Soapwatch: JACI STEPHEN'S ultimate insight into this week's soaps
- Fiz is in a police cell after taking the blame for the blaze in Coronation Street
- Billy gets jealous after Jay offers to help Tommy practise football in EastEnders
- Leyla discovers that she's pregnant in this week's Emmerdale
When the soaps pick up on big news stories, it’s inevitable that there will be crossovers. In Emmerdale, April is currently the victim of a troll on social media, and in EastEnders Kim and Denise are questioning Amy about her post on mental health and the nasty comments left by parents.
Hot on the heels of Seb’s murder and the beating up of Nina in Corrie, they are stories that again raise the question of bullying, either physically or behind the cloak of (un)social networking. Sadly, it’s an area of life that can have the most devastating effect on the lives of anyone, but in particular youngsters.
It would be good to think that raising awareness through the soaps had a positive effect, but the best they can do is deal with the symptoms, not the causes. We live in divisive times in which many people lash out at others for holding a different opinion or for just being different.
As far as social media is concerned, the genie is out of the bottle and shows no signs of being willing to go back in. But keep beating the drum, soapland; it’s an important issue.
CORONATION STREET: NO HOPE WITHOUT FIRE
Fiz is furious when Tyrone comes clean about who started the fire in Coronation Street. Pictured: Fiz languishing in a police cell
Fiz will rue the day she called her daughter Hope, because if ever a child in soapland overflowed with Hope-lessness, this is her.
A closet arsonist from a young age, she set the fire that probably resulted in the death of Tyrone and Alina’s son, and now Fiz is languishing in a police cell, having taken the blame for the blaze. It doesn’t take Tyrone long to come clean to the cops though, much to Fiz’s fury.
The fire ripped through pretty much everything, yet Alina’s off-white cardigan has, sadly, survived. So, alas, has Tyrone’s new collection of ill-fitting shirts and trousers.
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There is an even greater horror to come when Tyrone (inset) accidentally proposes to Alina. Well, the girl needs something to look forward to, and at least a bridal frock would get her out of that cardigan for a day.
Daisy has now moved her attentions to Daniel but comes a cropper when she claims to know more about the poet Byron than she does, and Ryan calls her out. I wouldn’t worry; Daniel’s hardly the expert.
His literary aspirations haven’t yet risen higher than the Weatherfield Gazette. He probably thinks Kipling is a small fish.
EASTENDERS: HARRY SPOTTER
Billy gets jealous after Jay offers to help Tommy (pictured) practise for his football trial in EastEnders
After Harry Redknapp’s surprise visit, all Tommy has been dreaming about is football. Harry saw Tommy tap a ball (it was no Lionel Messi free kick, let’s be honest) and reckoned the lad had talent.
Ever since, Kat has harboured dreams of being a soccer mom and has been pushing Tommy towards stardom. When Billy gets jealous after Jay offers to help Tommy practise for his trial (not the court kind – rare for a Slater), Kat suggests the men have a penalty shootout to decide who should take him to the trial.
As if this excitement were not enough to send you reeling, after the trial, Kat hears that Harry has spotted his protégé, shared his video, and it’s gone viral. She’s then ecstatic to hear that Tommy has made the team.
Let’s hope it’s a better one than Corrie’s Weatherfield County, which has yet to realise it needs more than one player.
There’s tension at The Arches when Jay hears that Kheerat has been made joint partner; Ben is not happy either and wants out when he hears Kheerat has done some new business deals. What might they be, pray? There’s not enough work to go round as it is – one car that has been undergoing a service for a decade and never gets picked up anyway.
Maybe Kat’s Cabs will be able to push some business their way with the new fleet, even though the cars currently outnumber passengers by six to… well, zero. Top Gear, don’t hold yer breff.
EMMERDALE: TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Leyla (pictured) discovers that she's pregnant at a time when her husband has recently lost his daughter in Emmerdale
This is not the moment for Leyla to discover she is pregnant. Not only has her husband recently lost his daughter, he still appears to harbour considerable affection for his ex, Bernice.
Leyla is also having to contend with the ongoing tension between Liam and Jacob. Still, at least the latter can enjoy his lustrous locks, even though they look as though they’ve been frightened by a low-flying helicopter.
Might the baby news put an end to Leyla and Liam’s marriage? No more than Leyla’s incessant nagging and preaching, I’d think. She makes the Energizer bunny sound like Marcel Marceau.
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