This week saw some dramatic Emmerdale scenes in Tom and Belle’s ongoing abuse

storyline, and the soap has revealed what is next after the story’s big change.

Elsewhere this week, there was confirmation of an exciting return in Coronation Street, while EastEnders introduced a big new summer storyline.

Plus, we have plenty of exclusive gossip about what fans can expect from Hollyoaks’ upcoming time jump, as September fast approaches.

Here’s a Sunday recap of all the biggest soap news, in case you missed anything over the last seven days:

Emmerdale’s Tom and Belle change
belle in emmerdale

ITV
This week’s flashback episode in Emmerdale gave an insight into Tom and Belle King’s disastrous holiday in Wales, amid their harrowing domestic abuse story. It ended with Belle finally managing to escape her husband – but Tom managed to convince her family of his side of the story.

On Friday, Belle began to open up to Vinny about how Tom had treated her, but after Tom revealed to the pub that Belle had an abortion and threatened her once again, she played down his abuse and begged him not to interfere.

In scenes that will air next week, Tom will still loom large in the village, watching over what Belle is doing. He tells Nicola that there is something going on between Vinny and Belle, and she later gives him a place to stay. Meanwhile, Belle has a mental health visit then processes whether she is a victim of abuse. Will she recognise the severity of her situation?

Paula Lane confirms soap future
ella, liam cavanagh, emmerdale

ITV
Ella Forster recently returned to Emmerdale – in dramatic fashion, as she was involved in a car crash, then found out at the hospital that she was pregnant with Liam’s baby.

While Liam was less than pleased to find out that Ella was expecting and has demanded a paternity test, she has decided to keep the baby, so it appears that she will be sticking around in the village.

This was confirmed this week by actor Paula Lane, who announced in an Instagram post that she had signed a new contract. She wrote: “Oh Ella… whatever next?! I can confirm a new contract signed today for moi. Very happy to be calling @emmerdale my second home for the next chapter.”

Corrie confirms Martin return
sean wilson returns to coronation street as martin platt

ITV
While it has already been reported in the press, this week Corrie finally confirmed the exciting news that Sean Wilson will be returning to the show as Martin Platt, and the soap has revealed new details about his comeback.

Wilson began filming on the cobbles this week and Martin will be seen on our screens from October. David will be shocked when Martin unexpectedly turns up at No.8, and he is suspicious about why he has suddenly decided to be part of his family’s lives again.

The good news is that Martin will be around for “a few months”, to coincide with Gail’s upcoming exit. Will his return give this Weatherfield icon a much-deserved happy ending?

In a statement, Wilson said: “It was great to be invited back to Coronation Street again, to contribute to Helen [Worth]’s exit story. We’ll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline.

“Playing Martin has been a joy since day one and, in a way, I’ll be slipping back to where I left off, which no doubt will throw a spanner into the heart of the Platt family.”

Corrie shares Alina Pop update
fiz stape and alina pop in coronation street

ITV
Alina Pop sent shockwaves around the Street several years ago when Tyrone left long-term partner Fiz to start a new relationship with her. I mean, who could forget that rather cringe-worthy portrait of the pair that truly marked Ty’s mid-life crisis?

Tyrone eventually realised he still loved Fiz, with Alina prepared to return to Romania. She told Tyrone that she was pregnant, before saying she had made a mistake and she wasn’t. But her final scenes in September 2021 hinted that she had lied to Tyrone, and she was in fact expecting a baby.

Now fans will get an update about Alina, as in scenes that will air next week, Fiz is told that the leader of a Romanian human trafficking group is going on trial, and Alina might be called up as a witness.

It was reported in June that actor Ruxandra Porojnicu has begun filming on the soap again, so will this trial lead to Alina’s return – and will she have a baby in tow?

Tommy and Kat abuse story
tommy moon, kat moon, eastenders

BBC
This week, EastEnders has aired some shocking scenes involving Tommy Moon and his mum Kat Slater. With Kat and Alfie struggling to get his behaviour under control, Tommy begged Phil to get back together with his mum.

Kat was furious, and later a tense argument ended in violence, as Tommy punched her in the stomach. Kat pushed him back, and the next day Tommy reported his mum to the police – though Alfie convinced him to retract his accusation.

EastEnders has announced that these scenes mark the beginning of a new child to parent abuse story for Tommy and Kat, which will unfold this summer and will see Tommy using his behaviour to control his mum.

Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said in a statement: “Kat is well-known in Albert Square for her no-nonsense attitude and fiery temper, but this storyline will explore how Tommy manipulates Kat’s unequivocal love for her son to exert his anger and elicit control.”

Laila Rouass joins EastEnders
laila rouass, ayesha, eastenders

Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron//BBC
EastEnders have revealed that Laila Rouass will be joining the show for a guest stint next month, playing new character Ayesha.

Scheming Nish invites her to Walford, and it is clear that she has history with him and Suki, though they haven’t been in touch in years – but how does Ayesha know the Panesars, and why does Nish want to see her now?

Rouass, known for her roles in Holby City and Primeval, said: “I cannot tell you how excited I am to be in EastEnders! I was born in the East End and grew up there, and there was such a buzz when the show started. Even though I was little at the time, I can clearly remember the first episode and Doctor Legg arriving at the flat where Reg Cox had been murdered.

“I’ve also known Navin Chowdhry for many years, so it was great to work with him again and to do scenes with Balvinder Sopal and the rest of the Panesars as Ayesha reunites with them. This is a lifelong dream come true!”

EastEnders reveals Reiss aftermath
reiss colwell, eastenders

Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron//BBC
Reiss has had increasing financial difficulties in recent weeks, and quite frankly, we have lost track of the number of lies he has told Sonia in his various failed attempts to get things under control.

After a stern threat from Phil to repay a sum of money that he simply doesn’t have, Reiss ran out of options this week, and during a visit to his comatose wife Debbie, he had a horrifying idea. Yes, unassuming Reiss calmly became a killer, smothering his wife with a pillow.

Next week, Reiss will try to keep his shocking crime under wraps, but this will get more difficult when Debbie’s parents Brenda and Hugh arrive on the scene – played by Nichola McAuiliffe and Michael Bertenshaw.

Debbie’s parents are also unaware that he is in a relationship with Sonia, so he will have a lot of explaining to do…

Hollyoaks time jump gossip
ant hutchinson, dee dee hutchinson, diane hutchinson, kitty draper, zoe anderson and tony hutchinson in hollyoaks

Lime Pictures
September is fast approaching, marking when Hollyoaks will make a huge change and will jump forward a year in time. Wondering what this will actually look like? Well, executive producer Hannah Cheers has given Digital Spy some early teasers as we head into the autumn.

There will be a huge stunt airing in September, that will signal the start of the show’s drop from five to three episodes a week – then the following week will be the time jump, and viewers will return to Hollyoaksa year later.

The stunt week will see all the show’s current big storylines come to a head, including Blue’s identity and Warren’s exit story, Abe’s abuse of Cleo and Ste’s betrayal. JJ and Frankie’s harrowing sibling abuse story will be resolved this summer, but the storyline will continue to feature after the time jump.

There is plenty more gossip where that came from in the full article, but Hollyoaks fans definitely have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Hollyoaks enjoys high ratings
cleo mcqueen in hollyoaks

Lime Pictures
Speaking of Hollyoaks, the team can be confident as the show’s big changes are made, because the soap has achieved its highest ratings of the year.

Soap viewership naturally peaks during the winter months, with big Christmas storylines getting fans hooked. But Hollyoaks has seen record viewers over 2024 so far, since it became a digital-first soap, and this month the show had its biggest week of the year.

Ben Wadey, Channel 4 commissioning executive for Hollyoaks, said: “We’re thrilled to see such a positive response from viewers who have been captivated by a mix of sensitive issues and heart-pounding drama.

“We’re confident that the upcoming stunt and time jump will only further fuel the show’s momentum as we sail into our new schedule pattern. The future is incredibly bright for Hollyoaks.”

Home and Away casts Eden and Levi’s sister
hailey pinto as abigail in home and away

Scott Ehler
Home and Away have made an exciting casting announcement this week, with newcomer Hailey Pinto joining the show as Eden and Levi Fowler’s sister Abigail.

Arriving on screen later this year, Abigail is described as a “sassy, confident and headstrong” character, but she also has a complex and poignant backstory that will slowly be revealed to viewers. There are dramatic times ahead for both Eden and Levi, so Abigail’s arrival is bound to shake things up even more.

Fun fact – Home and Away was Pinto’s first ever TV audition, after she moved to Sydney from her native country of Switzerland!