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
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 castle, your sitcom Changing Ends is back — where do we find young Alan in 1989? Oliver Savell [who plays Alan] has shot up, his voice is deeper – I wish mine was that deep. The bullies have sort of left Alan alone, there’s only so many times you can have your glasses snapped. He’s coasting along, then goes into an Athena store and falls in love with Jake, the boy behind the counter. That’s what happened to me in real life. We see that awful, fabulous mix of emotions you get when you fall for someone. Is it hard to watch your adolescence being replayed? In the last series I cried when I watched the bullying scenes, and in the next and final series it really goes up a gear emotionally. This one is a bit more cringe with Alan’s crush; you don’t realise how obvious you are, looking back. I did see the boy I fancied from Athena about seven or eight years ago at a cash point in Northampton. My knees still went a little wobbly. What advice do you give to Oliver on playing you as a child? I let him do his thing, but sometimes guide him with the voice or specific words – he’s not from Northampton and doesn’t know what Semilong or Kingsthorpe is. There’s a bit in the new series where he unzips his purse, it’s so funny. He’s like an elderly woman and a young boy at the same time. Changing Ends could go on like The Crown; maybe in a few years Ollie can play me in the Traitors castle. Christopher Biggins or Brendan from Coach Trip could be me when I’m older. Do you enjoy writing — is there anything else you’re working on? I feel there is a murder mystery in me. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and PD James, so the twist has to be there. I think that’s why I enjoyed The Traitors so much, being in a castle on the moors murdering people, I know how those situations work. Picture Slam is back, there’s Interior Design Masters, Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job, RuPaul’s Drag Race… are you a workaholic? You have to make hay while the sun shines and I know it won’t last for ever. I’m having so many pinch-me moments, like having a cuppa with Mariah Carey after my podcast Life’s a Beach. We had a picture together and her assistant pulled out a leaf blower so her hair looked fabulous. My comb-over was lassoing around the room... What of those rumours about hosting Strictly Come Dancing? Apparently my name is in the hat, which is an honour, but I haven’t spoken to anyone at the BBC. You saw how sweaty I was in the castle, imagine me live on a Saturday night coming down those stairs – people would slip in a pool of my sweat while doing the fandango. It’s lovely to be thought of, but it’s probably a bit too nerve-racking. Are we in the middle of an Alan-aissance, post-Traitors? I’m not exactly insulted but I have been around for ages. It’s like that old saying “It took me 25 years to be an overnight sensation!” I had the time of my life, and it’s lovely people are saying that I was funny in it, although I’m like: “So everything else I’ve done is rubbish?!” Now everyone wants me to do sketches wearing the cloak, like I’m some sort of Traitor-gram.
Alan Carr reveals all about his Celebrity Traitors win, suggestions he fled the country, and 'murdering' his friends
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.
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’re out of the castle, your sitcom Changing Ends is back — where do we find young Alan in 1989? Oliver Savell (who plays Alan) has shot up, his voice is deeper – I wish mine was that deep. The bullies have sort of left Alan alone, there’s only so many times you can have your glasses snapped. He’s coasting along, then goes into an Athena store and falls in love with Jake, the boy behind the counter. That’s what happened to me in real life. We see that awful, fabulous mix of emotions you get when you fall for someone. Is it hard to watch your adolescence being replayed? In the last series I cried when I watched the bullying scenes, and in the next and final series it really goes up a gear emotionally. This one is a bit more cringe with Alan’s crush; you don’t realise how obvious you are, looking back. I did see the boy I fancied from Athena about seven or eight years ago at a cash point in Northampton. My knees still went a little wobbly. What advice do you give to Oliver on playing you as a child? I let him do his thing, but sometimes guide him with the voice or specific words – he’s not from Northampton and doesn’t know what Semilong or Kingsthorpe is. There’s a bit in the new series where he unzips his purse, it’s so funny. He’s like an elderly woman and a young boy at the same time. Changing Ends could go on like The Crown; maybe in a few years Ollie can play me in the Traitors castle. Christopher Biggins or Brendan from Coach Trip could be me when I’m older. Do you enjoy writing — is there anything else you’re working on? I feel there is a murder mystery in me. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and PD James, so the twist has to be there. I think that’s why I enjoyed The Traitors so much, being in a castle on the moors murdering people, I know how those situations work. Picture Slam is back, there’s Interior Design Masters, Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job, RuPaul’s Drag Race... are you a workaholic? You have to make hay while the sun shines and I know it won’t last for ever. I’m having so many pinch-me moments, like having a cuppa with Mariah Carey after my podcast Life’s a Beach. We had a picture together and her assistant pulled out a leaf blower so her hair looked fabulous. My comb-over was lassoing around the room... What of those rumours about hosting Strictly Come Dancing? Apparently my name is in the hat, which is an honour, but I haven’t spoken to anyone at the BBC. You saw how sweaty I was in the castle, imagine me live on a Saturday night coming down those stairs – people would slip in a pool of my sweat while doing the fandango. It’s lovely to be thought of, but it’s probably a bit too nerve-racking. Are we in the middle of an Alan-aissance, post-Traitors? I’m not exactly insulted but I have been around for ages. It’s like that old saying “It took me 25 years to be an overnight sensation!” I had the time of my life, and it’s lovely people are saying that I was funny in it, although I’m like: “So everything else I’ve done is rubbish?!” Now everyone wants me to do sketches wearing the cloak, like I’m some sort of Traitor-gram. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Changing Ends seasons 1-2 are available on ITVX. Season 3 premieres on ITV1 at 10:05pm on Sunday 23rd November 2025. Add Changing Ends to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Coronation Street star Sydney Martin believes Betsy Swain could be "manipulated" by mum Becky
The actress talks her acting inspirations, and the 'mother' of all twists...
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 didn’t know acting could be an actual career.” Martin is looking forward to developing her complex character. “Betsy has a degree of emotional maturity, and maybe I bring that as I’m 23 playing an 18-year-old. But she is still an annoying teenager. She’s caught between her mums and Carla, and could be manipulated by Becky.” Where does she see her future? “I love where I work, I’m surrounded by gorgeous people and get to act every day — right now, that’s all I could ask.” Read more Coronation Street star Daon Broni reveals "massive risk" to Costello's family after Becky Swain threat Coronation Street icon Amanda Barrie believes creator Tony Warren would be "delighted" with soap's LGBTQ+ representation 5 Coronation Street spoilers next week: David and Shona Platt receive heart-wrenching news about their baby in special episode Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley was asked to return to ITV soap before Coronation Street winter preview: Driscoll family drama, Swarla "explosions" and Theo shows his true colours Coronation Street boss gives exciting update on Corriedale crossover Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add Coronation Street to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
From Craggy Island to the cobbles of Coronation Street – Father Ted’s Pauline McLynn is thrilled to be acting alongside her TV heroes
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 this for a while. I never expected Corrie to come my way but when the offer came out of my agent’s mouth, I think I said ‘yes’ before the sentence had even finished! The writing is great, the character is great and you get to use all your acting skills.” McLynn has been performing or as she jokes, “getting away with it” since 1983, has published novels and written plays. Of all her endeavours, joining the world of Weatherfield is already a professional, and personal, highlight. “This is the most challenging thing I’ve done, the sheer amount of work that goes into it. You’ve got to bring all the skills, such as they are, you’ve ever learnt and be prepared to do everything quickly and accurately. I get to cry, I get to be mean to people, I get to shout – and that’s just today! How much you can achieve so quickly is very satisfying.” Another attraction was the chance to play a formidable woman of a certain age, something the Street has become famed for. “Tony Warren [creator of Corrie] wanted to celebrate older women right from the beginning. Soaps, particularly Coronation Street, are where us older actors can thrive, the parts are huge and brilliant. It’s important we have that space.” Sharp, witty and with a putdown for every occasion, Maggie is in the mould of erstwhile battle-axes such as Ena Sharples, Blanche Hunt and Evelyn Plummer (McLynn teases the tantalising prospect of a meeting between Maggie and Evelyn, having just filmed a scene with Dame Maureen Lipman). For 63-year-old McLynn, the pace of a continuing drama schedule is better at keeping the mind active than the toughest sudoku. “It’s busy and bewildering, but as long as there’s an adult in charge telling me where to go, which scene we’re doing and what I’m wearing, I’m fine. It’s great for the brain to be learning so many lines, I honestly think it’s made me more alert.” Proof of Corrie’s anti-ageing power is evident in Bill Roache, who is still playing Ken Barlow aged 93. “Bill was the first of ‘the legends’ I worked with,” smiles McLynn, a Corrie fan since childhood. “I couldn’t believe the youthfulness of him. He was on the money for every single take, it was inspirational. Working with these heroes of television, it’s pinch-me moments all the time.”
Father Ted icon explains how her new Coronation Street character answers to the soap's powerful legacy
From Craggy Island to the cobbles of Coronation Street – Father Ted’s Pauline McLynn is thrilled to be acting alongside her TV heroes.
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 I’d be doing this for a while. I never expected Corrie to come my way but when the offer came out of my agent’s mouth, I think I said ‘yes’ before the sentence had even finished! The writing is great, the character is great and you get to use all your acting skills.” McLynn has been performing or as she jokes, “getting away with it” since 1983, has published novels and written plays. Of all her endeavours, joining the world of Weatherfield is already a professional, and personal, highlight. “This is the most challenging thing I’ve done, the sheer amount of work that goes into it. You’ve got to bring all the skills, such as they are, you’ve ever learnt and be prepared to do everything quickly and accurately. I get to cry, I get to be mean to people, I get to shout – and that’s just today! How much you can achieve so quickly is very satisfying.” Another attraction was the chance to play a formidable woman of a certain age, something the Street has become famed for. “Tony Warren [creator of Corrie] wanted to celebrate older women right from the beginning. Soaps, particularly Coronation Street, are where us older actors can thrive, the parts are huge and brilliant. It’s important we have that space.” Sharp, witty and with a putdown for every occasion, Maggie is in the mould of erstwhile battle-axes such as Ena Sharples, Blanche Hunt and Evelyn Plummer (McLynn teases the tantalising prospect of a meeting between Maggie and Evelyn, having just filmed a scene with Dame Maureen Lipman). For 63-year-old McLynn, the pace of a continuing drama schedule is better at keeping the mind active than the toughest sudoku. “It’s busy and bewildering, but as long as there’s an adult in charge telling me where to go, which scene we’re doing and what I’m wearing, I’m fine. It’s great for the brain to be learning so many lines, I honestly think it’s made me more alert.” Proof of Corrie’s anti-ageing power is evident in Bill Roache, who is still playing Ken Barlow aged 93. “Bill was the first of ‘the legends’ I worked with,” smiles McLynn, a Corrie fan since childhood. “I couldn’t believe the youthfulness of him. He was on the money for every single take, it was inspirational. Working with these heroes of television, it’s pinch-me moments all the time.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add Coronation Street to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Catherine Tyldesley promises 'oodles of drama' for Eva Price upon Coronation Street return
The actress talks to Johnathon Hughes about her cobbles return.
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 several projects in the works at the moment. That’s all I’ll say for now as I don’t want to jinx anything! Jodie is one of the most multi-talented women I know. It’s glorious to be behind that bar together! Read more Coronation Street winter preview: Driscoll family drama, Swarla "explosions" and Theo shows his true colours Coronation Street teases Eva Price's Rovers Return comeback in dramatic trailer – as another character's family connection is confirmed Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add Coronation Street to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Louis Emerick on his Hollyoaks future after Brookside crossover twist
The actor talks to exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about Mick, Donny and going back to the Close.
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, along with assorted old pals including Sheila Grant and Billy Corkhill, who took in orphaned Gemma, that they could be in danger from Froggy’s criminal empire. The story continues in a hard-hitting edition of Hollyoaks Later, but where does this leave Donny/Mick in the main show? And what should we call him now? “Initially they wanted the character to be known as ‘Mick’ from this point, but I thought that was a step too far and went against it,” explains Emerick. “Hannah went with it too. There’s more drama in as few people as possible knowing the truth. “So Mick is gone and he’s still Donny, but trying to keep his past a secret. Donny has been a police officer for years, how will he explain he used to be someone else? And will those who know use it to their advantage? There are threats against him and his loved ones. And you’ve got to ask yourself, Donny’s kept all this hidden for 20 years – what else is he hiding?” Emerick confirms Mick’s grown-up daughter Gemma, played by ex-Coronation Street star Tisha Merry, will be sticking around in Hollyoaks wanting answers from the father she grieved for. Brookside viewers, and Emerick, remember Gemma as a sweet little kid – to say she’s changed is an understatement… “I think my Gemma has been substituted by an alien! The sweet girl Mick left is like the lead character in The Devil Wears Prada times 10! Gemma is a scheming baddie and the brains behind some terrible things that happened in the Later episode. And she’s dating Warren Fox! “Gemma wants to punish her dad. Tisha and I have spoken about this and I think it’s a bit harsh. Her dad went out of her life for 20 years but for the right reasons – Gemma’s life was in danger. We’ll see Gemma trying to get at Donny’s fiancée Misbah, and even have a go at Mercedes McQueen! Vicky likes the idea of having a big sister, and her and Gemma seem to have a good relationship. But Gemma’s not to be trusted so I’m sure somewhere down the line that’s all going to change…” Hollyoaks was conceived in 1995 as a younger-skewed spin-off from Brookside, and there were occasional crossovers and Easter eggs in the early days that acknowledged it occupied the same fictional world. Over time, and once Brookside was axed in 2003, that aspect was discarded – until now. Respectfully paying tribute to its parent show is a master stroke on Hollyoaks’ part, and has seen a wave of nostalgic appreciation for the groundbreaking Brookie, which changed the face of television drama when it was launched back in 1982. It’s also got Johnson recalling his journey to the show, and how he has an old neighbour to thank for helping him on his way. “It was 1989, I was a jobbing actor but was out of work at that time. An old lady who lived opposite called Rita knocked on my door one day, because she knew everyone else was out at work, saying she had a leak in her house and water was coming through the ceiling. I’m to DIY what an elephant is to hang gliding so I didn’t have a clue, but I knew to turn the stopcock off! So the water stopped and she got a plumber. “Rita was so grateful. My phone had been cut off, because I couldn’t pay the bill, so she offered to pay it as a thank you. I said there was no need, but asked if I could give her phone number to my agent – this was before mobile phones – so they could get hold of me. Two weeks later I got the Brookside audition, and Rita’s coming back and forth with my schedule and call time written on a sheet of A4. She was the go-between with my agent! It was a domino effect from there, one ep of Brookie led to a BBC film with Miranda Richardson and Zoë Wanamaker, then I went back into Brookside and the rest is history.” Emerick’s blend of roguish charm and air of authority has seen him work constantly since he quit Brookside in 2001, with recurring roles in Coronation Street, Casualty and Last of the Summer Wine, along with numerous guest appearances in everything from New Tricks to Vera and on stage. The charismatic actor is full of stories from his early days on Brookie, where he got his big break alongside seasoned performers who were experiencing soap fame in their later years. “Bill Dean, who played Harry Cross, was in Scum which was a huge, groundbreaking film in the 70s, and also in Dennis Potter’s TV drama Pennies from Heaven. I was already starstruck, and being a Brookside fan before I was in it, I couldn’t believe I was working with Harry Cross! I used to go down the corner shop near the Close to get Bill’s ciggies. “Another one I remember was Gladys Ambrose, who was Billy Corkhill’s mother-in-law, Julia Brogan. She and her husband were in the circus back in the day as a comedy acrobatic act, then she went on the variety circuit. She was wonderful and so glamorous, always in ridiculously high heels. When they made her a regular after years of guest stints she burst into the green room saying: ‘I’ve waited 45 years to become an overnight success!’ Hollyoaks inherited Brookside’s mantle of tackling taboo topics no other television show will touch, highlighting incel culture two years before Adolescence, and recently exploring sibling sexual abuse with unflinching commitment. As a final reflection on the impact of Sir Phil Redmond’s creations, Emerick says he is proud to have been a part of both shows that have broken so many boundaries, and praises the genre’s ongoing efforts to shine a light on uncomfortable issues. “For the audience, seeing characters on a soap go through what they’re going through in real life enables them to reach out and get help. They can relate to it. Soaps are very much still a vital part of our lives, and will continue to be for some time.” Read more: Yasmin Davies cast as legacy character Esme for Hollyoaks Later spin-off and Brookside crossover Beloved Channel 4 soap Brookside to return for major crossover with another major soap 4 things we need to see in Brookside's big Hollyoaks crossover Emmerdale icon joins Hollyoaks as "notorious" villain - 8 years after last beloved soap character died Brookside icon Anna Friel delivers verdict on revival - and whether she would return Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney reveals verdict on Brookside revival and whether she will return Episodes of Brookside are available to watch on STV player. Hollyoaks is available to watch on catch-up on Channel 4. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Returning to Brookside is the perfect way to honour Hollyoaks' heritage
The crossover is a tribute to both groundbreaking soaps.
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 ordinary, slightly aspirational suburb of Chester, Hollyoaks quickly showed it had substance as well as style and it wasn’t afraid to take risks. Pulling the rug from under the audience by killing off leading lady Natasha Andersen following a drug overdose just a few months in, it hit its stride as a place to tell hard-hitting stories to an adolescent demographic with a bold, brave spirit. Famously the first soap to portray male sexual assault in a late-night post-watershed special, a format innovation that also influenced the genre, the list of issues highlighted by Hollyoaks over 30 years is incredible. In the last 12 months alone it's tackled sibling sexual abuse (another soap first), child exploitation, conversion therapy, child-to-parent domestic violence and transgender hate crimes. Add those to previous pioneering storylines such as far-right radicalisation, self-harm, eating disorders and county lines grooming, among others, and you realise how seriously Hollyoaks takes its commitment to helping its audience navigate a complicated world at a complicated age. It broke the mould, but it couldn’t have done any of it without Brookside. The turning point not just for soaps, but arguably all British TV drama, Brookside was revolutionary when it began in 1982, on Channel 4’s launch night. Soaps had been a staple of the schedules since Coronation Street practically invented the genre in 1960 with its relatable depiction of working class life, but by the early '80s it had traded some of the early grittiness for whimsical cosiness. Crossroads was a cheap and cheerful melodrama, Emmerdale (back then) a slower-paced slice of village life, and US imports Dallas and Dynasty were pure high-octane escapism. Brookside took the template of day-to-day struggles and relationships within a close-knit community and made it modern and relevant. It had a more realistic approach and a social conscience that put politics front and centre, examining the socio-economic impact of Thatcherism on families everybody could recognise. It also raised awareness on issues such as sexual assault, mental health, violence, class, religion and provided an early platform the representation of LGBTQ+ characters. Nothing was off limits for Redmond’s fearless creation. The death of Trevor Jordache at the hands of the wife and daughter he abused in 1993 was an unflinching portrayal of a harrowing subject, and became Brookside’s most famous, and prescient, storyline. Burying Trevor’s body under the patio, and leaving it undiscovered for two years, happened in an eerie parallel with a notorious case of real-life domestic abuse – in 1994, police discovered the victims of serial killers Fred and Rose West hidden in their family home, including their own daughter, who was buried in the back garden. The Jordache story was the ultimate Brookside plot: shocking, controversial and rooted in truth. The year Trevor was dug up also saw Hollyoaks make its debut. Produced by the same team as Brookside at the same Liverpool-based studio complex, using shared sets still used today (did you know Dee Valley Hospital was once the night club on Brookside’s shopping parade?), Redmond always considered it to be a spin-off with a youthful skew. Seeing characters cross over between the two shows isn’t a new idea, it was happening right at the start, but over time the connection was lost, especially once Brookside was axed in 2003. Reviving it as a narrative device to mark Hollyoaks’ impressive three-decade milestone makes perfect sense. What better way to recognise the simple fact Hollyoaks would not exist without Brookie by strengthening the original relationship between them, and having legends like Sheila Grant and Billy Corkhill along for the ride. And this is not just one-off fan service – Billy will follow Donny back to Hollyoaks village next week, meaning there’s scope for more back and forth in the future. Having Brookside show up as a guest at its little sister’s metaphorical birthday party also recognises how Hollyoaks, while still having an eye on serving the younger end of the soap audience, has come of age as it hits the big three-oh. It’s bold, brash, sure of itself and ready to provoke difficult conversations. Just like Brookside was. Read more: 4 things we need to see in Brookside's big Hollyoaks crossover Episodes of Brookside are available to watch on STV player. Hollyoaks is available to watch on catch-up on Channel 4. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson are back again in the Brookside revival
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 groundbreaking. Did you ever think you’d play Bobby Grant again? I never thought it would happen, but when they said they were doing something that would mean more work for actors and publicity for Liverpool — because I’m a freeman of the city and take that very seriously — I didn’t hesitate. I told them: “Just tell me where and when you want me and I’ll be there!” If Brookside was to return full-time after this one-off special, would you consider being part of it? I would certainly think about it. I do other stuff and have got grandchildren now so I spend a lot of time with them. I’ve just done my first children’s book called Maggie & Jack and the Rusty Key, named after two of my grandkids. It would be a big commitment if Brookie came back full-time, but I’d seriously consider it, because it was very good to me and to the city of Liverpool. The Hollyoaks 30th anniversary episodes are at 7.00pm Monday to Wednesday on E4, with the Brookside crossover episode on Wednesday
Death of Soap? Phil Redmond is having none of it, as Hollyoaks celebrates 30 years on screen by bringing back Brookside
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] never really went into the sixth form, we did Tucker’s Luck as a spin-off in the early 1980s following the characters after they left school, but it didn’t last. “Channel 4 started importing things like Saved By the Bell from the US and wanted to develop something along those lines. I’d done Grange Hill and Brookside by then, I knew what was needed to make it work. That’s how Hollyoaks started, off the back of Brookie.” Shortly after Channel 4 axed Brookside in 2003, Redmond withdrew from active TV production after years of disillusionment. “The 1990 Broadcasting Act was the worst thing to happen to television,” he says. “No one thought through the consequences of introducing concepts such as taste and decency, imitable behaviour and influence. It’s like the debate we’re having now in culture with free speech, it was trying to compress it. “You couldn’t consult regulators in advance with a controversial idea, so you would transmit and hope for the best. They could fine you 3 per cent of your income if you broke the rules, which became prohibitive to creativity in the boardroom – it was a case of: ‘If in doubt, leave it out’. “I also got fed up of arguing with people who just wanted to work ‘in telly’ but had nothing to say. It was being run by people who didn’t have lived experience of the working class and had no understanding of the subtleties and nuances of how they interacted. Those people started recruiting in their own image and bringing in their mates, who’d done an English or media studies degree, so you ended up with a narrow view and very little depth. Now we’re in a time loop back to the 1970s, and it’s full of the Oxbridge gang again.” Redmond, who was knighted in 2020 for services to broadcasting and arts, is still involved with the industry, as a public speaker, lecturer, and cultural advisor. “I’ve become one of the elders who wanders around telling them what they should be doing!” One of his endeavours is chairing the UK City of Culture initiative, tapping into his passion to serve society and preserve regional identity. “There are interesting conversations to be had about culture. Once your culture is defined, what step change are you going to bring about with it? What stories do you want to tell? I suppose that takes it back to the essence of soaps – how do you make change and serve an audience with a storyline?” Redmond recognises TV drama still has the power to unite, highlight working-class struggles and inspire change, though not as regularly as it used to. “Mr Bates vs the Post Office was great, but in the 1960s and 70s you’d see something like that every week. Now revenue is so tight the networks can’t afford to make those as often, so the only place to see working class drama on a regular basis is the soaps, as they are more cost-effective. “Soaps are considered ‘bankers’ by terrestrial networks as they still bring in revenue, but are also seen as a bit old-fashioned. I don’t think they’re a cultural imperative, put it that way.” Competition from streaming and cold, hard economics have meant reduced budgets and programming for continuing dramas. Coronation Street and Emmerdale will each lower their weekly output from January 2026 and will coincidentally mark their new transmission patterns with their own ITV soaps crossover, “Corriedale”. As usual, Redmond’s creations strike first with the big ideas. Despite all this, the man who turned his back on making soap is reluctant to write the genre off completely. “It’s the most fascinating form of drama, it allows a character to evolve over every aspect of their life. Put the investment in and believe in it, and a soap can run and run. Streamers are not the threats to terrestrial TV the networks think they are, because they’re only interested in global markets. “I don’t think soaps are doomed. We need TV for now, to tell relevant stories. Soaps could drive that, especially with viewers able to watch them when they want. And soaps can fill that half-hour gap you spend trying to find something to watch on Netflix every night!” The Hollyoaks 30th anniversary episodes are at 7.00pm Monday to Wednesday on E4, with the Brookside crossover episode on Wednesday
Hollyoaks creator says soaps aren't "doomed" and are 'only place to see working class drama on a regular basis'
Death of Soap? Phil Redmond is having none of it, as Hollyoaks celebrates 30 years on screen by bringing back Brookside.
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 for the BBC in 1978] never really went into the sixth form, we did Tucker’s Luck as a spin-off in the early 1980s following the characters after they left school, but it didn’t last. “Channel 4 started importing things like Saved By the Bell from the US and wanted to develop something along those lines. I’d done Grange Hill and Brookside by then, I knew what was needed to make it work. That’s how Hollyoaks started, off the back of Brookie.” Shortly after Channel 4 axed Brookside in 2003, Redmond withdrew from active TV production after years of disillusionment. “The 1990 Broadcasting Act was the worst thing to happen to television,” he says. “No one thought through the consequences of introducing concepts such as taste and decency, imitable behaviour and influence. It’s like the debate we’re having now in culture with free speech, it was trying to compress it. “You couldn’t consult regulators in advance with a controversial idea, so you would transmit and hope for the best. They could fine you 3 per cent of your income if you broke the rules, which became prohibitive to creativity in the boardroom – it was a case of: ‘If in doubt, leave it out’. “I also got fed up of arguing with people who just wanted to work ‘in telly’ but had nothing to say. It was being run by people who didn’t have lived experience of the working class and had no understanding of the subtleties and nuances of how they interacted. Those people started recruiting in their own image and bringing in their mates, who’d done an English or media studies degree, so you ended up with a narrow view and very little depth. Now we’re in a time loop back to the 1970s, and it’s full of the Oxbridge gang again.” Redmond, who was knighted in 2020 for services to broadcasting and arts, is still involved with the industry, as a public speaker, lecturer, and cultural advisor. “I’ve become one of the elders who wanders around telling them what they should be doing!” One of his endeavours is chairing the UK City of Culture initiative, tapping into his passion to serve society and preserve regional identity. “There are interesting conversations to be had about culture. Once your culture is defined, what step change are you going to bring about with it? What stories do you want to tell? I suppose that takes it back to the essence of soaps – how do you make change and serve an audience with a storyline?” Redmond recognises TV drama still has the power to unite, highlight working-class struggles and inspire change, though not as regularly as it used to. “Mr Bates vs the Post Office was great, but in the 1960s and 70s you’d see something like that every week. Now revenue is so tight the networks can’t afford to make those as often, so the only place to see working class drama on a regular basis is the soaps, as they are more cost-effective. “Soaps are considered ‘bankers’ by terrestrial networks as they still bring in revenue, but are also seen as a bit old-fashioned. I don’t think they’re a cultural imperative, put it that way.” Competition from streaming and cold, hard economics have meant reduced budgets and programming for continuing dramas. Coronation Street and Emmerdale will each lower their weekly output from January 2026 and will coincidentally mark their new transmission patterns with their own ITV soaps crossover, “Corriedale”. As usual, Redmond’s creations strike first with the big ideas. Despite all this, the man who turned his back on making soap is reluctant to write the genre off completely. “It’s the most fascinating form of drama, it allows a character to evolve over every aspect of their life. Put the investment in and believe in it, and a soap can run and run. Streamers are not the threats to terrestrial TV the networks think they are, because they’re only interested in global markets. “I don’t think soaps are doomed. We need TV for now, to tell relevant stories. Soaps could drive that, especially with viewers able to watch them when they want. And soaps can fill that half-hour gap you spend trying to find something to watch on Netflix every night!” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson on reprising iconic Brookside roles – and if they’d star in a revival
Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson are back again in the Brookside revival.
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, simple as that. It was groundbreaking. Did you ever think you’d play Bobby Grant again? I never thought it would happen, but when they said they were doing something that would mean more work for actors and publicity for Liverpool — because I’m a freeman of the city and take that very seriously — I didn’t hesitate. I told them: “Just tell me where and when you want me and I’ll be there!” If Brookside was to return full-time after this one-off special, would you consider being part of it? I would certainly think about it. I do other stuff and have got grandchildren now so I spend a lot of time with them. I’ve just done my first children’s book called Maggie & Jack and the Rusty Key, named after two of my grandkids. It would be a big commitment if Brookie came back full-time, but I’d seriously consider it, because it was very good to me and to the city of Liverpool. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Home & Away’s Lynne McGranger on why she quit after 32 years as Irene – and what the future holds
The Aussie soap icon exclusively looks back on her time in Summer Bay.
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 producers wanted to give it a bit of a rosy ending. Let’s not make it so depressing that people are in trauma, and let’s give a message of hope. Who’s to say in two months’ time a drug or a treatment might be found? Anything is possible. What was the hardest scene to film in your final few weeks? We shoot out of sequence, so my last scene was signing over the diner to Leah. Me and Ada Nicodemou (who plays Leah) could stop crying. Ada and I spent the last month crying in any scene we did! I also remember fondly Irene telling John and Leah she had been diagnosed. The end was nigh, and it was quite emotional for us and the characters. Did you think you’d play Irene for this long? Good grief, not in a million years. I had the job for three months while my daughter Clancy was 20 months old. I left and they asked me to do another six months, maybe a year. My husband Paul left his job to look after Clancy, they kept asking if I’d like another two more years and it just kept on going, and going, and going! Would you be friends with Irene in real life? I think I would. She reminds me of a friend of mine, maybe I inadvertently based Irene on her, who is not backward in coming forward and calls a spade a frontend loader. I’m more circumspect. I’m certainly opinionated, but I do not like confrontation, whereas Irene loves it! I admire how she doesn’t hold back. She’s a card but I could see us getting on, though it would be a bit ying and yang. Why has she been so popular? Fans like Irene because she’s flawed. And she’s capable of anything at any one time, like any of us. I never thought Irene would almost bludgeon someone to death who’d invaded her home, but she did and was up on attempted murder. When you are given a circumstance you behave in certain ways, rightly or wrongly. She’s also not afraid to admit she has been wrong, people identify with that. Home and Away airs weekdays at 1:45pm on 5. Add Home and Away to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders top 10 Slater moments revealed as the family celebrates 25 years in Walford
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’ of Redwater), word reached Walford Kat had passed away. But reports of Kat’s death turned out to be greatly exaggerated, as Big Mo had faked her granddaughter’s death as part of a bungled moneymaking scam. A wake was held in the Vic where everyone wore Kat’s signature leopard print and toasted her memory – only for the deceased to stroll through the door asking who’d died. 7. Sean's killer confession to Jean (May 2019) Stacey’s brother Sean was a rare alpha male among the clan. Hot-headed, tormented and prone to violence, the reasons behind the bad boy’s unstable behaviour were explained when he admitted he always blamed himself for his dad’s death. Teenage Sean punched his parent in a fight, who subsequently died of a brain haemorrhage. Years later he made an emotional confession to mum Jean, who stopped her guilt-ridden son from taking his own life during her own brave battle with cancer. Powerful stuff. 6. Kat’s wedding is interrupted by Alfie (November 2003) View oEmbed on the source website The glint in his eye, the loud shirt, full-length leather jacket – Kat’s romance with her ‘man in the moon’ Alfie began as a slow burn back in 2002 when they both pulled pints in the Vic. The chemistry was instant, but fans had to wait before they got together. Swept off her feet by gangster Andy Hunter, Kat was about to marry him when Alfie stormed the ceremony and declared his love for her. It’s had its ups and downs, but Kat and Alfie’s relationship remains at the heart of the Slaters. 5. Stacey confesses to killing Archie (February 2010) An epic ‘whodunnit’ was resolved in EastEnders’ first ever live episode to mark the soap’s 25th anniversary in 2010. A few months earlier, evil Archie Mitchell was bludgeoned to death with the Queen Vic bust, sparking a national debate as to who bumped him off. Stacey tearfully revealed to Max Branning (more of him later) it was her, after husband Bradley took the fall – literally – and died trying to escape the cops. Lacey Turner had laryngitis and had to practically whisper: “It was me!” live to the nation. What a pro. 4. Lily discovers she's pregnant (January 2023) Stacey’s 12-year-old daughter Lily went to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning after passing out at a house party, but routine tests revealed she was pregnant, which was news to everyone – including Lily herself. It was down to Stacey to break the news to her confused little girl, who had no idea she was expecting. Turns out Lil and Jack’s son Ricky had done the deed once, but that’s all it takes, and nine months later along came baby Charli. Lillia Turner’s heart-wrenching performance as Lily when Stacey reveals the pregnancy marked her out as a leading lady for the next generation of Slaters. 3. Stacey and Max's affair revealed (December 2007) View oEmbed on the source website EastEnders always pulls it out of the bag at Christmas, and 2007’s festive season was perhaps the most unforgettable since Den served Angie divorce papers back in 1986. Self-destructive Stacey’s secret affair with boyfriend Bradley’s womanising dad Max had begun a year before, but the ticking time bomb of deceit exploded on Christmas Day when evidence of their indiscretion caught on a DVD was played to the entire family – including Bradley, along with Max’s wife Tanya. It was explosive, emotional, and Max stayed in his Santa suit the entire time. 2. Little Mo hits Trevor with an iron (December 2001) Mild-mannered Little Mo’s marriage to abusive Trevor was one of soap’s most impactful portrayals of domestic violence. The acclaimed storyline reached a shocking peak when Mo, having endured years of physical and psychological abuse, finally fought back against her bullying husband and whacked him over the head with an iron when he attacked her. Trevor survived, and his abused wife stood trial for attempted murder. His reign of terror eventually ended when he died in a fire nearly a year after the iron incident. 1. Kat tells Zoe she's her mother (October 2001) View oEmbed on the source website The family’s darkest secret had stayed hidden for 18 years – Kat fell pregnant as a teenager after being sexually abused by her uncle Harry, and was forced to pretend her daughter Zoe was her sister to conceal the scandal from the family. In the middle of an argument, Zoe yelled at Kat she couldn’t tell her what to do because (all together now): “You ain’t my mother!” Kat couldn’t keep quiet a moment longer and gave the immortal reply: “Yes I am!” It’s one of the most quoted lines of dialogue in British TV history. Kat was originally meant to whisper the line to Zoe, but it was Jessie Wallace’s idea she scream it down Bridge Street at the top of her lungs to express the magnitude of the moment. Where the Slaters are concerned, it’s always better to do it louder. Read more: EastEnders airs dramatic consequences for Zoe Slater as she returns to Albert Square in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders boss Ben Wadey teases "unusual territory" with one upcoming storyline EastEnders' Michelle Collins teases "more dysfunction" for scheming Cindy Beale 5 huge EastEnders questions after shock Max Branning return and Zoe Slater twists EastEnders responds to calls for Jo Joyner return as Tanya Cross amid Branning reunions EastEnders Autumn 2025 Preview: Joel story explodes, Sharon returns, Lauren and Peter wedding drama EastEnders boss Ben Wadey reveals old spin-off Kat & Alfie: Redwater exists in "parallel universe" EastEnders' Scott Maslen argues soap will be "even more key" with stories as "the world's a mess" EastEnders icon Jake Wood breaks silence on Max and Zoe affair and reveals "chaos" for Walford return Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
20 years after their teary goodbye, Albert Square’s fiery mother-daughter duo are back together. Jessie Wallace reveals why…
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 daunting, but the more I did the job, the more it became a craft.” Zoe and Kat’s complicated dynamic made it difficult for them to accept each other as mother and daughter, which Wallace believes has haunted her character for decades. “The only time Zoe ever called her ‘Mum’ was in her last scene before she left in 2005. I play it that Kat thinks about Zoe all the time. Zoe is out there but Kat doesn’t want to interrupt her life, she knows she’s fighting her own demons. They’ve both been through a lot and I’m hoping she and Kat will be closer this time.” Their reunion is a significant moment for EastEnders, revisiting one of the show’s most indelible moments and exploring the impact of the characters’ difficult history. Emotions will be running high, as they were off screen when Wallace and Ryan saw each other again for the first time in 20 years. “I burst out crying,” recalls Wallace. “We met for a secret dinner date with [executive producer] Ben Wadey and the Slaters. When I saw Michelle, I cried – we were all very emotional. It was nostalgic and lovely.” Availability and circumstance can often mean roles are recast in soap, as evidenced by the numerous Peter Beales and Ben Mitchells over the years, but Wallace felt Zoe’s return hinged on securing Ryan. “I said to Ben, ‘It has to be Michelle. It won’t feel right if Zoe is recast.’ I wouldn’t be able to give my best performance. The audience would feel completely conned. “I love Michelle and have always been protective over her, perhaps that’s natural having played her mum. I’m a mother myself now, which I wasn’t when we worked together before, and I’m very protective over my daughter. “I’ve changed and so has Kat. I’ve grown up a lot, and Kat is more responsible now. She’s got three boys and is married. Kat would die for her children, she wasn’t allowed to be a parent when she had Zoe but has become a great mum. It’s one of the qualities I love most about her.” Zoe’s return may be raking up Kat’s painful past, but there’s cautious optimism in her future as she’s recently resumed landlady duties at the Queen Vic for the first time since 2012. “I stepped behind that bar and felt like I’d come home,” she admits. “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.” Just as there has been since the day the clan arrived.
EastEnders stars reveal potential for Slater romance with Anthony Trueman return
Both Kat and Zoe have history with Anthony.
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 behind Suki's back with Avani's secret termination as pregnancy plan exposed EastEnders airs surprise passion for unexpected pairing in early BBC iPlayer release Zoe Slater's biggest and best EastEnders moments – from Kat bombshell to Den Watts murder EastEnders finally confirms Jake Wood return as Max Branning – with "plenty of chaos" revealed EastEnders' Anthony Trueman has love triangle history with returnee - will it be reignited? Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
From Emmerdale vicar to Hollyoaks villain – John Middleton on his surprising soap return
The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about his villainous new role.
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, Froggy’s son Fraser, conspired together to get Froggy out of the picture many years ago.” His arrival comes at a point where Hollyoaks is delving even further into the brilliantly bonkers backstory of the Blacks – only recently did we learn Grace had a baby as a teenager who she believed had died, but as it transpires is actually still alive. Conniving Clare appears to know more than she’s letting on, but does she genuinely want to help her sister reunite with her long-lost child or is there an ulterior motive? “Froggy is much closer to Grace and wants to reconnect with her, which is connected to the guilt he feels about a situation that has taken place,” explains Middleton, who confesses he’s still getting to grips with the complex story so far of his on-screen brood. “All will be revealed soon! He meets Rex in prison and tells him he’s his grandfather. Going forward, Froggy’s driving wish is to get his family back together. Once they’re all reunited, who knows what sort of power they would all wield?” Eight years on from his lengthy Emmerdale tenure, Middleton is delighted to be back in the world of continuing drama. He’s already familiar with the fast pace, the hectic schedule, and some of the cast. “James Sutton (who plays John Paul McQueen) was in Emmerdale for years (as Ryan Lamb), it’s great to see him again. I met Louis Emerick (Donny Clark) years ago when we did a celebrity edition of Stars in Their Eyes. I think he was Lionel Richie, Charlotte Bellamy (who played Ashley’s wife Laurel in Emmerdale) and I were Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly performing True Love. I hesitate to mention it because Charlotte and I were both traumatised and barely talk about it. Never mind nerves – that was naked fear! “Everybody has been very welcoming at Hollyoaks, I’ve been bowled over. Gemma Bissix and Tamara Wall, who play my granddaughters Clare and Grace, are wonderful to work with and have been so generous. They’re used to playing characters who are threatening and intimidating, now they’re intimidated by me, which gives me the space to establish Froggy. He really shakes up the Blacks’ dynamics, he knows things about their past they’d rather he didn’t.” Middleton has been acting for over 35 years, and even before finding fame in Emmerdale had notched up guest roles across the soaps. The genre is practically in his blood. “I did lots of what I used to call ‘smash-and-grabs’; you go in, do the job and come away. During the body under the patio trial in Brookside, I was on the jury; the Daily Mail described me as ‘the yuppy from hell’ because I wanted to send the Jordaches down! In Coronation Street, I was the motorist who knocked over and killed Lisa Duckworth, and I was a siege negotiator in Emmerdale – 18 months later I came back as Ashley! “I have a lot of time for soaps. I believe in popular drama, not elitist drama. They bring incredibly important issues to the fore so people can talk about them – obviously I had the dementia story with Ashley, which still stays with me.” Ashley’s diagnosis of vascular dementia and tragic deterioration over two years won praise from fans, critics and a slew of awards for Middleton and Bellamy’s emotive performances. It’s one of the most impactful soap storylines of recent years, and despite it leading to Middleton being written out in 2017 as Ashley succumbed to the disease, he remains proud of what it achieved. “We did a lot of research and had to get it right; if we cheapened the story in any way it would’ve infuriated those living with the condition and their families. It had to be as realistic as possible. “The Alzheimer’s Society gave lots of advice and approved scripts, and would occasionally have an adviser on set. I still work with them, and another charity called Dementia Forward, based in North Yorkshire, where I live. Once you walk into that issue you can’t walk away. It’s an awfully sad, cruel disease. “We did a special episode entirely from Ashley’s point of view, so the audience could experience how the symptoms affected the way he experienced the world. Small details like the circles in Ashley’s wallpaper becoming eyes, or the back of a chair having these hideous monster faces made you realise how disturbing that sense of paranoia was for the character. It was very absorbing as an actor. Rather flatteringly, people still talk about the episode nearly 10 years later.” Middleton is full of fondness as he reflects on Emmerdale, and cites having the late, great Freddie Jones play his on-screen father Sandy as a career highlight. Seeing Jones in a production of Play Strindberg when Middleton was dabbling in youth theatre inspired him to pursue acting as a profession. For now, he’s immersing himself in the high-octane world of Hollyoaks, and teases big things to come not just for Froggy, but for the show in general as it hurtles towards its 30th anniversary celebrations in October. “Froggy knows a lot about a very big character outside of the Blacks, and it’s something they would rather not be revealed. There is also an extraordinarily exciting event coming up which I can’t tell you about, other than that it is jaw-dropping. It’s going to be major and you’ll be shocked!” Judging from what we already know about Froggy, we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s behind the upcoming carnage… Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. 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EastEnders' Michelle Ryan reveals her dream cast member return for reunion with Zoe
The returning star spoke exclusively to Radio Times magazine alongside on-screen mum Jessie Wallace.
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 - and says Zoe couldn’t be recast EastEnders’ Michelle Ryan reveals why she changed her mind on returning as Zoe Slater after 20 years away 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Eve goes behind Suki's back with Avani's secret termination as pregnancy plan exposed Zoe Slater's biggest and best EastEnders moments – from Kat bombshell to Den Watts murder EastEnders finally confirms Jake Wood return as Max Branning – with "plenty of chaos" revealed EastEnders' Anthony Trueman has love triangle history with returnee - will it be reignited? Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders' Jessie Wallace wants a Mitchell-style flashback to Kat’s childhood
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 hoping Zoe and Kat will be closer this time. They’ve both been through a lot.” Michelle Ryan, who arrived en masse with Wallace and the rest of the Slaters back in 2000, is reprising the role of Zoe after two decades away. The character’s return was shrouded in secrecy with no prior announcement it was happening until she appeared on screen in June. After a few episodes teasing a dark secret she fled, begging Alfie and Stacey not to tell Kat they had seen her. In the coming weeks, mother and daughter will be together again, and the audience will learn what, or who, Zoe is running from. While fans await the most anticipated soap comeback of the year, there’s time to speculate who could play Kat’s mother if a flashback does happen. Gemma Arterton? Anna Friel? Billie Piper? Or even Wallace herself? The new issue of Radio Times featuring exclusive interviews and pictures with Jessie Wallace and Michelle Ryan is out now. Read more: EastEnders airs surprise passion for unexpected pairing in early BBC iPlayer release EastEnders resolves Alfie Moon cliffhanger in BBC iPlayer release – but key character is still missing EastEnders fan favourite reveals hoped-for return had to be dropped due to scheduling issue EastEnders airs game-changing offer for pregnant Avani Nandra-Hart in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders confirms the return of Anthony Trueman for Patrick and Yolande's wedding Zoe Slater's biggest and best EastEnders moments – from Kat bombshell to Den Watts murder EastEnders finally confirms Jake Wood return as Max Branning – with "plenty of chaos" revealed EastEnders' Anthony Trueman has love triangle history with returnee - will it be reignited? Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Emmerdale's Joe Absolom teases bad boy Ray’s future and mystery link to the village
The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about returning to soap 25 years after EastEnders.
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, and Absolom teases there are hidden elements to the character and a mysterious link to somebody else in the Dales. All will become clear in due course, but for now Ray is ramping up his manipulation of Emmerdale’s youth, pitting Absolom against one of soap’s most gifted young actors, Amelia Flanagan, who recently won Best Young Performer at the British Soap Awards. “I didn’t realise Amelia had been here nearly 12 years, and she’s only 17. You have to be on your game with her, if I leave a gap while I’m thinking about my next line, she’ll tell me what the line is! I can’t get away with anything. And Fred Kettle, who plays Dylan, is great too. I enjoy working with the young guys.” When Absolom was Flanagan’s age, he too was working on a soap, playing Matthew Rose in EastEnders, who first appeared in 1997: a vulnerable teenager intimidated by a grown-up gangster and forced into a hideous crime. Sound familiar? The part of Ray really is a full-circle moment. “I spent the best part of a year with Martin Kemp standing over me and manipulating my character,” recalls Absolom. “Now I’m the older statesman doing the same to these young kids! I saw Martin recently at the British Soap Awards, he said he’d been watching my stuff and reckons I’ve been stealing his moves.” Kemp memorably played sharp-suited bad boy Steve Owen, who murdered his ex-lover Saskia and forced mild-mannered Matthew into helping him bury the body, then tried to frame the teenager. The pair’s dynamic was electric, and Absolom reflects on how the storyline propelled him from jobbing child actor to soap opera sensation. “When I was very young my parents put me and my sister with an agent to make a bit of extra money. I did lots of adverts, then dramas like Silent Witness and Dangerfield. I really liked being on set and would watch how it all worked.” After a few years of intense rivalry with sinister Steve, culminating in a shocking act of revenge, Absolom decided to leave Albert Square in 2000, partly thanks to some advice from one of the country’s leading actors. “I met John Simm at a gig, he said you’ve done well at EastEnders but should think about moving on. So I blame him! I knew I couldn’t stay there forever, and had seen actors who had been on the show for a long time and loved it suddenly have their contracts end. It could be brutal. But I knew it would be difficult to sustain being a jobbing actor.” He needn’t have worried, as life after Walford saw Absolom work consistently in a slew of acclaimed dramas, and in 2004 he started playing a character that would bring him global recognition – likeable Al Large in ITV’s phenomenally successful Doc Martin, opposite Martin Clunes as the grumpy GP of a Cornish coastal town. Absolom was there from beginning to end, when the show bowed out with a Christmas special after 18 years in 2022, and the idyllic location inspired a permanent move to Cornwall, where he still lives with his wife and three children. “We still get Japanese tourists in Port Isaac, where we filmed, looking for the doctor’s house. My brother was on holiday in Croatia with his family, switched on the telly and Doc Martin was there with dubbed Croatian voices! It really has gone around the world, mainly I think because the scenery looked so good. Sometimes we’d do a take and they’d ask us not to start talking because a boat was about to enter the shot behind us. “It’s particularly huge in America where it’s shown on PBS, the public broadcaster. I went to Boston with Ian MacNeice, who played my character’s dad, Bert. He took a bum bag full of his own pictures which made me laugh, but we went to a bar and everybody was like: ‘Hey, it’s Bert!’ They all wanted a picture, we had a great night chatting with everyone about Doc Martin. “It was a bit under-appreciated by the industry here I felt – they were a bit snobby about it and saw it as a cosy, comfortable show where nothing much happens. People who make television don’t necessarily watch it. But it stands up, you can watch it with your kids and your grandkids and it’s very funny, Martin is a genuinely brilliant actor who created a great character.” Coming out of a long-running primetime hit, Absolom could presumably cherry pick what work he does. So what was the appeal of returning to the genre where he started, more than 25 years later? “As an actor you want to work. The idea of doing soap again where you get constant scripts for a few months really appealed to me.” Ray is definitely someone to keep an eye on, as his long-term story is only just beginning, with plenty of curveballs ahead. “We’re going to see all facets of Ray’s character as it goes on, and discover he’s actually a bit sad and lost. He is a different version of himself with different characters, controlling one minute, meek the next. The potential to go quite dark with this was an attractive proposition – I’d rather be a miserable baddie than a happy-go-lucky fella!” Read more: Emmerdale airs cunning cliffhanger for John Sugden over Robert secret in ITVX edition 5 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle reconnect and Charity Dingle suffers a fall Emmerdale confirms last-minute scene following Lioness victory at UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Emmerdale airs menacing twist for Robert Sugden in ITVX edition Emmerdale draws unsuspecting villager into John Sugden plot in ITVX cliffhanger Emmerdale's Natalie J Robb reveals Moira's showdown with Joe Tate sparks Dingle feud Emmerdale star on newcomer Celia: "She's a force to be reckoned with" Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders’ Jessie Wallace “burst out crying” when reunited with co-star - and says Zoe couldn’t be recast
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.
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 one other person was daunting, but the more I did the job, the more it became a craft.” Zoe and Kat’s complicated dynamic made it difficult for them to accept each other as mother and daughter, which Wallace believes has haunted her character for decades. “The only time Zoe ever called her ‘Mum’ was in her last scene before she left in 2005. I play it that Kat thinks about Zoe all the time. Zoe is out there but Kat doesn’t want to interrupt her life, she knows she’s fighting her own demons. They’ve both been through a lot and I’m hoping she and Kat will be closer this time.” Their reunion is a significant moment for EastEnders, revisiting one of the show’s most indelible moments and exploring the impact of the characters’ difficult history. Emotions will be running high, as they were off screen when Wallace and Ryan saw each other again for the first time in 20 years. “I burst out crying,” recalls Wallace. “We met for a secret dinner date with [executive producer] Ben Wadey and the Slaters. When I saw Michelle, I cried – we were all very emotional. It was nostalgic and lovely.” Availability and circumstance can often mean roles are recast in soap, as evidenced by the numerous Peter Beales and Ben Mitchells over the years, but Wallace felt Zoe’s return hinged on securing Ryan. “I said to Ben, ‘It has to be Michelle. It won’t feel right if Zoe is recast.’ I wouldn’t be able to give my best performance. The audience would feel completely conned. “I love Michelle and have always been protective over her, perhaps that’s natural having played her mum. I’m a mother myself now, which I wasn’t when we worked together before, and I’m very protective over my daughter. “I’ve changed and so has Kat. I’ve grown up a lot, and Kat is more responsible now. She’s got three boys and is married. Kat would die for her children, she wasn’t allowed to be a parent when she had Zoe but has become a great mum. It’s one of the qualities I love most about her.” Zoe’s return may be raking up Kat’s painful past, but there’s cautious optimism in her future as she’s recently resumed landlady duties at the Queen Vic for the first time since 2012. “I stepped behind that bar and felt like I’d come home,” she admits. “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.” Just as there has been since the day the clan arrived. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders' Kat and Zoe stars tease "mayhem" and "carnage" from new Slater era in the Queen Vic
The iconic Slaters reveal what's in store for their characters.
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 Tuesday 5th August – subscribe here. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Emmerdale's Oliver Farnworth teases killer John's future after wedding week nightmare
The actor talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about the accidental killer's past returning to haunt him.
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 fragments of what really happened to Aidan, who was the love of his life at one point. Now he’s woken up, what will he reveal about John’s past? We know John has visited Aidan while he’s been comatose and confided in him about the things he’s done – what has Aidan retained? Hearing Aidan is awake is the last thing he needs, so what will he do about that? “The big picture is Nate, but the immediacy is the Aidan situation. That could flare up quicker, but both of them are seismic. John genuinely loves Aaron and wants them to get married. He would lay down his life for Aaron, along with his sister Victoria and nephew Harry. He can’t lose them.” The root of John’s issues are his complicated saviour complex, an obsessive desire to be seen as a hero to the point where he deliberately hurts people just so he can experience the glory of saving them. This has led to some unfortunate incidents, including the aforementioned Nate, who paramedic John treated for injuries sustained in a fight, only for the patient to unexpectedly die from a reaction the medication. Among various other ill-advised actions, John has also secretly attacked Dr Liam Cavanagh and intentionally given Jacob Gallagher anaphylactic shock in order to swoop in and save the day. His addiction to the adrenaline rush is getting out of hand. “John wants love and acceptance, the downside is he keeps engineering situations to gain that for himself, but at the expense of other people’s safety. He needs to be needed.” Unlike some killers who have stalked the Dales, such as menacing Meena Jutla, Farnworth insists John takes no pleasure in taking lives or covering his tracks. “I don’t play him as truly evil or getting kicks out of doing harm. John does things from a place of survival and keeping hold of his self-esteem so he can function in society. It’s nice to get some vulnerability in there, which is only shown to the audience but not to those around him. “John can adapt to situations, he puts on a strong persona to get his own way and maintain control. Now he’s built this ego for himself he’d never want to display that vulnerability to his loved ones because it equals weakness. What if they disown him? It’s too late to be honest.” The long-lost Sugden, Emmerdale’s first family, was introduced almost a year ago, the love child of the late Jack Sugden, who never knew a fling in the 1980s led to him having another son. John’s lack of connection with his father explains a lot, as Farnworth explains the backstory that shaped his troubled psyche. “He was probably a quiet, sensitive child who felt disowned and abandoned by his father. He joined the army and didn’t feel lonely any more, being surrounded by comrades and vibing off that testosterone-fuelled environment. More than anything the army gave John acceptance into a family. “When we first saw him he was a lone wolf, committed to this itinerant, transactional life, travelling alone in his van. Coming to Emmerdale has switched his emotions back on.” Fans didn’t know what to make of John’s inscrutable nature early on, and Farnworth was drip-fed details of the long-term arc which has unfolded as a slow-burn saga with increasingly high stakes – although filming footage for a future flashback indicated to the actor what was in store. “We filmed John killing Nate very early on as Jurell (Carter, who played Nate) was leaving, and his character was going to be missing for months before we knew what happened to him. “I’d only been there a few weeks but this was a big pointer of a darker side emerging for John. The writers have really invested in the storyline and woven John into the fabric of the village, which I’m really grateful for. You’ve got to build up to a pay-off. “It’s like creating a painting: you start with a base coat, add certain layers then change a little bit. That’s the nature of the character and how he adapts to his surroundings.” Combining boy next door charisma with an imperceptible edge of something more sinister, Yorkshire-born Farnworth has quickly established himself as an Emmerdale A-lister. He was already a familiar face to soap fans, thanks to his Coronation Stint as doomed Andy Carver. After being seemingly killed off by evil Pat Phelan in 2017, Andy was revealed to be alive several months later in one of Corrie’s most notorious twists of recent years. He eventually came a cropper for real, but the experience made stepping back onto the soap treadmill that bit smoother for Farnworth. “The technical side of Corrie and Emmerdale is very similar, it’s great to have that background. You understand how it all works so you can hit the ground running. I love the intensity, every day you’re stretched, filming in three different locations, getting through pages of dialogue – it’s a mental workout. You’re scrambled but you sleep really well!” Farnworth's screen acting career started in the world of soap back in 2006 while he was still studying, and the role of stalker Will Hackett in Hollyoaks led to him making a life-changing decision. “I actually left drama school a month early to do Hollyoaks,” he reveals. “I’d started auditions and was thrown into working in front of a camera for real. That was a learning curve. I was grateful to learn on the job, I was there for about eight months and had a great time. Will was a dodgy character with an air of mystery, I must have one of those faces!” It's fair to say quitting drama school early worked out well for Farnworth, who has worked steadily on stage and screen over the last 20 years. He’s performed alongside big Hollywood names such as Jeremy Piven in Mr Selfridge, and British telly legends on the Corrie cobbles – who’s had the biggest impact? “There’s been so many different people with their own styles,” he ponders. “The likes of Amanda Abbington in Mr Selfridge, and Suranne Jones who I worked with on stage… I always look up to mature actors with a lot of experience. “Years ago I did a production of Kes with Mike Burnside, one of those absolutely solid, old school, RADA-trained actors who is just brilliant. I remember watching how he worked and conducted himself. We’re still good mates. He’s probably my acting inspiration – he’d love that shout out!” Back to Farnworth’s current role, and the uncertain future John faces beyond this big week. It’s not known whether his and Aaron’s wedding goes ahead, or if any connection is made between John and the body about to be discovered floating in the water. Aidan’s memory, Mackenzie’s suspicions and the rumoured return of Robert Sugden, John’s half-brother and Aaron’s ex who’s been in prison since 2019, are all looming to scupper the ceremony. We’ve had some sensational twists already, what on earth could happen next? “Quite a lot of stress is probably all I can say!” grins Farnworth. “It’s possible things aren’t quite over. John will have to put out some fires. And we might get more angst in his van!” Read more: Emmerdale airs major ultimatum and dark twist in ITVX release 6 Emmerdale spoilers next week: John's panic as his secrets rise to the surface Coronation Street and Emmerdale confirm bumper crossover episode for new 2026 schedule launch Emmerdale's Olivia Bromley teases Dawn's future: "Her days could be numbered" Emmerdale airs huge Joe Tate update as suspects are issued a warning Emmerdale's Mackenzie's 'life's in jeopardy' from villainous John Emmerdale airs Mondays to Fridays at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders' Laura Doddington teases potential arrival of Nicola Mitchell's unseen sister
Will we get to meet her sibling, and what is she like?
Even though we’ve never seen her in the flesh, Nicola Mitchell’s sister has become something of an obsession among soap fans since they discovered the EastEnders bad girl had a sibling. Fans were instantly intrigued back in March when the killer club owner revealed the existence of the unseen relative, and actress Laura Doddington, who plays nasty Nic, has exclusively spoken out about whether we’ll ever get to meet her – and whether she’s a chip off the old block. "All I know is Nicola said she was going on holiday to Ibiza with her sister, and everyone started talking about it!" says the star in an interview with RadioTimes.com. "Apparently, some fans thought her sister could be Roxy Mitchell!" While the audience fervently speculates whether the late Roxanne didn’t drown in that swimming pool eight years ago and swam her way to the Balearics (she might even have washed up with missing-at-sea Mick Carter), Doddington admits she’s given some thought to the potential dynamics between her alter ego and her mythical sister. "I don’t know if there are plans for a sister [to be] brought in, or what she’d be like. "I think it’s interesting when siblings are really different from each other. I find that fascinating in real life when they are nothing alike, you wonder if maybe it is actually nature and not nurture! Either way would be fun to play, if it ever were to happen." Asked if she’d like to explore Nicola’s own past and family tree, away from the Mitchells she married into, Doddington suspects her character doesn’t have many people in her life she’s close to other than the ones we know about – possibly because she’s fallen out with them! "She’s got no mates! When it was Nicola’s birthday in a recent episode, I said to the props department that they should only put four birthday cards up: she’s got a sister, Teddy and two sons, and that’s it. "Although I don’t know for sure, my feeling is Nicola doesn’t have anyone else outside of her boys, and this one other relative." Doddington is full of praise for the on-screen family she does have, especially Elijah Holloway, who has come into his own since Harry discovered his mum’s true evil colours. "He was so brilliant in those scenes where Harry confronted Nicola," noted Doddington. "When we filmed it, I was blown away. "I love working with all my boys so much. I’ve only been on EastEnders for eight months and I adore them. "There have been times when me, Elijah, Roland (Manookian, who plays Teddy) and Lewis (Bridgeman, aka Nicola’s youngest son Barney) have done every scene of the day together, which has been really special. We have such a laugh, but are also really focused. It’s a lovely balance. "EastEnders is hard work but I cannot express how much I am loving it. Even if I have to get up at 4am to blow dry my hair straight, I wake up in a good mood because I’m going to work – I’m ecstatic to be here!" Read our exclusive Big RT Interview with Laura Doddington. Read more: EastEnders' Lauren Branning goes into labour amid Cindy Beale bombshell EastEnders confirms special VE Day episode to mark 80 years since historic event EastEnders spoilers reveal Cindy’s explosive return as happy event is ruined EastEnders legend Shona McGarty teases new music a year on from Whitney's exit EastEnders confirmed to receive one of BAFTA's highest honours with new award Danny Dyer says EastEnders producer "didn't like the Carters" following soap exit EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Is this the end for Nicola Mitchell? EastEnders’ Laura Doddington on what’s next after murder bombshell
The star speaks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about Walford’s menacing matriarch.
Blackmail, drug-dealing, assault – now we can officially add murder to Nicola Mitchell’s catalogue of crimes following her confession that she was responsible for the death of her son Harry’s girlfriend. EastEnders’ newest bad girl on the block has been forced to finally come clean to husband Teddy about Shireen’s mysterious fate. Viewers have known her sinister secret for a while, but now the truth is out does this mean Nic’s days are numbered and she’ll be swapping her designer wardrobe for a prison tabard? “I panicked this could be the end for the character,” reveals Laura Doddington, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about her alter ego’s gruesome backstory being dug up – quite literally. “I only found out she was a killer when I got the script for the scene where she talked to Benji about moving the body. Though I wasn’t massively surprised, I always knew Nicola would be a handful, just not to what extent. It was double-edged as I’m enjoying myself and hope to be around a bit longer! But at the same time what a joy to play – so juicy, so complex.” Nasty Nic has made such an enormous impact on EastEnders it’s safe to assume she’s not going anywhere for a while. The exposure of her killer past is just the start of exploring just how far the menacing matriarch will go to keep her family together, as long as she’s calling the shots of course. Now Teddy is aware of what his wife is covering up he’s holding all the cards, meaning Nicola is not completely in control for a change. In the coming weeks, increasingly intense friction and mistrust could tear the clan apart. “There is that fear Teddy could shop her to the police,” observes Doddington. “But it’s also the fear of losing him and that he won’t love her anymore. In her own toxic way, Nicola loves her boys and will do anything to protect them.” In highly-charged scenes that really tested the mettle of Walford’s latest branch of the Mitchell family tree in terms of plot and performance, horrified Harry confronted his mum over killing the love of his life, something he was accused of when she disappeared four years ago. While lying Nicola swore to her son she only hired the hitman to do the job (as if that makes any more palatable), Harry has disowned both parents, after learning Teddy knew before him and kept quiet. How does Doddington think Nicola will get out of this, and earn Teddy and Harry’s forgiveness? “She will find a way, she’s that kind of woman! We’re seeing a more desperate side rather than that confidence, but she will regroup and refocus. Nicola knows the disaster she has to deal with now but she must pull together and get on with what comes next. It’s going to be a roller-coaster ride.” While Nicola is no angel (she came to Albert Square fresh from a stint in prison for a fight caused by a disagreement over fake tan), making her a murderer puts her in darker, deeper territory. But like antecedents such as Ronnie Mitchell and Janine Butcher, she’s a tough cookie who will do what it takes when threatened. “Nicola has a heart, even if it is a black old twisted one! She is fully led by her emotions and believes she feels things very deeply, but in that way narcissists do. She is very self-driven.” And having killed once, albeit accidentally (or so she claims), could she do it again if it meant protecting her status quo? Doddington’s reply is intriguingly diplomatic: “Anyone who feels deeply and acts on the impulse of their emotions could kill if they were pushed to it.” Make of that what you will… Shireen’s demise isn’t the only bomb that could detonate and destroy Nicola’s world – the reason the poor girl ended up buried beneath a Dartford waste ground was because she’d rumbled the secret that Teddy isn’t Barney’s biological dad, the kid actually being the result of a lusty fling with Zack Hudson. How long before that nugget of info comes spilling out and another son disowns her? “Secrets don’t stay secret in Walford forever!” grins a playful Doddington. “Barney is the son she can manipulate the easiest. He’s her baby, they have a bond. It’s not only finding out Zack is his dad, Harry could easily tell his brother his mum is a killer – Barney is sensitive, she worries what that could do to him, and affect what he thinks of her. “Our writers are extraordinary, whatever happens like any actor I love getting my teeth into complex human stories. Like we saw in Phil and Nigel’s story recently, it doesn’t have to be high drama to be enthralling, nuanced and wonderful to watch. What matters is the characters have layers.” Doddington was clearly born to play Nicola, which she describes as a gift of a part in career spanning over two decades. It’s not actually her first role in EastEnders, back in 2009 she appeared in one episode as a very different type of character. “I played an NCT instructor at a class the Masoods went to when Zainab was pregnant,” she recalls. “I had to teach parents how to breathe! was so nervous, there’s a lot of pressure coming in on a show like this for one day to do one scene and one speech, because it’s so quick. I remember the actors playing the Masoods took the time to run the lines with me and go over the scene, which was so lovely of them. It was great fun and I loved it, but I thought they won’t ever call me in for anything else now!” Thankfully she was wrong. On screen for just six months, it feels like Nicola Mitchell, and Doddington herself, have been part of EastEnders forever. The audience, and the industry, obviously agree, as she is among the nominees for Best Newcomer at this year’s British Soap Awards, which take place on 31st May. “It sounds cheesy but just to be nominated is incredible,” smiles Doddington, genuinely moved by the recognition. “To be in this category at the age of 44 is amazing. I am so grateful to Chris Clenshaw (the soap’s former Executive Producer) for giving me the role – who takes a punt on a jobbing actor that’s been doing it for 22 years, and nobody knows who she is? This will be the first awards I’ve ever been to – and Jane McDonald is going to read my name off a card!” Channelling the pantheon of strong, sassy and downright scary Walford women, gobby Nicola has inspired comparisons to many predecessors, particularly a certain iconic landlady… “People have made that reference between Nicola and Peggy Mitchell,” notes the humble star. “I don’t think Nicola is anything like her, though I suppose they both love their families, wear a red coat and have blonde hair! “Can you imagine if they’d ever met? A clash between those two would have been incredible. They’re not chalk and cheese, more like chalk and chalk! It would’ve been like a long, all-day tennis grand slam final where they’re constantly trying to score points against each other – Djokovic V Federer!” Read more: EastEnders' Lauren Branning goes into labour amid Cindy Beale bombshell EastEnders sets up explosive Nicola Mitchell showdown in early iPlayer cliffhanger Laura Doddington teases potential arrival of Nicola Mitchell's unseen sister Danny Dyer says EastEnders producer "didn't like the Carters" following soap exit EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Coronation Street’s Channique Sterling-Brown on Dee-Dee’s fight for justice and if she regrets giving her baby away
The star speaks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about what the future holds after her powerful storyline.
Giving birth for the first time was a far from happy occasion for Coronation Street’s Dee-Dee Bailey, as it turned into a traumatic ordeal ending in emergency surgery that left her unable to carry any more children. The storyline has drawn attention to racial injustice in maternity care, with the strong-willed solicitor so stung by her experience she’s on a crusade for accountability. Confronting hospital staff over negligence and unconscious bias may bring closure for Dee-Dee and highlight a wider issue, but it could also make it harder for the character to move on… “Dee-Dee is very conflicted, she doesn’t know if she’s coming or going,” reveals Channique Sterling-Brown, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about her alter ego’s plight. “She knows she wants some form of change so this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Confronting what happened is huge, but pursuing the negligence case is a way of avoiding the different trauma of having the baby adopted, which she has put in a box and is definitely not dealing with. “She has spent the last year sacrificing so much for the people around her, and has ended up butchered and lonely. Trying to fix what happened to her in hospital means she doesn’t have to think about the pain of giving baby Laila away.” Dee-Dee’s distressing childbirth last month saw her concerns of being in pain in the lead-up to her due date dismissed, only to later be diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia and rushed in for an emergency delivery. After suffering a huge haemorrhage, surgeons had to perform a hysterectomy in order to save her life. Feeling mistakes were made that were avoidable, and linked to her ethnicity, Dee-Dee launched an official complaint of gross negligence. In powerful scenes on Friday 18 April, she finally confronted Zoe, the midwife on duty at the time, about the treatment she received. “I think there is a sense of closure for Dee-Dee after that,” Sterling-Brown reflects. “It doesn’t necessarily make it right or that the story is over. I hope the scene makes it clear to the audience why Dee-Dee’s race is relevant in all this. Zoe taking a beat over how she acted and having that understanding with Dee-Dee was really important to show. To have it affirmed she wasn’t going crazy or was gaslit and left to get on with it, Dee-Dee needed that. “Accepting what happened is one thing, to try and do it without a proper apology or acknowledgement of how it was avoidable is a really hard thing to ask of anyone. Dee-Dee hearing Zoe and understanding how it happened makes her realise it’s not a malicious thing, it’s a lack of training and guidance.” The backdrop to Dee-Dee’s nightmare was a typically stretched NHS maternity ward, with stressed staff run ragged doing their best amidst the challenges to time and resource faced on a daily basis. Sterling-Brown candidly admits Corrie were concerned the story would be misinterpreted as being anti-NHS, and is quick to explain why the attitudes her character encountered were portrayed the way they were. “Obviously producers didn’t want the storyline to come across as bashing the NHS because it’s so fundamental. But it’s not about malicious racism, it’s about systemic racism, unconscious bias – these are things that are deeply ingrained into institutions, and that is not an individual malicious problem, but it is a problem we can all take a part in solving.” The statistics are sobering, as evidence in an inquiry into racial injustice in maternity care carried out by human rights charity Birthrights: black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, and have an increased chance of suffering physical and psychological harm through pregnancy and birth. Birthrights findings also flagged consistent failure to identify medical conditions in hospitals due to skin colour, racial stereotyping and breaches of consent. Despite this, the actress concedes there have still been some negative reactions with regard to the message Corrie is trying to communicate. “No one is suggesting this only happens to black women. However, there is a huge disparity, and hopefully by opening conversations about that we will see an improvement in maternal care for all women. Discussing things that affect more communities will work its way through the system, hopefully. I encourage people to suspend themselves beyond their own reality, and have the perspective and empathy for others. “I’ve also had many women of all colours and creeds sharing their experiences, which has been amazing, and lots of healthcare workers and midwives are thanking us for highlighting something they are very aware of.” “I’m passionate about this subject,” continues Sterling-Brown. “Serena Williams and Beyonce both went public about their traumatic experiences in childbirth. If this can happen to two of the most influential and wealthiest black women in the world, then it’s a massive problem.” Controversy shouldn’t detract from character, as Corrie is committed to telling a long-term story of Dee-Dee’s decision to have her child adopted which is only just beginning. Her unplanned pregnancy was a reminder of the doomed romance with dead ex-lover Joel Deering, who pretended he was the perfect man while he secretly groomed and abused young women. Dee-Dee only agreed to have the baby so it could be a stem cell donor for sickly half-sibling Frankie, the product of teenager Lauren Bolton’s toxic relationship with Joel. With Frankie finding another donor, and Dee-Dee’s brother James’s plan to adopt Laila on ice while his partner recovers from a car crash, Ms Bailey has been left holding a baby she never even wanted. Does Sterling-Brown believe she now regrets giving away the only child she can ever have? “Dee-Dee is a planner and is struggling to come to terms with this situation not going the way it was meant to. So it’s not necessarily regret and wanting her child back, more the regret of not factoring in the consequences of the plan falling apart. She was probably a bit naïve thinking this would be wrapped up in a bow so easily, now the adoption has fallen by the wayside, she must find a way to make good with what’s left. “In other circumstances, I think Dee-Dee would make a great mum. When I found out about the hysterectomy I was sad for her, it was like Joel got the last laugh and took away the last glimmer of hope for her future. That was a brutal choice from the writers, but I get why and where the story leads.” Dee-Dee has been in the eye of the dramatic storm for last 18 months, since Joel’s true colours were revealed ending in a gruesome murder mystery, leading into the current hard-hitting plot. In just under three years the character, and the actress who plays her, have been elevated to leading lady status thanks to the steady stream of difficult plots. But where do we go from here? “In the past, Dee-Dee may have martyred herself a bit too much, but she doesn’t need to do that now. We’re going to see Dee-Dee take stock and try to find herself again. What does she actually want and need from life after what she’s been through? Today I wore bright pink in a scene, and I thought 'it’s been ages since Dee-Dee was in fun, vibrant colours'. I think there are happier times on the horizon.” The women of Weatherfield have rallied around Dee-Dee during her darkest hours, and Sterling-Brown signs off by stressing she is as grateful to her co-stars for their support, as her character is to the fictional female fraternity. “The best thing about being a Corrie woman is the Corrie women,” she smiles. “My top three this last year have been Sair Khan (Alya Nazir), Tina O’Brien (Sarah Barlow) and Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster). “Sue and I talk about the relationship between our characters all the time, Debbie never had kids and is like a mother figure to Dee-Dee, as her own mum isn’t on the scene. They’re both from male-dominated families and have gravitated towards each other. “I love hearing all these women’s different lived experiences, like the scene where Audrey and Maria shared their birth stories with Dee-Dee. That’s what womanhood is about – learning how life shapes you and passing on the knowledge.” For support on Dee-Dee's story, you can visit Birthrights, Motivational Mums Club and FivexMore. Read more: Coronation Street star teases potential return for Daisy Midgeley amid dramatic exit Coronation Street star confirms he's quit after 5 years with final scenes airing in summer Coronation Street cast: who is leaving, returning to and joining the soap 6 Coronation Street spoilers: Carl Webster exit fears amid Abi clash and Debbie faces up to her future Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy on Sonia's emotional exit and final mystery twist
The soap legend talks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about growing up in Walford.
It’s already been a year of emotional exits in EastEnders, and we’re about to get another one as Sonia Fowler prepares to depart Walford for good, or at least for now. Natalie Cassidy is leaving the role she has played on and off for 32 years and her beloved alter ego is getting the full soap send-off treatment: heartbreaking decisions that shape the future, tearful farewells, nods to the past, and one final, game-changing bombshell that no one will see coming, as the star reveals in our exclusive interview… “Albert Square is no longer Sonia’s happy place,” she begins. “Bianca doing the true crime podcast about Sonia’s relationship with Reiss really angered her. She’s hurt and frustrated, and the thought of people knowing her business and hanging around outside her front door taking pictures makes her feel unsafe. “There are ghosts around every corner. She’s lost Martin, who meant so much, the dream of being a happy family unit with Reiss and the baby obviously hasn’t happened. She’s also vulnerable after just having a baby. The idea of a fresh start away from Walford becomes appealing to her.” The gruesome story of evil Reiss, who murdered his comatose wife and framed Sonia for it, has made the Square stalwart something of a celebrity. True crime fans are flocking to see where the late villain lived, it’s no wonder Son feels driven out of her own home. But it’s not just obsessed fans wanting to catch a glimpse of the woman engaged to the killer, someone else is lurking in the shadows desperate to speak to Sonia. The identity of the mystery man is under wraps for now, but Cassidy hints he plays an important part in her soap swan song. “This is a real shock for the viewers,” she teases. “Someone we’ve never seen before comes out of the woodwork which is a surprise for Sonia, Bianca and a few other characters. Sometimes in life you wonder, ‘why has the universe brought me that person at this moment?’ That’s where Sonia is. Maybe their arrival is a sign as to what to do next… “Sonia’s last week is wonderful. It’s a real crescendo and a look back on her history which is nice. It did feel very final, though. I left in 2007, popped back a few times then came back permanently in 2014. This time it really was like I was saying goodbye.” Cassidy gave EastEnders producers ample notice of her desire to make her own fresh start. She’s keen to spread her creative wings outside of acting – she’s currently hosting C4 consumer show What’s the Big Deal: Britain’s Best Buys? and podcasts Life with Nat and Off the Telly, with Joanna Page – and wants to spend more time with her family. “My children are a big part of it (Cassidy is mum to Eliza, 14, and Joanie, eight), they’re going to be grown up soon and I just want to be around more. When you work on a soap planning things can be really difficult, you miss a lot of sports days or big occasions. Having a bit more control over when you work is another reason. “Also, characters can get tired and it’s good to rest them for a while. I wouldn’t have the arrogance to say Sonia will be back one day, that’s not my choice, but you never know what’s around the corner. At the moment I’ve just left so I’m not thinking about that. Sonia is a part of everybody’s lives, she still has links to the Square and won’t be forgotten.” That’s an understatement – Sonia was unforgettable from the minute she appeared on screen back in 1993, as part of the formidable, fiery Jackson family. The second youngest child of tiger mum Carol, Sonia was quirky, straight-talking and wise beyond her years, which isn’t too far removed from how Cassidy describes herself at the age she was when she got the part. “I was a bit of an old soul,” she recalls. “My nans were both quite poorly so I spent a lot of time visiting hospitals after school, I’d entertain patients on the geriatric wards, dancing around and singing old Frank Sinatra songs my dad had played around the house. I loved performing and was always up the front whenever there was a school play.” Cassidy’s love of the limelight led her to enrolling at the famous Anna Scher theatre school, based near her north London childhood home. Numerous EastEnders alumni cut their teeth there, including Sonia’s on-screen sister Patsy Palmer (Bianca Jackson), though 10-year-old Cassidy had no idea what her hobby would lead to. “A friend was going to Anna’s and I just went with her one day. It wasn’t on my radar I had to get to drama school or anything, it just happened by chance. Before long I’d moved up to going twice a week and became what they called a YP, a ‘Young Professional’, which meant you were put on the casting card for professional jobs. A few weeks later Tony McHale, the writer who created the Jacksons, saw me in an improv class. “I think they’d already cast Lindsey Coulson as Carol and wanted Sonia to be her mini-me, a little blonde, waif-like girl. They thought I was a funny little thing and went with me instead! All the Jacksons met for the first time at Elstree to have our picture taken together. We hit it off immediately.” Young Cassidy was calm and collected at the prospect of joining one of the biggest TV shows in the country, mainly because she’d never seen it. “We watched Corrie in my house!” she admits. “I only really saw kids shows at that age and wasn’t aware of who was famous. I had no idea Wendy Richard (Pauline Fowler) had been Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served?, I’d never heard of it!” Learning from bona fide legends taught Cassidy professional and personal lessons she continues to live by. "My professionalism and punctuality rippled down from Wendy, who really took me under her wing, and Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell). They were old school pros. Pam St Clement (Pat Evans) and Mike Reid (Frank Butcher) were lovely to me, it was really collaborative. I’d been around adults a lot so wasn’t scared of talking to them. I learnt everything sat on the sofas in the green room with the grown-ups." Sonia would come to have a particularly special bond with Dot Branning, as did Cassidy with the iconic June Brown who played her. A two-hander episode in 2002 between Sonia and Dot remains one of Cassidy’s greatest acting challenges, and brought her and Brown closer. “I was 18, she would’ve probably been in her in late 70s. June would come and stay at my flat to go over the script, we would drink red wine in our pyjamas. I spent so much time with June, we’d often be on the phone for two or three hours. There was an incredible age gap but as actors on the show we’re all equal, regardless of age, gender or anything else. I believe June mixing with the younger cast and opening her arms to them is what kept her young. "June didn’t take life too seriously, but she took her job incredibly seriously. Even if Dot wasn’t the main character in a scene and was just ordering a bacon sandwich in the café, she always thought carefully about how she’d do it. That work ethic is ingrained in me, treat each scene the same and do your best every day." Always authentic and utterly relatable, Cassidy has made Sonia a true icon. Considering she’s never been a larger-than-life or extreme presence on the Square, why does she have such a special place in the nation’s hearts? “I think it’s nostalgia,” Cassidy considers. “People have grown up with her. She’s not nasty or done anything wrong. Sonia is a good egg and very real, we’ve watched her study hard, become a nurse and work her way up. And of course there’s the trumpet! “When Sonia started playing the instrument as a kid I actually had lessons myself, just to learn how to get a noise out of it. They had to stop because I was getting too good and Sonia was meant to be rubbish!” Her self-awareness and streak of self-deprecation saw Cassidy react with admirably good humour to Morgana Robinson’s notorious impression, first unleashed back in 2010. The comedian’s mimicking of Cassidy ‘Just doing this now’ as she undertakes menial, often surreal, household tasks has led to the pair doing sketches together and actually becoming friends. “I love it,” she confesses, clearly happy to be in on the joke. “When I first saw the impression it really cheered me up. If you’re big enough to be impersonated it means people must know who you are. I felt very honoured! “Morgana’s impression, that image from the '90s of me in a peach bridesmaids dress holding the trumpet, Sonia has sort of become a part of our pop culture – it’s brilliant!” Read more: EastEnders' Stacey Slater makes shock fire culprit discovery in iPlayer release EastEnders airs fitting farewell for Martin Fowler in emotional iPlayer release EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap? EastEnders star confirms upcoming exit scenes following dramatic return last year Call the Midwife fans delighted as beloved star makes EastEnders debut EastEnders at 40: Best ever scandals from Pat and Frank to Sharongate EastEnders at 40: Best ever villains from Nick Cotton to Nish Panesar EastEnders at 40: Best ever whodunnits – From who shot Phil to who killed Archie? EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy reveals secret of 40th anniversary live episode
The star exclusively tells us why she was in tears ahead of the milestone instalment.
Sonia Fowler giving birth live to the nation in a crumbling Queen Vic has already become one of the character’s most memorable moments, and EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy has revealed a hidden reason why the soap’s 40th anniversary edition in February was such a special event. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of her exit after 32 years of intermittently playing Sonia, Cassidy recalls delivering the emotional monologue over the episode’s closing moments, and how her last-minute suggestion behind the scenes ensured it struck the correct chord with viewers. "The live episode went like clockwork," she reflects. "I had the final voice-over at the end, which I felt very honoured about. I cried when our producer Chris Clenshaw told me, I felt like that was something Dot would’ve done if June Brown was still with us. "Sonia had just had her baby, which I handed to their real mum on the Vic interior set in the studio, then I got up, ran over to the ambulance, was handed a fake baby and got ready to do my monologue over the montage. "I asked to have a monitor with the scenes playing in front of me while I did it, the same as what the director was watching being broadcast. I wanted to be able to overlay the words to the images with the correct tone and timing. "It was quite a technical thing to do, and could’ve been distracting and almost taken me out of the scene in a way. "I could’ve done it without the monitor but I asked our brilliant director, Lance Kneeshaw, if I could try it and he trusted me. Having the monitor really helped me visualise and hit each moment properly." As well as the community processing the tragic news of Martin Fowler’s death and Denise Fox choosing Jack Branning over Ravi Gulati, Phil Mitchell being admitted to hospital after a breakdown was one of the key moments Cassidy wanted to properly punctuate. The star is full of praise for Steve McFadden’s performance as Phil, not just in the live episode and in his mental health storyline, but throughout her three decades of working alongside him. "He is incredible. I petitioned on Instagram he should get a BAFTA. Steve is a friend and I’ve learnt a lot from him over the years, his work ethic is unbelievable. "Believe it or not, the most emotional scene from my last week is a very short one between Sonia and Phil. I love how they nod to their shared history. Because Sonia was in love with his late godson Jamie, there’s always a link between them. "I was in tears when I read the lines. It was such a simple, tiny scene but it meant a lot. I’m glad I got to have that goodbye with Steve." Check back soon for RadioTimes.com’s full interview with Cassidy, in which she explains the reasons behind her decision to quit the soap, what it was like to grow up in public and why a mysterious visitor to Walford holds the key to Sonia’s dramatic exit. Read more: EastEnders' Stacey Slater makes shock fire culprit discovery in iPlayer release EastEnders airs fitting farewell for Martin Fowler in emotional iPlayer release EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap? EastEnders star confirms upcoming exit scenes following dramatic return last year Call the Midwife fans delighted as beloved star makes EastEnders debut EastEnders at 40: Best ever scandals from Pat and Frank to Sharongate EastEnders at 40: Best ever villains from Nick Cotton to Nish Panesar EastEnders at 40: Best ever whodunnits – From who shot Phil to who killed Archie? EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Neighbours' Rebekah Elmaloglou on 40th anniversary "mayhem" and how she wants Terese's story to end
The star speaks exclusively to Johnathon Hughes about the bittersweet celebrations for the Aussie soap.
Celebrations for Neighbours’ 40th anniversary risked being somewhat marred by news of the Australian soap being axed – again. Last month, Amazon announced it would not be renewing the show it saved from the grave in 2022 when 5 pulled the plug. The Amazon era means Neighbours has at least lived to see its ruby jubilee before it ends in December, but with storylines planned months in advance, before the imminent axing, the soap had already lined up a spectacular week of drama to mark the milestone for fans to enjoy including a fire, a wedding, and the bombshell that original character Paul Robinson had fathered yet another secret love child, jeopardising his relationship with soul mate Terese Willis… "That pesky baby!" laughs Rebekah Elmaloglou, aka Terese, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about all things Erinsborough. "Paul’s ex Chelsea shows up with this child almost a year after she left town, which causes absolute mayhem. Is Terese threatened? Absolutely. She doesn’t like Chelsea one bit." As soap tradition dictates, there is a question mark over the baby boy’s paternity. During her relationship with Paul, gold-digging minx Chelsea seduced computer nerd Jeffrey Swain behind her lover’s back to shut down a blackmail plot her over her secret scheming. Eventually, a DNA test confirms Paul is the daddy, which Elmaloglou reveals makes Terese even more uptight and angry than usual (if that’s possible). "It’s a crazy situation. Terese gets very territorial as Chelsea causes havoc for her and Paul. Chelsea wheedles her way back into Paul’s life by using the baby, Terese can see straight through that woman!" It’s the latest of numerous bumps in the road for Erinsborough power couple Terese and Paul, who have been on and off pretty much since Elmaloglou’s alter ego arrived in 2013. Terese came in as part of a new branch of the beloved Willis clan, whose history on Ramsay Street dates back to the early 1990s. Even though Terese was married to Brad, there was always a spark with co-worker Paul as they butted heads over the running of the iconic Lassiter's Hotel. The couple’s mutual attraction led to a roller coaster romance which was recently revived, although who knows how long for. Ball-breaking business boss Terese has become a firm fan favourite, with Elmaloglou’s powerhouse performance guiding the character through heartbreak, grief, cancer and alcoholism, always ensuring she emerges from each setback even tougher. The actress was already a familiar face to soap fans when she was cast, having got her big break as troubled teen Sophie Simpson on rival drama Home and Away back in 1990 at the age of 15. Even before that, Elmaloglou had notched up an impressive raft of credits as a child actor in Australian film and TV, including an appearance in 1985 blockbuster Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome alongside Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. "When I went into Home and Away a lot of the kids were very green, it was their first big job," she recalls. "Although I’d been acting throughout my childhood working on soaps is very different. "It’s a unique way of acting and actually quite difficult. You need a fine balance between drama and comedy and everything in between, and have to be able to flip constantly and make it realistic and relatable. It’s like jumping on a treadmill that’s on 12 and you have to keep running! "At first it’s quite scary but you get used to it. I love it and much prefer the pace and switching quickly between drama and the comedic. You have the opportunity to go big a lot of the time. "I remember the older Home and Away cast really took me under their wing, especially Emily Symons (Marilyn Chambers), who my very first scene was with, and Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart), who is such a consummate professional. "I also learnt a lot from Terence Donovan, who played Sophie’s dad, even then he was a big name veteran Australian actor. He was amazing, years later we worked together on Neighbours where he was Terese’s father-in-law, Doug Willis. Terry is Jason Donovan’s dad, and Jason’s daughter Jemma was also in Neighbours (as Harlow Robinson). I have a strong connection to the Donovans!" As the aforementioned Jason can attest to, soap brings an intense level of stardom some struggle with, but Elmaloglou admits to being at ease at the attention from the public which has been part of her life from an early age. "In Australia I probably get recognised more for my Kellogg's sultana bran commercials I did when I was a kid than I do for Neighbours! That’s also partly because Australia doesn’t embrace the show as much as it used to. Sometimes I feel we don’t get the recognition we deserve from the Australian media, which is disappointing. So when we come to the UK it’s great because the fans are amazing." Along with other members of the cast, past and present, Elmaloglou felt the love from Neighbours’ devoted British fans first-hand during last month’s 40th-anniversary tour. The live show, in which the cast were interviewed live on stage and shared memories of their Ramsay Street experience, was a huge hit and cemented the special relationship between Neighbours and its UK audience as it reaches the big four-oh. Unfortunately, Elmaloglou came down to earth with a bump as she received the news the show was being axed just hours after her plane landed Down Under after the tour. "It’s just so sad and disappointing for the UK fans. After the success of the tour, which was so special, the decision really doesn’t make sense. To be honest, I don’t really know the ins and outs or understanding behind it. We’re dealing with a large corporation, it’s business, it’s money." Neighbours has previously swerved the axe: it was picked up by Australia’s Channel 10 when original network Seven dropped it after its first year in 1985. When the BBC stopped showing it in 2008 after over 20 years, the loyal UK fan base fretted they’d be denied their daily dose of Oz drama, until Channel 5 stepped in and gave it a home until 2022. Fan power saved it before; whether it can do it again remains to be seen. The show will remain on Prime Video until the end of 2025, so there’s still a way to go – and Elmaloglou is hoping this means yet more trauma for Terese. "I love her," she smiles. "She is such a lot of fun with so many different angles and things going on, it’s been constantly fun. I wouldn’t have stayed this long if the writers didn’t love creating stories for her. I feel blessed with this character." If this really is the end of the line (or should that be cul-de-sac?), Elmaloglou is already thinking about life after Neighbours. With her half-British heritage on her mother’s side (Dame Judi Dench is actually her cousin, would you believe), she is eyeing up possible work on these shores… "Personally, for myself and my family, I’ve got to move forward. Last time I had to sell my house in Melbourne where Neighbours is filmed, move to a different state and we all had to get on with her lives, as we do now. I’m actually in the process of getting a UK agent." And what about tough cookie Terese, has the star thought about her swan song? "As you can imagine, we’re all coming up with fabulous ideas for our characters to be the main storyline of the next finale! I’d definitely like to see Terese and Paul in a really good place. "The producers are sitting on it at the moment, I’m not sure if they’ve even properly planned anything yet, but there are some full-on amazing suggestions being thrown around. "It’s heartbreaking to think it’s ending, but whatever happens, Neighbours will always be remembered as iconic!" Read more: Neighbours star teases Terese and Paul's future and 40th anniversary cast comebacks Neighbours spoilers reveal Anne Charleston return - but there's a twist Neighbours is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Neighbours star reveals whether they think axed soap can be saved again
Rebekah Elmaloglou shares her feelings on the end of Erinsborough.
The news that Neighbours is being axed for a second time in three years is sinking in not just for fans of the Australian soap but for the cast as well. When Channel 5 cancelled the iconic show in 2022, a wave of audience support convinced Amazon to revive it within a matter of months. Two years later and the streamer has unexpectedly pulled the plug, but can fan power save the residents of Ramsay Street again? “The fact we were given those extra two years is amazing and I’m grateful for that,” says Rebekah Elmaloglou, aka Terese Willis, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com. "But there is another side of me thinking we’ll definitely never get picked up again now. Last time, there were whispers going around about the Amazon deal. This time round it feels a little bit more real." Elmaloglou reveals the news was broken to her over the phone just hours after touching down, following the cast’s trip to the UK for Neighbours' recent 40th anniversary tour. "I’d landed at about two in the morning, had a couple of hours sleep then woke up to lots of text messages and phone calls from the team wanting to speak to me ASAP, as the story had been leaked to the press. "The producers were actually waiting to meet with the cast and crew once we got back from the UK to tell us all,” she explains. "Unfortunately, the news got out and they had to gather everyone in the studio as soon as they arrived at 7.30am before they heard it through the grapevine. That happened last time, which is pretty poor form and disappointing. But it’s not so much about how we found out, it’s just a shame Neighbours has been cancelled again." Amazon’s initial two-year deal expired at the end of 2024, but instead of a long-term renewal, the production was given a three month extension, meaning filming would continue until July while, presumably, negotiations were being discussed – which ultimately led to the announcement Neighbours would be ‘resting’ after the last episodes air in December. Although admitting she had an inkling of uncertainty, Elmaloglou acknowledges the axe has fallen more swiftly than anyone expected, and the cast and crew are still processing the development. “I had my feelings and my doubts but honestly thought we might get a little longer,” she admits. “Maybe another year would have been nice. I was of the understanding the show had been doing well but I don’t really know the ins and outs. "They’ve made their decision, it’s business, but it’s really disappointing, especially for our UK fans. After the success of the anniversary tour, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve seen a lot of support, I know the fans are doing petitions, which is so appreciated. It worked last time, maybe it will again?” Look out for the full exclusive interview with Elmaloglou on RadioTimes.com as part of Neighbours’ 40th anniversary on 18th March. Read more: Neighbours star teases Terese and Paul's future and 40th anniversary cast comebacks EastEnders airs tragic death as icon leaves soap after 40 years Neighbours is available to stream on Amazon Freevee. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.