is actually that stupid. Perhaps his career on the police force actually should be this short. Lockdown must have seriously got to the writers. I mean, what are they doing to this boy?!
From dumb to evil, Suki handed over Jag’s bloodied jeans to the police and fitted him up for the attack on Martin ‘for the sake of the family’. Basically, he was stepping out of line by suggesting she gain some ethics and also daring to date Habiba. So he was whipped off by the police, presumably never to be heard from again as the actor has left the show. It’s a shame. It took me a while to warm to him but I quite liked him by the end. Ash did attempt to persuade her brother to change his plea but in the end, neither of them were brave enough to stand up to their mother.
One person brave enough or dumb enough to throw their weight around with Suki was Stacey. She mouthed off to her in the Square and by the end of the day, Suki had put their rent up, claiming they now owed hundreds as the rent Daniel had put down in advance had now run out. It was then down to Kush, who appears to be fast developing a gambling habit, to save the day with a win to keep their nasty landlady at bay.
Gray loses it in court… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Worried about both Gray and the kids, Whitney demanded that Gray stepped down from her case and be there for his family instead. However, he opted to abandon the funeral (which happened off screen) and pitched up at the court where he basically heckled proceedings until he was thrown out. Just as he was being removed, he practically told everyone that Leo got what he deserved that Whitney would do it again if she got the chance. Ever so helpful there, Gray.
Whitney holds her own in court… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Thankfully, the next day, Whitney held her own with dignity and poise but unfortunately, her next witness, Mick, completely let her down. He had a panic attack on the stand, making her look guiltier than ever. By the end of Friday’s episode, the poor girl had decided that her only option was to plead guilty.
Mick buckles under the pressure… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
At home, Mick was overwhelmed with guilt over betraying Linda. While she reassured him that she has forgiven him for Whitney, she has no idea the depth of what is to come…
Eastenders airs on BBC1 on Mondays @ 8:05pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 7:35pm & Fridays @ 8:30pm
(Tuesday 22nd September – Monday 5th October 2020)
Ian’s life plummeted even further down the toilet as it all came out about his theft of Max’s money. For the second time in a row, Max wrecked his attempt to raise the cash to pay him back, Sharon took him down a peg or two after the way he has been throwing his weight around with her since she turned him down and he continued to completely let his youngest son down. He really has become a terrible, terrible person.
Speaking of Max, he and Linda suddenly seem to be BFF’s, don’t they? I know they did that wife swap thing a while back but I didn’t realise they were besties now! However, Linda was quick to look out for Max when she realised he was being screwed over by Ian. And on a night out with the girls when she caved and had a drink, feeling stifled by Mick who was genuinely trying to look after her, Max stepped in and made sure she was okay. But of course, in soap, nobody can just be mates, can they? Of course they had to have a secret snog. Unacceptable!!!
Max hasn’t stolen anyone’s wife for a while… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
For now though, Mick is distracted by his dislike and discomfort with Frankie’s interest in his family. Tina has completely misread the signs that Frankie fancies her, leading to a more awkward moment than she even realises. But when Linda allowed Frankie to babysit (because her son was annoying her), Mick lost it and snatched Ollie away, demanding to know why she was so interested in his family. The young girl finally confessed that she believes his family is her family – that he is her Dad. Now, while I am annoyed at the potential rewrite of Mick and Linda’s entire relationship, I do like Frankie and I am curious to know where this is going to go. I am also excited at the prospect of Simone Lahbib coming bounding onto the Square, presumably as Frankie’s mother. Bad Girls reunion anyone?! I mean, just to wave my rainbow flag for a moment, any gay woman my age (maybe not even my age) was in love with Simone Lahbib back in the Bad Girls era. I actually cannot explain how exciting it is to think she is joining Eastenders.
Mick is shocked by Frankie… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Ahem. Moving on.
So, what on earth is going on with Callum, the nicest boy in soap? He’s only been in uniform for five seconds and he’s turning into some kind of dodgy cop, controlled by an even dodgier cop. He’s also managing to turn into a Mitchell, controlled by Phil. He’s making Martin Fowler look like he’s had the last year completely under control! Honestly, what are the writers playing at? I don’t like it. Callum is our equilibrium in Eastenders. He is the good amongst the dark. He is the moral compass. If you have him beating Phil’s gangster mates up and trying to fit Phil up with the police, what hope is there for anyone?!
Meanwhile, Gray’s murderous activities seem to have so far gone undetected. Although Kheerat raised the alarm with Mitch, Karen dismissed the idea completely out of hand. She is going to be so distraught to have believed in him so sincerely. Mitch did suspect him. He has always suspected him. Unfortunately, Gray used Mitch’s own guilt for being an absent father to deter him from any accusations. He really knows how to get into people’s heads. And the funeral is on the first day of Whitney’s trial. Of course it is.
Denise confesses all to Jack… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
In other news:
Martin had to persuade Ruby not to press charges against Stacey for the sake of the kids but Jean quite rightly didn’t welcome her daughter back to the Square with open arms.
Denise was shocked to be reunited with her son, Raymond when his adoptive parents were killed in a car accident.
Amy accused Isaac of smoking weed when he dropped her as a tutoring student, upset because she had a crush on him.
Stuart and Rainie participated in the first social distanced wedding, with him trapped inside a car. Very creative! She also announced that she was pregnant, which a lot of people have objected to as she was previously revealed to be infertile and they think it is unrealistic. I have two words for you: Sharon. Mitchell.
Jags and Habiba came out as a couple. Suki was not happy. She even wasted a perfectly good cupcake.
Eastenders airs on BBC1 on Mondays @ 8:05pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 7:35pm & Fridays @ 8:30pm
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