Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle has confessed all about her baby lie, Dr Todd’s blackmail and sexual assault to partner Mackenzie Boyd in dramatic scenes on the ITV soap
20:59, 25 Jun 2026Updated 21:00, 25 Jun 2026
Charity Dingle has spoken out about her baby lie and sexual assault on Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle confessed all to Mackenzie Boyd in the latest episode of the ITV soap. The Woolpack landlady, who has been played by Emma Atkins, certainly has had a lot to deal with in recent weeks and finally told her partner everything after weeks of hiding away and suffering a breakdown.
Unfortunately, Dr Caitlin Todd, who had relentlessly bullied Sarah’s partner Jacob when she was in charge of him at the hospital, found out the truth and used it to blackmail Charity into handing over money. This all culminated in harrowing scenes where she sexually assaulted a drunken Charity.
Earlier this week, newcomer Serena Sugden, played by former Wicked star Casey Al-Shaqsy, made Charity see that she needed to expose Todd, even if that meant revealing everything to her family and on Thursday night’s episode, Charity bravely faced the music.
Having candidly informed Mack that Sarah’s baby was the product of a one night stand she had with Ross, Mack stormed out and looked set to tell all to Charity’s granddaughter. But when he returned home, he told Charity that he couldn’t do it.
It was then that Charity told Mack about Dr Todd’s blackmail against her after she discovered the truth about the child in question, and then disclosed that she had been the victim of rape at the hands of the retired medic.
Clearly taken aback by the shock revelation, on top of everything else he had heard that day, Mack (Lawrence Robb) calmly told Charity that the only thing they could do now was to go to the police – even after it seemed that Todd had got away with it all when she previously claimed that everything was consensual.
Charity told Mack: “The only way through this is telling the truth and facing the consequences of what I have done. No matter what.”
“I tell Sarah. And then I go back to the police. If I tell the police about the blackmail, it’s going to open a can of worms and that’s gonna drag Sarah into it. I think that girl Serena was right. I have to see this through.”
However, Mack told Charity that telling Sarah that she is not the mother of her baby might not be the best idea just yet, meaning that the secret could stay secret a little while longer – but he was absolutely convinced that she had to “fight” for justice above all else.
He said: “It’s gonna be a lot for everyone to deal with it, so maybe we cross that bridge when we come to it. What matters right now is that you go to the police.”
“I can be angry with you and still be there for you when you need me the most. Charity, I need you to listen to me for a second here because – Dr Todd is not karma. She’s a rapist who took advantage of you when you were vulnerable. So I need you to get out of that way of thinking because it lets her off the hook.
“You’re gonna fight back, you’re gonna go to the police, you’re gonna get them down here and you’re going to tell them absolutely everything.”
Coronation Street’s Sarah Platt has confessed to Todd that she killed Theo but a short time later she was the one who had to deal with a shock truth that came her way
21:53, 25 Jun 2026Updated 21:54, 25 Jun 2026
Sarah Platt has told Todd Grimshaw that she killed Theo on Coronation Street
Sarah Platt confessed to Todd Grimshaw that she killed Theo on the latest episode of Coronation Street. The legendary Weatherfield resident, who has been played by Tina O’Brien since 1999, hit the evil scaffolder over the head with a pipe during a confrontation above the builder’s yard – seemingly sending him plunging to his death.
For months, viewers were left guessing as to who had killed Theo, who spent almost a year abusing partner Todd Grimshaw, but Sarah was never one of the official suspects and is yet to even be a person of interest to police, most likely thanks to the fact that on the night in question, she was knocked unconscious in the living room of number eight.
Sarah is currently dating, and looks set to get engaged to DC Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), so she felt it was unwise to involve him. Instead, she roped Gary Windass (Mikey North) into the whole sorry mess, who has been helping her keep the whole thing secret, much to the chagrin of his wife Maria (Samia Longchambon), who thought they had been having an affair.
To make matters even worse, DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), who has a habit of putting innocent people in prison, charged Todd’s adoptive daughter Summer (Harriet Bibby) with murder and, although she was recently released, Sarah said nothing and allowed her to be put behind bars.
Having had enough of Todd constantly blaming Gary for the murder, Sarah finally confessed all to her best friend in Thursday night’s instalment of the world’s longest-running TV soap.
Through tears, Sarah said: “It was me. I knocked Theo off the scaffolding.” as he looked on in shock. “You’re wrong and I’m not even gonna let you think it. He is not corrupt – he wants to marry me!
“Afterwards. I was in shock and…Theo was…dead. And I couldn’t ring Kit, I couldn’t. I didn’t know who else to turn to. “
“He was talking like he’d killed you, and I believed him because why wouldn’t I? You thought he was capable. That’s why you ran.
“Don’t look down your nose at me, Theo ruined your life and then you brought him into mine. I didn’t have the option to run – not when I was 20ft up, on scaffolding on a plank that wide with a psycho waving a bottle in my face. A psycho who was ten times stronger than me and two times the size of me.
“He got in my face and I pushed him away and then he came back at me. All the time, he had this little white fleck in the corner of his mouth when he was ripping into me and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. That I was a sl*g, a w***e, three different kids to three different men and no wonder our baby died because it was an abomination.
“Those were the words he said about an innocent, newborn child. There was a pole. It was just instinct, I closed my eyes and swung and he crumpled.”
Later on, Sarah presumed Todd was going to go to the police but when she found him in the Rovers Return later on, he admitted he just couldn’t do it – even though he angrily told Sarah she had robbed him of the chance to make sure Theo got justice for all the abuse he had subjected him to.
He added: “The most annoying thing about all of it is the fact that I love you…so much. And I can’t see you go to prison.” Todd and Sarah were teenage sweethearts amid the programme’s first coming out story in 2004 and, even after Todd came out as gay, the pair have remained close.
Initially, Sarah threw her arms around Todd as she thanked him, but he then dealt the final blow as he vowed to cut her out for good.
He said: “Listen to me Sarah, this is it, for you and me. We’re done. I don’t want you in my life anymore,” leading Sarah to march back into the pub and continue to drink as she she stumbled round to Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody before her family escorted her out.
But there was another twist in store back at number eight when Sarah, sat stroking David the dog, was having a conversation with Jodie. Without realising what she was saying, Jodie said: “It’s not easy to get over an attack like that – it takes time. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to bring you to, it must be triggering.”
As Jodie stroked the dog, she said: “At least you’re not barking your head off, this time, eh?” and Sarah immediately began to put two and two together as she said: “How did you know he was barking that night?”
Jodie tried to play the whole thing down but the cogs were already turning for Sarah, who has seemingly worked out that it was Shona’s mysterious long-lost sister all along.
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am onITVX.
As Coronation Street revealed it was Sarah who killed Theo on Monday, actress Tina O’Brien addressed whether she could be leaving the ITV soap and her reaction to the twist
Coronation Street revealed it was Sarah who killed Theo on Monday(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street’s Sarah Platt has been exposed as Theo Silverton’s killer.
Now, actress Tina O’Brien, who has played the character since 1999, has addressed whether she’s about to bow out for good. Flashbacks during Monday’s episode confirmed what really happened to Theo, and who was to blame.
We saw Sarah accidentally killing Theo after he turned sinister. As he threatened her, she shoved him before hitting him over the head with a metal pole, leading to him plummeting off the scaffolding.
In the fallout, Sarah will be desperate to cover her tracks. But will she be caught out, and could it lead to a prison stint, or possibly a permanent exit from the ITV soap after after nearly 30 years in the role?
Tina shared: “It’s not just about her now, it’s about her family and her son, and there are times when she can’t cope with the pressure and you think she’s just going to hand herself in. And then she thinks about her son growing up without a mum, if she’s convicted and can’t prove she acted in self defence.
“And because of those things, she’s so desperate to do whatever it takes to be part of her family’s life.” It was her ex Gary that she frantically called for help, with him now keeping her secret.
With Gary’s rivalry with Sarah’s partner Kit Green now at boiling point, Tina explained why Sarah told Gary and not detective Kit. She said: “I think she absolutely went into panic mode, shocked, stunned and numb. She obviously didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know how to react and in that moment she thought, I can’t call Kit because of his job in the police.
“And so in that moment, she thought who can I call and it was Gary. There’s a lot of guilt there and I think also, selfishly, she feels like she’s ruined her chance with Kit, because if he knows what she’s done, he might not want her anymore and she so wanted him to be her future.”
This isn’t the first time Sarah has been caught up in a murder plot. Fans will recall that back in 2015, Sarah’s sister-in-law Kylie Platt murdered Sarah’s love interest Callum Logan. Callum had tried to attack Sarah, leading to Kylie killing him with a wrench.
Sarah and Kylie, with the help of Sarah’s brother David Platt, covered up the crime, and buried the body under their house. Sarah’s mental health spiralled in the fallout, and she was admitted to a psychiatric unit for treatment.
With Sarah caught up in another murder, Tina said this time her character could face prison. She teased: “If she’d have called the police straight away and explained what happened, she would have been in a much better situation, because it was clearly not pre-meditated, it was a situation where she felt she had no other choice.
“But to cover it up, to actively cover something up, she knows that she crossed a line that she can’t come back from.” She added on exit fears: “I genuinely didn’t worry, at the end of the day this job is incredible, but to be an actor is not necessarily a job for life. So, I just was really excited to be given the honour of being the murderer, and then hopefully, however it plays out, I’ll enjoy Sarah’s arc.”
So does this hint that Sarah will stick around? After keeping quiet for months, Tina shared: “I’ve literally been a big bag of nerves. It’s been so difficult, I told my mum and I just recently told my daughter Scarlett and my son Beau. You’re seeing all the chat on social media, everyone’s saying I think this, and I think that.
“Actually filming these scenes the weeks after have been the hardest thing I’ve ever filmed because I felt like my face looked guilty constantly and I thought everyone’s going to know it’s me instantly.”
It came as no surprise to Tina though that Sarah killed Theo. She explained: “I completely understand how it happened, why it happened. For me to get into her character and her head, I feel like in that moment, she didn’t feel like she had any other choice.”
The former Queen Vic landlord was soon revealed to be in a relationship with George Knight (Colin Salmon), Cindy Beale’s (Michelle Collins) former husband. Over the past three years, Elaine has gotten divorced, opened up her own Bed and Breakfast, and enjoyed a romance with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).
Away from EastEnders, the 69-year-old actress has starred in a number of other popular shows, and is famed for playing Carole Parkinson in the 1990s show The Brittas Empire.
She also worked with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders many times over the years, from starring in eight episodes of their programme French and Saunders between 1987 and 2003 to portraying the recurring role of Fleur in Absolutely Fabulous from 1992 until 2012.
Harriet has held roles in Alexei Sayle’s Stuff, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Casualty, Material Girl, Endeavour, Midsomer Murders, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, and The Bill.
Away from the small screen, Harriet has appeared in several films, including Calendar Girls, and has worked extensively on stage, with her acting in productions at the Royal National Theatre and in London’s West End.
Harriet previously opened up about her childhood and her relocation abroad with her family.
Appearing on Loose Women in 2024, Harriet discussed all things EastEnders and revealed that she has a famous sister who is an actress.
Talking about her childhood, where her family’s move to Los Angeles, Harriet said: “My sister and I, who is also an actress, Matilda Thorpe, we were little children at a normal state primary school. Do you remember the food? It was all sort of grey? Memories!
“Suddenly I was in Beverly Hills and we went to school and they had an ice cream machine. They had pizza and chocolate milk!”
Who is Harriet Thorpe’s famous sister?
Harriet’s sister, Matilda Thorpe, has certainly followed in her sibling’s footsteps and also has an impressive acting career.
Matilda is best known for her role as Mandy Mosgrove in Desmond’s from 1989 to 1994, before landing the roles of Mother in How to Be a Little Sod and Mandy in Porkpie.
More recent roles include Claire Glass in Sick Note, Nina in One Life, and Auntie Melody in Back to Black, a biographical film about Amy Winehouse.
However, in a coincidence, Matilda’s early career saw her land a role in EastEnders years before her sister Harriet’s debut. Matilda played Rachel Ford on the BBC One soap back in 1998.
Family life
Harriet and Matilda are the daughters of novelist Gillian Freeman, who penned The Leather Boys, and Edward Thorpe, an actor, novelist and the ballet critic of the Evening Standard.
Harriet welcomed two children, a son and a daughter, with her husband, Howard Baker, whom she reportedly married in 1989.
Her son, Jack Thorpe-Baker, previously acted and starred in The Brittas Empire, Life is Sweet, and Ballet Shoes, which also starred Emma Watson.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer
After her colleague and mate Dylan Keogh (William Beck) uncovered she’d been conducting a clandestine romance with his son and junior medic Matty Linlaker, he informed Clinical Lead Flynn Byron (Olly Rix).
Explaining that the accusations levelled against her ‘amount to sexual coercion’, Matty, Dylan and Stevie were all required to attend hearings with HR panel members during Saturday’s instalment (June 20).
Throughout the medical drama, the three clashed yet again as Stevie subsequently apologised to Matty for the entire situation.
Nevertheless, Matty responded: “You’re not sorry, Stevie. You’ve realised I’ve got the power to end your career and you’re worried what I’m going to say, right?”
When she questioned what he intended to tell the HR panel, he remained silent, while Stevie was subsequently shown in floods of tears confiding in Flynn, confessing she didn’t wish to lose her position, reports the Daily Star.
As the episode drew to a close, audiences witnessed Stevie facing the panel members as she declared: “Look, before we get started. I just wanted to apologise unreservedly for my behaviour.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that I’ve made mistakes. But, I’m a bl**dy good doctor. I deserve to be here, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure I stay.”
Can Stevie preserve her position at the hospital? Or will Matty destroy her career for spurning him?
It didn’t take long for viewers to react to the episode, with many divided over Stevie and her future on the long-running medical drama. One viewer wrote: “WE CAN’T LOSE STEVIE.”
While another urged: “Fight for your job, Stevie.” A third chimed in: “THE WAY STEVIE ENDED THE EPISODE. I’m so happy.”
With one fan commenting: “Stevie is going to fight for her job. Hopefully, she isn’t leaving now.”
Yet not everybody shared the same excitement about Stevie’s decision to fight for her position, with a number of viewers keen to see her go.
One wrote: “Don’t like this storyline. Add in real life, Stevie would be on suspension, I would’ve thought.” While another simply declared: “So tired of Stevie.”
Coronation Street fans were left gobsmacked after discovering that Ryan Connor star Ryan Prescott previously appeared on rival soap Emmerdale
Coronation Street fans were left gobsmacked after discovering that Ryan Connor star Ryan Prescott previously appeared on rival soap Emmerdale(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street viewers have been left stunned after only just discovering Ryan Connor actor Ryan Prescott previously featured in rival soap Emmerdale.
On Thursday, ITV’s Instagram account posted an entertaining soap crossover feature, highlighting all the Coronation Street and Emmerdale stars who’ve graced both programmes.
While fans recognised familiar soap-hopping actors including Claire King, who portrays Kim Tate on Emmerdale and played Erica Holroyd on Corrie, alongside Chris Bisson, who plays Jai Sharma in Emmerdale and portrayed Vikram Desai in Corrie, audiences were astonished to spot a ‘forgotten’ performer.
The post featured Corrie’s Ryan Connor actor Ryan Prescott, who played Flynn Buchanan in Emmerdale back in 2011.
Throughout Flynn’s stint in the village, he briefly romanced Aaron Dingle, portrayed by Danny Miller, though Aaron remained hung up on his former boyfriend Jackson Walsh, played by Marc Silcock, reports the Daily Star.
Reacting in the comments section, soap enthusiasts were left astounded by the revelation, with some having completely forgotten Ryan’s Emmerdale appearance while others were unaware of the soap crossover altogether.
One viewer exclaimed: “Omg I forgot Ryan was in emmerdale!” to which another account responded: “Such a throwback!”.
Meanwhile, another account posted: “Wow x” with a different fan contributing shocked emojis.
Another enthusiast wrote: “The only one I remember being in another soap is Jai!” while a separate viewer commented: “Wow that’s insane to look at in the Past and the Future.”
Coronation Street’s Ryan first appeared on the ITV soap back in 2006, with the character originally played by Ben Thompson – Ryan Prescott, 37, stepped into the role in 2018. As the son of Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh), it wasn’t long before Ryan became entangled in a host of dramatic storylines.
In forthcoming scenes, Ryan heads out on a date with fellow Weatherfield resident Jodie Ramsay (Olivia Frances Brown) – who has caused quite a stir since making her soap entrance earlier this year.
According to spoilers for next week, Jodie lets slip that she’s lined up a date. When David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) inadvertently mentions he’s due to meet Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) at the bistro, Jodie devises a cunning plan.
Jodie meets her date, Ryan, at the bistro, and when David arrives, Jodie turns on the charm in a bid to ignite David’s jealousy…
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Former EastEnders actress Gurlaine Kaur Garcha, who previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, has married her partner Max after a year-long engagement
Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement(Image: WireImage)
EastEnders star Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement. The actress, 32, is best known known for having previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, but she left the programme just over three years ago.
A slew of Gurlaine’s former co-stars were quick to congratulate her. Former Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal, who plays Gurlaine’s on-screen mum Suki, wrote: “Gorgeous baby. Congratulations.”
Emma Barton, known for her role as Honey Mitchell, wrote: “Gorgeous… congratulations beautiful,” whilst Denis Fox actress Diane Parish simply said; “Congrats”
Last year, the actress, who last year was seen in an episode of the Amazon Prime hit The Girlfriend, shared the happy news of her engagement with fans on Instagram, flashing a huge diamond ring while sipping a cocktail abroad.
“v happy & v engaged!!!!!!” she wrote, keeping the caption short and sweet. Although Gurlaine’s kept her partner’s identity private, she confirmed the romantic proposal took place while on holiday in Ibiza.
Gurlaine made her debut in Albert Square back in 2019 as Ash; a confident, no-nonsense doctor who immediately made an impression. She arrived as the first member of the Panesar clan, with her brothers and mum Suki introduced shortly after.
Her character quickly became a key figure in several dramatic storylines from tense family fallouts and fractured relationships to fast-paced scenes at the hospital. She was also part of a same-sex romance with Iqra, making Ash one of the few LGBTQ+ South Asian characters in soap at the time.
Ash wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, often clashing with her mum Suki, whose controlling nature added even more fuel to their fiery dynamic. Her arrival was also seen as a big moment for representation, with viewers praising EastEnders for spotlighting a British Sikh woman in a lead medical role – something rarely seen on mainstream TV.
Gurlaine took a short break from the show in 2022 before officially bowing out in early 2023. At the time, soap bosses thanked her for her contribution, while the actress told fans she was “excited for what’s to come”.
Since then, Gurlaine’s kept a low profile but still shares snippets of her life online – posting travel pictures, moments with friends, and positive messages with her followers.
And while she’s stayed off-screen for now, fans will no doubt be thrilled to see her celebrating such a personal milestone.
A synopsis for the upcoming six-part show teases: “The Hairdresser Mysteries is an original, homegrown drama and a nostalgic nod to the 70’s which sees a high-end hairdresser, Lily Petal (Sally Phillips), opt out of the competitive city scene to buy a small village hairdressers at the top of a cobbled street.
“Everyone tells their hairdresser everything and soon she becomes the hub of her new village’s secrets and revelations. Using her own brand of uncannily developed hairdressing intuitive, empathy and understanding, Lily begins to solve the mysteries of the village.”
Coronation Street legend Wendi Peters will play Gloria Crudd in the series, who is another newcomer to the village hoping to make a fresh start with her ice cream parlour but soon finds her old life catching up with her.
Wendi, 58, is best known for playing Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street from 2003 to 2007, she returned to the cobbles once again in 2014.
In a first look of the new series, Wendi looks worlds away from Cilla as her character Gloria has a pastel pink copper coloured curly beehive hairdo adorned with jewellery pieces.
However, Wendi isn’t the only Coronation Street star in the new series as she is joined by fellow Weatherfield favourite Charlotte Jordan who is playing Clary Coombs – Lily’s ‘bright and analytical assistant and the Watson to her Shear-lock Holmes’.
Charlotte, 32, is best known for playing Daisy Midgeley on the cobbles from 2020 to 2025, where her character was involved in several huge storylines including the hard-hitting acid attack plot.
Joining the two Coronation Street favourites is Bridget Jones’ Diary legend Sally Phillips who plays the lead character, hairdresser Lily Petal, who opts out of the competitive city scene to buy a small village hairdressing salon at the top of a cobbled street.
You star Ben Castle-Gibb will play PC Adam Watson – an eager young copper in the local village who falls head-over-heels for salon assistant Clary.
Meanwhile, Ackley Bridge star Sunetra Sarker will play Wincey Evans – the village’s local chit-chatter with a reputation as a known gossip, while Clive Rowe plays Lonnie – the flamboyant manager of the local charity shop, and Holby City star Guy Henry plays Race Runard – the local village’s eccentric antiques dealer with a penchant for priceless teacup and saucer sets.
The Hairdresser Mysteries comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this July.
From a devastating cancer battle to her many failed romances on the street, Sally’s 40 years in Weatherfield have not been short of drama. Especially as her marriage to husband, Tim (Joe Duttine), hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
It’s fair to say Sally is a soap legend and has played a part in several big storylines, and is much-loved for her comedy appeal and status as a street busybody.
Away from the soap, actress Sally is loved up with her husband, Tim, whom she married in 1995. Tim is a successful screenwriter who has worked on the ITV soap Emmerdale, as well as on the TV series The Drowning and Desperate Measures. According to IMDb, Tim has written more than 2,000 episodes of Emmerdale between 1995 and 2016.
His last credited episode aired in January 2016 and followed Diane Sugden (Elizabeth Estensen) as she tried to sell her half of The Woolpack, while Adam Barton’s (Adam Thomas) emotional attachment to baby Johnny Woodfield became a problem.
Sally recently delighted fans after giving them a look into her private life with Tim. Taking to her Instagram, she shared several snaps from their recent trip to Iceland, where the happy couple was taking in the glorious sights.
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She captioned the post: “Well, that was an adventure. What a wonderful, beautiful country Iceland is”. As expected, fans and co-stars were left gushing over the post.
Jane Danson commented: “Pretty special I really want to go again. Glad you had a fab time Sal”. Sally Ann Matthews penned: “Oh wowzers”, while Jude Riordan added: “I’m going next week!”
Sally and Tim share three children together, including daughters Phoebe, 31, and Hattie, 22, and son Sam, 29 Both of the girls have followed in their footsteps and are enjoying careers in television.
Who are Sally Dynevor’s famous daughters?
Hattie Dynevor stars on the BBC drama Waterloo Road, playing Libby Guthrie, the daughter of history teacher Neil (Neil Fitzmaurice), and has so far appeared in series 13 – 17.
She also appeared in the recently released gripping Netflix series Legends as Arabella, which also stars Steve Coogan and Tom Burke.
Hattie’s older sister, Phoebe, also launched an acting career on Waterloo Road, playing Siobhan Mailey between 2009 and 2020.
Bridgerton fans will also recognise the actress as Daphne, the wife of Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page, between 2020 and 2022. Speaking to Collider, Phoebe opened up about a possible return to the Netflix period drama.
She said, “When the first season came out, they didn’t know what they needed to put in play. We were the ones that got away, in a certain way.
“I can only speak for myself, I would always come back if I was asked. I have not received a call. When I get that call, I will be there if I can.”
She has since starred in a long list of popular television shows, including The Musketeers, Dickensian, Snatch, and Ten Percent. Away from the small screen, Pheobe has starred in the movies The Colour Room, Inheritance, and Thrash.
Emmerdale and Coronation Street are missing from the ITV schedules for two days this week, before returning to the channel amid the football coverage – while EastEnders is still on
Soap fans have found their Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules all over the place(Image: ITV)
With football taking over on ITV1 once more, the soaps are not airing in their usual time slots, or even on their normal days. EastEnders is also being hit by a schedule shake-up this week.
But EastEnders still airs on it’s normal days for this week, while Corrie is not on at all this Wednesday or Thursday. So when are the soaps on next?
For EastEnders fans, you will still get your soap fix on both Wednesday and Thursday. It’s a bit later than normal on BBC One though, airing for 30 minutes at 8:30PM, instead of 7:30PM.
As for Corrie and Emmerdale, fans will not get their next episodes until Friday 19 June. For once, both soaps will be in their usual time slots too.
So Emmerdale fans, your next episode will air on ITV1 at 8PM on Friday, followed by Coronation Street’s next episode at 8:30PM on the same channel. The episodes will also be dropping on ITVX that morning.
Of course with no episodes on Wednesday or Thursday, there will be no ITVX episode to stream on these days. But rest assured for this week, your next soap action is Friday.
Of course next week, it’s chaos again. Friday’s episode teases big moments ahead. On Corrie, Debbie Webster is trapped in a nightmare after the gun drama at the garage.
While she clashes with Tracy Barlow, an incident with a balloon leaves her terrified as she mistakes the noise of it bursting for a gunshot. Betsy Swain has some news for Lisa and Carla, which could tease an exit.
Sam Blakeman’s family rally around him, while he asks to see Roy Cropper. Maria Connor is suspicious of Gary Windass when he reveals he’s booked a holiday for the whole family.
She’s still assuming Gary and Sarah Platt are having an affair. Meanwhile, Kit admires the engagement ring he’s bought for Sarah.
As for Emmerdale, Lewis Barton gets kidnapped after preparing for a holiday with his love interest Vinny Dingle. As Lewis packs a suitcase and goes to make his way to the airport, a van suddenly pulls up near him.
Masked men jump out and Lewis is taken, and next week we find out who is holding him hostage. It’s all part of Kev Townsend’s return storyline, with more to be revealed.
Coronation Street legend Kevin Webster got into a huge showdown with nephew Carl on Tuesday night’s episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap and a shot was fired
Kevin Webster got involved in a shocking gun showdown on Tuesday night’s episode of Coronation Street
Kevin Webster got involved in a shocking gun showdown on Tuesday night’s episode of Coronation Street. The mechanic has been played by Michael Le Vell since 1983 and has been central to many of the soap’s biggest storylines, many of them involving his ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor), and their daughters,Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent).
On top of all that, Carl was recently injured when working on a car on the garage when Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) let the vehicle collapse down on him, and, to keep himself in the clear, lied to the police about his whereabouts that night, thereby landing innocent Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) in prison over the murder of Theo Silverton.
Things came to a head in the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap when Kevin and Carl came face-to-face in the garage as Ronnie Bailey, along with Tyrone, watched on in horror. Having obtained a gun from dodgy car dealer Fiona Morley (Sara Poyzer), it was lying on the floor between them – just after Kevin had tried to hit him with a wrench.
Carl told Kevin: ” Either we fix this… ..or you pick up that gun,” to which his brother-turned-nephew did, believing that it was fake and a violent tussle followed when Carl told him to pull the trigger. A gunshot was heard and it transpired that Kevin had pulled the trigger.
Tyrone got a hold of Kevin to make him see sense and, when he realised Carl had dodged the bullet, he said: “I’m sorry, Carl.” Later on, Carl called round to number 13 where he told Kevin: “Been a bit of a day, eh? Should never have agreed to do that job for Fiona. I don’t know what I was thinking, pulling that out on you. We’re a right pair, aren’t we, eh?
“So, is this us now? Putting everything behind us?” Kevin sighed as he said: “We’re never gonna be best mates, but yeah. We both love Debbie and if you’re serious about doing the right thing by her then we’ll move forward.
“Just one thing. Why did you do it? Abi, I mean. Like, I know I’ve gotta get past it, and it’s doing me no good dwelling on the past but I need to know. Please.” Carl said: “Because she was there, I was selfish, self-destructive. Jealous. Kev, whatever the reason, doing that to you, to both of you, it was wrong and I regret it. I regret it all. I don’t wanna be that person again and I don’t think I’m gonna be.” It was then that the warring relatives seemingly called a truce as they shook hands.
By the end of the episode, Ronnie and Debbie had found out about the whole thing and he claimed he had returned the gun, but now it was nowhere to be seen as Fiona hadn’t received it. Lamenting in the living room, Debbie said to Ronnie and Carl: “So, not only have we got God knows who coming after us, but there’s someone out there with a loaded gun!
“Right, first thing tomorrow, I want you both out there, and I want you to find it, because if you don’t, it won’t be Fiona you’ll have to worry about, it’ll be me! Now, get out of my sight… the pair of you,” and showed them the door. What none of them know, though, is Jodie Ramsey, the mysterious long-lost sister of Shona, had found the gun and taken it for herself.
Reacting to the tense episode, one fan wrote on X: “Carl bringing a gun to an argument.. yes only soft b******* do that!! #Corrie,” whilst another said: “So what’s Jodie planning on doing with the gun then?” Is she gonna use it on David if he doesn’t sleep with her?”
A third wrote: “Aw Carl and Kevin making up. Hope Carl sorts himself out for Debbie,” and a fourth said: “A near miss for Carl and Kevin. Oh s*** the gun has gone off!”
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am onITVX.
EastEnders have welcomed back a familiar face, but fans fear this will lead to dangerous scenes for Chelsea and Jordan Fox after they survived serial killer Gray Atkins
EastEnders welcomes back familiar face
A familiar face has come back to EastEnders – and it spells trouble for Chelsea and Jordan Fox. Chelsea’s sister Libby, played by Belinda Owusu, has returned Walford after hearing about her mother Denise’s cancer diagnosis, but while many were happy to see her, it wasn’t long before she and Chelsea started bickering.
They argued about many things, starting with whether Chelsea should have noticed Denise was ill and called Libby earlier. Soon, the conversation turned to Chelsea’s son Jordan, who was recently in a car accident and may not be able to walk again. As Chelsea broke down, Libby comforted her sister. But, again, their peace with each other didn’t last long.
Libby pushed Chelsea to open up more and fill her in on what was going on. As such, Chelsea revealed that she had received a birthday card for Jordan from his great-grandmother, Sheila, along with a cheque for £1000.
When asked why she hadn’t cashed it, Chelsea said she didn’t want anyone connected to her ex husband Gray, Jordan’s father who was abusive and killed multiple people, involved in her son’s life, in case they were still in contact with Gray. The murderer, who was also physically abusive towards Chelsea, is currently in prison for his crimes. Since Sheila is Gray’s grandmother, Chelsea didn’t want to risk her being involved.
But, Libby later took the card, with the cheque inside. Fans were unsure what Libby planned to do with it, but some felt that if she cashed the cheque, this would put Chelsea and Jordan in danger.
One floated the idea that Libby planned to cash the cheque: “First episode back and Libby has already just slotted in like shes been back for ages, although if she does end up cashing the check I hope its actually to help Jordan and not another ‘I’m in debt and need to pay someone off’ storyline again.”
Another added: “Well I hope not since she did say she was willing to give Chelsea money for Jordan’s wheelchair and other stuff so I doubt they writers will make her do that considering what she said today.
“I also hope before she cashes it in she discusses it with Chelsea first because at the end of the day it’s gonna affect Jordan and Chelsea since it’s gonna be from her ex partner’s family and who knows they might still be in touch with him so it could potentially put both Jordan and Chelsea at risk but that’s just my opinion.
“So I hope she discusses it with Chelsea before doing anything bc if I was Chelsea I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel either taking money from my abusive ex’s family.”
A third added that they thought this could lead to a custody battle that puts Gray back in Jordan’s life: “I really hope she talks to Chelsea too, because if she cashes the cheque, Gray’s family could use to suggest that they take over Jordan’s care entirely – they’re already paying and they’ll say Chelsea let him get hurt.
“And if they have custody, they might take him to see Gray, which isn’t safe for anyone, especially Chelsea when she tries to get Jordan back.”
Belinda Owusu, who plays Libby, has already teased that her return to the Square leads to tough scenes for Chelsea, and what will happen with the cheque. She said: “With Chelsea overwhelmed by Jordan’s care and the financial strain, Libby sees it as potential support. She’s torn – she respects Chelsea’s boundaries but also believes it could offer some relief.”
Coronation Street fans are worried that actress Sydney Martin is about to leave her role as Betsy Swain on the ITV soap after two years of melodramatic twists and turns
Coronation Street fans are worried that Betsy Swain is about to leave the ITV soap
Coronation Street fans are worried that Betsy Swain is about to leave the ITV soap. The Speed Daal waitress, who has been played by Sydney Martin since 2024, has been through an awful lot during her two years in Weatherfield.
Just over a year ago, Betsy lost boyfriend Mason in a knife attack, was then shot by her own mother DS Lisa Swain, who faced no consequences for her actions, and was landed in a freak situation when her other mother Becky came back from the dead, having faked it as part of a corrupt police coverup.
Following on from all that drama , Betsy recently discovered a dead body that turned out to be that of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) at the end of the much-hyped Murder Week.
In scenes set to air in the coming days, Betsy confides in best friend Laure (Cait Fitton) that she’s been offered a place at the London College of Fashion but she’s worried about leaving Dylan. It’s yet to be seen just how Dylan will react and, on top of that, Betsy explains that she is yet to inform her mother.
Fans of the world’s longest-running TV soap have instantly started to speculate that Sydney, who appeared in Assassin’s Guild before joining Coronation Street, is set to make a dramatic exit from the ITV soap.
Taking to X, one fan said: “betsy off to london? [sad face emoji],” whilst another posted a picture of Carla, Lisa and Betsy and said: “Don’t spilt them up please #corrie I think Lisa will take this hard and Carla will help both Betsy and Lisa to see it from each others perspective.
Another said: “You can just imagine Carla saying something like oh you’ll be fine Betsy in London I could tell you stories about what me and Michelle got up to, and Betsy saying something like and even to this day they involve the police.”
Another wondered if this meant some sort of spin-off was on the cards. In the past, the programme has done various spin-offs such as Just Rosie, which followed Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan) on her quest for a modelling career, whilst a string of DVD releases like A Knight’s Tale and Out Of Africa were issued in the late 2000s.
Posing the theory, the fan wrote on X: “Is there any indication that Betsy going to London could be a limited summer off-shoot series like Hollyoaks Later where all the teens shared a summer house (obviously without the serial killer). But it will be Betsy’s adventures in the big city?”
It all comes after actress Sydney Martin, 24, was revealed to have been cast in a short film titled Favourite earlier this year. Filmmaker Georgia Leigh-Taylor said: “I’m so thrilled to announce the incredible Sydney Martin and the brilliant Isabelle Smith will be playing Mel and Ashley in my upcoming short film called Favourite.
“After graduating from the same acting school, Sydney and Izzy have both been working professionally in television since 2024, building exciting careers for themselves, taking on powerful storylines, and earning well-deserved recognition.
“Favourite is a dual-timeline drama exploring the lives of best friends Mel and Ashley both as teenagers, and as adults.”
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Emmerdale’s Dr Todd, played by Caroline Harker, has been causing chaos in the village but the actress comes from a famous acting family
13:02, 11 Jun 2026Updated 13:05, 11 Jun 2026
Emmerdale’s Dr Todd, played by Caroline Harker, has been causing chaos in the village but the actress comes from a famous acting family (Image: ITV)
Dr Todd has caused nothing but chaos since her arrival on Emmerdale.
After bullying young trainee doctor Jacob Sugden (Joe-Warren Plant) at the hospital, Dr Todd, played by Caroline Harker, turned her attentions to Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).
Charity served as a surrogate for granddaughter Sarah Sugden and Sarah’s husband Jacob, giving birth to baby Leyla. However, Charity has failed to tell the new parents that she and Ross Barton are actually Leyla’s biological parents following a short fling together.
After Dr Todd discovered this secret, she demanded £100,000 from Charity, and things took a horrifying turn when Dr Todd sexually assaulted Charity on Sunday’s episode.
With Dr Todd currently dominating storylines on the ITV soap viewers may be interested to learn that actress Caroline, 60, hails from quite a distinguished acting family.
Who is Dr Todd star Caroline Harker’s family?
Away from the soap, it transpires that Dr Todd actress Caroline comes from quite a celebrated family. Her mother, Polly Adams, is an accomplished actress who has worked extensively across both the UK and the US.
She is perhaps best known for playing Mrs Brown in the 1990s television series Just William, with further TV credits including Kingdom and The Cinder Path.
In 1975, Polly made her Broadway debut in the award-nominated role of Grace Harkaway in a revival of London Assurance. However, Polly isn’t the only celebrated family member Caroline has.
Her sister is Susannah Harker, who has featured in hit BBC 1995 series Pride and Prejudice as Jane Bennet, alongside Jennifer Ehle, who played Elizabeth Bennet, and Colin Firth, who played Mr Darcy.
Other roles include Midsomer Murders and Grantchester. She also received a BAFTA TV Award nomination in 1990 for her portrayal of Mattie Storin in House of Cards.
Who is Dr Todd star Caroline Harker’s husband?
Caroline is wed to actor Anthony Calf, and together the couple have three daughters: Louise Emma Calf, Cecilia Ann L Calf, and Anemone Georgiana Calf.
The 66-year-old boasts an extensive acting career and is best known for his roles in The Madness of King George, Beau Geste, and I Came By, alongside his appearances in Lewis.
Between 2023 and 2025, Anthony portrayed Lord Brightlingsea in the costume drama The Buccaneers, and has also featured in the film A Teacher’s Gift (2025) and the series Insomnia (2024).
From 2005, Anthony spent a decade playing DAC Robert Strickland in New Tricks, having previously taken on the role of Michael Beauchamp in Holby City (2005 – 2006).
In 2019, Anthony stepped into the role of William Wickham in the hugely popular series Poldark, and also appeared in Doctor Who as Godsacre (2017) as well as Death in Paradise in 2021 as Phillip Carlton. His former brother-in-law is Game of Thrones star Iain Glen.
What else has Dr Todd star Caroline Harker been in?
Away from her work in the Dales, Caroline has cropped up in a host of productions, including Harry Enfield and Chums, Holding On, The Man Who Lost His Head with Martin Clunes, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Midsomer Murders, and Doctors.
In 2012, Caroline took on the role of Alicia Davenport for a brief stint in Coronation Street. She is also widely recognised for her portrayal of PC Hazel Wallace in A Touch of Frost, starring opposite Sir David Jason.
Her most recent roles include Julia in the Apple TV series Hijack, Bethany Hastings in The Stolen Girl, and Mrs. Taylor-Brown. Back in 2011, she made a one-off appearance in New Tricks, sharing the screen with her husband, portraying the character Tabitha Hall-Chalmers.
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
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
Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle made the brave decision to report her abuser to the police in powerful scenes, after Dr Todd’s disgusting assault left fans sickened on Sunday
15:19, 08 Jun 2026Updated 15:25, 08 Jun 2026
Charity Dingle vowed to stop Emmerdale villain Dr Todd in powerful and moving scenes on Monday(Image: ITV)
Charity Dingle vowed to stop Emmerdale villain Dr Todd in powerful and moving scenes on Monday.
This article contains details from the latest episode now available on ITVX, while it airs on ITV1 on Monday at 8PM. The character had been subjected to a horrific sexual assault moments earlier by the former doctor. After Todd continued to blackmail Charity for money over her baby lie, Charity spiralled.
After getting drunk she confronted Todd, and was cruelly made to believe they had come to a truce. Todd had comemnted on why she was really targeting Charity, while Charity passed out on the sofa.
It’s then that in dark scenes, Todd took advantage of Charity while she was out of it, and after hurling insults at her she sexually assauted her. Charity realised what was happening and woke up, left numb as Todd smirked before leaving the room.
During Monday’s episode, Charity was visibly distraught by her ordeal, and sat in silence. As her family and friends continued celebrating her granddaughter Sarah’s birthday at the pub, Charity soon decided to join them.
Saying nothing about what had happened, she put on a brave face and joined her loved ones. She made her excuses and left, and we saw her approaching the outside of Vanessa Woodfield’s house, where Todd is staying.
But Charity didn’t enter the house, and instead she made the brave decision to report Todd to the police. A shaken Charity confirmed she was there to report a crime, before she was led into a room by a detective.
As Charity relived the horrifying assault that had just happened, she was told she would need to give full details and a statement, as well as undergo a full medical examination. The detective said they believed her, and they needed to gather as much evidence as possible.
They also revealed they would need to arrest and question Dr Todd about Charity’s accusations, and it would later be determined if there was enough evidence for Todd to be charged. As Charity returned home alone, she broke down in tears.
Emotional viewers praised Charity’s bravery, and shared they were glad the soap had taken this route. One fan said on social media: “Very glad #emmerdale went in the direction they did with Charity immediately going to the police.”
Another fan posted: “Charity went to the police that was unexpected,” as a third added: “I did a little cheer when Charity went to the police station, and when they said they believed her.” A fan then replied: “Yeah I did a little cheer as well!”
A final comment read: “I was surprised Charity went to the Police at this stage but definitely the correct way for the show to go.”
* If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Emmerdale has had plenty of dark moments, but fans have now called the most latest storyline involving Charity and Dr Todd ‘abhorrent’ and have said the soap has gone too far
13:17, 08 Jun 2026Updated 13:18, 08 Jun 2026
Emmerdale’s darkest moments
Emmerdale has aired some shocking storylines since it first began in 1972, but perhaps none so dark as its most recent, which fans have said went too far.
In Sunday night’s episode, airing on 7 June, longtime favourite Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) became the victim of a “horrendous” sexual assault at the hands of Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker). Dr Todd had been blackmailing Charity over the true parentage of the baby she gave her granddaughter but after Charity fought back, the villainous doctor tried to kiss her. Though she was rejected, when a drunk Charity fell asleep, Dr Todd assaulted her.
Fans were furious with the storyline. One called it “disturbing”: “The SA scene in #Emmerdale is horrendous, please take care of yourselves, very difficult watch. Charity [crying emoji].I can’t post the clip its so disturbing.”
Another added that they felt “physically sick” and hoped that the soap would be fined for the latest storyline: “I hope #Emmerdale gets a fine and or massive warning, there’s doing a storyline and there is a storyline that makes many women feel physically sick and shaking, disgusting behaviour from TV.”
Finally, another implied that the actors should be “ashamed” for agreeing to film the scenes and said they would not be watching. But this is not the first time Emmerdale has aired a deeply dark storyline. From serial killers to a modern slavery plot, here are the darkest storylines on Emmerdale.
Serial killer Meena
Nurse Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) arrived in Emmerdale in 2020. Meena did many villainous things whilst on Emmerdale, inclduing pretending to be Ethan Anderson’s (Emile John) estranged mum and taking Rishi Sharma’s (Bhasker Patel) medication so that she could later save him.
But things soon got worse for the Emmerdale residents, when Meena started killing. Offscreen, she murdered both her own father and her former best friend Nadine, while onscreen, she killed Leanna Cavanagh (Mimi Slinger), Andrea Tate (Anna Nightingale) and Ben Tucker (Simon Lennon). She seemed completely unaffected by her crimes, often singing and dancing to pop music before committing them and involving herself in the lives of those mourning her victims afterwards.
Several of Meena’s scenes were brutal and vicious. Some fans said they were left “traumatised” and “horrified” by the violent way she murdered Andrea and Ofcom received several complaints about Ben’s death.
Cameron killing Gennie
Cameron Murray (Dominic Power) was another Emmerdale killer. He killed three people – Carl King (Tom Lister), ALex Moss (Kurtis Stacey) and Gennie Walker (Sian Reese-Williams) – between 2012 and 2013.
Cameron was later sent to prison after his girlfriend Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb) turned on him. But, still believing that Debbie loved him, he escaped prison and took the patrons in The Woolpack hostage. Everyone managed to escape except Cameron, who was electrocuted in the cellar.
Though he killed several people, the way he killed Gennie was deeply disturbing. After seeing Gennie leave their house, Cameron and Debbie realised she must have overheard Cameron confess to killing Carl and chased her down in their car. Gennie’s car spun out of control and crashed – while Debbie called the police, hoping someone could save Gennie, Cameron got her out of the car and suffocated her without Debbie seeing.
Bear’s modern slavery story
At the end of last year, Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) faced a modern slavery ordeal. The character had disappeared earlier that year and was believed to be in Ireland, but it was later revealed that he was living in a barn and being controlled by the barn’s owners, who forced him to work their farm.
Those captors were Ray and Celia (Joe Absolom and Jaye Griffiths), who also manipulated April and Dylan (Amelia Flanagan and Fred Kettle) into working for them too and transporting drugs across county lines.
Fans said the storyline was “too dark” but Joshua Richards said before the storyline aired: “It may surprise many people, but slavery is alive and well, indeed prospering in the modern world. Not only in obscure countries and cultures that we know little about, and not just the exploitation of migrants by criminal gangs of which some of us are aware. It is happening under our very own noses.”
He continued: “The disadvantaged, dispossessed, those with mental health issues or disabilities, the old, lonely and vulnerable people that our society neglect are the perfect prey for grooming by unscrupulous criminal agencies. I’m very excited and honoured to be taking part in this to hopefully educate and highlight this abominable trade of human bondage.”
John Sugden’s hero syndrome
John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) appeared to suffer from hero syndrome in 2024. The paramedic would put people in danger and then use his skills to save them.
He injected Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) with an unknown substance and planned to save him but was too late and Nate died. He also swapped Jacob Gallagher’s (Joe Warren Plant) coffee with an almond milk latte, knowing Jacob was allergic, swapped Chas Dingle’s (Lucy Pargeter) pain killers with a stringer dose so that she would overdose, whacked Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson)over the head and did much more to others, all so that he could later save them.
Jackson’s assisted suicide
In controversial scenes in 2011, Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) helped his partner Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock) die. Jackson was tetraplegic, which is where someone is unable to move the upper and lower parts of their body.
Viewers watched in shock as Aaron helped to end Jackson’s life by helping him drink a lethal cocktail of drugs. Emmerdale was criticised for the story line and an Ofcom investigation was launched after several complaints were made.
Pierce assaults Rhona
In 2017, viewers watched as Pierce Harris (Jonathan Wrather) assaulted and manipulated his partner Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry). Fans were terrified for Rhona when she agreed to marry Pierce, and rightly so, as he raped her on their wedding day.
Emmerdale again received complaints for the graphic nature of the scenes that were broadcast, but ultimately stood by its decision for airing the episode, claiming it complied with Ofcom’s vigorous guidelines.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Coronation Street legend Amanda Barrie, who starred as Alma Baldwin on the ITV soap, is convinced bosses would’ve sacked her had her sexuality been made public at the time
22:50, 06 Jun 2026Updated 22:50, 06 Jun 2026
Amanda Barrie is convinced that Coronation Street bosses would’ve sacked her if she came out as bisexual (Image: PA)
Amanda Barrie is convinced she would have been axed from Coronation Street had producers found out about her sexuality. The actress, 90, starred as Alma Halliwell on the ITV soap from 1988 until 2001 and the character became known for her marriage to Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) and ran the local café with Gail Tilsey (Helen Worth) before it was taken over by Roy Cropper.
In real life, Amanda was married to actor Robin Hunter from 1967 until the mid-1980s and she went on to tie the knot with crime novelist and former Mirror journalist Hilary Bonner in 2014, having chosen to come out as bisexual in her 2002 memoir It’s Not A Rehearsal, which she released shortly after quitting the soap.
Now, Amanda, has insisted that whilst the programme now has an influx of gay and lesbian characters, she had to keep her sexuality a secret and is now sure that, had she been open and honest about it, she would have been written out thanks to the attitudes that were in place in society at that time.
She said: “Not thought, I KNOW I would have been [fired], taking into account the climate at the time. Things are so different now. Corrie’s like Canal Street in Manchester these days.
“The people I was close to always knew about me and the relationships throughout my life. Being at the age I am, I still remember when gay men were absolutely crucified for being the way they were. “
Amanda, whose Corrie alter-ego Alma was memorably killed off following a battle with cancer, noted that these days it is “so much easier” for people like Christine McGuinness, who was rumoured to have been dating Nicola Adams after splitting from Paddy McGuinness, to discuss their sexuality publicly.
Now, the former Bad Girls star is just hopeful that eventually, society will arrive at a place where the announcement of one’s sexuality is not even necessary and it ends up being an “unimportant” factor in one’s personality.
Speaking to The Sun, she added: “I believe in the freedom to do and be exactly as you wish in life. To live in your own way. I dream of a day when people’s sexuality is regarded as so unimportant that no one even bothers to remark on whether somebody is gay or straight. “It’s probably a pipedream, but I still like to dream it.”
Amanda, whose stellar showbiz career also includes appearances in other TV favourites like Casualty, Amandaland, and Benidorm and has also seen her become a pantomime favourite, previously spoke of the surprise reaction she got from the public when she did eventually decide to go public about her sexuality.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain towards the end of last year, she explained: “I expected to be stoned in the street, I got a lot of hugs. What was I in such a state about? Because it was just ‘Oh, I see, oh…'” before adding:
“You automatically revert to the way you’d always behave, lurking about with your head down editing your life is what you do. You change they, he, she, all that editing…”
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.
One Emmerdale theory suggested a shock death could be looming for Laurel Thomas as her secret fling faces being exposed on the ITV soap, but not all fans are convinced
14:16, 03 Jun 2026Updated 14:19, 03 Jun 2026
One Emmerdale theory suggested a shock death could be looming for Laurel Thomas(Image: ITV)
One new Emmerdale theory has teased a shock death for a long-serving character.
Laurel Thomas is currently at the centre of a new romance plot with Ross Barton, with a secret fling underway. Laurel’s stepdaughter Gabby Thomas was rejected by Ross who instead wants to be with Laurel.
Amid this storyline ongoing, it’s been teased Laurel is just having a bit of fun. But with recent reports suggesting that three different characters have been axed from the show, some fans wondered what the future might hold for other village residents.
There’s rumours Jimmy King will be killed off later this year, and now a new theory suggests Laurel could meet a grim fate. While the fan who started off the theory claimed they were initially joking, they admitted they could not help but wonder if there was truth to it given the soap’s history.
They wondered how the storyline with Ross and Laurel may end, even predicting a twist involving Gabby. They predicted that Laurel would become hated by villagers, and might end up being killed off.
Hilariously, fans shared their thoughts on the theory, admitting that with it being soap land, anything was possible. The original post read: “I thought of this as a joke at first, but knowing the writers, maybe it will end up being true.
“Who wants to bet that Ross will end up dating Gabby and then secretly have an affair with Laurel. Bonus points if they get engaged/married and the affair is found out at the wedding and/or Gabby has a child to him during the relationship (or she goes Eva from Corrie style and fakes a pregnancy).
“And since it’s Emmerdale, let’s also predict that Jai will start seeing Laurel behind Kerry’s back and both affair reveals will happen in the same week. Leading to Laurel becoming the most hated person in the village and then mysteriously dying, prompting a months-long whodunnit.”
The idea wasn’t completely shut down by fans, as some joked along with it while others questioned how likely it was given recent storylines. A fan replied: “You are HIRED!!!!! That storyline I would watch!”
Another said: “You’ve given the scriptwriters much food for thought if they read your post but you and I know that anything is possible in soap land. And I mean anything.”
A final comment read: “I mean if there’s already rumours around about other long-term characters being killed off then Laurel could be just as at risk surely. As people have said it’s soap after all.”
As it stands there has been nothing to suggest Laurel is leaving the show, let alone that she will be killed off. It’s not currently the way the plot is going, but fans are not wrong by saying anything can happen.
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!