Rainbows and Affirmations

The incredible Leah Bracknell as Zoe Tate

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.

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.

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 35^th 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

A 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.

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.

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.

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.

Could Willow and Alex get their happy ending…?

Home and Away: Truth Be Told

(Thursday 8^th – Friday 16^th October 2020)

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

Previously on Home and Away…

(Monday 15^th June – Wednesday 16^th September 2020)

Well, a LOT has been happening in Summer Bay these past few months! I hardly even know where to start!

Ben and Maggie bid farewell to Summer Bay…
(photo credit: WhatsOnTV)

Firstly, Ben and Maggie had split up when Ben found out that twenty odd years ago, when they were on a break (hello, Ross and Rachel), she slept with his brother, Marco. Bad form. But the good news is, that they eventually found their way back to each other. The bad news is that they decided to start afresh in Italy. Great for the characters, sad for the show as the Astonis’ were a great asset, as were the actors. Ben gifted his Board Shop to Dean and they offered him and Ziggy the house for cheap rent, although they stupidly decided they would prefer their cramped house share with Colby and Bella. I mean… why? And who will move into the house…? I have one idea but we’ll see how that pans out.

The Parata Family have been at the centre of a lot of storylines recently. They’re kind of like a palatable version of the Braxtons’ from ten years ago. Speaking of, I hear they’re bringing Heath Braxton back next year. I really hope they’re not just pulling Home and Away back into that hideous period of criminal gangs. It was awful back then. I had to stop watching. It’s much more interesting watching families and friendships. If I wanted to watch The Sopranos, I would.

Anyway, Tane Parata arrived in the Bay, wanting to look after nephew, Nikau and suddenly produced a house without any legal income for them, Ari and Gemma to move into. He immediately struck up a flirtation with Mac, who was already seeing Ari and while nothing has happened between them, Mac has struggled to control her attraction to her boyfriend’s brother. More recently, he has started sleeping with new girl, Amber so Mac, who has given Tane a job at Salt, hasn’t been able to control her jealousy. She admitted her feelings to Ari but they decided to make things work and Mac has since put every effort into her relationship.

Mac throws herself into her relationship with Ari
(photo credit: Metro)

There was a break in at the Diner, setting Colby on the case of the Parata Family. He was utterly convinced that Ari was responsible because the intruder, who terrified poor Leah was wearing a generic black hoodie and hey presto, Ari along with almost everyone on the planet, also owned a generic black hoodie. Mac tried and failed to provide him with an alibi. Borne out of jealousy, Colby seriously targeted Ari but was unable to prove he was responsible. When the anniversary of her husband’s death came around, Gemma and her family were required to return to New Zealand to scatter his ashes in their family’s tradition. However, Colby put a stop on all the boys’ passports so on Gemma managed to get through security, trapping the boys in Australia. I believe the actress who plays Gemma has now left the series completely (which doesn’t really make sense for the character) and the rest of the characters are staying put.

Meanwhile, Bella returned from therapy a changed person. She is actually likeable! She is mature, calm and thoughtful and currently makes Colby look like a complete and utter mess. She immediately set boundaries between her and her brother. Well, someone had to! And she was able to reconcile with Nikau and so far, they have developed a lovely, caring relationship, which both of them are happy to take slowly. Aww.

Poor John collapsed with a stroke, leading Marilyn to end up as his carer. For a moment, it looked like they might get back together but it soon became clear that she still wasn’t in love with him. They just couldn’t get along as she struggled to look after him and he struggled to cope with his condition. So now, Marilyn has moved in with Alf, Martha, Roo and Ryder and John has remained at home, which has all the adaptations they made for Jett with Amber as his carer. She seriously pushes him hard to improve his health. It’s sad. I really wanted John and Marilyn to work out. But the siege really destroyed their relationship.

John and Marilyn face reality…
(photo credit: Metro)

Ryder got a real shock when his Dad, Evan showed up wanting to develop a relationship with him. More shocks were in store when he found out that Evan was dying. The pair were able to make some lasting memories before Evan left town, not wanting Ryder to see him die. Roo left with Evan, not wanting him to die alone and clearly having developed feelings for him, even if that was unsaid. Ryder was devastated when Roo returned alone and broke the news to him. She brought Evan’s guitar with her, with a plaque on it: For My Son. Poor Ryder. What a sad story.

Ryder spends all the time with his Dad that he can…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Jasmine has become seriously unwell over the past few months. She became obsessed with Grace, posing as her mother online at times and implying that Tori is a bad mother at other times. She drunkenly kissed Colby as well as attacked him, was aggressive towards Tori and awful to Willow who remained her faithful friend. When Tori was car jacked with Grace in the car, Jasmine went as far as reporting her to the police and contacting a lawyer, blaming innocent Tori for the whole thing. What had happened was that she had jumped out of the car to help John who had fallen out of his wheelchair. Nikau, scared of being fitted up for the break in at the Diner, as Colby was gunning for him and his family, stole the car in a bid to run away, not realising the baby was in the car. As soon as he realised, he called Tane for help. Tane returned Grace anonymously and so far, nobody knows who robbed the Diner and nobody has discovered who stole the car.

Jasmine became quite the keyboard warrior…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

After the truth came out about Jasmine’s online life, stealing items belonging the Grace and generally weird, obsessive behaviour, Tori was left with no choice but to take out an AVO against her as well as to try and get her some mental health support. Jasmine ran off to stay with Robbo’s parents but as soon as they discovered the truth, they sent her back to Summer Bay to try and get the help she needed. Tori and Jasmine finally made a breakthrough and hopefully, she is now starting to get back on track.

Dean got a shock when an ex-fling, Amber showed up (John’s carer) and immediately hit on him. He didn’t get time to warn Colby, who didn’t quite the same reception. She punched him in the face! So, the story goes that Colby, Dean and Amber’s brother, Jai were all attempting to rescue Bella from Ross when there was a car accident. Colby left Dean and Jai for dead on the side of the road without even checking if they were okay. Dean survived by Jai died. Amber has hated him ever since and it took a long time for Dean to forgive him.

Amber is not happy to see Colby…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Willow was thrilled to see Amber, who was a little unsure as she was worried about having slept with Dean after they split up. Willow didn’t care. A lot has changed since they last saw each other! The pair have since been going on a lot of wild nights out, with Amber pulling Tane and trying to get Willow to hook up with someone/anyone too, although Willow isn’t interested. All the Willex fans, including myself are still hoping that she is still too hung up on Alex to think about dating anyone new! Oh, and Ziggy’s divorce came through. Hooray!

Willow enjoys having Amber back in her life…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

But just as things began to look up, disaster struck – Ross Nixon’s body was discovered. And who best to investigate his murder but Angelo Rosetta, the police officer who was sacked from the force twice, once when he was jailed for murder and once because he deliberately let a human trafficker escape. I mean, why wouldn’t he allowed onto the police force a third time and be made Detective? That’s completely realistic! Honestly, I don’t think there has ever been a character I have disliked more than him so please excuse my tone in all future blogs. I won’t be able to help myself. Ugh! Vile!

Angelo returns and is somehow a Detective…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Anyway, Angelo arrived in the Bay and like me, Alf could hardly believe he had been let back onto the police force. He interviewed Colby and Dean about Ross, trying to ascertain what happened the last time they saw him. The boys held it together and stuck to the stories they gave at the time, although Dean was clearly rattled. At the time, he returned to the scene of the crime repeatedly, strung out on sleeping pills. Colby pretended he was holding things together but really he was haunted by memories of shooting Bella’s Dad on that awful night he found and rescued her. I didn’t watch the show then but I gather that Ross abused Colby and he suffered a great deal. It was in a moment of great distress that trauma that he chose to kill him.

When Angelo wanted to interview Bella and Willow, everyone panicked, Colby drilling the story into Bella, determined that she get it right. When Bella overheard Colby and Dean discussing a backup plan, which was basically Colby rightfully taking the blame (he committed the crime) and Dean, Ziggy (who is oblivious to the actual truth) and Willow taking care of Bella, she panicked and decided to run away. Shocked by the truth of what really happened and desperately in love with Bella, Nik stole Tane’s stash of cash and ran away with her.

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

Home and Away: Doing it For the Kids

(Monday 1^st – Tuesday 9^th June 2020)

Bella meets her horse, Bullet
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Colby and Willow took Bella to an amazing looking equine therapy centre where she was given her own horse to work with (she was very reluctant about this), which she had to care for and learn from, alongside group therapy and counselling and all those kinds of things. Colby was even more on edge than Bella was and took a lot of persuading to actually leave her there. It was a really lovely moment when Bella actually got the hang of communicating with the horse after being really resistant to doing anything with him at all. But it was really sad when she realised it was time to say goodbye to her brother and literally chased the car down the drive as he and Willow drove away. Colby was so devastated that he nearly turned around and went back for her but thankfully, Willow persuaded him that he would not be doing Bella any good. Bella has a lot of problems and Colby is a huge part of that. Sadly, in trying to help her, he has not done her a lot of good and their attachment to each other isn’t just one way. Or very healthy.

Bella chases after Colby…
*(photo credit: Digital Spy)*

Back in Summer Bay, Nikau was distraught to discover the truth about why Bella was hospitalised but after a lot of rowing with his family, John was really kind to him and helped him make up with both Ryder and his mother. This is yet another credit when it comes to healing John and Marilyn’s relationship so yay for that! Angry about the discovery that Tane has been involved in Nik’s life recently, Ari aggressively confronted him and warned him away.

Ari warns Tane away…
*(photo credit: Digital Spy)*

That night, Mac stood Ari up in favour of comforting Colby over having to send Bella away. Things abruptly came to an end with Ari soon after that when he realised he had been used. I feel sorry for him. She went to such a lot of effort to win the guy over and then dropped him the second Colby had his little lost puppy look. I’m sure Ari has feelings too! Having forgotten all about Ari, Mac caught Colby attempting to sneak off and visit Bella and persuades him to change his plans. The therapy centre then returned his call and reassured him that Bella is doing well.

Hurt over the situation with her mother, Ziggy moved in with Dean and Colby, prompting a lot of ‘third wheel’ feelings for Colby at a time when he probably really didn’t need it. But Dean has been a star of a boyfriend. I like him. Anyway, the paternity test results arrived and… hooray! Ben is Ziggy’s Dad! Yay! Marco made one last desperate play for Maggie – emphasis on desperate – who made her position very, very clear. Sending Marco packing once and for all, Maggie is now tasked with trying to win her family back. Good luck, Maggie. Good luck.

The results are in…
*(photo credit: Digital Spy)*

Douglas faced court and was sentenced to twenty five years, fifteen without parole! Excellent! We get both justice and a future storyline they can pull out in fifteen years’ time! Or sooner somehow if storylines get thin on the ground. Leah was grateful to be able to start moving on and move on, she did. She helped Justin create a beautiful nursery for Grace, complete with photographs of her loved ones on the wall – including Robbo and Mason. She and Justin also took the next step in their relationship for the first time since her ordeal.

Leah and Justin grow closer…
*(photo credit: Digital Spy)*

Poor Jasmine was still convinced she was pregnant until today, not helped by everyone being so very excited that Robbo’s memory will live on not just through Grace but now through his and Jasmine’s child. Willow swapped their rooms over so she would have more space and Tori handed over a load of old baby clothes and the cot that Robbo made for Grace. Wendy turned up for the twelve week scan, was very rude to Tori about going back to work so quickly (I’d stand up for her but I am still smarting about Alex’s departure – no, I won’t be over it for a very long time) and then tried to elbow her out of the scan herself.

Thankfully, Jasmine insisted that they all went to the scan as sadly, it was discovered that Jasmine was experiencing a phantom pregnancy. Her brain her persuaded her body that it was pregnant, meaning that she had all the symptoms, even so far as giving her a false positive pregnancy test. Wendy was awful, expressing sheer frustration and even accusing Jasmine of making the whole thing up. Tori was amazing and so kind to Jasmine, calming the situation down and explaining everything. Of course, Jasmine was absolutely devastated, as it confirmed that her last possible connection to Robbo truly was gone. Later, Tori and Willow had to pull her out of the sea, as she had walked in, fully clothed. What a sad, sad storyline. But just as an aside, how cute is baby Grace?

Jasmine falls apart…
*(photo credit: Digital Spy)*

Home and Away has now resumed filming

It currently airs on weekdays a week @ 1:15pm & 6pm on Channel 5 with a sneak peek on 5Star, weekdays @ 6:30pm

These reviews are based on the lunch time episodes

Home and Away: Destruction of the Self

(Monday 25^th – Friday 29^th May 2020)

Willow and Dean returned early from their trip away after Willow’s stand in got her shifts mixed up, leaving the gym shut for a morning. Although Jasmine wasn’t bothered in the slightest, Willow was furious and ended up firing Stella for her mistake. Ouch! She then threw the little Manager sign that Alex had made for her, away. Sad times.

The truth about Maggie and Marco came tumbling out, as Maggie confessed in order to end Marco’s bid to blackmail her. Ben was understandably devastated. She has been lying to him for over twenty years and for their entire marriage. While Marco played the victim, insisting that Maggie was the one to blame, sleeping with him when she knew he had feelings for her, personally, I’d call into question the ethics of sleeping with a girl who was drunk and utterly heartbroken.

Of course, there were more revelations to come after a deliberate ‘off-hand’ remark to Ziggy about the timing of her birth, prompting the question over whether Ben is really her father. Already distraught over her mother’s lies to her father, Ziggy was distraught over the idea that Ben might not really be her Dad. Dean was a tower of strength to his girlfriend and certain that Ben would always be her Dad, no matter what, pointing out that blood wasn’t essential to family. Together, Ziggy and Ben decided that a paternity test would settle things once and for all so next week, we should have the results. I so want Ben to be her father! I would be so sad if they destroyed that bond. I love Ben and Ziggy as a father/daughter duo and I am so annoyed by this whole storyline. Can no couple be left untouched by the Summer Bay curse?

Ben and Ziggy support each other…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

With Douglas pleading guilty, Leah was asked to make a victim impact statement for sentencing, which at first, she refused to do, not wanting to relive it all or face him in court. But when, on her first day back at the Diner, she freaked out over a customer complaining about an order and calling her ‘sweetheart’, she decided she needed to make the statement in order to get closure and attempt to put Douglas behind her for good. With Justin by her side, Leah made her statement and was heartbreakingly honest about the impact the experience with Douglas has had on her life, including that she can’t even have her boyfriend touch her anymore and she doesn’t know if that will ever change.

Leah makes her victim impact statement
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Colby was upset to discover that Mac has moved on with Ari and took his grief out on Dean, feeling that he told him to move on for Mac’s sake, not his. Dean has quite a profound argument – he ended up in jail because of Colby whereas he came out of jail the person he is now because of Ari.

Colby is heartbroken to discover that Mac has moved on with Ari…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Nikau and Bella had a rather amusing first date, fleecing a couple of cocky lads at a game of pool! These two do genuinely seem to make a lovely couple so what happens next is very sad. And it’s done pretty well. I was genuinely emotional. I have made no secret that I’m not a huge Bella fan but she broke my heart during Friday’s episode, as did Nik.

Having got closer to Nik recently, Bella asked Willow for sex advice. Concerned, Willow decided to be honest, telling her that she would know when the time was right and not to rush into anything. She pointed out that to sleep with someone, you have to completely trust them. What she didn’t realise was that she was giving such immediate advice and that that very afternoon, Bella decided to get all dressed up and invite Nik round for some alone time.

It’s worth noting that Nik was extremely hesitant and he asked her multiple times if she was sure. He was so worried about doing the wrong thing, aware of what she had been through with Tommy. But she insisted that it was what she wanted. Unfortunately, when they got into bedroom, Bella panicked and threw him out. The bewildered lad panicked, more for Bella than himself and ran off to find Ryder to get Bella some support. When Ryder found Bella locked in her room, he found Colby and Willow who eventually burst in and found that she had self-harmed, cutting up her arm.

Nik ran scared to his mother…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

While Ryder automatically blamed Nik, Bella was quick to exonerate him. Terrified, Nik heartbreakingly begged his Mum to help him run away. Gemma was brilliant though, pointing out that if he liked Bella enough to sleep with her then he liked her enough to visit her at the hospital. She took him to see Bella where the poor lad was so frightened that Colby would blame him. Thankfully, he didn’t, although he didn’t think it was appropriate for Bella to have visitors, having just been told by Tori that with it having been her second incident of self-harm, she would advise admission to a mental health facility. Australian health care must have a lot more funding than here in the UK!

That aside, this was a really significant episode and the pain and the anguish surrounding a really difficult subject was covered really well. Everyone involved goes through all different emotions, from Bella, to Colby, to Willow, to Nikau, to Ryder and the episode dealt with them all. It’s not an easy subject. I do hope though that it’s not a case of patching Bella up and she’s fine. Self-harm is so much more complex than that and I hope Home and Away are ready to represent that now that this is the storyline they have started.

Meanwhile… John and Marilyn began to get things back on track again, both apologising to each other and Marilyn beginning to explain how she felt about everything she went through during the siege. It looks like early days but it’s definitely a start. Hooray! Jasmine was extremely peppy, overwhelmed with joy at her pregnancy as she settled back into work at the hospital. She plans to call the baby Ryan if it’s a boy. Aww. Sadly, I don’t think this is going to go as well as she thinks…

Home and Away has returned to filming & airs five days a week, Channel 5, 1:15pm & 6pm

There is a sneak peek episode on 5Star at 6:30pm on the same days

These reviews are based on the Channel 5 episodes

Home and Away: Ben’s Birthday

(Monday 4^th – Friday 22^nd May 2020)

Firstly, many apologies for how long it’s been since I updated my Home and Away blog! No excuses really. But here’s about three weeks all in one go. Woosh!

So, what started as a lovely party for Ben’s birthday and a celebration of his achievements in overcoming his depression, turned into a complete nightmare for Maggie as Ben’s brother, Marco returned. The story always was that Marco hit on her, Ben punched him and Marco had him arrested. Cue: a big split in the family. As it turns out, what actually happened was that Marco and Maggie had a one night stand. Marco always had feelings for Maggie and having split temporarily (as it turned out) from Ben and feeling heartbroken, nineteen year old Maggie got drunk as a party and ended up in bed with him. Now, Marco has turned up in the Bay claiming to want to mend things with Ben but really, he is blackmailing Maggie into buying into his business. At the last minute, Maggie changed her mind and decided she needed to confess all to her husband. Should be an interesting week next week!

Maggie has a confession to make…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Worried about the state of John and Marilyn’s marriage and her family’s possible role in their split, Gemma succeeded in befriending John and helped the couple at least get talking again, even after he stirred the pot after Ari and Mac hooked up. Oh! Ari and Mac hooked up! No, I didn’t see that one coming either. And nor will Colby when he finds out as he was very much looking forward to getting back together with Mac! Well, he has messed her about rather too much for too long really. Dean should set up a side business as a fortune teller…

Ari and Mac are new, hot couple in town!
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Speaking of Colby, he reluctantly agreed to allow Bella to abandon school and take up photography at TAFE – on the proviso that she continued her counselling (the course being paid for by Dean who only recently had to borrow money from Mac). Of course, she lied and didn’t attend counselling and of course, she was found out. During this time, Bella also became close to Nikau and despite well-meaning but meddling Ryder (who completely crossed the line of confidentiality and friendship) telling him about her experience with Tommy, the pair decided to make a go of things. I can’t say I’m a huge Bella fan but then whose to say how anyone would behave if they had the upbringing and experiences that she has suffered? I do like Nik though I hope that having some joy in her life might calm down this whole Bratty Bella thing we’ve had on repeat for such a long time.

Bella and Nikau get together…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Not that Willow is leading by terribly good example at the moment, not that I blame her either! Utterly shattered by her breakup with Alex (as am I!), Willow took all her heartbreak out on all her friends until Dean couldn’t take it any longer and persuaded her to go away with him for a few days to clear her head. He and Colby couldn’t resist asking if she was ‘gay now’, to which she wasn’t sure why it mattered. The only thing she knew was that when she was with Alex, her life had direction. Well, I’m pleased that the show hasn’t just completely forgotten this story and the relationship, as it did with Charlie and Joey back in 2009. And with Zoe Ventura apparently back based in Sydney, perhaps there is hope yet for the return of Doctor Alex Neilson, now they know just how popular this pairing has been!

For now though, Tori has returned to work with Jasmine by her side mostly seamlessly. However, before long, Jasmine realised that she was very overdue her period and without so much as doing a test, announced to the world that she was pregnant! I feel like this isn’t going to be that simple…

Leah suddenly twigged that she had seen nothing of Mason since her return, prompting Justin to have to break the news that he (and Robbo) had passed away. As if the whole thing had been storyboarded perfectly, that was the week that Mason’s ashes arrived, allowed an emotional private ceremony for Justin, Tori and Leah to say goodbye. So private that not even Brody or Raffy were invited. Charming!

Mason’s family bury his ashes…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

After an epic row where Leah accused Justin of being just like Douglas, thanks to him caring about so much and therefore crowding her while she tried to recover from her ordeal, Justin promised to back off and have some space. But thankfully, they seemed more together than ever before. I’m relieved. They really are a lovely couple and I do hope that Justin is ‘the one’ for Leah after such a ‘colourful’ romantic history.

Home and Away has returned to filming & airs five days a week, Channel 5, 1:15pm & 6pm

There is a sneak peek episode on 5Star at 6:30pm on the same days

These reviews are based on the Channel 5 episodes

Home and Away: She’s Gone. It’s Over.

(Friday 24^th April – Friday 1^st May 2020)

Bratty Bella calmed down a bit this week when she made friends with Nikau and also got a telling off from Dean for the way she has been behaving. She decided that rather than repeating Year Eleven at school, she is going to study Photography at TAFE. Sounds positive but I am sure she will be stropping about something else by next week…

Speaking of strops, John has seriously got his knickers in a twist when it comes to the Parata family. He made it his mission to dig up some dirt on them. And he succeeded. He discovered that Ari has a criminal past and his brother (Gemma’s husband and Nik’s father) was killed in an armed robbery in which an innocent woman also died. Or something. It’s quite complicated. Convinced that the family are a bunch of crooks, he presented his evidence to Marilyn, determined to rid them from his house. Unfortunately for John, Marilyn stood by them, resulting in him sleeping at the caravan park!

John digs up dirt on Ari…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Against her better judgement, Alex cleared Ari for work so he can start bringing in a wage for the family again and help them get back on their feet at last. I do like these new guys. I think. They have potential anyway. And Marilyn clearly does too. After John rushed to tell tales after seeing Ari accusing Dean of telling his family’s secret, Marilyn still wouldn’t listen. She then lost it with her husband after he attempted to bribe Ari into leaving the Bay. Oh, John, you just don’t understand what your wife has been through, do you? Or why she is so desperate to help this family. Also, if you judged everyone in Summer Bay by their past, I don’t think you’d have any friends. I’m not sure you’d even be friends with yourself, for that matter. Maybe that’s why he loves Marilyn. She’s always been pretty amazing, dating way back to the eighties…

It’s a sad week for Willex fans as Alex the Super Doctor packs up her office, including a framed photo of her and Willow and finishes her last shift at the hospital. The next day, she tries and fails to meet up with her ex to say goodbye as Willow is too heartbroken to face up to the fact that Alex is actually leaving for good. I think you can tell a lot about how someone handles a breakup and sadly, as much as I wanted them to work out, they probably are in different stages in their lives. If Willow can’t even reply to a text message or say goodbye to Alex (when they haven’t parted on bad terms), it doesn’t exactly reek of emotional maturity, does it? Possibly not someone to settle down and sign mortgage papers with.

Anyway, it’s a poor turnout for Alex’s goodbye considering she’s saved the lives of half the residents in Summer Bay or their loved ones. This woman has done so much good during her time in the Bay – she’s helped Ben, Bella, the Morgan Family, not to mention everyone affected by the siege (so, everyone) – and she made friends with all of Willow’s ‘family’ and only Jasmine could be bothered to have lunch with her, say goodbye or even acknowledge that she was leaving. I mean, where the hell was Irene? Or… anyone? Summer Bay is a fickle place sometimes.

Willow and Alex spend one last night together…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

However, one person that does turn up is Willow! Right at the last minute, she races towards Alex and tells her that she’s changed her mind and wants the whole relationship, future, house, mortgage and everything. Hooray! And they celebrate with a passionate… hug. Right. Short lived joy rings throughout the Willex fan based as for a moment, it looks like Alex’s exit is going to be granted a reprieve but sadly, she is too sensible and realises that nothing has actually changed. They still love each other, they still want to be together but in the long term, Willow still doesn’t want to move away or to settle down. They have one last night together before Alex slips away, leaving Willow to wake up to a goodbye note. She is heartbroken, turning to bestie Dean for support.

Willow wakes up with nothing but a note…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

I am very sad that this story has ended, although very glad that it happened. It was a really lovely relationship and rectified a lot of the mistakes that happened ten years ago with Charlie and Joey, the last time Home and Away made an attempt at a lesbian relationship (which ultimately ended with one of them cheating on the other with a man and involved a hell of a lot of homophobia despite the best intentions from the actresses). But this one was genuinely a very positive story. It was received well, the actresses, Sarah Roberts and Zoe Ventoura were amazing. The ending was a bit rushed and they could easily have found a better reason for them to have to part ways as Zoe was only a guest star. Also, I seriously hope that now they have seen just how popular their romance really is, they’re fighting like hell to get her back! But overall, I would say, this has been a really positive story. I certainly enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, Tori was unsure whether she is doing the right thing about returning to work. Well, it’s a shame she didn’t have these doubts earlier, quite frankly, before Alex had to leave town! You’ve ruined a wonderful relationship, you know!!! Anyway, she did go back to work and to everyone’s surprise, so did Jasmine.

Tori and Jasmine both start back at work
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Leah continued to struggle but when Justin broke the news that although Douglas has been charged with attacking Colby, he can’t be charged for kidnap as she won’t make a statement, she bravely sat down with Justin and a policeman and told them everything that happened to her. His ex-wife has also made a statement that Douglas was physically and mentally abusive and it was Leah’s website that gave her the courage to escape. She confided in Justin that she knew when Douglas was planning the wedding that she had to escape.

Just as an aside, has Leah not noticed Mason has vanished…?

Due to the Coronavirus, Home and Away has had to suspend filming

Home and Away will now air on Channel 5 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1.15

There is a sneak peek episode on 5Star at 6:30pm on the same days

These reviews are based on the Channel 5 episodes

Eastenders: The Party

(Monday 13^th – Tuesday 21^st April 2020)

We had our usual episodes of Eastenders on Monday and Tuesday this week and last week, although I still can’t quite work out why it isn’t better spaced out, such as Tuesday and Thursday like it used to be back in the olden days. Right now, apart from good, old Doctors and repeat of Hollyoaks, we have not a single soap on a Thursday now and Eastenders gets both their episodes all out in a huge rush at the beginning of the week. Why? It could slot in very nicely before Question Time. I’m pretty sure that For Love or Money didn’t have to be shoved in that particular time slot, whatever that is. Does anyone know what that is? It’s got Kym Marsh in it, apparently.

Anyway, to remind you of the past fortnight’s episodes before an entire week passes until you can watch it again, Vinny had an ill-advised party to prove to Ruby that he would be the perfect DJ at the club. Well, she seemed to be impressed. Before she left for her yoga class and missed the whole thing. Which turned out to be a blessing in the end, as of course, the whole thing spirals out of control. These soap characters just never learn, do they?

Iqra persuades Ash to attend the party and soon regrets it as while the police show up to break things up, some guy spouts homophobic abuse at them and ends up getting decked by Vinny. Iqra is shocked to see a completely different side to her girlfriend who leaps into action and hides Iqra, Vinny and the barely conscious thug in the bedroom, assuring the police that nobody else is in the building and dropping in that she is a Doctor. She gets the guy cleaned up and pays him off with the money Vinny was charging from the party, warning him to keep his mouth shut. Iqra is understandably shocked to see such a harsh, ruthless side to her girlfriend that she never knew existed before and Ash spends a lot of the flip-flopping between wanting to be with Iqra and being angry with her for not actually doing anything wrong.

Thankfully, her mother returns early and wades in on the potential breakup, finally pushing the girls back together. One weird thing though – they seem to say ‘I love you’ apparently for the first time. Haven’t they been together for a year or something? And don’t they live together? I’m not saying they should follow Alex in Home and Away and get a mortgage before they’ve so much as lived together but waiting this long to say I love you?! Bit weird.

Back to the party… Outside, there is a huge commotion with the partygoers fighting the police and causing mayhem. Some bright spark throws a brick at a police car. Keegan and Tiffany, whose only crime was being too happy (he got his business loan, cheered up at last, gave Tiffany an engagement ring and then they had a bunk up in the ice cream van – they weren’t even at the party) end up caught up in the chaos.

When the brick is thrown, Keegan panics and attempts to run, having been arrested so many times before but of course, running draws attention to him and he is immediately arrested and accused. Later, he is asked why he ‘resisted arrest’. Well, he didn’t particularly but quite frankly, while there’s violence going on all around you and you’ve just been arrested, not for the first time, for something you didn’t do, wouldn’t you protest a bit? What a stupid bloody question!

Tiffany begs Jack for help but he’s a bit useless, not wanting to upset his senior who insists that he saw Keegan throw the brick himself. Even with bodycams, it’s a case of Keegan’s word against his. He gets Keegan sent home on bail but it’ll be a rough road ahead, I think. How frightening. And disgusting that a young lad can be treated in such a way. Pre-judged and mistreated for no reason other than skin colour.

Keegan (and Tiffany) have a really bad day…

Understandably, Keegan does not have a good rest of the week. He storms around the Square feeling like nobody understands what he is going through, not helped by getting evicted from Ted’s flat as he and Tiffany finally get caught for subletting. Things are tense as they squash back into Karen’s and when he seriously loses his temper, Tiffany takes a stand, forcing them to move in with Uncle Jack. Hmm… I’m not sure that will improve things. Jack is refusing to stand up for Keegan with his colleagues. That in turn is causing tension between him and Denise who believes Keegan and Tiffany are telling the truth. This should be an interesting story as it plays out.

Stuart’s proposal doesn’t quite go to plan…

Meanwhile, Stuart is still desperate to propose to Rainie but after his previously failed attempt, decides to go less traditional, dressing up as a vampire and hiding in a coffin. Obviously. Why wouldn’t he?! Rainie is horrified and hides in the bathroom. I think my favourite moment of all the episodes is Stuart banging on the door telling her that she is worth more than those people.

“What people?”
“All of ‘em!”

It’s enough for Rainie to realise just how much he loves her and she accepts his proposal. And after a bit of a tussle with Max (and some words of wisdom from Whitney), she is free to get divorced. Hooray! They are such an odd couple but they absolutely work. And they are brilliant characters too, so cleverly written and portrayed. To have arrived as ‘baddies’, especially Stuart, one of the most hated characters in soap and to have become so popular, is no mean feat.

Now, I am rather confused by the latest development in Whitney’s plot. Firstly, I know Whitney is a trusting character but did she really think that Leo’s Mum was just being nice to her and just wanted a cosy chat? She stabbed her son! Honestly, this is how Whitney ended up in this situation in the first place. She ignored Tiffany’s warnings and dated Leo despite the fact that he was an absolute weirdo with all the charm of damp wallpaper. Then his Mum shows up and she thinks it’s a good plan to tell her every single detail of what happened. Muppet.

Also, how daft is his mother? Her son battered her and locked her in the boot of a car. He almost killed her. I know ‘a mother’s love’ and all that but she is physically aware that he was absolutely bonkers. He was obsessed with his vile father and clearly not turning out better than him. He manipulated Whitney, stalked her, terrorised her, lived in her loft, utterly traumatised her and then tried to kill her only she got their first. And this woman knows the level of violence he was capable of because he attacked her too. What is she thinking?!

From here, Leo’s Mum condemns Whitney all over social media. Interfering but well-meaning Sonia (who is seriously starved of her own plots these days), steals Whitney’s phone to try and keep it from her. The biggest plot hole of course is that Whitney doesn’t notice that her phone is missing. Who on earth leaves the house without checking their phone and who would stand on an empty stall all morning without getting their phone out at least once, if not multiple times to check their messages/social media etc., especially a young person like Whitney? Soaps always use the lost/stolen device and it’s just unrealistic. People react to being without their phones these days as if one of their actual limbs have fallen off!

Under pressure (and not even aware of the damage she has done to her case), Whitney decides that she has no choice but to run away. Knowing the future she faces behind bars, Max gives her the money to start off but when Gray comes through with shutting the social media posts down and Whitney realises the depth of love and support she has behind her, she changes her mind. Unfortunately, she is then attacked by Leo’s Mum! Well, with hers and Tony’s genes, the bloke didn’t stand a chance of being normal, did he?

And now may we all take a moment to thank Eastenders for the joy of Kush in all his loveliness. Kat has vanished, thanks to the suspension of Jessie Wallace and while Jean is joyfully celebrating the end of needing to use her wig with her friend, Kush stays in the kitchen with suddenly-has-a-speaking-part-Tommy, who admits that he is having problems at school. He is struggling with his reading and some of the other kids have been making fun of him but he doesn’t want anyone else to know, especially not his Mum. When Kush takes him to school, he has a word with Isaac, his teacher, who explains that Tommy may be dyslexic. Jean speaks for us all when she tells Kush what a blessing his is to their family.

Due to the Coronavirus, Eastenders has had to suspend filming

It will air from now on only on Mondays (8pm) and Tuesdays (7:30pm) on BBC1

Home and Away: Leah’s Return

(Monday 13^th – Wednesday 22nd April 2020)

Things have seriously gone south between Alex and Willow at the mention of buying a house and getting a mortgage. Poor Alex. While she was falling in love with the notion of a future together, little did she know it would be such a passion killer! In fact, it’s such a passion killer that she ends up storming home in the middle of the night!

The next morning, Willow is still out of sorts and is frustrated with Alex for turning into a cliché U-Haul Lesbian. And you know what? I’m frustrated with the writers for ending a lovely relationship with a story that doesn’t even make sense. The whole reason that Alex has to leave is because of her temporary contract. Fine. So why is there a sudden burning desire to buy a house right this second? Why not wait until an opportunity arrives where they actually want to live? And why write this incredibly kind and sensitive character in Alex and then turn her into a bit of bulldozer at the end? Why would she fight to buy a house away from where Willow knows and loves when they could rent somewhere until they could buy somewhere a little further down the line somewhere that they could both be happy? And also do it after they have actually lived together first! It just feels like they took such gentle care of these characters, this relationship and this storyline and now they’re rushing it at the end.

Anyway, they have a big dramatic argument which breaks the hearts of all Willex fans everywhere but then a talk from Ziggy gives Willow some food for thought. Does she love Alex enough to take the risk? She does! Tragically, Alex has already changed her mind. She doesn’t feel she can risk her heart, knowing the doubts that Willow has. She is going to Queensland alone.

Jasmine speaks on behalf of all Willex fans everywhere when she refuses to accept Alex’s decision but while Alex insists that she loves Willow, she doesn’t want her to have to compromise. She knows she isn’t ready for the commitment that Alex wants her to make and sadly, while Alex and Willow both confess their love (for the first time on screen), they end their relationship.

Jasmine continues to beg Willow to try and work things out with Alex, leading to a rather emotional argument. Willow feels there is no hope; she and Alex want different things. Jasmine cannot understand why, if they love each other, they would let that slip through their fingers when she has no choice but to live without Robbo. Well, I’m Team Jasmine, thanks very much!

Justin and co. rush to tell the police of the latest developments regarding Leah but it turns out that aside from poor Colby, Yabbie Creek Police Department have become an absolute farce. No wonder they had to rely on civilians to sort out that hospital siege. They can’t even be bothered to speak to them until the morning. What are they doing? Keeping office hours? Shocking service!

Continuing to prove their ineptitude, the police report back to Justin that they have spoken to Leah who has told them that she is fine and that Justin is just an obsessive ex-boyfriend that she wishes would leave her alone. Refusing to believe it, Justin continues to reach out to Leah himself via her blog. She phones him and tells him to stop contacting her, that she doesn’t love him and he needs to move on. But it’s clear to Justin that she is reading a script and her voice cracks with emotion when she tells him this is the last time they will ever talk.

The truth is that she is being held captive by a psycho called Douglas who holds her (and her blog) responsible for his abused wife having the courage to leave him. She has been living a life of fear and servitude under the rule of her captor. Douglas decides that the time has come for him to make Leah his wife and he dresses her up in his ex-wife’s wedding dress and makes her put on the exact makeup. I mean, that’s not creepy at all…

Leah has been kept captive and psychologically abused by Douglas…

Utterly convinced that the useless police are wrong and Leah is in big trouble, Justin pleads with good old Colby for help. He breaks the rules to chase down a lead and then let slip a possible location to Justin who arrives at the scene just at the moment Leah makes a bid for freedom. What a coincidence! He rushes her straight to the hospital where she is physically unharmed but almost catatonic.

Justin, Irene and Tori bring Leah home where she remains in shock, frightened of putting a foot wrong, mostly silent, completely subservient to Justin who is really gentle and kind with her. I find him a little irritating a lot of time but in these episodes with Leah, he has been absolutely lovely.

Meanwhile, Colby and his colleagues go to Douglas’s house, thinking it’s empty, only for him to pounce and stab Colby in the leg. He’s rushed to the hospital where he needs emergency surgery but Alex has to cut him open before he even gets there. It’s pretty grim, actually! While Dean, Bella and Mac rush to his side, Willow has turned her phone off, not wanting to talk to anyone about her breakup. Eventually, Irene takes a frantic call from Bella, looking for Willow, who she finds and gives a serve about being so self-indulgent and sends down to the hospital.

While Alex and the surgical team have succeeded in saving Colby’s life, it was touch and go for a moment. Willow and Alex struggle between not looking at each other and trying not to look at each other. While Dean and Willow take Bella home, Mac remains by Colby’s side all night in tears. I do hope they might eventually make things work between them. They clearly still love each other. Of course, by the next morning, Bella has thrown her usual strop, demanding to get back to the hospital. Gosh, she’s a brat!

Due to the Coronavirus, Home and Away has had to suspend filming

Home and Away will now air on Channel 5 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1.15

There is a sneak peek episode on 5Star at 6:30pm on the same days

These reviews are based on the Channel 5 episodes