Soap File: Hollyoaks Culls and Crack Corrie
Welcome to the third edition of the Soap File for 2009, a normal regular service of the Soap File will resume shortly but before that he’s another round up of news from the world of soap that is just demanding us to pass comment.
Hollyoaks Cast Cull
A new producer has taken over a soap so it’s time for the tabloids to dig out “Cast Cull in…” story and just substitute the soaps name for the appropriate one and add a few cast names, picked at random, to the story who are under threat of being axed – and bang you have one filler story for a tabloid newspaper.
The News of the World claims that new Hollyoaks producer Lucy Allen is to drop up to ten cast members in a massive shake-up of the C4 soap. Actors James Lomas and Chris Fountain have already announced they are leaving the soap later this year – both will bow out together in a dramatic storyline over the summer. According to the Sunday tabloid cast members are now worried they’ll be given the chop by Allen.
Considering this story is wheeled out every time there’s a change at the top in soaps, and often it’s not true, we think the Hollyoaks cast members can sleep safe. After all despite a tabloid outcry that Corrie producer Kim Crowther had axed all the oldies including Rita, Norris and Emily – they are all still propping up the bar of the Rovers!
Dyer in Enders
Meanwhile the News of the World’s weekday counterpart, The Sun, claims that film and television actor Danny Dyer could be popping up in Albert Square. The tabloid claims the actor is in talks with BBC executive Diederick Santer, pictured left, about joining the London based soap.
“Danny is ideal for EastEnders. He’s actually from the East End – and still lives there – and he’s got the whole geezer thing going on.” A source talking to The Sun
Well it seems that actually coming from the East End makes you an ideal candidate for the soap so expect its cast to expand by several hundred thousand over the next year as all those living in the East End, or those who come from there, join the soap. Coming from a location where a soap is based isn’t an automatic guarantee of a role in the soap. The BBC told the tabloid that no role had been offered to the actor.
Crack-anation Street
Coronation Street actor Craig Charles has revealed that he started to take cocaine again after winning a role in the soap. The actor revealed he blew a quarter a million pounds on the drug after moving to Manchester for filming on the ITV soap.
“I hadn’t touched cocaine for more than ten years…I just drifted back into it when I started to do Coronation Street,” – Craig Charles talking to The Guardian
Was the thought of appearing alongside Antony Cotton so bad he was forced to snort that much coke?
That Antony Cotton Watch!
Talking of Antony Cotton we’ve had no reported sightings of acting from Cotton since our last issue. However, we were told that Becky Grainger was spotted sporting a “bag-puss” looking dress in a recent episode of Coronation Street. Maybe Sean Tully has started a trend in “bag-puss” attire.
If you spotted some acting from Cotton then get in touch with us! But remember: hugging a cushion, pouting or flapping arms about does not count.
Quick Ones:
Dead or Alive: Digital Spy ran an exclusive claiming former Hollyoaks character Louise Summers may not be dead after all and may come back for revenge. But the list of candidates returning to extract revenge on Warren and Justin doesn’t end with Louise Summers as Mandy Richardson and Clare Devine are also high up on the list. actress Roxanne McKee may return to the soap later this year for the exits of Justin and Warren. According to the article her
Marshy Hollywood: The People, THAT Sunday tabloid, claim that Kym Marsh could quit Coronation Street to try her luck in Hollywood. Having tired her luck in the music industry, let’s not even remember Hear Say, and then in Coronation Street it now seems that Hollywood beckons for Marsh. The actress plays Michelle Connor, her with the jet-black-hair, in Coronation Street and will continue doing so until at least next year. So don’t expect to see Marsh popping up in any big Hollywood blockbusters just yet.
Much Ado About Pallet: Tabloid favourite, Dancing on Ice contestant and oh yes occasional 
actress Roxanne Pallet has signed up to play a role in a Shakespeare play. Yes you did read right. Roxanne Pallet is to play Hero in Much Ado About Nothing – says the Daily Star. Pallet hopes the role will prove her to be a credible actress and has even taken a pay cut to do this. We’re sure she can substitute her pay though by selling a few more stories about her private life to the papers.
The Daily Star, we’re sure, would only be too happy to print more stories about her sex life.
Silly Storyline of the Week:
Surprise, surprise it’s Coronation Street again! According to The Daily Star, ugh, Joshua Peacock is set to be the centre of a bidding war between the two premier league sides in Manchester when he proves to be good at Football.
The storyline is due to air next month – the “Silly Summer” season of storylines in Coronation Street is fast approaching it seems but then Corrie doesn’t really need an excuse to run silly stories, it does it all year round.
And Finally… Corrie Christians:
Check out the latest ATV Bog for its scathing attack on another silly storyline in Coronation Street at the moment, the Good Corrie Teenager Christians. Seemingly the only well behaved teenagers are Christians according to Corrie – see what ATV Bog makes of that!