Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-02-10T14:29:41.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: EastEnders' Jake Wood on flash-forward secrets and why Max has his eye on Jasmine
items: Emmerdale 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Ray Walters death mystery and Graham Foster return
items: EastEnders 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Max Branning twists to Sukeve adoption
items: Coronation Street 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Swarla wedding bells to Jodie's secret
items: Could Neighbours return? Producer discusses soap’s future after cliffhanger ending
items: Neighbours boss was unable to secure legendary character for affair story
items: Neighbours producer teases "optimistic" finale and reflects on soap's legacy after 40 years
items: 10 Questions with Alan Carr
items: Alan Carr reveals all about his Celebrity Traitors win, suggestions he fled the country, and 'murdering' his friends
items: Coronation Street star Sydney Martin believes Betsy Swain could be "manipulated" by mum Becky
items: Her cup of tea
items: Father Ted icon explains how her new Coronation Street character answers to the soap's powerful legacy
items: Catherine Tyldesley promises 'oodles of drama' for Eva Price upon Coronation Street return
items: Louis Emerick on his Hollyoaks future after Brookside crossover twist
items: Returning to Brookside is the perfect way to honour Hollyoaks' heritage
items: Close encounters
items: 'We need TV for now'
items: Hollyoaks creator says soaps aren't "doomed" and are 'only place to see working class drama on a regular basis'
items: Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson on reprising iconic Brookside roles – and if they’d star in a revival
items: Home & Away’s Lynne McGranger on why she quit after 32 years as Irene – and what the future holds
items: EastEnders top 10 Slater moments revealed as the family celebrates 25 years in Walford
items: 'We love each other'
items: EastEnders stars reveal potential for Slater romance with Anthony Trueman return
items: From Emmerdale vicar to Hollyoaks villain – John Middleton on his surprising soap return
items: EastEnders' Michelle Ryan reveals her dream cast member return for reunion with Zoe
items: EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood
items: Emmerdale's Joe Absolom teases bad boy Ray’s future and mystery link to the village
items: EastEnders’ Jessie Wallace “burst out crying” when reunited with co-star - and says Zoe couldn’t be recast
items: EastEnders' Kat and Zoe stars tease "mayhem" and "carnage" from new Slater era in the Queen Vic
items: Emmerdale's Oliver Farnworth teases killer John's future after wedding week nightmare

EastEnders' Jake Wood on flash-forward secrets and why Max has his eye on Jasmine
type: item
date: 2026-01-20T20:00:27.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about his 20 years in Walford.
encoded: New Year’s resolutions are always made with the best intentions, but as the months roll by they can be hard to maintain – just ask Max Branning. EastEnders’ tormented lothario vowed to atone for his sins in 2026 and be a better dad, but a flash-forward to January 1st 2027 showed the character embroiled in all manner of chaos. Exactly how Max gets himself into these mysterious multiple scrapes will be explained as we get closer to New Year’s Day. It’s not just fans entering into a year-long guessing game, actor Jake Wood is just as in the dark as to what’s to come for his chaotic character. “There are so many questions and directions they can take it in, it’s almost open-ended,” begins the star, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com. “I was surprised when I read the script for the flash-forward and found out what Max was up to – did he really plan to murder someone or has he been framed? Is he the father of that woman’s baby? Who is he marrying? We just don’t know. Max is one of those characters who is almost capable of anything.” The soap has explored similar territory before with ‘The Six’ murder mystery pegged on a single scene set 10 months ahead, but this much-hyped gaze into the crystal ball is the first time EastEnders has devoted an entire episode to a flash-forward, and gone as far into the future. It’s an audacious concept with many logistical challenges, not least of which is the actors having no context as to their motivation, but Wood praises the ambition of the team pulling together to make it work. “Everyone has to be connected and on the same page. Although actors are feeling their way through because we don’t have the specifics, each department has enough information that allows us to tell the story in this way. It’s an incredible thing to be part of.” One of the main talking points was the identity of Max’s anonymous bride. Several potential Mrs Brannings were posited, some of whom Max has romantic history with – Linda Carter and Cindy Beale – and …

WEBSITEBIGINTERVIEWJAKEWOOD-dfab546.jpg
width: 1600
height: 1067

Emmerdale 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Ray Walters death mystery and Graham Foster return
type: item
date: 2026-01-11T08:00:54.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
subject: News
description: A sneaky peek at all the big plots in store.
encoded: The new year began with a bang in Emmerdale, quite literally, as the crossover with Coronation Street led to game-changing twists and sent storylines off in directions nobody could have predicted. So far in 2026, we’ve had three murders and a resurrection from someone who died six years ago – and we’re only days into the new year! The Corriedale episode left us wondering whether life would ever be the same for the villagers, as they try to manoeuvre a very uncertain future. Read on for RadioTimes.com’s epic preview of what’s coming up in Emmerdale in the next 12 months… Emmerdale 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Ray Walters death mystery and Graham Foster return 1. Who killed Ray Walters? Whodunnit resolved Everyone is glad to see the back of evil Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), but who hated the crime boss enough to actually do him in? Following the reveal of his corpse is in one of Caleb Milligan’s (Will Ash) haulage vans, news of Ray’s death spreads around the village, launching Emmerdale’s first whodunnit of 2026 – with a twist… “Many secrets will come out as the mystery surrounding Ray’s death is finally solved later this month,” confirms Laura Shaw, executive producer of Emmerdale. “Before the end of January, a special week will flashback to the night of the murder, revealing which of the multiple suspects is responsible for Ray's demise.” Who’s your money on? Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock)? Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy)? April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan)? Ross Barton (Michael Parr)? 2. Cain Dingle’s cancer hell Fans thought Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) had copped it in Corriedale when he was shot, but even though he was saved in hospital another shock was about to be delivered that changes everything for the village hard man – scans showed he has a mass that looks very worrying to the doctors, which will soon be confirmed as cancerous… “Cain is at the centre of a major prostate cancer storyline spanning across 2026,” reveals Shaw. “Adding to the Di…

Untitled-design-4-4ce7091.jpg
width: 3000
height: 2000

EastEnders 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Max Branning twists to Sukeve adoption
type: item
date: 2026-01-10T08:00:59.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
description: We reveal the big storylines ahead after THAT glimpse into the future.
encoded: Shock comebacks, murder, feuds and a peak into the near-future made for an eventful festive season in Walford, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg as to EastEnders has in store for 2026! The flash forward – which saw the storyline skyrocket exactly one year into the future to Max Branning's (Jake Wood) doomed wedding day – teased us to whet our appetite, but left us with more questions than answers. Who is he marrying? Who is the pregnant woman lay beside him in bed? And after we saw them held at gunpoint, will Max choose Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) or Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) to save? Luckily for you, RadioTimes.com has a full rundown of 10 explosive storylines ahead over the next 12 months in our huge plot preview… EastEnders 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Max Branning twists to Sukeve adoption 1. Chrissie Watts caught or Zoe Slater jailed for life? The return of Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) was one of the most surprising soap gifts of Christmas 2025. After revealing herself as the puppet mistress behind Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) stalking and the manipulation of Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), Dirty Den’s killer walked free. Chrissie is the prime suspect for Anthony Trueman’s (Nicholas Bailey) murder, and Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) is following a lead to Corfu, while Zoe languishes in prison, having been framed for her baby daddy’s mysterious demise. Did Chrissie really deliver the fatal blow to Dr Trueman? Tracy-Ann Oberman recently hinted at a return to Walford in a cryptic social media post alongside new cast member Ronni Ancona (more of her anon), so it seems Chrissie’s reign of terror is not over yet. So where does that leave Jasmine? 2. Jasmine Fisher shows her true colours Zoe’s long-lost daughter claims she was brainwashed by Chrissie into carrying out a cruel intimidation campaign, but mercurial Jasmine remains something of an unknown quantity. Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) doesn’t trust her to the point wh…

Untitled-design-10-491a138.png
width: 3000
height: 2000

Coronation Street 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Swarla wedding bells to Jodie's secret
type: item
date: 2026-01-08T21:30:54.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
description: Soap boss Kate Brooks reveals the hot plots coming to Weatherfield this year.
encoded: The world’s longest-running soap opera has already made history in 2026 thanks to Coronation Street’s epic crossover with stablemate Emmerdale, but that’s just the start of a year that promises to be packed full of dramatic moments for the residents of Weatherfield. As we recover from the events of Corriedale, there's a lot to take in, but we've got everything you need to know. ITV described the crossover episode as "self-contained, but the consequences of the high-stakes drama will have repercussions for both communities and see them linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters arrive into both soaps." Well, it's certainly done that! So, get ready for RadioTimes.com’s unmissable preview of what’s in store as Corrie’s executive producer Kate Brooks talks us through the top 10 biggest storylines of the year ahead. Coronation Street 2026 preview: 10 spoilers for the year ahead from Swarla wedding bells to Jodie's secret 1. Swarla spring wedding joy - so Carla Connor and Lisa Swain WILL reunite “Now Carla Connor and Lisa Swain have dealt with Becky Swain, whose true colours have been revealed for all to see, Swarla will start to make their way back to each other. Obviously, there’s a lot to get past, but their love for each other never faltered throughout Becky’s manipulation. "They were engaged, so wedding bells are certainly ringing in the not-too-distant future, and they’ll get their happy ever after, and the chance to be free from the drama that surrounded Becky. It’s going to be a romantic spring for Carla and Lisa, which will make many people smile!" 2. Evil Theo Silverton exposed as abuse of Todd Grimshaw continues... “Theo Silverton sank to a new low when he allowed Billy Mayhew to die. Going forward, it’s a very complicated place that Todd Grimshaw finds himself in. He was ready to leave Theo after reluctantly confiding in Billy, but going into 2026, he doesn’t feel he has the strength to go through with it. "If he hadn’t spoken to Billy…

Coronation-Street-2026-preview-1e26901.jpg
width: 3000
height: 2000

Could Neighbours return? Producer discusses soap’s future after cliffhanger ending
type: item
date: 2025-12-11T07:30:32.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Neighbours
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Jason Herbison discusses his hopes for the future with RadioTimes.com.
encoded: The final ever episode of Neighbours has streamed today, after 40 years on air. It's a bitter pill to swallow for the legions of fans across the globe who tune in for their daily dose of sunshine and drama, given the particularly finite nature of the soap's final storyline. The last time this happened was in 2022, with British broadcaster 5 cutting funding and therefore bringing production to a close. In what was then deemed the finale, a wedding party was attended by a multitude of former Ramsay Street residents, including the iconic Scott and Charlene Robinson (Jason Donovan and Kylie Mingoue). With the story seemingly continuing forever (just not on our screens), fans were given some comfort in the knowledge that their favourite residents all received happy endings. But that's not the case this time. The Nunawading Studios, where Neighbours was filmed for 39 years, have been handed back to their landlord. A plot that threatens the redevelopment of the famed cul de sac to build a new freeway is largely unresolved, and it's likely that the characters are facing a future apart from one another. Despite that, executive producer Jason Herbison does believe that a revival – albeit in a strikingly different model to what we have become accustomed to – is possible. It just takes a broadcaster to see faith in his idea. Here he speaks to RadioTimes.com about what that might look like, and whether it would be feasible in an ever-changing media landscape. How did you approach the 2025 finale differently from the 2022 one? I saw an opportunity to set the show up for a new kind of comeback, perhaps as a spin-off or limited series. The finale is designed to give viewers a taste of what those alternate Neighbours universes could look like. Which characters would you like to see in their own spin-off series? There is a great opportunity for at least two new shows to emerge from ashes of Neighbours – Ramsay Hills and Robinson Towers! We talk about what those alternate stories migh…

Untitled-1600-x-1066-px-7-b2458d1.png
width: 1600
height: 1066

Neighbours boss was unable to secure legendary character for affair story
type: item
date: 2025-12-09T12:32:33.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Neighbours
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Holly's storyline could've been very different.
encoded: Neighbours boss Jason Herbison has revealed the legendary character he'd hoped to bring back for Holly Hoyland's (Lucinda Armstrong-Hall) affair with Andrew Rodwell (Lloyd Will) – but was ultimately unable to secure her. For months, fans of the Aussie soap have watched in horror as hapless Holly hooked up with her best pal and next door neighbour Sadie's (Emerald Chan) dad. The pair were even considering leaving Erinsborough and starting a new life on the Mornington Peninsula, close to his birth family, though the guilt Andrew felt towards his wife Wendy (Candice Leask) ended his infidelity. Slowly but surely, more residents were becoming privy to what was going on. There was a threat from criminal Greg Murphy (Gary Sweet), and then Taye Obasi (Lakota Johnson) found Holly's missing earring at a city centre bar – where she'd been meeting Andrew. On the day of his vow renewal with Wendy, he decided to come clean and tell her everything. But the drama didn't stop there, as Holly was pregnant with his baby. In today's episode, after chasing an ambulance that contained kidnapped JJ Varga-Murphy (Riley Bryant), Holly collapsed to the floor and was found by Wendy. Unfortunately, at the hospital, it was confirmed that she had miscarried. Wendy and Sadie were able to put aside their grievances to offer her support, while Andrew and Holly's dad Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) waited by her bedside. But there was one notable absence – her mum, Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte). "I do regret that we were unable to secure Natalie to reprise her role of Izzy," Herbison told RadioTimes.com. "There was a great Izzy return planned but the story arc still played without it." He continued: "Lucinda did an incredible job bringing Holly back to life in the reboot, complete with Holly’s glorious imperfections. I loved that she was a chip off the Izzy block and trying to better herself, yet her worst instincts kept getting the better of her. "We had the Andrew affair storyline planned …

Untitled-1600-x-1066-px-b716dd2.jpg
width: 1600
height: 1066

Neighbours producer teases "optimistic" finale and reflects on soap's legacy after 40 years
type: item
date: 2025-12-07T09:00:13.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Neighbours
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: Exclusive
subject: Interview
description: Jason Herbison exclusively reflects on the end of an era – and what he regrets about the final weeks...
encoded: After more than 40 years on air, the time has come to bid farewell to Neighbours – again. The iconic Australian soap survived the axe from 5 in 2022 and was revived by Amazon a year later, only for the streaming giant to announce in February that it was pulling the plug on the reboot. As the show’s loyal fans commiserate the end of an era, anticipation is high for the Neighbours finale’s release on 11th December. In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, the soap’s executive producer Jason Herbison teases what viewers can expect, and candidly reflects on the challenge of crafting a second swansong, his feelings on the show’s demise and what he would have done differently. Did you approach the 2025 finale differently from the 2022 one? I approached the ending very differently this time. I knew I couldn’t compete with 2022 or do the same thing twice. What can you tell us about the final scene? It’s somewhat of an homage to the finale 2022 scene, however it involves a small cast this time. Jackie Woodburne (aka Susan Kennedy) made me cry in 2022 and she’s done it again in 2025! I was on set when we shot it. How would you describe the atmosphere on the final day of filming? We all hugged and shed a tear – it was very emotional. After the final scene, we gathered in Studio A, exactly as we did in 2022. For those of us present on both occasions, it was incredibly surreal. You can’t go through the same thing twice and feel exactly the same way, I believe. Most of all, this time, we felt a sense of gratitude. We all thought the show ended for good in 2022 and the Amazon era has been a wonderful bonus. Paul and Terese are at the centre of the final week, what makes this couple work so well? The all-important X-factor! Some pairings just have great chemistry, while others don’t. We have tried putting them with other people but they always end up back together. I think these obstacles are what makes them work, too. If they were together and happy all the time, it would be…

Untitled-1600-x-1066-px-5-04b1225.png
width: 1600
height: 1066

10 Questions with Alan Carr
type: item
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: App
subject: App features
description: The king of the Celebrity Traitors castle on stabbing his friends in the back, writing his own murder mystery — and having tea with Mariah Carey
encoded: Add Changing Ends to your watchlist Alan Carr was already a national treasure, but he now describes himself as a “national traitor” following his winning turn on The Celebrity Traitors. The profile of the 49-year-old comedian, presenter and writer has never been higher: his autobiographical sitcom Changing Ends, about his childhood in 1980s Northampton, and primetime Saturday night quiz show Alan Carr’s Picture Slam are both back on TV and more projects are coming soon. But what about those rumours that he could soon be waltzing into Strictly to take TV’s top job? Congratulations, top Traitor! Is it true you had to flee the country to escape The Celebrity Traitors mania while it was on? It was too much – Paloma-gate, killing Celia Imrie, grief from the gays for murdering Tom Daley, who was the only bit of eye candy – I needed to get away! Actually, I was taking my niece and nephew to Disneyland and jokingly said I had to leave the country because of the show. I’m the worst uncle, I forget their birthdays, their names… What do you make of the reaction to your victory? There were a lot of naysayers who assumed it would be a load of luvvies not wanting to stab their friends in the back. I thought: “Wait till you get a load of me!” I wanted to prove them wrong. People underestimate celebrities, but it’s a hard business. I definitely turned a corner when I murdered Celia. There was one funny bit that didn’t stay in, but at one round table Stephen Fry said, “We have to think about the Cambridge spies. Philby, Blunt… they were flamboyant characters, camp but still under the radar.” I’m sitting directly opposite, saying “Ooh I know!” and laughing. Out of all your celebrity mates, who do you think would make a good Traitor? Michelle Ogundehin, the judge from Interior Design Masters, would be great. Although she’d probably murder the wallpaper because it was horrible, or you’d get to the turret and she’d be pebble- dashing the wall to make it look nicer. Now you’re out of the…

https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/48retouchedh04505769-copy-5000d05-e1763477733822.jpg
width: 1800
height: 1200

Alan Carr reveals all about his Celebrity Traitors win, suggestions he fled the country, and 'murdering' his friends
type: item
date: 2025-11-18T00:01:28.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Entertainment
subject: Reality TV
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: The king of the Celebrity Traitors castle on stabbing his friends in the back, writing his own murder mystery – and having tea with Mariah Carey.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Alan Carr was already a national treasure, but he now describes himself as a “national traitor” following his winning turn on The Celebrity Traitors. The profile of the 49-year-old comedian, presenter and writer has never been higher: his autobiographical sitcom Changing Ends, about his childhood in 1980s Northampton, and primetime Saturday night quiz show Alan Carr’s Picture Slam are both back on TV and more projects are coming soon. But what about those rumours that he could soon be waltzing into Strictly to take TV’s top job? Congratulations, top Traitor! Is it true you had to flee the country to escape The Celebrity Traitors mania while it was on? It was too much – Paloma-gate, killing Celia Imrie, grief from the gays for murdering Tom Daley, who was the only bit of eye candy – I needed to get away! Actually, I was taking my niece and nephew to Disneyland and jokingly said I had to leave the country because of the show. I’m the worst uncle, I forget their birthdays, their names… What do you make of the reaction to your victory? There were a lot of naysayers who assumed it would be a load of luvvies not wanting to stab their friends in the back. I thought: “Wait till you get a load of me!” I wanted to prove them wrong. People underestimate celebrities, but it’s a hard business. I definitely turneda corner when I murdered Celia. There was one funny bit that didn’t stay in, but at one round table Stephen Fry said, “We have to think about the Cambridge spies. Philby, Blunt… they were flamboyant characters, camp but still under the radar.” I’m sitting directly opposite, saying “Ooh I know!” and laughing. Out of all your celebrity mates, who do you think would make a good Traitor? Michelle Ogundehin, the judge from Interior Design Masters, would be great. Although she’d probably murder the wallpaper because it was horrible, or you’d get to the turret and she’d be pebbledashing the wall to make it look nicer. Now you…

542700-a29c533.jpg
width: 4743
height: 3162

Coronation Street star Sydney Martin believes Betsy Swain could be "manipulated" by mum Becky
type: item
date: 2025-11-12T12:00:55.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
subject: Magazine
description: The actress talks her acting inspirations, and the 'mother' of all twists...
encoded: This article originally appeared in Radio Times magazine. From Sarah Lancashire to Suranne Jones, Coronation Street has nurtured some of TV’s biggest talents. One rising star in Weatherfield right now is Sydney Martin, who arrived on the cobbles 18 months ago to play tearaway teenager Betsy Swain. So how does it feel to get her break on a drama that has launched so many big careers? “Being in Coronation Street is a privilege,” Martin tells Feedback. “I’m following in the footsteps of performers who have grown up on screen and created characters who are national treasures. “My earliest Corrie memory is watching Michelle Keegan, as Tina McIntyre, being really mean to Gail Platt — and one of my first scenes was in the factory being rude to Carla Connor. It was so intimidating! But Ali King [who plays Carla] made it far less daunting.” Bolshie Betsy has had a huge storyline: her birth mum, detective Becky, came back into her life four years after supposedly being killed. Betsy’s other mother, Lisa, has found a new love, Carla, and Becky’s return, having faked her death in an undercover operation, has blown the blended family apart. The tangled plot has gifted Martin some challenging material. “As a story it’s quite far from reality, but I wanted to find the truth in it. I’m obsessed with subtle, hyper-realistic styles of acting. "I was inspired by the performances of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People. To bring nuance to soap is tricky as we work so fast, but I’ve learnt to trust my instincts.” Martin was cast as Betsy just months after graduating from Manchester’s Arden School of Theatre, having been encouraged to pursue acting by her high-school drama teachers. “I wanted to be a zookeeper, but wasn’t very good at science! I went to the same school as Sam Aston [who plays Chesney Winter-Brown], so Corrie was always talked about. Growing up in a small working-class area” — Martin is from Rossendale, Lancashire — “I di…

corrie-betsy-798642c.jpg
width: 4016
height: 2675

Her cup of tea
type: item
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: App
subject: App features
description: From Craggy Island to the cobbles of Coronation Street – Father Ted’s Pauline McLynn is thrilled to be acting alongside her TV heroes
encoded: Add Coronation Street to your watchlist “During my first week on Coronation Street, nobody mentioned Father Ted at all,” says Pauline McLynn, referring to the beloved Channel 4 sitcom in which she played harassed housekeeper Mrs Doyle. “Fair enough, why should they? Maybe they just hadn’t seen it. Then one day in rehearsal, I came into the back room of the Rovers and two characters were sat at the table. I said: ‘Can I get you a snack? A cup of tea? Ah, go on…’ and kind of lapsed into Mrs Doyle. It was just for fun while we ran the lines, and I heard the crew whisper: ‘She’s doing it!’ I thought I’d get it out of the way…” After 30 years, Craggy Island’s obsessive beverage provider to the clergy remains one of TV’s most unforgettable characters and still follows McLynn everywhere. So why did no one bring it up when she started on Corrie? “I think they were being really tender with me in the beginning so I didn’t get distracted, because you’re dropped in at the deep end here. And if you’ve had a famous role, sometimes people want to move on from it, so you don’t know whether to bring it up. “I don’t mind at all, It’s always a great compliment if anyone talks about Father Ted. Although I don’t really have a great recall of it, so if I catch an episode, it’s a surprise to me what’s happening!” Maggie Driscoll, her new character – and the new owner of the Rovers Return – may well eclipse Mrs Doyle on McLynn’s curriculum vitae. The character made an instantly impactful entrance as the matriarch of a blended family, alongside Catherine Tyldesley, who is returning after seven years as Eva Price. It’s not McLynn’s first soap experience. In 2014 she played nasty Nick Cotton’s wife Yvonne in EastEnders, but that was a guest role whereas Maggie and her clan are, hopefully, here to stay and are firmly positioned at the heart of the show. Were there reservations about committing to a long-term, all-consuming job? “Not for a second. If anything it was a bonus knowing I’d be doing…

corrie-driscoll-price-5a6b865.jpg
width: 3840
height: 2560

Father Ted icon explains how her new Coronation Street character answers to the soap's powerful legacy
type: item
date: 2025-10-28T00:01:44.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
description: From Craggy Island to the cobbles of Coronation Street – Father Ted’s Pauline McLynn is thrilled to be acting alongside her TV heroes.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “During my first week on Coronation Street, nobody mentioned Father Ted at all,” says Pauline McLynn, referring to the beloved Channel 4 sitcom in which she played harassed housekeeper Mrs Doyle. “Fair enough, why should they? Maybe they just hadn’t seen it. Then one day in rehearsal, I came into the back room of the Rovers and two characters were sat at the table. I said: ‘Can I get you a snack? A cup of tea? Ah, go on…’ and kind of lapsed into Mrs Doyle. It was just for fun while we ran the lines, and I heard the crew whisper: ‘She’s doing it!’ I thought I’d get it out of the way…” After 30 years, Craggy Island’s obsessive beverage provider to the clergy remains one of TV’s most unforgettable characters and still follows McLynn everywhere. So why did no one bring it up when she started on Corrie? “I think they were being really tender with me in the beginning so I didn’t get distracted, because you’re dropped in at the deep end here. And if you’ve had a famous role, sometimes people want to move on from it, so you don’t know whether to bring it up. “I don’t mind at all, It’s always a great compliment if anyone talks about Father Ted. Although I don’t really have a great recall of it, so if I catch an episode, it’s a surprise to me what’s happening!” Maggie Driscoll, her new character – and the new owner of the Rovers Return – may well eclipse Mrs Doyle on McLynn’s curriculum vitae. The character made an instantly impactful entrance as the matriarch of a blended family, alongside Catherine Tyldesley, who is returning after seven years as Eva Price. It’s not McLynn’s first soap experience. In 2014 she played nasty Nick Cotton’s wife Yvonne in EastEnders, but that was a guest role whereas Maggie and her clan are, hopefully, here to stay and are firmly positioned at the heart of the show. Were there reservations about committing to a long-term, all-consuming job? “Not for a second. If anything it was a bonus knowing…

Catherine Tyldesley promises 'oodles of drama' for Eva Price upon Coronation Street return
type: item
date: 2025-10-26T08:00:21.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Coronation Street
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: ITV
subject: ITVX
description: The actress talks to Johnathon Hughes about her cobbles return.
encoded: Catherine Tyldesley is set to make her grand return to Coronation Street tomorrow following a seven-year absence, as her character Eva Price takes charge of the Rovers Return. She'll be joined by new husband Ben (Aaron McCusker), her feisty daughter Susie (Aurora Bradshaw), Ben's sons Will (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) and Ollie (Raphael Akuwudike), and his mum Maggie (Pauline McLynn). It signifies a new era for the ITV soap, but Catherine was very much in a reflective mood as she spoke about the Corrie icons that have inspired her performance as Eva. What prompted you to leave Corrie back in 2018? I love variations. I think it’s incredibly important for all actors. Otherwise how do we grow and develop as performers? I’ve been incredibly lucky to have remained busy. Who is your favourite past landlady of the Rovers and why? I think they all brought wonderful elements to the table. All very strong, feisty women. For me, it has to be Annie Walker (Doris Speed) and Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear). I love old school Corrie episodes. I’m drawn to strong women – my own family is full of them. It’s a huge part of the reason I returned. Who is your 'Corrie acting idol' - someone in the cast past or present who has inspired you? Ooh, that’s a tough one but a stand-out for me was Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, and Raquel Wolstenhulme, played by Sarah Lancashire. What was your favourite Eva storyline from your first stint and why? It HAS to be [being pushed into] the fountain [by Maria]. We had so much fun shooting those scenes. Samia [Longchambon] and I are good pals in real life and had the giggles so much between takes. If you could play another character who would it be and why? Roy (David Neilson)... I LOVE bacon baps! How would you sum up the next few months for the Driscolls? Fun, filled with love, laughter, quick wit and oodles of drama! Can you tell us about your creative partnership with Jodie Prenger – you've written together? Watch this space. Jodie and I have sev…

Untitled-1600-x-1066-px-9e982b9.png
width: 1600
height: 1066

Louis Emerick on his Hollyoaks future after Brookside crossover twist
type: item
date: 2025-10-22T18:30:52.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Hollyoaks
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor talks to exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about Mick, Donny and going back to the Close.
encoded: There was more to the much-hyped return to Brookside Close than pure nostalgia, as the special crossover with Hollyoaks for its 30th anniversary revealed an almighty twist that uncovered an epic plot with decades of dramatic backstory. Detective Donny Clark, who arrived in Hollyoaks village 18 months ago to reconnect with long-lost daughter Vicky Grant, has actually been Mick Johnson from Brookside all along. If this audacious development has shocked the audience, imagine how Louis Emerick felt when he was told he’d been playing his most famous role in plain sight, and didn’t have a clue? “I was summoned by our executive producer Hannah Cheers for a meeting, but she wanted to walk and talk in the park, not in her office,” recalls Emerick, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the day he was let in on one of the biggest soap secrets of the year. “It was all quite covert, like a spy film. She pitched the whole thing: the Brookie crossover, the storyline that connected it, and Donny turning out to be Mick. I was waiting for her to say it was an April fool, only this was July! “Before she actually told me, Hannah was going round the houses trying to explain it and seemed to be soft soaping me, to prepare me for what she was about to say. I wondered whether Donny was going to turn gay in his middle age or something unexpected – I was ready for anything! The whole idea was so far out of left field, but I was really excited.” Explanatory dialogue tells us that 20 years ago, in the shared Brookie-Oaks universe, Mick Johnson had an ill-advised affair with gangster Froggy Black’s wife. Vengeful Froggy planned to have Mick murdered, so to protect his family, Mr Johnson faked his death and made a fresh start under the new identity Donny Clark. With Froggy now living in the same village as ‘Donny’ – what are the chances? – the detective’s past has come back to haunt him and his identity has been compromised. This forced a return to Brookside Close to warn daughter Gemma, …

WEBSITEBIGINTERVIEWLOUISEMERICK-b06ec84.jpg
width: 1600
height: 1067

Returning to Brookside is the perfect way to honour Hollyoaks' heritage
type: item
date: 2025-10-22T11:01:08.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Hollyoaks
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Comment
description: The crossover is a tribute to both groundbreaking soaps.
encoded: Soaps love to mark a significant anniversary by going back in time. Returning characters and knowing nods to the past are a reward for loyal viewers, and a way of reminding us of the show’s roots and the reasons we’ve watched it for so long. Hollyoaks is going bigger and shouting louder, as it does with most things, when it comes to the celebrations for its 30th birthday. In a gift to soap fans, Channel 4’s cheeky, rebellious flagship continuing drama is acknowledging the history of two shows – itself, and the programme it sprang from. In an audacious soap crossover, months before ITV’s much-anticipated Corriedale weaves together the worlds of Weatherfield and the Yorkshire Dales, Hollyoaks is mashing up with Brookside. This goes right back to the origin story for Hollyoaks, launched in 1995 as a sister show to Brookside by Sir Phil Redmond, who created them both. Forget the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is the Redmond shared soap universe. It’s been 22 years since Channel 4’s iconic continuing drama was cancelled, leaving behind a legacy of breaking boundaries and highlighting the taboo topics other dramas, not just soaps, were too scared to touch. Part of the epic storylines for Hollyoaks’ anniversary week takes detective Donny Clark to Brookside Close, the humble Liverpool cul-de-sac on an unassuming housing estate that was the scene of some of TV’s most groundbreaking drama. For reasons that will become clear when he interacts with some familiar Brookie faces, some of whom we haven’t seen on screen since the '80s, it turns out there’s a strong link between Donny and the Close. But the connections between Hollyoaks and Brookside run much deeper. Brookie’s mini-return has generated a wave of nostalgia and confirmed the respectful position it holds in TV history as the first truly daring continuing drama, which Hollyoaks inherited and continues to keep alive. Starting in 1995 as a shiny teen show about a gang of good-looking friends in their late teens from an or…

brookside-938902d.jpg
width: 4725
height: 3238

Close encounters
type: item
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson are back again in the Brookside revival
encoded: Add Hollyoaks to your watchlist Sue Johnston played Sheila Grant 1982–1990 How did you react when you were asked to play Sheila again? I thought it would be rather interesting. Sheila was huge for me. I’d worked in theatre for 20 years and the only TV work I’d done was in three episodes of Coronation Street playing Mrs Chadwick. I was a single parent worrying about what I was going to do when my little boy started school, as I wouldn’t be able to do theatre in the evenings. I’d started applying to teacher training college when someone suggested I get an agent. That’s how I got Corrie and then Brookside, and it saved my life. I owe Brookside a lot. What was the secret to Brookside’s success? It was different, and relevant to people’s lives. Although [conservative activist] Mary Whitehouse went berserk in the beginning because of the swearing! All of us were learning on the job, and that excitement transferred to the screen, you felt the commitment and love for it. Is it nice to be reunite with Ricky Tomlinson? Ricky and I have chemistry and history, obviously, because after Brookside we did The Royle Family. I remember Caroline Aherne telling us we were going to be her mum and dad, she loved Bobby and Sheila and wanted to bring us back together. I love Ricky, but we work very differently, he calls me “the classical actress” just because I went to drama school! Ricky Tomlinson played Bobby Grant 1982–1988 How did you get the part of Bobby? When Brookside was getting started in 1982, I hadn’t long been out of prison and had only done one TV job, a BBC Play for Today called United Kingdom. Andy Lynch, one of the original Brookside writers, was watching me in that and picked up the phone to Phil Redmond and said: “I’ve just found Bobby”. That’s how it happened — I got the job. It was all so brand new to me but I took to it like a duck to water. Why do people remember Brookside so fondly after all these years? Because I think they can relate to it, simple as that. It was …

43HO-EP-6634-SHIELA-BOBBY-STRICTLY-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-14TH-OCTOBER-LIMEPICTURES-3c47583-e1760424364706.jpg
width: 4863
height: 3245

'We need TV for now'
type: item
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Death of Soap? Phil Redmond is having none of it, as Hollyoaks celebrates 30 years on screen by bringing back Brookside
encoded: Add Hollyoaks to your watchlist Everybody says, ‘I don’t watch soaps,’” observes Sir Phil Redmond, whose career in television spans more than 50 years. “That’s because it’s working-class telly. Yet within 15 minutes, they’re telling you the intricacies of all the plotlines.” In a year in which EastEnders celebrated its 40th anniversary, and Coronation Street reaches the grand old age of 65, this week sees Hollyoaks, the enfant terrible of soaps devised by Redmond, mark 30 years on air. Soaps, it seems, are weathering the stormy TV landscape and managing to stay afloat. To mark the coming-of-age of Redmond’s heightened saga of suburban adolescence, Hollyoaks is acknowledging its roots with a tribute to another of his creations, Brookside. Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston are returning as Bobby and Sheila Grant for a crossover event with a cameo from Redmond himself – three decades after he was chastised for engineering something very similar. “Brookside was Channel 4’s biggest show in 1995, so I thought it was a good idea to use it to promote their new drama,” he recalls. “I sent characters from Brookie across to Hollyoaks, and got my knuckles rapped by the regulators because you weren’t allowed to cross-promote. “So when Hollyoaks asked me to be involved in the Brookside crossover to celebrate the 30th anniversary, it appealed to my sense of mischief – they were doing something I was told off for, which was now being waved through. It sounded like fun.” To Redmond, Brookside and Hollyoaks always occupied the same fictional world. Brookside, set on a real Liverpool cul-de-sac, began on the night of the launch of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, revolutionising soap by tackling taboo topics with a gritty social conscience. By the 1990s, he had another idea. “For years I nagged the networks to do an adolescent-skewed show. I always treated teenage characters in Brookside, like Damon Grant, the same as the adults. Grange Hill [which Redmond created for the BBC in 1978] nev…

B59EE6-e7860ab-e1760424441504.jpg
width: 3580
height: 2387

Hollyoaks creator says soaps aren't "doomed" and are 'only place to see working class drama on a regular basis'
type: item
date: 2025-10-13T23:01:46.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Death of Soap? Phil Redmond is having none of it, as Hollyoaks celebrates 30 years on screen by bringing back Brookside.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. “Everybody says, ‘I don’t watch soaps,’” observes Sir Phil Redmond, whose career in television spans more than 50 years. “That’s because it’s working-class telly. Yet within 15 minutes, they’re telling you the intricacies of all the plotlines.” In a year in which EastEnders celebrated its 40th anniversary, and Coronation Street reaches the grand old age of 65, this week sees Hollyoaks, the enfant terrible of soaps devised by Redmond, mark 30 years on air. Soaps, it seems, are weathering the stormy TV landscape and managing to stay afloat. To mark the coming-of-age of Redmond’s heightened saga of suburban adolescence, Hollyoaks is acknowledging its roots with a tribute to another of his creations, Brookside. Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston are returning as Bobby and Sheila Grant for a crossover event with a cameo from Redmond himself – three decades after he was chastised for engineering something very similar. “Brookside was Channel 4’s biggest show in 1995, so I thought it was a good idea to use it to promote their new drama,” he recalls. “I sent characters from Brookie across to Hollyoaks, and got my knuckles rapped by the regulators because you weren’t allowed to cross-promote. “So when Hollyoaks asked me to be involved in the Brookside crossover to celebrate the 30th anniversary, it appealed to my sense of mischief – they were doing something I was told off for, which was now being waved through. It sounded like fun.” To Redmond, Brookside and Hollyoaks always occupied the same fictional world. Brookside, set on a real Liverpool cul-de-sac, began on the night of the launch of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, revolutionising soap by tackling taboo topics with a gritty social conscience. By the 1990s, he had another idea. “For years I nagged the networks to do an adolescent-skewed show. I always treated teenage characters in Brookside, like Damon Grant, the same as the adults. Grange Hill [which Redmond created fo…

phil-redmond-f43d3ed.jpg
width: 3087
height: 2058

Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson on reprising iconic Brookside roles – and if they’d star in a revival
type: item
date: 2025-10-13T20:00:02.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson are back again in the Brookside revival.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Sue Johnston (Sheila Grant 1982–1990) Sue, how did you react when you were asked to play Sheila again? I thought it would be rather interesting. Sheila was huge for me. I’d worked in theatre for 20 years and the only TV work I’d done was in three episodes of Coronation Street playing Mrs Chadwick. I was a single parent worrying about what I was going to do when my little boy started school, as I wouldn’t be able to do theatre in the evenings. I’d started applying to teacher training college when someone suggested I get an agent. That’s how I got Corrie and then Brookside, and it saved my life. I owe Brookside a lot. What was the secret to Brookside’s success? It was different, and relevant to people’s lives. Although [conservative activist] Mary Whitehouse went berserk in the beginning because of the swearing! All of us were learning on the job, and that excitement transferred to the screen, you felt the commitment and love for it. Is it nice to be reunite with Ricky Tomlinson? Ricky and I have chemistry and history, obviously, because after Brookside we did The Royle Family. I remember Caroline Aherne telling us we were going to be her mum and dad, she loved Bobby and Sheila and wanted to bring us back together. I love Ricky, but we work very differently, he calls me “the classical actress” just because I went to drama school! Ricky Tomlinson (Bobby Grant 1982–1988) Ricky, how did you get the part of Bobby? When Brookside was getting started in 1982, I hadn’t long been out of prison and had only done one TV job, a BBC Play for Today called United Kingdom. Andy Lynch, one of the original Brookside writers, was watching me in that and picked up the phone to Phil Redmond and said: “I’ve just found Bobby”. That’s how it happened — I got the job. It was all so brand new to me but I took to it like a duck to water. Why do people remember Brookside so fondly after all these years? Because I think they can relate to it, …

Ricky-Tomlinson-and-Sue-Johnston-Brookside-840408a.png
width: 1228
height: 818

Home & Away’s Lynne McGranger on why she quit after 32 years as Irene – and what the future holds
type: item
date: 2025-09-22T23:01:42.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Home and Away
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
description: The Aussie soap icon exclusively looks back on her time in Summer Bay.
encoded: It’s the end of an era as Home and Away legend Lynne McGranger leaves the Australian soap after playing Irene Roberts for almost 33 years. Iconic Irene has been a Summer Bay stalwart, battling booze, cancer, and in her moving final storyline, Alzheimer’s disease. As ‘Reenie leaves her beloved home town to travel the world before her condition worsens, RadioTimes.com hears from the award-winning McGranger, who reflects on her decades of drama and reveals her reasons for quitting. And don't forget: Irene’s final episode airs on 5 on Wednesday 1st October. Why did you decide to leave Home and Away? I’d been thinking about it for a year or two. Maybe it was time to change direction, do a bit of theatre, not to get up at four in the morning and film in the rain! I had taken some time off to tour a play called The Grandparents Club and realised how much I’d missed theatre, which is where I started my career, and that’s where I wanted to be. What inspired you to suggest the Alzheimer’s storyline for Irene’s exit? Everyone you speak to, people know somebody who is dealing with it or have been diagnosed themselves. Alzheimer’s seems to be more common than ever, yet to my knowledge it’s not a topic that has been dealt with much on Australian television. My colleague Jessica Redmayne (who plays Harper) talked about her mum being diagnosed in her mid-50s, and what a tough journey it was. Jess was my go-to for research. Were you nervous about tackling the subject? I was. Mercifully, I have not had to deal with Alzheimer’s in my own family, so I relied on talking to people and reading things. I really wanted to do it justice. Irene is a popular character and a staple of the Bay and we wanted to honour her time, and also honour those dealing with Alzheimer’s. It was important we treated the story with respect and delicacy. Was it your idea we don’t see Irene deteriorate on screen, and she lives out her final days off camera? I had suggested Alzheimer’s, but the writers and produce…

lynne-mcgranger-2ad8a13.jpg
width: 2200
height: 1507

EastEnders top 10 Slater moments revealed as the family celebrates 25 years in Walford
type: item
date: 2025-09-18T07:00:24.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
description: Happy birthday to the Slaters!
encoded: They hit Walford like a hurricane back in 2000, and have been causing mayhem ever since – September 18th marks 25 years since the Slater family arrived in EastEnders, a rowdy group of formidable female characters, with the odd long-suffering fella also along for the ride, who became one of the soap’s most iconic clans. Kat, Zoe, Little Mo and Lynne, along with dad Charlie and nan Big Mo, were the original line-up, later joined by the likes of Stacey, Jean, Sean, Hayley, Belinda and various children and partners. To mark the momentous occasion of notching up a quarter of a century on screen, RadioTimes.com looks back at the rowdy family’s history with our specially-chosen countdown of their top 10 memorable moments, in descending order. Three guesses for what number one is… 10. Moving in (September 2000) Packed into a transit van, the rowdy Slaters picked their moment to move in, arriving on the day of Walford legend Ethel Skinner’s funeral. They soon shattered the sombre mood of an Albert Square in mourning with their sibling squabbles and screeching over who was getting the biggest bedroom. We also discovered early on Big Mo was an old enemy, and former sister-in-law, of Pat Evans. Their showdown in the Vic at Ethel’s wake was one of many we’d be treated to over the years. 9. Charlie dies (January 2016) View oEmbed on the source website The Slaters are undoubtedly a matriarchy, but downtrodden dad Charlie did his best to keep his girls together. Bemused by the drama that surrounded him, avuncular Charlie was a calm constant who the family adored. His death from a heart attack with daughter Kat at his side provided a degree of poignant closure for the Slaters’ most painful trauma. Charlie had blamed himself for not stopping his brother Harry abusing Kat as a child, but as he took his dying breath, Kat tearfully forgave her father. No, you’re crying… 8. Kat's fake funeral (March 2018) After a few years living in Ireland (in what we now know is the ‘parallel universe’…

eastenders-297e707.jpg
width: 620
height: 413

'We love each other'
type: item
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: App
subject: App features
description: 20 years after their teary goodbye, Albert Square’s fiery mother-daughter duo are back together. Jessie Wallace reveals why…
encoded: Add EastEnders to your watchlist For soap fans, it’s the equivalent of the Moon landings or Kennedy’s assassination – they all remember where they were when Kat revealed Zoe’s true parentage. But it was the following day that Jessie Wallace realised what a defining moment it was going to be. “It changed my life overnight – nothing can prepare you for that.” It was a turning point for Wallace, and her character, as both braced themselves for the wave of overwhelming attention that followed. But soaps’ fast pace meant there was no time to dwell on the scene, or wonder how totemic it would become. “On a show like EastEnders you do a scene then go straight on to the next one. You have to let it go. Yes, it was a big moment in the storyline but we did it and walked away, not knowing it would explode like it did.” Wallace recalls the origins of the Slaters, conceived through a series of workshops and improvisation with the story team, a creative boot camp where actors and writers organically formed a family of formidable females. While seeds were sown of Kat’s tragic past as ideas bounced around, Wallace herself wasn’t aware of what was in store until she’d been playing the role for some months. “John Yorke, Tony Jordan and Simon Ashdown were all in the workshops, which they’d never done before as a way to bring in a new family. Brooke Kinsella had been in the workshop and was up to play Zoe originally [she later played Zoe’s friend Kelly Taylor] but she didn’t look like a Slater. Michelle did, and when she auditioned after the workshops they could see that she was a beautiful person, and actor. “Maybe they had the story in their heads from the start or maybe they found it on the way, you’d have to ask them. But when they told me Kat was Zoe’s mum, I was so excited, as was Michelle. We had a two-hander after the reveal, which was daunting but brilliant. When I first started, it would take me a week to learn a monologue, so doing a whole episode with one other person was d…

https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/08/0120250724RADIOTIMESEASTENDERS0140-5ff5125.jpg
width: 1048
height: 1398

EastEnders stars reveal potential for Slater romance with Anthony Trueman return
type: item
date: 2025-08-07T07:00:37.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: Both Kat and Zoe have history with Anthony.
encoded: EastEnders stars Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan have shared their thoughts on their characters' potential for romance with another returnee. At a photoshoot with Radio Times magazine on the set of the BBC soap, the stars, who play mother and daughter Kat Moon and Zoe Slater, were asked about the chances of sparks flying with the pair's shared ex, Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). "I don't think so, 'cause Kat just got married," said Wallace, referring to Kat having tied the knot with Alfie (Shane Richie) for the third time. Meanwhile, Ryan teased: "I'm not sure for Zoe. I think it's kind of open season. "So I think there's a chance, but there's also a chance with other men." As she and Ryan laughed, Wallace added of Zoe: "She's game!" Which of the EastEnders locals might Zoe set her sights on? Zoe was last said to be in Barcelona, on the run from some dangerous men and harbouring a secret she believes her mum would never forgive her for. Alfie desperately tried to track her down and help, but ultimately returned alone, with only Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) aware of the situation. So, while we can rest assured that 'Kalfie' are sticking together, we're still waiting for fiery Kat's reaction when she finds out that Alfie knew Zoe is in trouble and didn't tell her. But Zoe will soon be back, and the stage is set for plenty of drama at The Queen Vic, where Kat is at the helm as the proud new landlady. The new issue of Radio Times featuring exclusive interviews and pictures with Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan is out now. Read more: EastEnders' Michelle Ryan reveals her dream cast member return for reunion with Zoe EastEnders confirms big new discovery for Joel Marshall story in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders airs shock blackmail twist in eventful BBC iPlayer release EastEnders' Oscar Branning caught out over Patrick attack in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Eve goes …

anthony-trueman-61b52ee.jpg
width: 1920
height: 1280

From Emmerdale vicar to Hollyoaks villain – John Middleton on his surprising soap return
type: item
date: 2025-08-06T10:00:17.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about his villainous new role.
encoded: For 21 years, he was affable Ashley Thomas, Emmerdale’s resident vicar who provided guidance and support to his parishioners and was a stable stalwart of the close-knit community. Now, actor John Middleton has swapped the dog collar for a prison tabard to make a surprising return to the world of soap, as Hollyoaks’ newest villain, Fraser 'Froggy' Black. The granddad of devilish Clare Devine, glamorous gangster Grace Black and roguish Rex Gallagher, as well as being the father of feared Fraser Black Junior (RIP), Froggy joins one of Hollyoaks’ most notorious clans and might just be the nastiest of the lot – you couldn’t get any further away from Reverend Thomas if you tried. “It was a great attraction that Froggy is a total contrast to Ashley,” begins Middleton, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com as his first Hollyoaks scenes air. “People have said it would be good to see me in a different light after playing the same role for 21 years, when this opportunity came along my agent and myself were very keen. It’s totally different to anything I’ve done before. “Ashley was the pillar of the community, an upright person, and before him I’d played numerous clerical, medical and professional types. Now I’m a moral degenerate descending on Hollyoaks!” We first meet Froggy in prison, fittingly, where he rules the roost on the same wing where Tom Cunningham is doing time. Froggy is a career criminal who has been inside for decades, and as a visit from estranged granddaughter Clare teases, his relationship with the family is somewhat fractured. “Froggy is top dog, people live in fear of him. At the same time, he is also quite well read and bookish, and runs the prison library! He’s been locked up for 21 years, one imagines he’s done something heinous. “He’s a seriously bad character, but there is a something in his family’s past he feels guilty about – he should’ve intervened but he didn’t. Froggy feels terribly vindictive towards Clare, as it emerges she and her father, Fro…

WEBSITEBIGINTERVIEWJOHNMIDDLETON-6157936.jpg
width: 1600
height: 1067

EastEnders' Michelle Ryan reveals her dream cast member return for reunion with Zoe
type: item
date: 2025-08-06T07:00:50.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: The returning star spoke exclusively to Radio Times magazine alongside on-screen mum Jessie Wallace.
encoded: Michelle Ryan has shared who she would most like to reunite with in EastEnders, ahead of her permanent return as Zoe Slater after 20 years away. In an exclusive chat and photoshoot with Radio Times magazine, Ryan was joined by co-star Jessie Wallace, who plays Zoe's estranged mum Kat Moon. Asked what her next dream return would be for the soap, the actress replied: "I would like Kim [Medcalf] to come back, who played Sam." Wallace added: "Oh yeah, she came back. Yeah, she's brilliant." "Yeah," Ryan agreed, standing by her answer: "So, Kim." In recent years, Medcalf made two memorable comebacks as Sam, but was last seen in 2024, bowing out of Albert Square shortly after airing big brother Phil's (Steve McFadden) dirty laundry. Sam and Zoe have huge history, as they helped to cover up the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). Zoe initially believed that she had delivered the killer blow, but Sam witnessed Den's scorned wife Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman, who made her own brief return last year) finishing him off and eventually filled Zoe in. With Zoe starting a new life abroad soon after, she and Sam haven't seen each other since 2005, but could their past ever be revisited? Whatever happens, and with Kat and Zoe yet to come face-to-face on-screen, we can't wait to see how this infamous mother and daughter reconnect. Meanwhile, on which other Slater she would have chosen to play, Wallace laughed that she'd pick Kat's wild grandmother Mo Harris (played by Laila Morse). Teasing the future of the Slaters now they're in charge of The Queen Vic, Wallace promised: "It's gonna be mayhem." With Mo herself having already been arrested on Kat's first day as landlady, we can't say we're surprised! The new issue of Radio Times featuring exclusive interviews and pictures with Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan is out now. Read more: EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood EastEnders’ Jessie Wallace “burst out crying” when reunited with co-star -…

jessie-wallace-michelle-ryan-exclusive-2ec9bb2.jpg
width: 1048
height: 699

EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood
type: item
date: 2025-08-05T07:00:53.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
description: But who would play Kat’s late mum?
encoded: When EastEnders went back in time with the Mitchell family and cast Jaime Winstone as a young Peggy, it was a huge success, with an episode set in 1985 winning Best Single Episode at this year’s British Soap Awards. Now the cast are hoping other Walford clans get the flashback treatment in the future, with Jessie Wallace eager to explore the Slaters’ past and delve into Kat’s troubled childhood. In an exclusive interview with Radio Times magazine to celebrate the on-screen reunion of Kat and daughter Zoe after 20 years apart, Wallace revealed she’d love to turn back the clock to explore Kat’s adolescence. The character’s tragic backstory saw her falling pregnant at the age of 13 after being abused, then being forced by her parents to pretend her child, Zoe, was her little sister to cover up the scandal. “That would be fantastic – I’ve got to speak to Ben Wadey, our Executive Producer! I’d like someone as fabulous as Jaime Winstone to come in and play Kat’s late mother, Viv. Kat was abused by her Uncle Harry as a child and told her mum, but she didn’t believe her, or maybe she did but didn’t want to. She brushed it under the carpet. “There was always resentment from Kat towards her mum. She made Kat live a life she didn’t want to live and wasn’t much of a role model as a mother. That made Kat a better parent, more protective and loving which is what she felt she didn’t have. Kat wasn’t allowed to bring Zoe up and be her mum.” Zoe eventually learnt the truth about her parentage in 2001, in what has become one of EastEnders’ most iconic scenes, screaming at overprotective Kat to stop trying to control her life because, to quote the character herself: “You ain’t my mother!” To which Kat memorably, and loudly, replied: “Yes I am!” The reveal proved difficult for Zoe to deal with, and Wallace recalls how she rejected Kat as a mother after 18 years of believing they were siblings. “The only time Zoe ever called her ‘Mum’ was in her last scene before she left in 2005. I’m h…

EastEnders-Kat-Zoe-Slater-ff090ac.jpg
width: 2966
height: 1977

Emmerdale's Joe Absolom teases bad boy Ray’s future and mystery link to the village
type: item
date: 2025-08-05T06:00:49.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about returning to soap 25 years after EastEnders.
encoded: The dangerous world of county lines drug dealing has infiltrated the sleepy village of Emmerdale, with newcomer Ray Walters grooming local teenagers into a life of crime. Menacing Ray has been lurking in the shadows for several weeks, but viewers are slowly learning the full extent of his illegal operation and just how nasty he can be. Forcing April Windsor into becoming a drugs mule as she celebrates turning 16 is a pretty clear indication of Ray’s ruthlessness, one of the many unredeeming features that attracted Joe Absolom to the role. “I really liked the concept of coming into the village as a bad guy,” reveals the actor, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com. “He’s this Fagin-type presence, a lot of my scenes end with me peeling off wads of cash to various young actors, their eyes light up and I drive off in my sleek car. “It’s creepy. Ray’s business model is to find vulnerable teenagers who are impressed with cash and gifts and attention, all they have to do is take a rucksack somewhere and they’ll get 50 quid.” Ray was introduced as an old mate of Mackenzie Boyd, tapped up to sell Lewis Barton’s hefty consignment of medicinal marijuana. It later transpired one of Ray’s young foot soldiers was homeless teen Dylan Penders. When Dylan returned to the village to pursue his romance with April Windsor, who he met while she was living on the streets, Ray followed – and instantly spied an opportunity. “Ray sees Dylan and April share this romantic kiss in the rain. If he can get Dylan on board as part of his workforce he could get April too, then he can use and manipulate them both. “People like Ray in this county lines world trap kids into what they call ‘debt bondage’, buying them expensive trainers and making them take payment for delivering drugs, then telling them the amount they’ve collected isn’t enough so now they owe him – these vulnerable young people are working to pay off a supposed debt. It’s a very dark situation.” There’s more to Ray than meets the eye…

Copy-of-Big-RT-Web-Article-2-75acef5.png
width: 620
height: 413

EastEnders’ Jessie Wallace “burst out crying” when reunited with co-star - and says Zoe couldn’t be recast
type: item
date: 2025-08-04T23:01:22.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Interview
subject: Magazine
description: 20 years after Kat and Zoe's teary goodbye, Albert Square’s fiery mother-daughter duo are back together. Now Jessie Wallace reveals the secrets behind soap’s biggest reunion.
encoded: This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. For soap fans, it’s the equivalent of the Moon landings or Kennedy’s assassination – they all remember where they were when Kat revealed Zoe’s true parentage. But it was the following day that Jessie Wallace realised what a defining moment it was going to be. “It changed my life overnight – nothing can prepare you for that.” It was a turning point for Wallace, and her character, as both braced themselves for the wave of overwhelming attention that followed. But soaps’ fast pace meant there was no time to dwell on the scene, or wonder how totemic it would become. “On a show like EastEnders you do a scene then go straight on to the next one. You have to let it go. Yes, it was a big moment in the storyline but we did it and walked away, not knowing it would explode like it did.” Wallace recalls the origins of the Slaters, conceived through a series of workshops and improvisation with the story team, a creative boot camp where actors and writers organically formed a family of formidable females. While seeds were sown of Kat’s tragic past as ideas bounced around, Wallace herself wasn’t aware of what was in store until she’d been playing the role for some months. “John Yorke, Tony Jordan and Simon Ashdown were all in the workshops, which they’d never done before as a way to bring in a new family. Brooke Kinsella had been in the workshop and was up to play Zoe originally [she later played Zoe’s friend Kelly Taylor] but she didn’t look like a Slater. Michelle did, and when she auditioned after the workshops they could see that she was a beautiful person, and actor. “Maybe they had the story in their heads from the start or maybe they found it on the way, you’d have to ask them. But when they told me Kat was Zoe’s mum, I was so excited, as was Michelle. We had a two-hander after the reveal, which was daunting but brilliant. When I first started, it would take me a week to learn a monologue, so doing a whole episode with on…

https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/08/0120250724RADIOTIMESEASTENDERS0148-fb8f2de.jpg
width: 1048
height: 1398

EastEnders' Kat and Zoe stars tease "mayhem" and "carnage" from new Slater era in the Queen Vic
type: item
date: 2025-08-04T20:00:01.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: EastEnders
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Magazine
subject: News
description: The iconic Slaters reveal what's in store for their characters.
encoded: There's plenty of drama about to hit Albert Square, with Michelle Ryan's return as Zoe Slater set to continue making waves in EastEnders. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about what's to come on the soap, Kat Slater star Jessie Wallace revealed that "it’s gonna be mayhem”, while Ryan similarly added that it will be “carnage”. With the pair gracing the upcoming issue of Radio Times magazine, they also reflected on some of the storylines that have already unfolded – namely, Kat's return to the Queen Vic. Although Zoe's comeback will likely drag up painful memories of Kat's own past, the iconic Slater character has resumed landlady duties at the Queen Vic, making it the first time she's been at the helm of the pub since 2012. Speaking in this week's Radio Times about her character's return to the Queen Vic, Wallace said: “I stepped behind that bar and felt like I’d come home. “Because Barbara Windsor was quite short, they raised it up a level, so it’s like getting on a stage. The Vic is the centre point of the show. This is a fresh start for Kat and the Slaters, although there is mayhem from the off.” So far, there's already been plenty for Kat to deal with in the family stakes, not least finding out that Alfie was lying about his whereabouts in order to track down Zoe. In last week's episodes, Alfie (Shane Richie) returned from Spain to his fair share of surprises, including the fact that Kat had bought the Queen Vic with Stacey (Lacey Turner). Alfie mistakenly thought that Kat knew he had been searching for her daughter Zoe and left an apologetic voicemail revealing as such, only for Kat's phone to be swiped and her being none the wiser. However, we do know that Zoe is set to return in a big way and with rumours continuing to swirl about her dark secret, how it could possibly crossover with other Walford residents and what it could all spell for her mother Kat, we'll just have to wait and see. Read the full interview in the latest issue of Radio Times out on Tu…

Michelle-Ryan-Jessie-Wallace-RT-Exclusive-2336741.jpg
width: 2048
height: 1366

Emmerdale's Oliver Farnworth teases killer John's future after wedding week nightmare
type: item
date: 2025-05-23T23:01:26.000Z
creator: Johnathon Hughes
subject: Emmerdale
subject: Soaps
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: The Big RT Interview
description: The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about the accidental killer's past returning to haunt him.
encoded: It’s perfectly natural to have the odd anxiety dream in the run-up to your wedding, but Emmerdale’s John Sugden is imagining a series of next-level nightmare scenarios in which the past rears its head to ruin his and Aaron Dingle’s impending nuptials. Jittery John has a lot on his mind, including covering up an accidental murder, poisoning the village water supply and being responsible for putting his ex-lover in a coma – Oliver Farnworth isn’t surprised his alter ego is having sleepless nights. “John is all about control and is terrified of losing it,” begins the actor, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com. “In his waking thoughts he can compartmentalise and rationalise what he’s done, but in his subconscious he is wracked with guilt.” Viewers get a peek into that mercurial mind in a series of stylised dream sequences playing out across the week. Each episode begins with a different nightmare showing how the wedding could go wrong, relating to John’s various misdemeanours. Utmost in his mind is the potential discovery of Nate Robinson’s corpse – accidentally killed by John eight months ago and dumped in the lake, which now needs dredging due an incident with some slurry orchestrated by Mr Sugden to discredit arch rival Mackenzie Boyd. Everyone thinks Nate did a runner to Scotland, so there’s bound to be questions when the corpse is inevitably fished out of the water. “The discovery of Nate’s body is absolutely terrifying,” continues Farnworth. “Obviously there would have to be a criminal investigation, the consequences of which would be huge. John would be disowned by everyone, go to prison, or get in his van and have to move on somewhere else. He could lose everything.” Alongside Nate’s fate is the threat posed by Aidan Moore, John’s former lover and army colleague he claims he tried to save, and who has been in a coma for the last few years. Aidan is now wide awake, which appears to be bad news for John for reasons we’re not yet clear on. “We’re getting fragmen…

Copy-of-Big-RT-Web-Article-2-ed101c5.png
width: 620
height: 413