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.
Like many, I read the news this weekend that Channel 5 are dropping Neighbours from its schedule later this year. And like many, I am absolutely devastated. This is even worse than when it was dropped by the BBC, back in 2008, as the show itself was never under any threat. Channel 5 were heroes then for rescuing us and picking it up and now they are robbing us by taking it away. But worse because now, with the show’s popularity largely relying on its UK audience, if it has nowhere to air over here, it may have to end production altogether. I mean, if Channel 5 murder one of the most iconic programmes in television history, it will never be forgiven! I’m not entirely sure what home grown and exciting drama they think they’re going to serve up to replace it. Or what audience they think they’re going to attract in Neighbours’ time slot. Whoever came up with this decision has made a huge mistake. I just hope they’re not too proud to retract it.
Classic 90’s wedding: Brad and Beth (sadly, he’d been cheating on her with Lauren!)
It has been brilliant to see online, all the calls to #saveneighbours. This show has been part of so many peoples’ lives for such a long time. Especially for people of my generation, it was part of our childhood. It was part of our routine. You got home from school. Then a 5:10pm, Home and Away was on ITV, followed by Neighbours at 5:35pm on BBC1. When I started secondary school, I remember, we did an ‘ice breaker’, where we had to go round the class, introducing ourselves to each other – mingling, if you will – and asking each other questions from a list. We had to have a different name down to each of the questions. The only question I remember was, “Find someone who doesn’t watch Neighbours.” I remember it because it was so hard! Finally, someone found one girl in the entire class who didn’t watch it! One out of thirty! Because it was 1995 and everyone watched Neighbours. Everyone watched it. Everyone talked about watching it. And everyone loved it.
Scott and Charlene: One of the most famous TV weddings ever!
And clearly, people still love it. It’s part of the fabric of our childhoods. It has launched the careers of so many people. I mean, come on! Without Neighbours, we would not have Kylie.
I am going to repeat that: Without Neighbours WE WOULD NOT HAVE KYLIE.
Can you even imagine that? A world without Kylie? I can’t even bring myself to think about it. Awful!
Finn Kelly is one of Ramsay Street’s most notorious killers and was a huge part of the show’s 35th anniversary story
And to bring the discussion and my strongly worded objection into present day, Neighbours is no longer stories about dogs having dreams and dead characters who were washed away, turning up with amnesia anymore (although they aren’t averse to the odd dead character reappearing still but what soap isn’t? You only know a character in Hollyoaks is dead if you’ve seen the body!) Of course, it has its sense of fun and silliness. It’s Neighbours. They’ve also done massive stories that have the flare of slightly over the top Aussie soap drama but are so incredibly absorbing and entertaining, such as the Finn Kelly murder plot or when Andrea Sommers arrived, the spitting image of ‘dead’ Dee Bliss (and played by the same actress). But it is so much more than that.
In recent years, it has tackled so many important stories: Huntington’s, testicular cancer, grief, fostering, alcoholism, just to name a few. I don’t think I have cried more in a soap than when Sonya Rebecchi died of cancer, after everything she and Toadie had been through together in their marriage. It’s been years and I am still not ready for him to move on…. But that’s my issue…
Aaron and David are one of the best soap couples ever!
Anyway, one of the central most fantastic things about Neighbours is its celebration of the LGBTQ community. They raise the rainbow flag far higher than any other soap, including any of the British ones and so high above Home and Away that they can’t even see it. The flag is a dot to them! Neighbours were holding Pride events long before any other soaps were. They have Aaron and David as one of the most established and stable, not to mention loved couples in the whole show. They got married on screen (walking down the aisle incidentally to ‘Especially For You’ by Kylie and Jason), they have been foster parents and now have a child of their own through a surrogate.
Mackenzie has been such a wonderful addition to the show
They have a wonderful bisexual character in Chloe – who is actually bisexual, not heterosexual but got given a gay storyline once, as happens so often on television. Plus, they have a lesbian character. Plus, they have a trans female character, who is played by trans activist Georgie Stone, who has put so much work into her character in order to educate and connect the audience with her journey and experience.
For all of these reasons and more, Neighbours needs to stay on air. Channel 5 should be grateful to Neighbours and the diversity, humour, education and drama it provides, not sling it off the shelf. It does get decent viewing figures and it is a well-loved show. It means a lot to people, as can be seen from the outpouring online after the announcement that it would be dropped.
So please, Channel 5, reconsider. You might find something else to replace it but it will never be Neighbours.
Billy provided the entertainment for the Street on Christmas Day!
I’m ranking Corrie last because although Corrie had some great bits this Christmas and New Year and I loved the focus on it being about family and community, it didn’t pack all that much punch. I found myself getting distracted while I was watching. I loved Billy playing the piano on the Street while people gathered around. I loved the Barlows and the Platts unable to get along. A real highlight was Tyrone and Phill fighting in their rubber gloves, although I find it reprehensible that Fiz wants to sell Jack and Vera’s house. Although, to be fair, if Tyrone hadn’t had some kind of early midlife crisis and gone off with Alina…
And what on earth was George thinking when he bought a coffin for Eileen?! Merry Christmas! Let’s plan your death!
Abi and Kelly’s scenes were heartbreaking and I was shocked by the revelation that it was Abi that Imran had a one night stand with. I just hope that this doesn’t break her and Kevin up. He has stood by her through everything and forgiven so much.
And I don’t know about anyone else but I am already sick of Adam’s lothario storylines. He’s either having an affair or a one night stand or he’s suffering the effects of having had one. And subsequently, he and Sarah are always arguing. They never give him a different storyline. It’s so boring.
3rd Hollyoaks
Luke left a beautiful message for Cindy for Christmas…
I felt genuinely emotional as I watched Cindy desperately try to create the perfect Christmas for her and Luke and their family. But everything went wrong. Ollie got caught up with Becky and her bonkers conspiracy theories and Luke was so poorly and forgetful that everything fell apart. And then the next day, he completely forgot the big argument they had and was so lovely to her; he thought they’d had a lovely Christmas. I also loved the video he had made for her during a more lucid moment. She came to realise that no Christmas could ever be perfect. It’s too late and this is how they live now. It was really sad.
Ella had big news and revealed to Charlie and the rest of the family that she is pregnant! It was fairly obvious that this is where the story was going as they made such a big deal of their first time and they had that pregnancy scare before. It would be interesting if they hadn’t done exactly the same story with Tom and Peri. However, I am curious to know how they will write Sarah Jayne Dunn out when her on screen daughter has such a big story on her hands…
It is always nice to see the McQueens taking centre stage and this Christmas saw Mercedes and Sylver return with Bobby after their trip away to try and rebuild their marriage. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Mercedes, Sylver is planning to leave and move away, unable to forgive his wife for her infidelity.
Maxine went all out to keep Trish in the Village (why she wants to, I have no idea – she’s never anything but horrible to her!) New Year seemed the appropriate time to reveal that newcomer, Dave (Emmerdale’s killer Cameron who dated Debbie Dingle played by Charley Webb who is the real-life sister of Jamie Lomas who plays Warren Fox, just for a bit of trivia), who is already aware but has 0% interest in getting to know his daughter and disrupting his already complicated family set-up. Charming.
So, although I wouldn’t exactly call any of these episodes ‘Christmas specials’, Hollyoaks also doesn’t dominate any prime time viewing over the Christmas period. It did have some good stories and Cindy and Luke’s story really did get to me.
2nd Eastenders
Gray was determined that the wedding would go ahead…
I was desperately looking forward to the Christmas and New Year episodes of Eastenders; they had promised so very much, what with Gray’s crimes and Rocky’s identity being uncovered and an explosive hate crime at the clock struck 2022.
Unfortunately, they delivered very little. The Christmas Day episode just never really got going. It was over before anything really happened. The Boxing Day episode was incredible though. It was almost as if they were behind schedule or something considering the difference in the quality between the episodes. And it was a real shame as the episodes leading up to Christmas too were so good! I was hooked all week long and so disappointed on Christmas Day. And I promise I am not going to sit here and complain that an evil, far right gang failed to blow up a building intended to be a mosque. Obviously. But again, the discussions regarding New Year were that everyone would be struggling after the traumatic events of New Year. And nothing actually happened at New Year. That was the big story. So, although I am very glad that the explosion did not take place, it still adds to the general feeling of overpromising and underdelivering.
As for storylines, Zaarah Abraham absolutely knocked it out of park and Toby-Alexander Smith was terrifying! I could have throttled Mitch for bringing Chelsea back to the Square, no questions asked. And I feel it’s a real plot hole that he has some kind of forgiveness amnesia when it comes to Gray. It was only last year that he suspected Gray of foul play with Chantelle himself. So, if a woman is clearly frightened of her husband and is fleeing the day after her wedding, wouldn’t you at least ask why?
I was glad that the truth finally came out about Rocky, although I like him so much that I still hope there will be away forward for him and Sonia. She wants a Dad and he wants a daughter – little knowing he does actually have one in Dotty! I feel stupid not to have seen that coming. Also, are we about to see him and Shirley get together?! It would be nice if Shirley met someone. She always seems to be on the romantic sidelines.
I was really happy to see Mick knock Janine back when he found her in his bed. However, it was disappointing to see that that wasn’t the end of it. Although it was wonderful to see Kellie Bright back on screen, albeit briefly, we should have known that Janine would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Unfortunately, despite how brilliant the scenes between Janine and Linda were, this plot, again, has so many flaws.
Linda has met Janine before, right at the beginning of the Carters’ time in Albert Square and Janine is not exactly the kind of person you forget.
The implication was that Janine persuaded Linda into drinking that first time but when Nancy and Zack went to see her, she implied that she’d been back on the booze for a while, so which is it? If it was the first time with Janine, she sure spiralled very quickly!
After finding out that Janine had been to visit Linda, why wasn’t Mick even more suspicious of the situation?
After finding out that Linda was drinking again, why wouldn’t Mick at least try to work things out and go and see Linda?
Why would Mick have left it so long to communicate with Linda anyway? They share a young son! How would it have even got to this stage?
And with the news at the weekend that Danny Dyer has quit the show… who on earth knows what will happen with Mick and his clan this year?!
And speaking of plot holes – as if Mr Lister wouldn’t know who Stacey was?! She has had a stall on the market for years! Come on!
1st Emmerdale
Manpreet would live to regret uncovering Meena’s secret… she hoped!
I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of the Christmas and New Year Emmerdale episodes. Every episode so was well done and so full of drama.
First there was devious Al blowing up the pub. I can’t stand Al at the best of times but honestly, how dare he?! Doesn’t he know how iconic that place is?! What an awful man! And I certainly wasn’t expecting Meena and Manpreet, in the middle of a completely separate plot, to get caught up in the blast!
I have read and heard a lot of criticism for the Meena story; people feeling like it is dragging on too long and is becoming over the top. But I completely disagree. The whole idea is that this woman is a psychopath and lacks any kind of empathy. I’ve found it really compelling to see her pushed into a situation where the one person in the world that she genuinely does care for, has discovered her secret. We saw her by Manpreet’s bedside in the hospital, willing her to die so she didn’t have to kill her. And normally, she would have revelled in murdering somebody and she would have done it immediately. But instead, Manpreet has ended up being held hostage in the house while Meena has been going quietly (or loudly) mad, realising that she has to kill her. I am honestly going to be devastated when Meena is caught or killed or vanishes into the distance; however, this story turns out. For a serial killer, she sure has injected a lot of life into the Dales.
Finally, my Vanessa returned to the Village! I have been so very desperate for her to come home! It has been forever! She returned just as Mack and Charity were confessing their love (yuck) – Mack because he means it and Charity because she wanted to mean it. Within about an hour, it was quite clear that Charity had lost all interest in Mack and was desperate to be with Vanessa again. I mean, she’s going to have to work harder than that but I have high hopes for them for 2022. I was a little thrown by Vanessa having a girlfriend but then it turned out that she was the woman that Nate cheated on poor Tracy with so that solved that issue…
Meanwhile, Ellis abandoned Belle and little Kyle out in the woods, accidentally taking the car keys with him when Priya called him for help. Staying out all night, the pair ended up in hospital with hypothermia. When Priya then rejected Ellis’s assistance, why he decided to get drunk with his Dad instead of going back to Belle and Kyle (or you know, look in his pocket and discover the car keys he accidentally took with him?!), I will never know. But Cain was very soon out for revenge…
So, yes, I absolutely loved Emmerdale over this holiday season. In 2021 and into 2022, it has gone from being probably my least favourite soap to one of my most favourites, if not my favourite. I love it. The writing, the storylining and the performance are all amazing and everyone should be very proud.
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
Coronavirus has spun the whole world on its axis. It will never be the same again. For a good long while, we were completely grounded to a halt and even now (unless you happened to be a Tory, of course). With restrictions lifted, things are still so different, so many of us still do everything with such an awareness of Covid lurking around every corner. We don’t just leave the house having to remember our keys, wallet and phone anymore – it’s always hand gel and facemasks too now.
For the first time ever, all our soaps had to stop filming. A lot of them filmed far enough in advance that will a lot of gapping, they were able to keep on air. Eastenders shortened their episodes. We got a lot of classic Hollyoaks! And we still don’t have a full week of Doctors. I miss it terribly on a Friday.
Doctors filmed a special Covid episode (The Mirror)
In summer 2020, Doctors put together one of the most amazing pieces of television ever. Filmed on phones and computers at the actors’ homes, they produced a Covid special that brought so many viewers, including myself to tears. It charted them, as frontline workers, all checking in with each other as they battled Covid. Ruhma then developed Covid symptoms and was eventually brought back from the brink. It was just incredible. The script. The story. The fact that they managed to put it together in those circumstances and with such little time. And the sheer tribute to the true NHS who were and continue to go through hell to save all our lives.
But then Doctors resumed as if that episode had never happened and Covid didn’t exist. Ruhma continued her storyline where she was actually suspended from work (so how could she have been working during the pandemic and therefore nearly died of Covid?) and not a single cast member mentioned Coronavirus for weeks or months. There were no signs, no hand gels and the cast were just socially distanced like they’d had a bit of a row. As for patients, they just seemed utterly incompetent. How do you treat an emergency without actually going near someone?
Eventually, they started slipping the odd mention of Covid into the script. So, did they recognise their mistake that as a medical drama, they were in a position to really tackle a really important subject? The fallout of Covid is not just physical but the mental torture people have gone and are going through is immense, particularly being trapped inside and then being too scared to venture back out. And you know what? I bet a lot of those people will be watching shows like Doctors! Their writing team are so incredibly talented. They have tackled so many stories, particularly recently in such an educational way without preaching or patronising. They are challenging and sensitive as well as entertaining and they could do so much for people in terms of exploring the after effects of this hideous pandemic.
Well, apparently they have realised this because recently, there was a fantastic episode which told the story of a woman who had become so anxious about going back out after being trapped in, shielding, that she almost didn’t make it to her vaccination at The Mill. She lost her son to Covid (highlighting the awful situation where people with learning difficulties were not initially prioritised for the vaccination). There was also an episode where a taxi driver had become so overwhelmed with protecting her cab and herself and her customers during the pandemic from germs, that it had spun completely out of control.
These were such a good episodes and I for one, would love more of them. I don’t want to be beaten over the head with Covid episodes. There’s enough of it in life and on the actual news but episodes that are more reflective of the world we are currently living in are most definitely welcome.
Hollyoaks Village is definitely Crime Capital of the UK, there can be no doubt. Every year in Inside Soap, they add up all the murders and the Chester based soap always tots up the most kills, even if, currently, Meena in Emmerdale is working pretty hard to challenge that, as is Gray down in Albert Square.
Ste was indoctrinated into a far right, racist group (Metro)
However, in recent years, Hollyoaks appears to be tackling these ‘big’ stories that span almost an entire year. And the first time they did it, with Ste being indoctrinated into the white supremacist hate group and all the discussions of racism and all those powerful scenes entailed… well, it was amazing. They took a most beloved character and turned them against everything in our moral fibre. They did something that no soap has ever attempted before (although Eastenders are clearly touching on something similar with this new boy, Aaron) and it challenged people’s ways of thinking. I cried my way through that entire story. Every time Ste and his gang abused the Maalik family, it broke my heart. I was shouting at the television, wondering how people could let this happen. But of course, that was the whole point.
The kids were caught up in county lines drugs running (Radio Times)
The following year, they got bigger. They took on this whole ‘flashforward’ story (which was rudely interrupted by the pandemic and then thrown somewhat by actor, Aedan Duckworth (Ollie Morgan) exiting his role with no warning. Can you even imagine the panic of reshooting and reimaging the story when they had not only filmed the end of the story but also aired it a year before?! The county lines drugs story spanned the entire year and although I know it’s a massive issue, for me, it was just too long. The young actors involved were wonderful and it was a great way of showcasing their talent. But by the end of it, I’d pretty much stopped caring what happened – not to mention lost track of it all. It just got too dark and too complicated (not to mention too unlikely that anything like this would happen in a tiny, little village!)
Fergus’s crimes were adding up… (Metro)
So, imagine how thrilled I have been by the latest, massive project surrounding Fergus and his exploitation of every woman in Chester. Again, it’s a hugely important issue. And it is something that’s important to me. But there has to be some level of realism, surely? Would this bloke really come to a small village and set up a series of pay per view spy cams in women’s homes? Locally? Where he lives? And nobody even noticed? Then would he shoot his tech guy for spilling the beans, having become obsessed with one of the girls? Oh and then sell his daughter in law to the highest bidder? It doesn’t make logistical sense. And once again, for me, it just got too dark and too complicated. It’s Hollyoaks, not Line of Duty.
In conclusion, sometimes, a less complex story can actually go a lot further.
Although I saw it coming a mile off, nothing could prepare me for the scene where Misbah finally admitted that Ali had raped her, resulting in her becoming pregnant with Shaq. The whole episode was amazing and I was on the edge of my seat, my heart pounding as the world began closing in on her at the ball.
Misbah breaks down… (Digital Spy)
Once home, Yazz was so amazing, as she spoke so wonderfully to her mother, kindly but firmly helping her to say the words and admit the truth. It was clear that the boys were not ready to hear it but Yazz was the perfect daughter. I was so moved by the exchange between mother and daughter and actresses Harvey Virdi and Haiesha Mistry should be so proud of their work.
Dr Maalik (Digital Spy)
This for me is Hollyoaks at its finest. It’s such a challenging and topical story – historical rape – and will affect many, many people. Putting such a strong woman at its helm is a really wonderful thing to do as well. Mizbah has always been a leader, both in her family and as Doctor at the hospital. She is also one of the kindest characters on the show; other characters look to her for support and guidance. To take her to this place and to think back along her timeline in this way is so interesting. To see her in such a vulnerable position is so heartbreaking. And to see her learn to heal, when she has been suffering in silence for all these long years will be so important for a great many people.
I am so interested to see where this story takes us and how Mizbah’s loved ones will respond. We have already seen a misguided attempt to forge evidence against Ali to give the CPS a reason to charge him and go to trial and now it looks like someone (Imran, perhaps?) has assaulted him. In everyone’s desperation to protect their Mum, are they just making things worse for her?
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.
At the end of next week, my soap blog (as it currently stands) will be coming to an end/pause, as it is just taking up so much time that I am not getting a chance to work on any of my other projects. I will continue to write blogs regarding various storylines but weekly reviews of episodes will cease, at least for now.
So this week as been the last review for Coronation Street, Doctors, Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Neighbours. I’m afraid I fell behind with Emmerdale quite some time ago! As this week is the last week of Home and Away in the UK for this year, I will just finish that one off and that will be my last ‘review blog’ for now.
(Monday 19th October – Thursday 12th November 2020)
The McQueen’s were having BIG problems with their blackmailer, not least the fact that the blackmail was coming from that freaky looking doll. That alone would be enough to give me nightmares. Seriously, I have a real thing about dolls that move/talk. These episodes are like watching a horror film.
The McQueen’s are being blackmailed by a very scary doll… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
So, the first sin was wrath, exposing the fact that Sylver killed Breda. Well, to be fair, it wasn’t really as simple as that, was it? She’d murdered goodness knows how many people, she’d let him go to prison for murdering his Dad when he was innocent and she was trying to burn them both to death at the time. So, I think he could probably plead self-defence. However, he was arrested, thanks to the doll recording his confession. George stepped in and got rid of the evidence, setting Sylver free. At first, John Paul was angry that his boyfriend had been ‘corrupted’ by his family, hurting George’s feelings, as he had been trying to help but eventually, John Paul was relieved and grateful. I remain upset that with everything George does now, I know it’s with an ulterior, dark motive.
Sylver had to explain to Cher what happened with Breda, prompting her to fear that he had passed his ‘badness’ onto her. She then revealed that she killed her sister – after a feud, she pushed her into a swimming pool, knowing she couldn’t swim. She drowned. Sylver is nothing but supportive and Cher called him Dad for the first time. It was a sweet moment but I’m pretty sure the scary doll was listening.
Silas Returns… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Sylver accused James of being responsible for the blackmail but it clearly wasn’t him. In fact, thanks to the fact that he shot Mercedes, he ended up helping her. The doll offered the McQueen’s the chance to cancel the debt if they could work out who is responsible for their current predicament. They couldn’t. And I was delighted to discover that the person responsible is Silas Blissett! How fab to bring that psycho back for such an important anniversary! He is working with an unknown so obviously this story goes deeper than that and I am looking forward to it unravelling. Determined not to stress about the blackmailer, Mercedes announced that she was pregnant and it may have saved her life, as it diverted Silas away from pouncing on her.
Theresa wants to keep her sin a secret… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
The next sin was greed, sending Theresa into a panic. Apparently, in her time away, she has worked as an escort and got herself into some real trouble. When she begged John Paul for help, he took it upon himself to resolve the situation himself. First, he and James attempted to catch the blackmailer but it was George who came to collect. He had caught John Paul out in a lie and seeing him and James together, he concluded that John Paul was cheating on him. With their wires crossed (or could this be a double bluff and could George actually be the blackmailer?!), they broke up. And with the debt still owing, James would only pay it off in exchange for sex. Feeling like he had no option left, John Paul reached a new low and stole Kyle’s watch from Nancy, gifted to her by his parents, breaking his friend’s heart.
James always has an ulterior motive… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
However, this only meant this his sin was next: pride. With no options left, John Paul confessed everything to George. The boys got back together and George paid off the next debt with his savings – but John Paul cannot see James anymore. Again, I am very cranky now I know that every nice thing George does isn’t actually him being nice. Why couldn’t he just have been nice?! He just seemed so lovely at the beginning!
… but unfortunately, so does George (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Tony and Diane, who was fully in the grip of Edward, to the point that she has now dyed her hair red like his late wife, began to settle their divorce arrangements. Tony’s world was then thrown into a spin when he received a note from ‘the love of [his] life’. I mean, who could it be? Diane? Julie? Mandy? No! Of course not! It’s Kurt Benson! Yes, the one who died at sea in the late nineties. But it’s Hollyoaks so it’s fine to just change the past. Apparently, he didn’t die. He went into hiding and has wanted to come home ever since. Now, he presents himself as some kind of entrepreneur millionaire, which is clearly a lie.
Kurt Benson – Back from the Dead! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Kurt had a new business plan he was eager to get Tony, Darren and Mandy involved with and very quicky snatched Verity away from upset Sami, an extra point scored when he realised she was Tony’s sister (after he discovered that in his absence Tony had slept with both Ruth and Lucy). He also got Verity swept up in the business plan, despite Sami nearly derailing things, having discovered he had set the business up in Tony’s name. Kurt explained that a bad deal meant his name has been blacklisted but promised that the business was going to be a big success. All the while, he took constant phone calls, promising the caller their money.
On the plus side, despite Kurt clearly being a con man, I do think he will be very good for Tony. Plus, you know, Hollyoaks legend back on screen. Hooray! But right now, Tony needs love, support and confidence. His life is being ruined by Edward and there is nobody to protect him. Kurt can do that. If anyone is going to call Edward out on his behaviour and catch him out on his lies, surely it will be Kurt? And he will help Tony win Diane back, I am positive. Those two are meant to be together!
Yazz refused to let go of her relationship with Tom who was sure that their relationship would only hold her back and restrict her dreams. She put together a video of all of Tom’s loved ones to tell him how loved he is. Actually, it was a beautiful message from every single member of the cast, thanking the audience for our support, marking their 25th anniversary. It was a genuinely lovely moment and made me feel quite emotional. I’m big enough to admit it.
And to top it off, Yazz then proposed to Tom. Hooray! We’re going to have a New Year’s Eve wedding, guys! Our little Tom, who has grown up with us, who has lost so much, is happy with such a lovely girl and he is getting married! How lovely!
Yazz and Tom Engaged! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
While Tom and Yazz were busy getting engaged, they were shocked to discover Ste had returned to the Village, having failed to make a new life elsewhere when people began to find out about his racist past. Yazz was incredibly compassionate and kind to him after everything he and those thugs put her through, terrorising them and causing her to lose her hearing. When Misbah returned home, she reunited him with his family. James, of all people, took pity on Ste, although he couldn’t help but try and set the situation up to try and make John Paul jealous. And failed. Mostly.
And it is lovely to see Tom and Yazz as a strong, happy, loving couple who are not mixed up in all this drugs madness, which has completely taken over the whole show right now. It feels a bit like when the River Boys took over Home and Away and it was more like Gangster’s Paradise than Summer Bay. Or when Eastenders was focussed on The Mitchell’s latest crimes and every episode was like The Sopranos. Well, I’ve never been sold on this County Lines storyline, to be honest and I admit I hope it finishes soon. For starters, these kids are literally taking ketamine all over the village. They’re dealing, they holding it, they’re using it and not a single adult has noticed? No parent, no teacher, no policeman? No ex-addict? Nobody? Come off it.
Juliet is at the top of the tree and has pushed Charlie and Ella into the mix as a couple of her underlings. Peri decided that Jordan was not the one for her after all and that she quite liked Juliet after all but things hit a roadblock at Romeo’s party (which he never actually made it to but did finally get together with Cher anyway), when she discovered that Juliet was also a drug dealer.
Sid was extremely worried about Juliet getting in so deeply with Victor and the gang but it’s like a switch has been flicked somewhere. She doesn’t think she is worth more than this. It’s very sad. But Sid had bigger problems as Victor was on Jordan’s case big time over catching the ‘grass’. Jordan was under big pressure to find out who snitched on him to the police and eventually, he did discover it was Sid. He risked a huge beating by not giving Sid up to Victor, who decided not to batter him but keep him under his control instead. Jordan cut all ties with Sid forever, feeling utterly betrayed.
Meanwhile, Ollie returned to the Village with a different face but no better attitude. He reunited with Brooke who was elated to be back together, only to be ditched the next day for Romeo’s party. Ollie was furious to discover that Brooke had asked Juliet to look out for him at the party and with Juliet also upset that Peri had stormed out on her, the pair went off to take ketamine together and ended up having a one night stand. While they instantly regretted it and vowed that nobody should ever hear about it, Peri turned up to declare that she wanted to make a go of things with Juliet. She was utterly disgusted to realise what she had walked in on. Well, you would be, wouldn’t you?
Juliet and Ollie make a big mistake… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Sid was devastated to discover that Juliet had slept with a boy when she had always told him she was only interested in girls and if there would ever be a boy, it would be him. After a row with Ollie, Sid found himself taking ketamine and collapsing, completely off his face. In a state, Peri wasn’t concentrating as she drove, distracted by tears and constant phone calls from Juliet. In a particularly hideous moment, she drove over Sid’s leg without even realising he was there. Thankfully, Luke, who had been picking Ollie up from a heap on the floor, also off his face on ketamine, saw what happened and called an ambulance for Sid.
Sid’s world fell apart around him… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Ste informed Peri what happened to Sid and she quicky concluded that she was the one who ran him over. With Ste’s reaction to both Peri and Jordan and his protectiveness of Sid, I am reminded of exactly why I’ve been missing Ste all this time! I hope he is going to be pivotal to this storyline and sort some things (and people) out. Ste had to explain to Sid that his leg will need to be amputated. When Juliet found out, she came straight to the hospital to support him. She later tried and failed to back out of her ‘job’ with Victor. Marnie spotted them together, which could either be really good or really bad.
Things got even worse for Sid after he was run over… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Brooke was honest about how much Ollie has hurt her and telling Luke about the drugs. Ollie in turn was honest about cheating on her with Juliet. I miss the old actor who played Ollie but it’s almost a good thing as he was so sweet and I don’t like the direction the character has taken.
The other big storyline these past few weeks involved Sienna backing out of running away at the last minute, unable to bear leaving Liberty. Brody broke up with her, believing that she was actually unable to leave Warren. The couple were horrified to then have Liberty announce that she was keeping baby Faith. Between Liberty and Brody, hurt Sienna found herself in bed with Warren, just as Brody was buying flowers and set to make things right with the woman he loved. Unfortunately, unwell Liberty took Faith and jumped in the car, ready to run away with her, running Brody over in the process. Sienna came to her senses, insisting that her slip with Warren was a big mistake; Brody is the person she wanted to be with.
In other news, Walter was shocked when Martine bought their flat and invited Mitchell and Scott to move in. At first, Walter offended the boys by offering to tolerate them but Mitchell gave him a talking to. Despite Toby’s best efforts to wind the situation up, Walter did make an effort and even bonded with Scott over The Golden Girls!
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 Soap Dish 