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!
On Monday, the world learned the sad news of the death of Dieter Brummer, who died on Saturday. Alongside roles in Neighbours, Underbelly, Crash Palace, Shark Bay and Adrenaline Junkies, Dieter was probably best known for playing Shane Parrish in Home and Away from 1992 to 1996, where he became one of the most popular and sought after soap stars both in Australia and the UK. He won award after award and became one half of the ‘Scott and Charlene’ of the nineties when Shane met and fell in love with Angel.
Dieter as Shane Parrish in his first episode of Home and Away, 1992
Some of the many posters I had!
I was about eight or nine years old when Dieter pitched up in Summer Bay as Shane, cadging a lift from Alf Stewart and getting thrown out of the car within minutes for being so cheeky. Now, I’m a gay woman but Dieter Brummer was always ‘the boy I loved’. From the moment he appeared on screen with his blonde hair, earring and silly hat, I was besotted. My room was covered in posters from floor to ceiling well into 1996 when he departed the show. I spent so much of my pocket money on every magazine I could get my hands on even if had only the smallest article about him. Of a weekend, I could come back from the newsagents laden with the likes of Inside Soap, TV Hits, Smash Hits, Shout, Bliss.. the list was endless! He was on the front cover of everything! I had two scrapbooks – one relating to Shane and one relating to Dieter. I actually only got rid of them a few years ago and in light of what has happened, I feel very sad that I did.
Dieter the teenage heartthrob…
I remember when I started secondary school, my English teacher allowed us to cover our exercise book in whatever we wanted. She wanted us to express ourselves! So of course, my book was immediately covered with posters of Dieter, one on the back and one on the front. Despite being aware, in the back of my mind that I was gay, Dieter always held and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I mean, there was a time when I was certain I was going to marry him!
Back when you had to watch TV when it was actually on (or set your VCR on a timer), I never missed an episode of Home and Away. I was so besotted with Shane (and also quite besotted with Shannon Reed – please see my previous blog post) and I loved watching his journey from very naughty boy to sweet romantic as he fell in love with Angel. I loved watching him make mistakes and I loved watching him fix them. I loved his war with Tug O’Neal, followed by his war with Jack Wilson. I loved his friendship with Damien Roberts. I loved how devoted he was to Angel and to her son, Dylan, who he loved as his own. Their wedding had me beyond emotional. And I was utterly devastated when the news broke that my Dieter Brummer was leaving the show. When Shane and Angel’s first wedding anniversary rolled around and Shane died in Angel’s arms… it was a death I have never forgotten.
Shane and Angel: Couple Goals
Dieter went onto various acting jobs as well as running his own business
After that, I tried so hard to watch Dieter in everything I could, although a lot of the programmes he featured in after Home and Away were a little too obscure for UK television. His two stints in Neighbours were fantastic and I was so happy to see him back on screen. I still tried to keep track of him as best I could and it sounded like he was doing very well, running his own window cleaning business.
So when my cousin sent me a WhatsApp on Monday morning with the news of his death, I was and still am genuinely devastated and from all I have seen on social media, I am definitely not the only one. So many people have written as fans who adored him like I did. And so many people have written of working with him and of his kind and generous spirit and sense of fun. The number of colleagues who have come forward and expressed their grief is a testament to the person he was. I hate to think of the pain he must have been in and I feel so terrible for his loved ones and loss they must be experiencing right now.
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.
Although I was expecting the awful attack on Seb and Nina (the Internet and my favourite magazine, Inside Soap had prepared me); I wasn’t expecting the tragic outcome. I don’t know why but it just didn’t enter my head that it would result in death – in murder. It shocked and distressed me so much, as it should have. I was expecting it to be upsetting and then I was expecting a really interesting story about a hate crime assault. This story about a hate crime murder has been so overwhelming and I mean that in a good way.
Nina and Seb are attacked (pic from Express)
To start with, the social distancing in this story actually improved it. We were not brutalised by the violence we may have seen in non-Covid times. In fact, it was more emotional to see those poor kids on the ground, shadows towering over them and the attack left to our horrified imaginations.
And assuming that they would survive, wondering if they were drift apart or pull together, how they would cope with their injuries and face their attackers in court meant that Seb’s tragic death was all the more upsetting. I suppose the clue was that he and Nina were so deliriously happy before the attack and busy planning their future. No couple in soap are ever allowed to be that happy. It surely means one of them is about to be killed off.
I can’t confess to have been a massive Seb fan myself. I mean, he was alright. He must have been desperately in love with every single girl he ever met, including Nina. And let’s not forget Faye, Alina, Emma… But his death, especially in such a terrible way did make me shed a tear. Watching his mother fall apart has been awful, especially when she doesn’t know where to direct her anger. And seeing Nina so very shaken and blaming herself when she was the victim.
Seb is murdered (pic from Daily Star)
It’s also important and interesting that she and Seb really did nothing to provoke this attack. They weren’t mouthy or argumentative. They were just there. And they were running away when they were attacked. They saw the danger of the situation and they left. They didn’t want any conflict. Corey has always been an awful character, from the first moment he turned up and shared that video of Asha. What on earth she was thinking getting back with him, I have no idea but at least she can see the truth about him now.
I cannot find a single thing to criticise about this storyline. It has been written, directed and portrayed so perfectly. Everyone involved should be so proud of themselves. It has been utterly excruciating to watch but that’s the point of it. It shouldn’t be easy.
One moment that really stands out to me was when Roy put Evelyn in her place, telling her that it’s people that highlight other people’s differences that cause these kinds of attacks. Roy’s whole response to this and in fact his entire relationship with Nina is such a beautiful thing. When Hayley died, we lost something so special in their relationship, this constant reminder of love beyond measure. Coronation Street have replaced that love not with a romantic relationship but in the most ingenious way with Roy’s love for his niece. She doesn’t fit society’s ‘rules’ and she doesn’t try to. Roy sees past her ‘differences’ unblinkingly and without question. And that has never been more evident than his devotion to her now.
Let’s just take a moment to remember Roy and Hayley – may she rest in peace (pic from Daily Star)
So, well done, Corrie. You have impressed me and devastated me in equal measure and I look forward to justice being done (although I am sure it will not be straightforward).
I don’t know about you but when Casualty returned to our screens after what felt like a long break, I was really thrilled. They hit us with one of the most incredible episodes they have ever made, tackling the Covid-19 pandemic head on with heartfelt sincerity and refusing the shy away from what our NHS heroes have been dealing with for the past year. It was a real contrast to Doctors who, despite that one amazing episode last year, have barely acknowledged the pandemic when they, as a GP based soap, could be highlighting so much of the fallout of Coronavirus.
Casualty created an incredible episode, focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic
However, since then, all Casualty seem to have filled us with is plot holes and implausibility. At the beginning of every episode, we are reminded that there is flexibility with the use of face masks. But it isn’t just face masks. They need to say that there’s flexibility with Covid Rules and Regulations – such as visiting loved ones in hospitals. Apparently anyone can wander round Holby City Hospital whereas you’re not allowed to attend hospital with your Nan in real life, no matter how vulnerable she is!
Jan is caught up in her son’s crimes…
As for actual stories, they totally built up Connie’s ‘new love interest’, claiming that it was going to be the last person we would expect. Jacob was literally the first person anyone would expect. And then they’ve split up anyway and Connie has left. Let’s pause for a moment to grieve for Amanda Mealing no longer on our screens.
And what on earth is going on with Jan? She is the most moral character on the show and has always been there to keep everyone in line and now she’s slipping drugs into the prison. Really?! Also, every time her wife appears on screen, who she has apparently been married to forever and everyone knows her; I can’t help but wonder where she – the police officer – was when Jan’s son was locked up for attempted murder. Just a mild musing.
Faith and Dylan were caught up in an ambulance crash…
And speaking of the paramedic team, Faith should 100% be dead now. I know there are difficulties with filming and social distancing and everything but the ambulance crash was so unrealistic. There is no way on earth Lev could have saved her. No way! He practically flew up out of the vehicle with Faith in his arms, a cape round his shoulders, his pants over the trousers and a big S on his chest – or maybe an L! Also, as one last aside, if he was so busy on those dating sites, how did Marty never notice him? He spent more time on those sites than at work. I detect a quick rewrite of a backstory that doesn’t completely make sense…
I have watched Casualty since I was a small child and I do hope that this is a blip. The show is capable of such amazing things. Just looking at it’s triumphant return episode alone, proves that, let alone all those series gone by. I look forward to episodes of that quality in future.
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!
Well, I heard on the grapevine that Willow Harris is set to leave Summer Bay (we’re behind here in the UK). Firstly, I am devastated as she is one of my favourite characters. She is very cool, very funny and very entertaining. Over the years, she has brought no end of drama to the show, including the latest twist to the Colby Thorne murder trial when she was revealed to be the shock Witness X, betraying one friend to keep another out of prison.
Willow was happy with Alex…
Since her romance last year with the lovely Doctor Alex Neilson, Willow has been somewhat listless and I must admit that I thought the show missed a trick when Willow departed for several weeks after the trial and they didn’t have her go and visit Alex while she was away. However, I am very excited to hear that she and Alex are essentially going to get their happy ending! It may be off-screen and it may not involve actress, Zoe Ventoura actually returning to Home and Away but I gather Willow will make a phone call to Alex and then drive off to Queensland to start a new life with her.
Charlie and Joey fell in love in 2009
Home and Away is not famous for being pro-gay. In fact, I would say it’s pretty famous for the opposite. In 2009, they attempted a lesbian storyline with Charlie Buckton and Joey Collins and it was hit with so much homophobia both off-screen and as part of the storyline that after Charlie had a one night stand with a man, Joey left town, never to be mentioned again. Charlie then jumped on the next male murderer she could find. She, a police officer, then took up with a male gang leader until she herself was murdered. But it was all perfectly acceptable because it was all heterosexual. Better to date criminals than women. What a lovely message.
Joey was never seen again and Charlie went back to men. Then died.
It was a real shame because the actress who played Charlie (Esther Anderson) was so positive about the LGBTQ storyline and gay fans of the show, myself included, really got behind it. When the character of Joey left, it was with a ‘let’s take a break’ idea when actually, they had already decided it was done and dusted. The whole thing was done to cause controversy and get some ratings up. It worked but it was a shame to have treated the story in such a way as it did come to mean a lot to people. But it just got shut down, never to be tried again until #Willex.
Perhaps it’s because I’m British and I just lump the two Aussie soaps together (they might have completely different audiences in Australia), but what I find really odd is that in contrast, Neighbours is completely rainbow coloured. We’ve had the wedding between Aaron and David (walking down the aisle to Kylie and Jason, if you please). There’s bisexual Chloe who has had various relationships. Sky and Lana came back to Erinsborough to get married, after their relationship suffered the Charlie and Joey fate all those years ago. And we have the most incredible, beautiful transgender girl in the character of Mackenzie, played by activist, Georgie Stone. Watching her story has been amazing.
Neighbours does Pride!
As for #Willex, their story was lovely to watch and knowing how positive and enthusiastic both actresses, Zoe Ventoura and Sarah Roberts were from the start was also really brilliant. Also, after Alex left, Willow has been completely single, not consoling herself with any other romances, male or female, which was a welcome surprise. Alex has turned out to be the love of her life. So now she is leaving, it is such a wonderful thing to see that she will depart by moving to Queensland to be in a committed relationship with Alex. Our girls get a happy ending. I for one am really am happy and I can’t wait to get to these scenes in the UK, despite it meaning having to say goodbye to Willow.
Chloe and Pierce struggled to communicate, both handling their grief over the miscarriage in different ways. Wanting to give her daughter time and space to focus on her own life, Fay headed back to Adelaide but not before she stopped to kindly ask Nicolette to keep her distance from Chloe in order to let her focus on her marriage. Unfortunately, the conversation was overheard by Pierce, revealing the Chloe knew about Nicolette’s feelings all along.
More revelations were to come when Pierce challenged his wife and she admitted that she had been having doubts about their marriage and about the baby – and that she had confided in Nicolette about it all. With the couple wanting to resolve their marriage woes, Pierce suggested doing something fun: Dipi’s cooking class. The look on Chloe’s face suggests that she did not think that was fun.
And she was right. The class was a disaster for everyone, including poor Hendrix who had turned up to partner Susan, with whom he has developed a lovely relationship. Things became very intense between his Dad and Chloe as she wanted to forget their troubles and he wanted an intense conversation. Shane turned up to help Dipi, despite Pierce warning him off and as ever, his help was more of a hindrance. Shane and Pierce got into a nasty row and everyone got upset.
After the class, both couples argued. Chloe refused to talk to Pierce who stormed out. Across the road, Shane blamed Dipi for his addiction, prompting her to also storm out, throwing her and Pierce together in their distress. While Pierce gave Dipi a complimentary room at the hotel for the night, Toadie spent the night at home, talking Shane down from using drugs. This set Dipi off again, straight into Pierce’s arms and the pair shared a long expected kiss, which they both regretted immediately and decided to keep a secret. While Yashvi blamed Shane for everything going wrong, a chat with alcoholic Terese helped her become more supportive of her Dad. You’ve gotta love, Terese. And I did feel sorry for Shane, especially when he apologised to not only Dipi but Pierce as well.
Dipi and Pierce share a secret kiss… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
When Chloe sought out her brother, she ended up chatting to Nicolette again (who lives with him and David) but got caught out by angry Pierce, setting everything off all over again. But it was Hendrix’s words that forced Chloe to sort things out with Pierce in the end. When did he get so wise? Probably when he got together with Harlow. Chloe went ahead with the marriage counselling and also ended her friendship with Nicolette before heading off to Adelaide to make sure Fay had settled in okay. Alone and needing space. Possibly not a good idea to leave her husband unattended right now but then, quite frankly, she’s better off without him.
On Nicolette’s advice, Levi got another medical assessment, independent of Clive so nothing looked suspicious and he didn’t end up pushing himself beyond what he was medically capable of. While Levi was understandably upset with his Gran, Sheila ended her relationship with Clive, having broke the single condition he set when they got back together – no deceit.
Now, Nicolette really was a busy girl this week, dishing out help not only to Levi and Chloe but also to David and Aaron by putting them in touch with a friend who once acted as a surrogate. I am so desperately disappointed with this storyline. I thought it was amazing that they were fostering and providing a home for vulnerable kids. I think it’s absolutely crap that they ran that story once and now it’s all about having a biological baby. Don’t get me wrong, I love Aaron and David; they’re my very favourite Neighbours couple and one of my favourite couples in soap history. That’s probably why I’m so annoyed about it. They could have been the Pippa and Tom of Ramsay Street!
Anyway, the upside is that the story did give way to one of my favourite scenes in a long time. They mentioned to Paul about paying a surrogate from abroad, which would be legal but would not be legal if they had a local surrogate. They also claimed it would be ethical to pay for it that way, although I’m not entirely sure what difference the location makes in terms of morals but whatever. Anyway, mentioning money to Paul is like a red rag to a bull and he immediately visited Nicolette and offered to pay her friend (and her) if her friend would have the baby for the boys. Getting drunk with the boys that night, Nicolette revealed her conversation with Paul, which led to a drunken phone call with ‘Paulie’ to tell him off for meddling, which was overheard by a very angry Terese. Very funny.
Drunk Aaron told Nicolette that Chloe missed her friendship. He and David told her that they didn’t want her to move out. Hooray! Also, Aaron’s stubble is officially turning into an actual beard.
Scarlett destroys Ned’s painting… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
After some pressure from Mackenzie, Toadie decided to do the right thing and warned Rose not to sign her divorce settlement, telling her where to look for evidence over where her ex-husband, James has hidden his assets. After some interference from Susan (it’s usually Karl’s job), Toadie and Rose ended up on an accidental date and admitted that they liked each other. Yay! I do hope this works out. I know she’ll never be Sonya (RIP) but Toadie deserves some happiness.
Then there’s this slightly strange storyline where Karl and Jane have raided one of those Costco places and have so many bulk buy items they can’t store it all. They ended up having to pay Nicolette, Aaron and David a fee for storing it under their house. Yes, that’s an actual plot. I guess the writers took panic bulk buying to heart in lockdown…
So, Warren, Brody and Felix were in quite the pickle, trying to work out what to do over Cormac, who was now half dead on the garage floor. Warren wanted to finish the job but the other two stopped him. While Felix disagreed with Brody about handing themselves into the police, he did agree with dumping Cormac at the hospital, where he was in a coma and not likely to recover.
While Brody fell to pieces, Warren made it clear that he would have no qualms in putting him out of his misery if he were to hand them over to the police. Brody finally cracked and told Sienna everything and while she was prepared to hand his previous murder confession to the police, she and Brody eventually decided that the smartest thing to do would be to take all three kids and run away. Yes. Running away from Warren has always worked out so well in the past!
Brody was always going to regret getting involved with Warren… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
They also don’t just have themselves to consider of course. They seem to have forgotten that Sienna’s sister is deeply involved in their baby Faith’s life, as she was their surrogate. What they don’t know is that she much more involved than they realise. Suffering from post-partum psychosis, Liberty was seeing visions of Nurse Nico, encouraging her to bond with and even breast feed Faith in secret. On the sly, poor Liberty was getting more and more attached to Faith and snappier and snappier with her sister.
That doll is VERY creepy! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Meanwhile, the McQueen family were having big problems when they started receiving threatening messaging, each with the theme of the seven deadly sins. Seven Deadly Sins. Seven Deadly Sinners. Seven McQueen’s. So, John Paul, Mercedes, Sylver, Goldie, Nana, Cher and newly returned Theresa (hooray!) gathered to work out what to do: pay up or face up to the sins of their past. Led by Mercedes, they decided to track down their blackmailer and call their bluff, only for the cash per sin to increase and a warning to be issued: the first sin is wrath and one of them will go to jail.
Theresa McQueen returns to trouble… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Prior to this, John Paul’s only concern was his discovery that boyfriend George had mishandled Jordan’s arrest, earning him a suspension and Jordan getting released. James had been delighted to announce the news and it had led John Paul to question George’s honesty. This was only furthered when shaken James reported that George had burst into his house and threatened him. This was completely true but manipulative George, who has everyone on side, persuaded John Paul that James was lying. I so wanted George to be a good person but he is clearly evil. I am so disappointed!
Speaking of evil, Edward attempted to cement his control over Diane by creating symptoms of a condition that mean her hair began to fall out. He told her that the condition is due to stress and advised that she start divorce proceedings with Tony, who was devastated at the finality of the end of his relationship with the woman he loves. When Sami realised that Verity had put off anyone taking Tony on, he felt too sorry for him and took him on himself.
Yazz was devastated when Tom broke up with her, believing that his world would eventually be too small for her big ambitions. Wanting to prove her love for him and the love of everyone around him, Yazz began a video project of messages for Tom to let him know how loved he was, starting with Tony. Well, it’s only fitting on their 25th birthday that the show honours Tom Cunningham, the boy that stayed.
Eager to fulfil her new role as drugs pusher, Juliet has pressured Charlie into dealing for her but when she and Victor saw him just about managing to dodge George, Victor instructed her to drag little Ella into the gang as well.
Hollyoaks airs Monday – Thursday, 6:30pm on Channel 4 (sneak peek on E4, 7pm)
These reviews are based on the E4 episodes
Hollyoaks airs ‘Hollyoaks Favourites’ on Fridays, Wednesdays-Fridays, 7pm on E4
The Ross Nixon murder investigation became even more intense this week as Angelo finally made a breakthrough. After closely observing Bella and abusing Irene’s trust, he discovered Colby lied about why her interview was delayed; she and Nikau ran off and that Mac, Tane and Ari brought them back.
When he interviewed her again, Bella explained that she ran off due to shock and not wanting to face up to what had happened to her Dad. Knowing a thing or two about covering up a murder (he’s done it before, of course), Angelo didn’t buy it. Bella was firm, telling Angelo who her Dad really was – an abuser and a murderer who had shot her friend and wouldn’t have thought twice about hurt her to hurt Colby. She claimed to have no idea what Ross was thinking that night or what had happened to him.
Willow is worried about Colby’s behaviour… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Angelo and Colby argued about him going after Bella but Angelo was now certain that one of them was protecting the other. Seeing that her friends were going into free fall, Willow stepped in, making an anonymous call to the police with a fictional sighting of Ross from after the night of the murder and sending Angelo temporarily out of town to investigate. She was furious then, when, having got Angelo off their case, at least for the time being, Colby continued pursing his wife, Taylor, spending the night with her in a motel.
Colby is using Taylor… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
When Dean discovered what had happened, he could easily foresee Colby bringing his world crashing down around him. He had to bail on seeing Jai, prompting Amber to stop him seeing him completely and he also refused to let Ziggy move back in. Deciding his girlfriend needed an explanation for his behaviour, Dean bravely told Ziggy the truth: Colby shot Ross and he helped him cover it up. Both of them were devastated, knowing their relationship would be fundamentally changed forever, if not ruined. Ziggy sent him away as she tried to process what he was telling her.
Dean confesses to Ziggy… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Tane ran into trouble when some old ‘colleagues’ turned up wanting him to do a ‘job’ for them. When he refused, they tracked him down at Salt and stabbed him. Mac dragged him down to the hospital where they promptly got trapped in the lift. Will these two ever stop getting thrown together? It’s as if they’re stuck in some kind of forbidden love triangle… When they were rescued, Ari was waiting for them. Tane was treated and Mac lied for Tane over how he ended up with a knife wound. The tension continues…
Meet Doctor Christian Greene… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Justin enjoyed spending quality time with Leah and Ava. His daughter eventually got the truth out of him about his illness and got him to agree to the operation. Cue the entrance of handsome Doctor Christian Greene, who will not only perform the surgery but is set to be Tori’s new love interest, starting with being arrogant and annoying. I mean, he’s no Alex Neilson (#Willex forever!) but he seems alright, I guess.
Justin and Leah prepare for surgery… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Roo and Owen tentatively began dating, which is sweet. Roo hasn’t had a relationship in a while. I just hope she isn’t replacing Evan with Owen because that won’t end well, although that is literally what Home and Away have done, I guess!
Home and Away currently airs on weekdays @ 1:15pm & 6pm on Channel 5
Sneak peek on 5Star, weekdays @ 6:30pm
These reviews are based on the lunch time episodes
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