EastEnder's Jamie Foreman's Given A 6 Month Contract Extension!

I hope you all like yourselves some Derek Branning because EastEnders has extended actor Jamie Foreman's contract for an additional six months! This means Foreman will continue to film with the series until October, at which point his contract will either be extended or his character will be written out.

Are you excited or disappointed by this news? Let me know in the comments below.

Patsy Palmer's (Bianca's) Last EastEnders Episode For 6 Months Airs Today!

EastEnders star Patsy Palmer last EastEnders episode for 6 months will be airing today (April 27th)! The actress is taking a 6 month sybatical to be with her kids, and will hopefully return to the soap later this year.

Are you sad to see her go? Do you want her to come back? let me know in the comments below.

Comparing Kisses: Days Will & Neil Vs. Other Soaps First Same Sex Kiss

So Days Of Our Lives has taken the first step and allowed Will Horton to kiss a boy, but how does this stack up to other soaps "first" attempt at the realm of same sex kisses? Let's take a moment and compare and contrast this monumental event with some other noteworthy ones.

Jane Beale's EastEnders Exit

Good gosh everyone is leaving the square these days! First Pat, than Kat, and RICKY! Now JANE! :(

Jane's exit however was done much better, in my opinion, than Kat or Ricky's because it gave actual build up and follow through and I really enjoyed that. YES her getting a job from a random hobo was kinda odd and rushed, but I did like her good-bye party and the way they treated her was just brilliant. Hopefully Jane will return, but if she doesn't at least she got a proper EastEnders exit in the back of a car.
We will miss you Jane so don't be a stranger!

What did you think of Jane's exit? Will you miss her? Or is it well and truly her time to go? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Ricky Butcher's EastEnders Exit

The residents of Albert Square bid EastEnders star Sid Owen farewell as his character Ricky Butcher was kicked out of his house, family, and marriage by Bianca after she found out about his affair with Mandy Salter and his lie about the two's child.

While Ricky has never been my favorite character on the show, I did feel that this exit was kinda piss poor. I mean Ricky stuck with Bianca throughout her prison sentence and took care of HER kids, he did forgive her for cheating on him with Dan Sullivan, and it just seems like a rushed way to break up this popular pairing, and I hate that.

But hopefully Ricky will once again return and we can see Bianca and him rebuild their relationship.

What did you guys think of Ricky's Exit? Were you sad to see him go, or happy and hope he never comes back? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or on twitter @SoapWikiJohn.

First Impressions of Hetti Bywater As Lucy Beale

Now that we have had a bit of time to adjust to actress Hetti Bywater in the role of Lucy Beale on EastEnders it is time to give your thoughts! What do you think of her performance? Does she fit your vision of Lucy?

Personally I love her, while she isn't Melissa Suffield she has brought something of her own to the role and I am really enjoying her scenes and seeing Lucy back on my screen. Let me know your take in the comments below or on twitter @SoapWikiJohn

Melanie/SoapOperaBabble's 2012 Soap Predictions!

For more predictions, check out Brooke's Predictions and SoapWikiJohn's Predictions

Okay, I'll just put this out there... My predictions suck. Emmy predictions, Academy Award predictions, TV Show predictions... I suck at all of them. So if I'm predicting it here, chances are it will not happen, lol. So...here we go!

SoapWikiJohn's 2012 Soap Predictions!

G'day everyone and welcome to 2012! Its been a crazy year so far but let's see how well I can predict the future with my second annual soap predictions!

SoapWikiJohn's 2011 Soap Prediction Results!

On January 1st 2011 I posted my predictions for the coming soap year, now its been a year let's see how I did!

Will a Soap be Canceled, if so which one?- AMC - Result - YES! AMC was AXED! But in a dramatic plot twist so was OLTL.... crap. So I guess I get full credit for this one.

Will there be another 'kish-o-trophic' casting shocker in 2011? - I don't really think there was anything that "shocking", the closest we came to was Kimberly McC and J.J. leaving GH, but I think my prediction was a little bit more broad than this, so I won't take any points for this one.

EastEnders' Lauren Crace's Sherlock Cameo

While catching up on the hit BBC series Sherlock I was pleasantly surprised to be graced with a cameo by ex-EastEnders actress Lauren Crace (Danielle Jones)! She portrayed a grieving girlfriend, but still had that Danielle spunk to her.

I wish Lauren the best of luck and hope she gets more work in the future because she is really missed.

Do you watch Sherlock? What did you think of Lauren Crace's appearance? Are you enjoying the latest series? Let me know in the comments.

Live Blogging The EastEnders Christmas Episode

Hey all,

Just like I did with Emmerdale I'm doing a live blog with EastEnders, so sit tight because this is sure to be an explosive episode that will keep us talking!


It's a sad day in the Branning house hold as the kids gather around, hoping to open their presents with their mom around and were bummed to hear Max tell them that she's not feeling up to it at the moment.

Why We Love British Soaps: Brit Awards Promo Gives You a Taste

So some of you may have noticed that while we love (and sometimes love to hate) U.S. soaps, we just can't get enough of Brit and Aussie soaps. Luckily, the Soap Gods invented YouTube, so we can watch a lot of the shows that aren't normally available to us. For any of you that haven't watched Brit soaps but are considering checking them out, take a look at the British Soap Awards 2011 promo featuring clips from Coronation Street, Doctors, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. It'll give you a little taste of what you're missing (and what we're loving).

Damn that's good soap!

To read my Newbie Babble about some of these shows, click here.

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

Congrats to the Winners of the 2011 British Soap Awards!

The British Soap Awards were given out last night and we've got a list of the Winners in the Viewer Voted Categories! (courtesy of Digital Spy)

Best British Soap: EastEnders
Best Actress: Jessie Wallace (Kat, EastEnders)
Best Actor: Danny Miller (Aaron, Emmerdale)
Villain of the Year: Emmett J. Scanlan (Brendan, Hollyoaks)
Sexiest Female: Michelle Keegan (Tina, Coronation Street)
Sexiest Male: Scott Maslen (Jack, EastEnders)

For a complete list of the Winners and Nominees (including the Panel Voted Categories), click here

I'm pretty happy with the picks. I voted for EastEnders as Best Soap and Emmett as Villain of the Year (Brendan is scary!) But while I really like Scott Maslen, I voted for Chris Fountain as Sexiest (he'll get it next year!)  And even though I voted for Alison King (Carla, Coronation Street) as Sexiest Female, Michelle K was my second choice.

Congrats to all the Winners and Nominees!

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

EastEnders: Heather B*tch Slaps Denise!

Pic swiped from Digital Spy

All Soapies love a good b*tch slap, and last week on EastEnders we got a great one! I try to stay away from International soap spoilers, so when I was catching up on my shows today, I had no idea this was coming! Poor Denise! Poor Heather! I can't decide who was more shocked by Heather's violent outburst - me, Denise or Heather herself lol (well done Diane Parish and Cheryl Fergison). Note to self: don't ever be dismissive of someone's fake Virtual Romeo and Juliet romance. Kudos to Denise for not smacking Heather back.

Dear Heather, can you please add these people to your B*tch Slap Hit List:
Michael Moon
Phil Mitchell
Janine's grandmother
Tanya's sister
The Dingle Dopes of Emmerdale

-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

EastEnders: Vanessa and Darren AXED!

Okay I KNOW I should not be happy about any actor losing their job in this day and age, but the characters of Darren (Charlie G. Hawkins) and Vanessa (Zoe Lucker) have not been my favorites, and if this means that Max and Tanya as well as Jay and Abby get to be together and have more air-time, then I am all for this move!

Longer EastEnders fans are a little upset with this news as Darren is the last of the Miller family to be exiting, but hey let's stop looking to the past and look forward to the future!

What are your thoughts on this axing?

Newbie Babble: EastEnders, Coronation Street, Neighbours, Hollyoaks & Emmerdale

Hi everyone! This is a bit of a random post. A few weeks ago, with the encouragement of Denial Island residents SoapWikiJohn and Brooke, I started watching UK and Aussie soaps again. I've watched EastEnders on and off for about 2 1/2 years and would occasionally catch Neighbours. I've also seen some Corrie DVDs. But that's it. My reluctance to start up with non-US soaps is that once I get into the shows, my 'supplier' suddenly disappears and I'm left hanging, desperately searching for a new 'supplier' (or should I say, desperately asking SWJ to search for a new 'supplier'). But hey, better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. So for the last 2 weeks I've watched the UK shows EastEnders, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and the Aussie soap Neighbours.

I've got a theory on what hooks people on a soap. Sure, there's good writing, acting and quality of production but for me it's this: If there's a character I love, a character I hate and a character I have a crush on - I'm hooked! So, here's my love/hate/crush round-up for my 'new' shows (in fave to least fave order):

EastEnders:
Love: the Masoods, Whitney, Ricky, Pat and Dot
Hate: Janine, sometimes Phil
Crush: No One. Every time I get a crush on someone they leave: Jase, Sean, poor sweet Bradley :(
Random Thoughts: Despite not having anyone to drool over, I love EE. While US shows make me cry maybe twice a year, EE has me crying every few episodes. I know people think it's too dark and depressing (they have a point), but what can I say? I don't mind that lol. The Ronnie/Kat/Baby Switch story killed me. And Jack breaking down the other day? *sob*

Neighbours:
Love: Lucas, Paul, Jade (at first, I thought I hated her but...she's so scary when she's pissed and she always seems on the verge of kicking someone's ass. How can I not love her??)
Hate: There's no one I really hate, but Tash and dare I say it...Susan...get on my nerves
Crush: Lucas, Paul
Random Thoughts: I really like this show which is surprising considering how 'family friendly' it is. But with such a tiny cast are there enough women to go around?

Coronation Street:
Love: Carla (I want to be her!), Liz (why did she have to leave??), Becky (why does she have to leave??)
Hate: Frank and Chris (apparently it's ok he beat his wife because he's sorry now?), Tracy (I like the actress, but UGH I just want someone to punch the character in the face.)
Crush: Tommy (Chris Fountain is hot!)
Random Thoughts: I love that Stephanie Cole (Waiting for God) is on the show!

Emmerdale:
Love: Jackson & Hazel
Hate: The Dingles, Kelly (but she's Love to Hate)
Crush: Uhm...Carl maybe?
Random Questions: Why do so many people look like they've just stepped out of a nightclub? Why do Kelly and Nicola want Jimmy? What's with the matching mother/daughter trailer trash look of the Dingle Dopes?

Hollyoaks:
Love: no one yet
Hate: uhm..Warren maybe? Brendan maybe?
Crush: uhm...Warren maybe?
Random Thoughts: I don't mind watching the show but nothing has really pulled me in yet. I'm also having trouble keeping everyone straight, especially the women. I do like the theme and opening credits. And hey, there's an American! I'm also intrigued/frightened by Brendan.

Which UK/Aussie soaps do you watch? Who do you love/hate/have a crush on?
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover

SoapWikiJohn's 2011 Soap Predictions!

Hey everyone,

So with 2011 upon us I thought I would take a moment and make some soap predictions and see how close I actually come to being right as 2011 plays out, so without further delay here are my 2011 soap predictions-

Will A Soap Be Canceled, if so which one?- I think 2011 will be the end for All My Children. Its the bottom of the ratings, the show is over budget, and unless something dramatic happens the quality is not the best, so while it pains me to say it, I think AMC is toast.

Will there be another 'kish-o-trophic' casting shocker in 2011? I think so, I have a feeling that one MAJOR actor will be fired/let go/ not resign in 2011, I am not sure on which soap, but I have a feeling that it will shock the soapworld to its core.

Which Soap will be the 'best' in 2011 -

Oh lord this one is hard, the soaps fluctuate so rapidly that it is really hard to tell which will be the "BEST".

If you are watching U.K. soaps I am going to go out on a limb and say EastEnders will reclaim its thrown with the whole Baby Swap storyline that has just kicked off. While I haven't seen those scenes yet, I just have a feeling that this storyline could be game changing and could help it be the 'BEST'. Coronation Street has issues and I think its to unpredictable to say it will be the best, and Hollyoaks and Doctors while both having a big year, and I will personally be loving them I don't know that they can overtake a baby swap. That leaves Emmerdale. Had Executive Producer Gavin Blyth not died I would have said Emmerdale would easily take best soap, but because of his unfortunate passing I am just going to give it to EastEnders and pray that I am right.

If Australian soaps are your favorite I am going to say Home and Away will reclaim its former glory and beat out Neighbours in quality come 2011. The soap had a lot of problems in 2010, but with a new writer involved I have a feeling that we will get much better storytelling in this coming year.

Now for what you all really care about the U.S. soaps..... This one is really a toss in the bucket. I don't think All My Children or The Bold and the Beautiful will get this title. The ONLY way Days of Our Lives will be the BEST is if Dena Higgly is fired, and I highly doubt that will happen. The Young and the Restless is way to sporadic. So that really just leaves One Life To Live or General Hospital. Between those two I am going to say General Hospital will pull the year off as best show. Now I think they will also be the most talked about and controversial show, but that might be just the thing the soap needs to regain its footing as best soap.

What Soap Will Be Unwatchable in 2011-

I am going to go out and just say All My Children will be the worst soap of 2011. There really is no foundation for this assumption, only that I don't think it will be able to compete with any of the others. I feel that Days might wise up and fix a few things, but AMC... I just don't feel that they can gain the ground needed to fix things to even compete so that's why it is the most unwatchable in my opinion.

Who will be the most tortured couple of 2011?

Well this one is going to be fun, and get me into a LOT of hot water. I am going to say JaSam will be the most tortured couple of the year. I don't know anything, or have any hard proof, but I just feel that things could go down a bad road and the way that General Hospital has been with its couples I think its about time to cause havoc and wreck the thing that is JaSam all up.

Cutest Couple of 2011?

I am going to say for the US- Kevin and Chloe from The Young and the Restless, and for Australia - Romeo and Ruby from Home and Away.

So those are my predictions for 2011! Do you agree or disagree? What are your predictions? Let me hear them in the comments below!

Kara Toinon Wins Strictly Come Dancing

Former EastEnders star Kara Toinon (Dawn) has won the 2010 fall edition of Strictly Come Dancing! As a fan of her acting I am pleased to see her win, but to those of you who watched Strictly this season was this a well deserved win or not? Let me know in the comments.

EastEnders Janine Going to be Nastier Than Ever Before!

Stacy Branning better watch her scrutched up little self as our Mel likes to say, because Janine is on the warpath, and she's not going to hold back.

In the recent What's on TV interview Charlie Brookes, who portrays the newly deemed, Janine Malloy, has come out saying that -

"She will turn into the nastiest bitch you can ever imagine. She does some really awful things."

Janine recently found out that her new hubby Ryan (Neil McDermott) is Stacy's (Lacey Turner) baby daddy, and she is not taking it well to say the least.

I have been LOVING this story, and it is just so classic Janine to finally become happy to only have some scutchy nose little twit come and wreck everything.

What are your thoughts on Janine and her current storyline? Are you enjoying it or do you wish she would tone things down a bit? Let me know in the comments bellow.

Kat and Alfie Return To EastEnders Promo

EastEnders fan favories Kat and Alfie are about to return. Will the square ever be the same again?

Are you looking forward to their return? If so why? what is it about Kat and Alfie that make the fans go crazy?