A gripping mystery drama featuring an EastEnders icon is now available to watch for free.
Little Disasters, previously described as a “complex psychological thriller with a mystery at its heart”, lands on Channel 5 tomorrow (June 14), after initially premiering on Paramount+ last May.
Based on Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling novel of the same title, the series charts the decade-long bond between Jess (Diane Kruger), Liz (Jo Joyner), Charlotte (Shelley Conn) and Mel (Emily Taaffe).
The story follows four expectant mothers who were brought together with little in common beyond their due dates, yet have supported each other throughout the journey of motherhood, reports Wales Online.
As the synopsis reveals: “The world of seemingly perfect stay-at-home mother Jess begins to unravel when she brings her baby daughter Betsy to the hospital with a head injury she can’t explain.
“Her close friend and on-duty AandE doctor, Liz, must make the excruciating decision of whether to call social services.”
This pivotal moment sets off a chain of events that threatens to tear apart both their friendship circle and their individual families.
The Little Disasters cast also features Ben Bailey Smith from The Split, alongside Patrick Baladi (Line of Duty), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Gold), and JJ Feild (The Peripheral).
Discussing the programme, Jo previously revealed that this style of storytelling not only inspired her to accept the role, but is unlike anything she had previously encountered on television.
She said: “I know somebody who suffered with postnatal OCD and I had only recently found out about it myself. So, I thought it was a really great topic to explore actually.
“Any kind of postnatal depression must be horrendous, I was lucky I didn’t suffer from it myself. I can’t imagine having such intrusive thoughts about your own child and I think that was another brilliant thing to bring up but also serves well for a thriller, doesn’t it?”.
The six-part series remains available for streaming on Paramount+, but will also broadcast on Channel 5 from this weekend, with the opening episode debuting in the 9pm slot on Sunday, 14 June.
Predictably, viewers have wasted little time making their feelings known, with one writing: “Worth the binge! #littledisasters.”
Another commented: “#littledisasters is everything I needed…” Meanwhile a third added: “Good show, oh my days, the suspense got me.”
Little Disasters premiered on Paramount+, and will air on Channel 5 on Sunday, 14 June.
An EastEnders star is set for the exit less than a year after bursting onto the Albert Square cobbles, but they look to be heading out with a gripping story line
EastEnders are ready to say goodbye to a star(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
An EastEnders star is set to say goodbye to Walford following a shocking story line. After signing as a high-profile star on the BBC soap last year, Ronni Ancona is set to bow out of her role in dramatic fashion.
The comedian and impressionist set foot in Albert Square as Linda Carter’s old school friend Bea Pollard. She was first seen on screen in January, but now, less than a year later, her time is said to be up.
After being outed as a villain and a thief, Ronni’s character is ready to bow out in another shocking twist. A source said that the character shone but is now ready to leave.
Speaking to The Sun, the insider said: “She came in for a six month stint but there was talk of it being extended if everyone agreed. Sadly, that won’t be happening and Ronni will be leaving.”
A spokeswoman for EastEnders said: “As we previously announced, Ronni Ancona joined EastEnders for a short stint, which was then extended, for a very dramatic storyline which will unfold over the next few weeks”
Last month things came to blows for Bea. She had had been telling people how besotted she was with Ian Beale, unaware that just days before, he had passionately kissed Elaine after he won the local councillor elections.
While Bea had believed their love was blossoming, Ian clearly didn’t have the same thoughts – and made his feelings very clear.
After the local newspaper branded the duo Mr and Mrs Beale, he was fuming and thought that Bea may have been behind it, as she was a huge driving force in his campaigning.
Raging, Ian Billy and Honey’s to confront Bea. He fumed that she had been “overenthusiastic”, but she didn’t take the signals and explained she was excited for their future, attending fancy dinners and events as the partner of a local politician.
Bea later confirmed that, along with the libellous video she shared of Elaine, she had also purchased more social media followers for Ian in a bid to make him look “more popular”.
She told Ian: “”I do have feelings for you, Ian,” before adding that she didn’t want to jinx anything. But Ian rebuffed her offering and fired back: “I don’t have feelings for you.”
He then told her she lived in “cloud cuckoo land”, adding she was a “deluded, needy fantasist, trying to live her life through other people.”
Bea saw red and instantly marched Ian out of the flat. Grabbing him in an arm lock she then threw him on the street. But as time went on, Ian headed home to pack away his election campaign materials, including posters. But as he was doing so, he noticed something confusing – invoices made out to Susan Mitchell, Honey’s real name.
Former EastEnders star Ben Hardy is returning to screens in an Agatha Christie film that also includes a Game of Thrones actor
21:09, 09 Jun 2026Updated 21:09, 09 Jun 2026
Ben Hardy played Peter Beale in EastEnders more than 10 years ago (Image: BBC)
Former Peter Beale actor Ben Hardy is set to start filming an exciting new ‘whounnit’ based on real-life events.
The new film Eleven Missing Days will also star Vincent Cassel and Felicity Jones and tell the story of Agatha Christie’s real-life disappearance.
The novelist’s disappearance made national and international headlines during the 1920s, with famous names joining the search to find her, including leading politicians and fellow writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, according to Deadline.
The synopsis reads for the film: “In December 1926, at the height of her fame, Agatha Christie became front-page news when she vanished in bizarre circumstances from her home.
“In a case of life imitating art, this whodunnit explores the investigation behind her disappearance, strangely resembling an Agatha Christie novel itself, where everyone in her life became a suspect.”
A stellar cast joins Ben Hardy in the forthcoming movie, including Say Nothing star Ryan McParland, Game of Thrones’s Alfie Allen, The Brutalist’s Stacy Martin, Nicole Elizabeth Berger from He’s Watching You, and The Gorge actor Oliver Trevena.
Currently in pre-production, the picture is on course to shoot this summer in the UK.
Who did Ben Hardy play in EastEnders?
The 35-year-old found fame on the BBC soap in 2013 when he arrived in Walford as legendary character Peter Beale. He had taken over the role from Thomas Law, who had played the part between 2006 and 2010 before returning in 2023.
Ben’s version of Peter was most memorable for being caught up in the ‘Who Killed Lucy Beale?’ saga and for dating Lola Peace (Danielle Harold) before rekindling his romance with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).
After finding out his own brother Bobby (Eliot Carrington) had killed Lucy, Peter struggled with life in Walford and moved to New Zealand to start a new life in 2015.
In an interview with The Independent, Ben said that he had “been battling it for a year, how to make things work” before ultimately deciding to leave the show.
“I have so much respect for everyone who works on that show, I felt myself getting lazy as an actor,” he explained. “I felt myself constantly going, ‘This scene doesn’t work’.”
Ben went on to say: “That laziness scared me. I said, ‘I have to get out of here’.”
He has since traded in his fruit-and-veg market stall for the bright lights of Hollywood and landed a role in the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.
He also played Roger Taylor in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and portrayed the role of Four in the Netflix movie ‘6 Underground’ alongside Ryan Reynolds.
Ben also played Frank McCulled in the film Pixie, Seb in The Voyeurs, Simon in The Girl Before, and Tre in Tagged.
Most recently, he starred as Oliver Jones in the Netflix movie Love at First Sight (2023) and the 2025 horror movie The Conjuring: Last Rites.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer
The soap star previously opened up about the “breathtakingly hard” final moments of his life, but explained how she was left so inspired looking after him that she has now trained as a carer.
In a new BBC programme, Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together, the actress shines a light on Britain’s struggling care system, and focusing on topics like autism, first aid, dementia, childhood diabetes, and working in placements in a care home and St John Ambulance after returning to school to get a Level 3 BTEC in health and social care.
Viewers were left in tears by the eye-opening programme, with a clip recently shared on social media.
One person wrote: “Fantastic series showing the very important things that all carers and health care professionals have to deal with day in and day out! Good luck to everyone involved. I hope all the students who were in the series get the jobs they want to do! Well done @natcass1.”
Another said: “Just finished watching this. Loved it. Congratulations @natcass1.”
A third wrote: “I cried every day watching this series. It was so beautifully done with amazing respect and understanding for everyone on the show.”
Someone else added: “This has been a most wonderful programme x I can’t wait to hear if you passed x I’m sure you did x the episode about dementia [was] invaluable as my husband was diagnosed with vascular dementia recently x I’ve kept that episode.”
Another wrote: “Loved this series. @natcass1 was so honest about her own life and the job.”
Speaking in the programme, Natalie remarked how much she had loved her training, saying: “This course has been fantastic. The people I’ve met, the placements I’ve been on. I would like to continue this care journey.
“I feel like I’ve scratched the surface. I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
“Caring for Dad right up until the end of his life, and losing him, was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to do,” Natalie previously told the BBC.
“But the people I met have changed my life and are so inspirational. That’s what spurred me on to do this.”
“I’ve only ever had one job, but I’ve always wondered what I would have done if I wasn’t an actress,” she added.
Natalie’s father died in April 2021, and she went on to say that filming elements of Caring Together did make her miss him, adding: “Grief never stops – you don’t grieve for someone and then it’s over. It just changes.
“You change as a person – it shapes who you are, it shapes how you look at the world. You just get better at coping with it.”
Natalie left EastEnders last year after 32 years, saying that it was time to move on and adding: “EastEnders is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show.”
She later explained she was “ready for a change”, telling Bella Magazine: “I adore EastEnders but you can’t do everything. EastEnders is a factory with 60 cast members and 300 staff.
“They can’t cater for someone who says, ‘By the way, I need two months off to do this, I need another three months off to do this’. It’s not fair.”
Executive producer Chris Clenshaw had also said, at the time of Natalie’s announcement: “Over the last 31 years in EastEnders, Natalie has been involved in some of the show’s most iconic and explosive storylines. Her portrayal of Sonia has made her a firm fan favourite amongst the viewers.”
Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot tonight, and isn’t on ITVX owing to the football, and fans of the long-running ITV soap have slammed the decision to take it off air
Emmerdale has been pulled from the schedules to make way for the football and soap fans are furious
Emmerdale will not air in its usual slot on Friday night, and isn’t on ITVX either.
The long-running ITV soap, which began in 1972, has been a weeknight staple for much of its time on air, and, earlier this year joined forces with fellow soap Coronation Street to launch the “power hour” amid budget cuts at ITV.
Whilst it normally airs Monday to Friday at 8pm, the Yorkshire-based serial has been pulled to make way for the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, which will from 7:30pm until 9pm and see Spain go head-to-head with England.
In recent years, ITV has made Emmerdale and Coronation Street available on ITVX from 7am on the day of linear broadcast, and, in this case, the new edition will be released on Sunday morning.
With numerous inevitable schedule changes set to take place over the forthcoming World Cup, soap fans flooded social media with complaints. One wrote on Reddit: “Can’t they just stick all the football on, oh I don’t know, the football channel?
“So silly that broadcasters just ignore loyal viewers, some of whom who have been with them for decades, just to shove a sport on – the results of which will be beamed across every platform in real life. TV bosses always treat soaps as bottom of the pile when it comes to these things.” Another said: “Four weeks of disruption nightmare,” and added a string of rolling eyes emojis.
A third raged: “Yes I love the football but as a soap opera fan it’s gonna piss off a lot of people especially who hate football and like Emmerdale and Coronation street and EastEnders and of course Hollyoaks who won’t be affected by this and yes I get it important for the whole world but don’t u think we should have a channel for the world cup not on BBC or ITV.”
Another wrote: “International football should remain on free to view channels and not hidden behind a pay wall like the Premier league and champions league has become,” and a third suggested: “The simple solution is they just air the episodes on streaming regardless if it goes out over the airwaves. It’s kinda defeating the point if streaming platforms follow a schedule where only one thing can be on at once.”
It comes as fans recently predicted something of a bombshell could crop up in the relationship between Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle, known as Robron, as little has been said since they got engaged in the Corriedale crossover. While viewers will likely have to wait to find out, Robert’s faced backlash from Aaron’s family and friends, and other villagers, due to the drama with Joe Tate and the farm.
One of those people currently against him is Aaron’s best friend Mackenzie Boyd. But in a bizarre turn of events, a new theory from a viewer has sparked much confusion.
A soap fan took to Reddit to ask when Robert and Mack’s affair was going to air. Naturally, the post that seemed so sure it was on the cards left fans confused, as it’s not something that has been remotely hinted at, let alone confirmed on the show. Fans ended up replying, with some needing answers as others questioned if a mix-up had occurred. The original post read: “When do Robert and Mack have their affair?
“Have been hearing about it for ages that it’s happening. Guess they’re waiting for things to blow up with the baby.” Again, as fans pointed out, there has been no suggestion on or offscreen that this is happening.
So where the “talked about” theory has come from, no one knows. This led to fans actually asking the poster what they had heard, to which there was no reply.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
EastEnders spoilers for next week have teased the fallout to the big episodes airing this week, hinting at Jordan’s fate as well as Denise getting a sad update on the BBC soap
There’s some huge moments ahead on EastEnders(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
There’s some huge moments ahead on EastEnders, with spoilers for next week confirming bombshells and worrying scenes.
It’s the fallout to the show’s big week that “changes everything”, with new details confirmed about what happens. Not only that, but we see characters struggling in the fallout, and reacting to some big discoveries.
George clashes with Nicola about her deal with Eddie, leading to him heading to the boxing gym. A friendly session with Mark takes a turn though, when Mark punches George and he falls unconscious.
Phil reveals to a stunned Mark that George should never have been boxing due to his brain injury. A groggy and confused George refuses hospital treatment, so Phil takes him home and informs Nicola about George’s CTE.
Harry worries that George might tell Gina about Nicola’s deal with Eddie, fearing it will end their relationship. He does encourage Nicola to tell Gina before someone else does, while Nicola tries to get through to George.
Denise is shocked when doctors insist she be admitted immediately for treatment. Despite Jack’s pleas, Denise is determined to be there for Chelsea after Jordan’s accident involving Ian.
When Denise’s condition worsens, Jack shares the doctor’s warning with Yolande in a bid to encourage Denise to start her treatment. Denise refuses still, while later in the week Chelsea learns that Jordan’s rehabilitation may not work.
Kat plans a birthday dinner for Jasmine, while Oscar secretly juggles time seeing the twins separately. When Oscar finds out the circumstances around the death of the twins’ foster dad, and Jasmine’s departure from the family, he asks Jasmine about it, causing her to lash out.
Josh and Oscar give into temptation, but Kat spots them kissing. Kat confronts Oscar and tells him to stay away from Josh and Jasmine, before she tells Alfie what she saw.
Unaware of the situation, Zoe invites Oscar to the meal for Jasmine and Josh. It looks set to be another drama-filled week in Walford next week then!
Joe Swash says discovering family history has made him complete after taking part in Who Do You think You Are? for the BBC
Joe finds out his family on his father’s side moved over from Italy at the start of the 20th century.(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC / Wall to Wall Media Ltd / Stephen Perry)
Joe Swash says he feels “galvanised” after learning about the Italian roots of his family. The actor and husband of Stacey Solomon appears on Who Do You Think You Are? hoping to learn more about his family tree.
Former EastEnders star Joe, 44, tells the programme he lost his own dad Ricky when he was aged 39 and Joe was just 12 which had a big impact on his upbringing.
He explained: “My house was full of life and life. And then, when my dad died, for a long time, it was a house full of sadness and grief. So, you know, a lot of the time it was just trying to get through that period. Growing up in London, I was quite vulnerable, not having a father figure, and I had dyslexia and ADHD that wasn’t diagnosed, so I do struggle when I read something, and a lot of the time I was misunderstood as being quite naughty and mischievous.”
Joe says thanks to some “strong women” in his life he stayed on track, and that he feels like he has got some “Italian traits” including wearing his heart on his sleeve. His mum Kiffy tells him that on his father’s side his great grandmother’s part of the family tree were Italian.
At this stage Joe doesn’t know anything beyond his grandad Charlie but his parents were Joe’s great grandad also called Charlie Swash and Maria Raimo. A 1921 marriage certificate shows Maria living at home in Lox Gardens in London with her parents, Giuseppe, Italian for Joseph, and Rosa, Joe’s great great grandparents.
Joe’s great great grandfather Guiseppe Raimo moved from Italy to London and worked his way up from a street performer in poor living conditions to a job crafting Street pianos. He also spoke alongside Sylvia Pankhurst in 1923 at a Communist Workers’ Movement meeting in London. A letter in his name was published in weekly newspaper The Worker’s Dreadnought, condemning the brutality of the fascist regime.
Historian Alfio Bernabei said: “Giuseppe wasn’t simply attending the meeting, he was actually speaking alongside Sylvia Pankhurst. He could see what was going on, he was following events in Italy, and everything was leading towards a catastrophe. Giuseppe would have run terrible risks had he been in Italy, and he was running terrible risks in London.”
Hearing this detail, Joe said: “It really does fill me with a great, great deal of pride to think that he was struggling through life anyway, being Italian, living where they were living, but he still was concerned about what was happening in the world and fascism, so he must have been a man with great moral compass, someone that really stood by what he thought.
“I had so much pride when I found out about him. The journey he went on, the morals and the things he stood up for, the people he rubbed shoulders with, and the way he got out and worked through poverty to make himself and make his family’s life better, just shows real tenacity. Learning about his speech was emotional, it was a total surprise. I think in that moment I felt really close to my relatives, to Giuseppe. It was such a lovely thing to find out.”
Joe also goes to Naples and traces his ancestors back to his five times great grandfather Donato who was born in 1762 and was living in the now largely abandoned but picturesque mountainous town of Senerchia. The family were peasant farmers but did have a brush with crime after being wrongly linked to the Italian brigands in 1867 during the Italian rebellion.
Back in the present day Joe also finds a ‘Raimo bar’ nearby to Senerchia, and is delighted the family name lives on in Italy. Reflecting on everything, Joe said: “For a lot of my life, I’ve never really known who I am, what I am, where my roots are. I don’t know if that’s due to losing my dad at a young age, but being on his journey, it really has sort of like galvanised who I am, where I’m from, the people that made me, how strong they are, they never give up. Hopefully a bit of that tenacity has come down the line to me.”
He added: “I think what I’ll carry with me from this experience is just the importance of where you come from and knowing who you are. As well as the things that I found out about my relatives, especially about Giuseppe. Traits and things from them that I hope I have as well, or that I’d like to introduce into my life, you know. It just made me feel a lot more attached to my heritage, which I’ve never really felt attached to. I very much knew nothing about it before, but after this journey, I feel like I’m part of something.”
* Who Do You Think You Are? With Joe Swash airs on BBC1 at 9pm on Tuesday June 9. The series is available to stream on BBCiPlayer.
EastEnders’ Denise Fox, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy – Yvonne Gabriel knows exactly how she feels
Eastenders Blood Cancer Storyline
EastEnders’ Denise Fox is all alone today when she receives the shattering news that she has blood cancer. While partner Jack Branning gears up for the upcoming World Cup, Denise, whose symptoms began with fatigue, will discover she has acute myeloid leukaemia following a bone marrow biopsy.
And Yvonne Gabriel, 58, will know exactly how she feels. The retired deputy head teacher was also by herself when told she had AML, in July 2018. She says: “It was such a huge shock. I wrongly thought adults couldn’t get leukaemia. The whole thing was a blur. But I remember the doctor saying it was treatable and I hung on to those words for the whole of my cancer journey.”
Yvonne went back to her home in Wallington, Surrey, and told her civil partner Annette, 63, a lawyer, and daughter Leanne, 38, a graphic designer, the awful news. She recalls: “My partner and daughter kept reiterating that the cancer was treatable and curable.
“I am usually the person that looks after people so it was really hard to feel I was causing the upset. They held themselves together for me.” EastEnders worked closely with the charity Blood Cancer UK on Denise’s storyline, starting today on World Blood Cancer Day, which in many ways mirrors Yvonne’s.
Yvonne and Denise, played by Diane Parish, 56, are both Black and, according to the charity, Black or mixed-race blood cancer patients with leukaemia have only a 37% chance of finding a 10/10 matched unrelated stem cell donor, compared to 72% for white patients.
Yvonne began treatment in Sutton’s Royal Marsden Hospital within days of diagnosis. She had three courses of intensive chemotherapy, requiring hospital stays, and finished that November. She says: “It is fantastic that EastEnders are running this storyline. It might mean viewers watching it get help if they have symptoms or even understand a little more what people with blood cancer are going through.”
Yvonne also recommends staying active, as it helps the body to cope with the harsh treatment. She adds: “I lost my hair and if Denise has chemotherapy this will probably happen to her. I was very emotional on the day I shaved it.” But she adds: “It will come back and it’s a sign the treatment is working. You can adorn yourself in different ways – wear jewellery or colours that make you feel like you.”
Yvonne has now trained to do massage therapy after benefiting from it herself as a patient. She says: “It was life-changing. It helped me physically and emotionally.”
Matthew White, director at Blood Cancer UK, says: “Many people with blood cancer have to visit their GP multiple times before they are diagnosed. Seeing blood cancer spotlighted on such a popular programme like EastEnders is a powerful platform that can help make a ‘hidden’ cancer more visible.”
*Blood Cancer UK provides trusted advice for people with blood cancer and funds research into better and kinder treatments that will transform lives. bloodcancer.org.uk
EastEnders has teased which characters will face life-changing events during their special week on the BBC soap, with new spoilers teasing some big twists for next week
EastEnders has teased which characters will face life-changing events during their special week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
New spoilers for EastEnders have teased the BBC soap’s big week, where “everything changes” for more than one resident.
Specific scenes are being kept under wraps, but it’s set to be unmissable. Lives will no doubt be changed, and there will be bombshells aplenty.
There’s a huge change to the usual format to for the BBC soap, with things being a little different to mark the occasion. More than one character is involved in the episode, and it’s safe to say that whatever happens, it will impact more than one Walford family.
In a special week of episodes, set across one night, everything changes. Following the drama of Vicki and Ross’ wedding, Walford residents gather but Yolande realises Denise is missing.
Denise soon opens up to Yolande about her cancer diagnosis. She soon receives a call where she’s told she needs immediate treatment, but some worrying family news leaves her rushing to be with Chelsea in her time of need. Prior to this, Mark and Chelsea flirt, but it’s Zack she almost shares a kiss with.
As Chelsea heads back to the wedding reception marquee, her world is turned upside down. Denise tries to be strong for Chelsea, as Yolande helps cover for Denise when her absence is questioned.
Later, Denise tells Jack about her diagnosis. Kathy and Cindy are at loggerheads after one too many wines, but the night is about to take a turn for the worst for Ian.
When there’s a knock at the door, Ian makes a discovery and he realises he could lose everything. Max publicly declares his love for Cindy, before asking her to marry him.
Kat worries that she and Alfie have given the wedding guests food poisoning. Harry makes a confession to Gina about Eddie, leaving her confronting George.
As George realises his dad Eddie will never change, he tries to apologise to his daughter but Gina flees. Soon, George tells Eddie he’s sending him back to prison, which leads to Eddie dropping a bombshell of his own.
As George takes action to protect his family, he may regret it. It’s going to be a massive week for the soap, with plenty of twists and turns ahead, so it isn’t a week to be missed.
What happens to Chelsea? How do Denise’s family react to her cancer news and what happens with Ian? The spoilers are intentionally cryptic with plenty more being kept under wraps until each episode airs that week.
Few résumés encompass everything from The Benny Hill Show to Grantchester. Even fewer actresses have the range and longevity of Paula Wilcox, who has appeared in more than 60 shows
Paula Wilcox, who has appeared in more than 60 TV shows(Image: Brett Cove/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
Paula Wilcox set hearts racing as flirtatious Chrissy Plummer, alongside Sally Thomsett as Jo and Richard O’Sullivan as Robin Tripp, in the 1970s sitcom Man About the House, which shot her to fame.
And, now 76, Paula, who joined the National Youth Theatre, aged 17, will be back on screen on June 5 in a four part psychological drama, The Fortune, on Channel 5. But, despite it ending 50 years ago, after three years and six series, she still gets recognised from Man About the House – a risque comedy about a man sharing a flat with two attractive women.
She says: “Now, all these years later, I’d love to do a proper sitcom again.” At the time, however, she found the fanmania difficult to cope with.
Just 23 when she was cast as Chrissy, she says: “I’ve never been very good at handling all that stuff. Richard was wonderful at it. He could be so nice to people. He’d been a child star and so he’d learned how to be very polite to fans. I just never did. You don’t know what to do, you’re scared and then you say, ‘just leave me alone!’ It doesn’t endear you to people. You’d find yourself being a bit rude, rather than just being nice and natural.”
Professionally, Paula got sick of talking about Man About the House. She says: “There was I, playing Juliet or in a Stoppard play. You take yourself a bit seriously and all people wanted to talk about was Man About the House. I was in my 30s and getting on with stuff and I used to get really annoyed and change the subject.”
Paula is now the only member of the cast still working. Richard O’Sullivan, 81, who played Robin, has lived in a retirement home for entertainers since suffering a stroke in 2003 and Sally Thomsett, 70, who played Jo, has retired. Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce, who played neighbours George and Mildred Roper, are now dead, as is Doug Fisher, who played Robin’s best friend Larry.
Paula says: “I’m in touch with Brian Murphy’s widow, Linda. I still see Richard from time to time and we miss Yootha, Brian and Dougie. We were very close mates.”
Surprisingly, despite playing best friends on screen, the one former cast mate she rarely sees is Sally Thomsett. She says: “I saw her a few years ago, when we all went to see Richard. I’m hardly in touch with her now. Sally has moved and she’s very naughty, because she doesn’t necessarily let you know what her phone number is. So, if she reads this – get in touch!”
When Man About the House ended in 1976, Paula became a screen and stage staple. Alongside an illustrious theatre career, her TV work included the comedies Boomers, Mount Pleasant and Upstart Crow. She also played Laurel Thomas’s mother Hilary Potts in Emmerdale and more recently spent three years in Coronation Street as Elaine Jones, the mum of taxi boss Tim Metcalfe and ex-wife of abusive hospital radio DJ Geoff Metcalfe.
She says: “If there’s a terrific storyline I’d love to go back. I loved working with Joe [Duttine] and Sally [Dynevor]. They were so good, so much fun and so clever. There’s no reason why Eliane couldn’t come back. She’s still Tim’s mother after all. He can’t get rid of her.”
Paula attributes her 57-year career to “being up for things,” explaining: “I like being challenged; I always have a go. I’ve done some weird and wacky things, so I think people have been aware of me in different genres and spaces. I’ve done one-woman plays; I’m not just on telly or in the West End.”
The Fortune, which has four episodes, tells the story of happily married mum Amanda Blakefield, whose life is turned upside down when she inherits a large amount of money from a man she’s never met or even heard of. While his shocked family is determined to get to the truth, the surprise inheritance turns sour, leading Amanda into a mystery that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew.
The stellar cast includes Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson as Amanda, alongside Stephen Tompkinson, Denis Lawson, Rebecca Front and former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia. Paula plays Amanda’s mother Linda, the one person who has the keys to the past.
She says: “She’s an important part of the story, because she knows what happened. She has dementia and is in a care home. She kind of knows everything, but she doesn’t know that she knows. It’s to do with something that went on in her past. She can remember highlights, but, because of the dementia, she goes off into talking about something else, completely unconnected.”
But Paula had doubts about taking on the role. She says: “It’s something that I was a bit wary of. My mum had dementia and it’s absolutely awful. I’ve been asked to play someone with dementia before and I felt it was a bit too close to it. But actually, this part is very different, because she’s a very different woman with a very different story and also, it’s about 15 years ago now, so it’s time to move on.”
Paula, who lives in London with her husband of 35 years, business consultant Nelson Riddle, grew up in Manchester. She began her TV career in 1969, aged 20, playing teenage delinquent Janice Langton in Coronation Street. She recalls: “She was the sister of Ray Langton. I was supposed to be 15 and I’d escaped from Borstal. I came in, laid the law down, nicked some money and then disappeared again.”
Three years later, in 1972, she appeared in an episode of The Benny Hill Show – known for its saucy slapstick humour and sketches featuring scantily clad young women. In its heyday, it attracted audiences of more than 21 million, but Paula quickly realised it wasn’t for her.
She laughs: “I remember thinking: ‘gosh, what am I doing? It just wasn’t my scene really. I think I played his [Benny’s] neighbour in one of the sketches. I remember at one point he asked me to bend over the sofa and I said, ‘ooh, no, I don’t do things like that!’ I think he was trying to sauce it up a bit and I was having none of it. When you’re young you can be quite straightforward like that.”
While declining ratings meant The Benny Hill Show was cancelled in 1989, Paula’s career went from strength to strength. Even now, she has plenty left on her bucket list. She says: “I’ve never worked with the RSC or at the National Theatre, so those are two things that I’d still really like to do. I still get as much pleasure from acting as I ever did and since I’ve passed the age of 50, the parts have got more and more interesting and more fun. You’re not just being cast because you’re cute and because of the way you look. You’re given more challenging things and if you can rise to the challenge, then you get offered them again and that’s very gratifying.”
EastEnders fans have been left gutted after Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, appeared in her final sceens of the BBC soap last night – 29 years after her debut
EastEnders star bids farewell leaving fans gutted
An EastEnders legend has bid a sad farewell to the BBC soap – 29 years after her debut.
Last night’s episode marked the end of actress Karen Henthorn’s time on EastEnders, almost 30 years after she made her debut in Walford. She had returned as part of Nigel’s dementia storyline in July last year, having previously appeared on the soap between September 1997 and April 1998.
Thursday’s episode saw Karen Henthorn, who plays Julie Bates, leave Walford for India, just weeks after the death of her husband Nigel. Julie finally read Nigel’s letter, which revealed he had left her his pension, meaning she could take the trip of a lifetime.
Following her final scene Karen appeared in a farewell video on EastEnders’ official social pages. Stood on the BBC set she said: “It’s my last day and I’ve had the best time. The best 10 and a half months.” She went on to pay tribute to the cast and crew and said: “Whatever you do in life, it’s always about people and kindness.”
Karen then thanked the EastEnders fans, saying: “thanks for your love, your support and your commitment and dedication to the programme, which you love as much as I love. And I’m going to really miss you. So thanks everyone, take care of each other, loads and loads of love.”
The video then showed a snippet from Karen’s final scene before she was presented with flowers and applauded by the crew and co-star Steve McFadden.
Executive Producer Ben Wadey gave a speech, he said: “Your constant waterworks, your endless tears, but your performance has really been amazing. Thank you for everything, you’ve been amazing.”
The video posted on Facebook was captioned: “Tonight we say goodbye to the outstanding Karen Henthorn and Julie Bates. You’ve been an absolute delight and we will miss you dearly!”
Loyal viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts on Karen’s departure. One wrote: “Great actress and amazing portrayal of such an awful disease. I hoped you might end up with Phil, it’s the most he’s smiled since you arrived.”
Another commented: “Have absolutely loved her. Please get her back, it won’t be the same without her. Maybe Karen (Julie) could come back after a period of time and slowly become Phil’s love interest? They could be the equivalent of Corrie’s Vera and Jack!”
A third wrote: “So gutted she’s left. Her performance has been absolutely phenomenal throughout Nigel’s dementia storyline. Best wishes for the future Karen.”
EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.
EastEnders spoilers for next week have teased a feud brewing between the Brannings and the Mitchells, as well as two exits being teased and some chaos at Vicki and Ross’ wedding
There’s big moments ahead on EastEnders next week(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
There’s big moments ahead on EastEnders next week, as spoilers confirm bombshells, rivalry and twists and turns.
Max is suspicious of Lauren after a car delivery at the car lot, and he soon confides in Cindy. As Grant, Sam and Phil dismiss Max’s claims, Max and Cindy go public with their suspicions about Mark.
Everyone’s shocked when Grant claims he’s behind the dodgy car scheme. Cindy accuses Grant of lying and Max threatens to call the police.
Lauren tips off the Mitchells as the police arrive, while Sam considers joining Grant in Portugal whenever he plans to go back. Preparations are underway for Vicki and Ross’ wedding, while Zack receives some upsetting news.
He offers Vicki a bracelet but she refuses his gesture, leading to him dropping hints to Ross that Vicki is cheating. As the wedding arrives, Ross is rattled and Zack tries to get Vicki to leave Ross.
Soon, Ross comes to a realisation and asks if Zack was the man she slept with. Tensions simmer between Eddie and Harry after Eddie criticises Gina.
Ian and Elaine clear the air and agree to be friends, while Will is upset when he misses a rave. Ravi returns home, and Priya hopes they can rebuild their relationship.
Denise receives a call from the hospital requesting she come in that morning for a bone marrow test, with her going alone. Meanwhile, Denise receives the results of her recent hospital tests and is left stunned when doctors tell her she has blood cancer.
But will she confide in her loved ones? It’s set to be another big week on the BBC soap next week according to these spoilers. It comes as the soap teased life-changing scenes ahead in the coming weeks.
In the trailer, some of Walford’s biggest names appear to be gathered in the pub in their finery. They’re all enjoying a drink until the clock hand moves and David Bowie’s ‘Changes’ plays.
Everything starts to tilt out of place and sirens can be heard before four characters – George Knight, Ian Beale, Denise Fox and Max Branning – look at the camera. While their smiles fade, an ominous voice warns that this is “the night that everything changes”.
According to the BBC, the night in question is Vicki and Ross’ wedding. The Beale, Branning, Knight-Mitchell and Fox-Trueman families will “find themselves at the heart of the drama”, but all for different reasons.
Over the course of a week, the same night will be explored, with new details emerging about what happened to each family and how this will effect them in the run up to New Year.
EastEnders has aired worrying scenes for George Knight as he struggles being around his father Eddie – but fans think it’s going to get a lot worse, especially as Gina takes drastic action
George Knight’s murderous plan revealed(Image: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders‘ George Knight might be close to doing something ‘murderous’ as he struggles to cope with having his father in his house. Since last week, Eddie has been living in George’s home as he dies of cancer, but fans think George might hurry things along as he gets desperate to have Eddie out.
George (Colin Salmon) has long had a strained relationship with Eddie (Chris Fairbank), as the elder Knight had murdered George’s biological father Henry Asare. While Eddie had been in prison for the murder, he was released to stay with George and his partner Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), though the police did not know George would be involved.
His daughter, Gina (Francesca Henry), spent tonight’s episode (18 May) arguing with George over letting Eddie stay. She ultimately decided to take drastic action and call the police to let them know that Eddie was in contact with George, despite that being banned.
Yet, fans think it might be George who ultimately cuts the cord – in the most final way. This comes after the BBC released a trailer for a week of special episodes titled ‘The night that changes everything’, where George is set to make a decision that turns everything on it’s head.
One fan said: “I was confused as to what George was doing in the everything changes trailer but I wonder if maybe he ends up suffocating Eddie or something.”
Another agreed: “It would be fitting if something murderous happens – Eddie being taken out by his son years after murdering George’s bio father.”
George wasn’t the only one featured in the new trailer. Some of Walford’s biggest names were involved, including Ian Beale, Denise Fox and Max Branning.
According to the BBC, the night where ‘everything changes’ is Vicki and Ross’ wedding in June. After the wedding, the Beale, Branning, Knight-Mitchell and Fox-Trueman families will “find themselves at the heart of the drama”, but all for different reasons.
Over the course of a week, the same night will be explored, with new details emerging about what happened to each family and how this will effect them in the run up to New Year.
Posters released alongside the video reveal which characters will be drawn into the drama. Denise can be seen looking at the camera as an upside down Yolande Trueman and Jack Branning, her mother figure and husband, stand behind her. Fans have already been told that Denise is soon going to be diagnosed with blood cancer.
Meanwhile, Jack’s brother Max appears in another picture, with his children, Lauren Beale and Oscar Branning, behind one shoulder, and girlfriend Cindy Beale behind the the other.
Newly elected councillor Ian Beale is also seen with an upset Chelsea Fox behind him. The two currently do not have any connection to each other, so it is uncertain why they have been paired together.
EastEnders’ Mark Fowler has resorted to desperate tactics to clear his debt to gangster Delaney, but fans think there’s a further twist on the way that will be fatal for one character
20:16, 14 May 2026Updated 20:16, 14 May 2026
Mark Fowler in EastEnders(Image: BBC/EASTENDERS)
EastEnders fans are convinced Mark Fowler’s latest desperate antics will prove fatal for one character. In Thursday’s episode, airing on 14 May, Mark learned that his debt to gangster Russell Delaney had been doubled after his father, Grant Mitchell, threatened the drug lord. In his panic, his aunt Sam, managed to convince him to do something drastic.
Sam told Mark that he needed Lauren Beale to start working with him on stealing cars and selling them on her car lot. Lauren refused to do that before but Sam suggested that if Mark made it so that she had no choice but to turn to him, then he could get his money. As such, they took a car Lauren was due to sell and set fire to it.
Fans noticed that just before this scene, Bea Pollard, who had been kicked out of Honey and Billy Mitchell’s home after stealing Honey’s identity, was sleeping rough on some bin bags. Some thought she might be too close to the fire and die as a result, as the character is thought to be leaving soon.
“I think Bea was bedding down in one of the lock ups by the car,” one fan said. “Hopefully that will be her leaving scene.” Another added: “Was that Bea asleep on the ground when Mark threw petrol all over the car and put a lighter to it?” A third said: “I thought the same thing. Near the car – bet she saw it all.”
But others pointed out that it looked more like Bea was in McClunky’s, the chicken shop where she works. One wrote: “Bea camping out at mcklunky’s on a bin bag…”
Another said: “Sure she was in the chicken shop.” A third added: “She was in the chicken shop, you could see counter in the background.”
This comes as Bea’s actions left Honey hospitalised. When it was revealed that Bea used Honey’s identity to open a credit card account, which landed her friend in £5,000 debt, Bea tried to convince Honey that it was all a misunderstanding.
When that didn’t work, she said she only did it so that she could buy things for people and make them like her. It was close to persuading Honey to let her stay, until Honey’s husband Billy came home.
Billy threw Bea out on her ear. In a fit of rage, Bea flipped the safety lever on his ladder, so that when he went up to clear the drains, he would fall.
But in a sick twist, it was Honey who went up the ladder. She fell from the ladder and couldn’t be roused by Billy, as Bea watched on from the shadows.
Honey was rushed to hospital, where she eventually woke up. But despite convincing everyone that she wasn’t responsible for Honey’s fall, Bea was not allowed to stay with them in Walford and was told to leave.
