Latest news with #soapopera
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Coronation Street siblings look unrecognisable a whopping 17 years on from leaving the ITV soap
A pair of Coronation Street siblings look unrecognisable a whopping 17 years on from leaving the ITV soap. Long-standing character Bethany Platt first appeared on the cobbles back in 2000 and is the daughter of Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien). She was originally played by twin sisters, Emily and Amy Walton, who shared the role for seven years from 2000 to 2007. The twins were involved in several major plot twists including when Bethany was kidnapped by her paternal grandmother Brenda Fearns (Julia Deakin) in 2004. While in other dramatic scenes, Bethany took an Ecstasy pill that her uncle had stashed inside of her doll and ended up hospitalised. Bethany left, alongside her mother, in 2007 when the pair moved to Italy and the twins no longer had a role on the soap. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Since starring on the popular soap, the twins have moved away from acting and pursued other ventures. The Lancashire born pair were born in March 2000 and competed in the British Trampoline finals in 2016 according to OK! magazine. Amy also reportedly secured a place in Great Britain's team the European Championships the following year. Emily posted a photo with her sister on Instagram back in January and the pair look very different from their days on the soap. Both are grinning at the camera and appeared to be holidaying in Thailand. The post was captioned with, 'The last of Thailand,' alongside a yellow heart emoji. Bethany returned to Coronation Street in 2015, but played by Lucy Fallon who has maintained the role ever since. Bethany left again in 2020 and moved to London to write for a magazine but returned in 2023 to reignite a relationship with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard). Earlier this year, Bethany waved goodbye to the cobbles again when she headed to London for a new job, with Sarah Platt and Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) waving her off. The trainee magazine editor shared how guilty she felt for fleeing to the capital after her family's house was burnt down in terrifying scenes. Sarah told her: 'You're giving us good news.' Bethany replied: 'Last time I went to London... I crashed and burned.' She added: 'I'm going to miss you guys.' Sarah told her: 'I'm so proud of you, everything you've been through.' It had been a pretty tough year for Bethany. The aspiring writer travelled to Turkey to get a cosmetic procedure done, but unfortunately things went wrong and she was left with a stoma bag. Not only that, Bethany and boyfriend Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) have hit a bit of a rough patch in their relationship. Despite getting engaged over the Christmas period, Bethany decides that heading to London is what is best for her. As viewers will you know, actress Lucy was pregnant with her second child when those scenes were filmed. She revealed that she was expecting in August last year. The soap star welcomed her daughter into the world on the January 11 2025. Sharing a sweet snap of her newborn, she wrote: 'our teeny angel girl is here 11/1/25 x.' The actress is also a proud mum to a two-year-old boy. Lucy gave birth to her son Sonny Jude on January 30 2023. The couple have been together since 2020. Corrie fans will be happy to know that Lucy will be back on the Cobbles in the future. Speaking on a Instagram Q&A, Lucy said: 'Lots of Corrie related q's - I won't be away for toooo long and I am returning after I pop the baby out.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Coronation Street star reveals the cast's reaction to the soap's huge cuts after ITV soap's weekly episode count was slashed amid crisis fears
Coronation Street star Rob Mallard has revealed the cast's reaction to the soap's recent cuts, with its episode count set to be slashed by bosses in 2025. Soaring production costs and a collapse in advertising revenue are said to have put the future of the long-running soap in jeopardy and sparked a number of budget cuts. Speaking to MailOnline on the red carpet at Saturday's Soap Awards, Rob, who plays Daniel Osbourne, shared the cast's reaction to the changes. He said: 'People who have been in the show for a long time said they thought it was going to be better, because they seem to remember it being like that at some point in the past, and I think in terms of the way we structure our episode. 'We won't have to have so many artificial cliffhangers, because there's no coming back for part two. It's all there in one, so it's going to make the storytelling a lot clearer.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. After Lucy Fallon exited the soap earlier this year to give birth to her second child, Rob shared when fans can expect to see Bethany Platt back on screens. He added: 'She's coming back, she's gone off to have her baby, from what I understand she was coming back pretty much as soon as she was able to.' From January 2026, Corrie will reduce to six weekly episodes to just five, airing alongside Emmerdale in a 'new soaps power hour.' It's been reported the ITV soap is in trouble due to an alleged cash crisis and a revolt from the cast over poor working conditions and low salaries. In January, an insider claimed some of the show's well known actors could see their scenes in the Rovers Return cut to save cash. As more well-established stars are paid more per episode, the show is said to be relying more on its newer characters as those actors are paid less. Salaries on the cobbles vary significantly with established stars like Bill Roache said to earn £2,000 per episode while newbies usually get £400 per appearance Gail Platt - played by Helen Worth for 50 years - appeared in just 26 out of 304 episodes in her final year on the soap, while Bill only played Ken for 48 episodes. While some of the show's mid-ranking and younger actors are been said to be worried they'll be written off the show in order to keep the more established stars. Last year, the show's new boss warned the multiple characters will face the boot as she opened up about several 'unexpected exits' in 2025. Other actors have reportedly vented their fury on a WhatsApp group over fears they could be next. A source said: 'There's a WhatsApp group which has been pinging with messages about concerns of where the axe will fall next.' 'It's a tough time on the soap and it's filtering down. There is a feeling more people will be cut to save money and to keep the best-paid stars like Bill Roache and Jack P Shepherd on board.' The insider added that cast members have also complained about the long working hours. They added: 'Filming is tough. One person moaned they were 'worked like dogs'. The days of bumper pay are gone.' The best and brightest in serial drama were in attendance for the Soap Awards, which will be broadcast on ITV on June 5. It was the BBC 's EastEnders that cleaned up on the night with eight awards while Hollyoaks received three, Emmerdale two and Coronation Street only one. They kicked off their wins with Best Episode which went to Phil's Psychosis: The Mitchells In 1985. EastEnders also won Scene of the Year for Angie Watts' Shock Return while Navin Chowdhry won Best Villain for his role of Nish Panesar. Steve McFadden, who plays fan favourite Phil Mitchell, won the Best Dramatic Performance award while Patsy Palmer won Best Comedic Performance for her role as Bianca Jackson. Rudolph Walker & Angela Wynter (Patrick & Yolande Trueman) delivered another win for EastEnders as they won Best On-Screen Partnership. Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, won the Best Leading Performer Award and EastEnders also won the most coveted award of all: Best British Soap. Hollyoaks' three awards started with Isabelle Smith who won Best Newcomer for her role as Frankie Osborne. The Osbornes then won the Best Family award while Hollyoaks' sibling sexual abuse storyline received the Best Storyline award. Emmerdale's Amelia Flanagan won Best Young Performer for playing April Windsor while camera operator Mike Plant took home the Tony Warren Award which is given to employees working behind the scenes. Coronation Street's sole gong of the night was the Outstanding Achievement Award which went to David Neilson who has played Roy Cropper for 30 years. British Soap Awards 2025: Full List of Winners Viewer Voted Categories: Best British Soap: Coronation Street EastEnders - WINNER Emmerdale Hollyoaks Best Leading Performer: Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater, EastEnders) - WINNER Kellie Bright (Linda Carter, EastEnders) Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle, Emmerdale) Beth Cordingly (Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale) Villain of the Year: Calum Lill (Joel Deering, Coronation Street) Navin Chowdhry (Nish Panesar, EastEnders) - WINNER Ned Porteous (Joe Tate, Emmerdale) Tyler Conti (Abe Fielding, Hollyoaks) Best Comedy Performance: Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street) Patsy Palmer (Bianca Jackson, EastEnders) - WINNER Nicola Wheeler (Nicola King, Emmerdale) Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra McQueen, Hollyoaks) Panel Voted Categories: Best Family: The Platts (Coronation Street) The Slaters (EastEnders) The Dingles (Emmerdale) The Osbornes (Hollyoaks) - WINNER Best Dramatic Performance: Peter Ash (Paul Foreman, Coronation Street) Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell, EastEnders) - WINNER Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle, Emmerdale) Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks) Best Single Episode: Mason's death (Coronation Street) Phil's psychosis: the Mitchells in 1985 (EastEnders) - WINNER April's life on the streets (Emmerdale) Hollyoaks time jump (Hollyoaks) Best On-Screen Partnership: Alison King and Vicky Myers (Carla Connor and Lisa Swain, Coronation Street) Rudolph Walker and Angela Wynter (Patrick and Yolande Trueman, EastEnders) - WINNER William Ash and Beth Cordingly (Caleb and Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale) Nathaniel Dass and Oscar Curtis (Dillon Ray and Lucas Hay, Hollyoaks) Best Newcomer: Jacob Roberts (Kit Green, Coronation Street) Laura Doddington (Nicola Mitchell, EastEnders) Shebz Miah (Kammy Hadiq, Emmerdale) Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks) - WINNER Best Storyline: Paul's battle with MND (Coronation Street) Phil Mitchell: Hypermasculinity in crisis (EastEnders) Belle and Tom - Domestic Abuse (Emmerdale) Sibling sexual abuse (Hollyoaks) - WINNER Best Young Performer: Will Flanagan (Joseph Winter-Brown, Coronation Street) Sonny Kendall (Tommy Moon, EastEnders) Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor, Emmerdale) - WINNER Noah Holdsworth (Oscar Osborne, Hollyoaks) Scene of the Year: Mason's death (Coronation Street) Angie Watts' shock return (EastEnders) - WINNER Amy's deathly plunge reveals a grisly secret (Emmerdale) Mercedes confronts her mortality (Hollyoaks)
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Emmerdale's Amy Walsh admits taking mass soap axing ‘personally' & reveals why she found filming final scenes difficult
EMMERDALE star Amy Walsh has admitted she took the soap's recent mass cast cull 'personally'. The actress, who has played Tracy Robinson on and off since 2014, opened up about the emotional toll of filming her co-stars' final scenes after a massive cast cull. 5 The star revealed what it was like to film the explosive stunt back in February, which saw a full limo crash into an icy lake and slowly sink under water. The crash killed three characters in a massive cast cull: Suzy Merton, Amy Wyatt and Leyla Harding - who died from their injuries. Speaking about the filming the heart-breaking scenes, Amy revealed: "It was the best experience I've had on the show. I've never been involved in a big stunt. "We were doing night shoots for weeks. It was with all my closest friends in the show. "I loved all the emotional content. It was heart-breaking, but great to be involved with." Close to tears, she added: "It was hard. It was really emotional. On a personal level, I found it really hard. I'm really really close to Roxy and Natalie Ann. "They were pretending to be dead and I couldn't quite cope. I had to step away at one point. "It was just a sad sad time, but you know, it's the nature of the beast." The 37-year-old recently revealed her exciting new career move alongside her EastEnders star husband, Toby Alexander Smith. Taking to Instagram, the soap power couple announced they will be launching a drama school - in a bid to inspire fresh talent. Horrifying moment Emmerdale legend has nasty fall - leaving him struggling alone at home Toby said: "The Walsh Academy North will open on 2nd June 2025 and provide speech and drama classes for children aged from 7 to 16." Amy chimed in and revealed that herself and Toby will be the acting coaches. She added that their aim is not to make every child a TV star - but to offer a safe space from them to express themselves and meet new friends to have fun with. The Walsh Academy was established in London in 2021 by Amy Walsh's sister, Sally Sheppard Walsh. Most devastating soap deaths SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust. Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years. EASTENDERS Barry Evans - Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying. Her plan to inherit Barry's fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files. Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was 'fake'. Bradley Branning - Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater's rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died. He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape. Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death. CORONATION STREET Tina McIntyre - Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow - despite him being married to Carla Connor. When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla's brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her. Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony - then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her. In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe. Molly Dobbs - Molly was one of the victims in Corrie's 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold). Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death. This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth. As fate would have it, Kevin's wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly's side in her final moments. Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack's father, before dying of her injuries. Vera Duckworth - Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character. Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap's most beloved couples. Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair. Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey's exit as Jack. Paul Foreman - Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease. Introduced in 2018 as David Platt's (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance - and marriage - with vicar Billy Mayhew. The MND storyline was announced in 2023 - with the expectation it would result in the character's death. EMMERDALE Sarah Sugden - After the family got into financial problems, Sarah's son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn. He didn't realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze. Nine villagers - The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale. Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash. Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died. HOLLYOAKS Carmel McQueen - The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family's car. Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble - but got stuck in it herself. Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel. They wrote: "The academy has flourished and the students are THRIVING! That is why we are a thrilled to be bringing The Walsh Academy… to the NORTH!" The soap stars first met in 2019 while in the audience of Strictly Come Dancing and quickly moved in together ahead of the coronavirus pandemic. Two years after they met, they welcomed their first child Bonnie Mae in December 2021. In August 2023, they got engaged during a romantic holiday in Ibiza. In September 2023, they tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony in front of family and friends in Montenegro. She told OK!: 'It was honestly the most perfect day. It surpassed all my expectations and more. I felt so surprisingly present on the day and loved every second. Now I'm just in pure bliss. "Our family and friends are really important to us and we wanted everyone to have the best time. 'They all made such an effort to come out there for us. Friends left their kids for the first time and spent their money getting there. We wanted it to be really special.' 5 5 5
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy claims huge pop star 'bullied her at school' and they have spoken about it since
Natalie Cassidy has claimed Paloma Faith used to bully her when they were at school together. The EastEnders actress, 42, and the pop singer, 43, both attended Islington Green School with Paloma in the year above Natalie. The ladies are both from around the same area, with Natalie born in Islington and Paloma raised in Hackney. Natalie thought back to her school days on her podcast Life With Nat when her bad experience with Paloma came up. She claimed: 'Paloma Faith, she bullied me at school. She went to Islington Green and was in the year above me. We've spoken about it and she has said sorry about that. Gutted.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Paloma had a very different experience at school, which has since been renamed the City of London Academy Islington. She said: 'I had a really amazing experience. People were always criticising it but the teachers were just so brilliant. 'It was really creative, with really great art, music and dance departments. I really enjoyed it.' MailOnline has contacted a representative of Paloma Faith for comment. While Natalie may have had bad experiences during her school days, the future is looking bright for the soap star. The actress could reportedly be set to 'make millions' following her EastEnders exit as an expert predicts she could be lined up for several projects. The soap actress, 41, who has played the role of Sonia Fowler since she was 10 years old, will exit as part of the show's 40th-anniversary celebrations and insiders have billed her as the 'next Stacey Solomon '. Brand expert Nick Ede told The Sun that Natalie's income is set to skyrocket as he revealed exactly how Natalie, who recently competed as Bush in The Masked Singer, can make this her most successful move following her departure. He said: 'Obviously EastEnders gives a really good salary and shows like Strictly, which she did in 2009, pay very well. 'But away from the BBC she can now do endorsement deals and commercial deals - she can utilise her following on social media to promote stuff. 'I know she's going to be hosting a couple of documentaries for Channel 4, which is quite interesting because people like her.' And he concluded that she will become 'more famous' and 'make a couple more millions' as said she could take on I'm A Celeb next because she has already competed on Strictly. In her first interview since announcing the news, Natalie explained that turning 42 this year made her feel it was time to 'be brave' and explore new opportunities. She told The Sun: 'I'm 42 this year, I just feel like it's time to be brave. You don't want to get to 70 and think, 'I never tried that'.' Natalie also expressed her deep love for the show, saying: 'I've loved this programme with all my heart. I started at ten, it's in my bones, it's in my heart.' The decision to leave came after a heart-to-heart with EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw six months ago. The star said: 'I'd been thinking about it for a little while. I had a wonderful chat with Chris back in the summer. It's just exciting.'
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Shane Richie teases another huge EastEnders comeback after it's confirmed Michelle Ryan will return as Zoe
SHANE Richie has hinted about another EastEnders star's comeback after it was revealed Michelle Ryan is returning as Zoe Slater. The soap legend opened up about the new executive producer Ben Wadey's plans as he takes over the role from Chris Clenshaw. 2 2 In the week that the BBC soap won a total of eight gongs for its 40th anniversary episodes, actor Shane teased "fireworks" and the potential for Spencer Moon to return. He told the Mirror: "Chris has told me some things. I said 'let me sit down'. "There's fireworks, there's Kat and Alfie. There is a story that is about to kick in, which will carry on through to after C hristmas. Honestly it's a big story. "If you thought the 40th was big wait until you see this story. That's all I'm saying." Talking about the potential for his on-screen brother to rejoin the soap, Shane said: "I would like him to come back. "One of my sons keeps in touch with Christopher [Parker], but he's a lawyer now. "He flies between LA and London. I would love to think that one day they might bring back Spencer, but so much is going on at the moment. Alfie could probably do without that." Christopher played Spencer Moon between 2002 and 2005 before he quit acting for good and started working as a lawyer. The Sun revealed actress Michelle, 41, is back on Albert Square later this year - two decades after quitting the soap. Michelle starred on the soap from 2000 to 2005, before moving to Hollywood after landing the lead role in a series called Bionic Woman. EastEnders' Shane Richie reveals new trauma for Alfie Moon amid prostate cancer storyline A source said: 'Bosses have repeatedly reached out to Michelle over the years, but the timing has never been quite right. 'People are still talking about her character, so it's a real coup to bring her back. 'She feels like now is the perfect moment — and there was an exciting script on the table.' EastEnders was awarded Best Soap after its huge live episode and anniversary week which saw Anita Dobson return as Angie Watts and Martin Fowler killed off in the arms of his love, Stacey. Actress Lacey Turner received the trophy for Best Leading Performer ahead of her impending exit from the show. The 40th anniversary also managed to clutch the Scene of the Year thanks to Angie's shock return. Steve McFadden a won a trophy for Best Dramatic Performance as Phil Mitchell, but did not attend the ceremony with Angela Wynter and Rudolph Walker also receiving prizes as Patrick and Yolande for the Best On-Screen Partnership award.
