OUR GIRL

I've really got into the BBC series, Our Girl, starring Lacey Turner. 

I didn't manage to catch the pilot episode last year, unfortunately, but after hearing so many good things about it, I just had to give the new five-part series a try. 

Molly Dawes, Lacey's character, worried me at first. I didn't think there was a chance she'd survive out on a mission. The Army medic is feisty, down-to-earth and, at times, scared of what is out there in Afghanistan. 

But during the first episode she soon got used to life in Afghan and saved the life of her 'love-to-hate' mate, Smurf. Smurf's brother was killed in action and Molly thinks he isn't in the right state of mind to be working at the moment. After being hit by a bullet, Molly risks her life, crawling through a mine field to treat Smurf, and getting him to safety. 

This is much to the annoyance - and respect - of the team leader, Captain James, who clearly has a soft spot for Molly. 

Lacey has promised a love triangle for Molly, Smurf and James during the series, which already looks set to heat up, and we're only on episode two!

Molly also immediately strikes up a friendship with a local young girl, Bashira, who warns Molly of an impending attack. Captain James is concerned over Molly's attachment to the girl... Whose father, Molly believes is a member of the Taliban. 

I won't spoil the end of the second ep - as you can still catch it on BBC iPlayer. 

Our Girl is a heart-warming, exciting, dramatic and true-telling story of life in the British Armed forces. 

It's definitely worth a watch. 

Catch it on Sunday's at 9pm on BBC One. 

SOAP NEWS

ALL ABOUT DALLAS 

HOLLYOAKS goes feature-length for Christmas!

Hollyoaks fans are in for a right Christmas treat this year - as the soap has promised two hour-long episode for the festive period. 

Now, I know that some of you will think it's too early to be dreaming of a White Christmas, but hey - it is nearly October!

The two special episodes will air on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, and while there hasn't been much news around what the big stories will be, it's been whispered that Ste and John-Paul will take centre stage in the Christmas Eve special. Will the pair have a Christmas themed wedding? 

Ste is currently fighting a cocaine addiction, while trying to support John-Paul, who is facing his rapist, Finn O'Connor, during the teens trial next week.

The NYE special is expected to be all about the 'secrets and lies' which have happened over the course of the year. Will the true paternity of Lindsey's baby be revealed? 

A show source told Digital Spy: 

"These episodes should be a real treat for fans this Christmas. They almost have a movie-esque feel and will feature a lot of story content in two big weeks for the show."

It's expected that a whole new approach will be taken in the writing and filming for these episodes...

Sounds good, eh?!

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EASTENDERS NEWS - Did you catch Peggy's surprise return?

REALITY TELLY

EASTENDERS - Oh what a shocker!

As promised earlier today, EastEnders aired a massive surprise tonight - and what a biggie it was! 

Following an episode of Sharon and Phil's pre-wedding drama, leading up to the big day tomorrow and Ben's arrival causing more stirs than in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen, I couldn't believe it when Peggy showed her face!

'I'm Peggy Mitchell, I don't forget nothing!' 

Well we sure as hell haven't forgotten Peggy and it was a great surprise seeing her back! There was even a nice mention of Pat... 

It's just a shame she's not back for good... Yet!

What did you all think? 

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HOLLYOAKS GOSS

WHY I LOVE DALLAS!

EASTENDERS - BIG surprise tonight!

EastEnders fans - do not miss tonight's episode on BBC One at 7.30pm.

Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has been teasing fans on Twitter, telling them:

'#EastEnders tonight at 1930hrs. Let's just say you should watch this episode as it airs... #Surprise'

Over the last couple of days EastEnders have been hinting at fans to keep watch during tonight's show, and the surprises have already been coming, with viewers finding out that it was Jay who buried Lucy's phone and purse - possibly involving him and Ben in her murder...

Fans have been told to WATCH...

Will tonight's surprise be a returning character or a new shock twist in one of the big storylines?

Whatever it is - it must be big news - as EastEnders have unusually not realised a preview tape to press ahead of tonight's ep.

I'm excited - are you?

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HOLLYOAKS GOSS

REALITY TELLY 

HOLLYOAKS - Leela risks her life for Tegan

Hollyoaks' Autumn trailer revealed a snippet of a hold up at the hosptial - and Tegan and Ziggy plunging to danger in a broken lift....

Kirsty-Leigh Porter has now revealed that her character, Leela Lomax, will risk her life trying to save her sister and boyfriend.

The drama begins when Big Bob decides to hold the hospital hostage in a bid to steal drugs, with Freddie Roscoe.

Leela, Tegan, Ziggy and Cameron are among those at the hospital for a charity event, when things take a frightening turn.

As Big Bob swings his gun around, Leela, Cameron and a handful of other villagers manage to escape, Leela gets a voicemail from her sister, saying that she's trapped in a lift with Ziggy, and realises that she must go back in to the hospital to try and save her.

Leela tries to save her sister...

Kirsty-Leigh told All About Soap magazine:

"Leela goes into panic mode - it's family first for her and she knows that she has to get Tegan to safety. She'll put her life on the line to rescue Tegan. Cameron tries to persuade her to stay put and ring the police, but Leela doesn't care about the danger of Big Bob. In her head, she thinks she can take on anyone - she's not going to let Big Bob win, especially when it comes to a family member. But this begins a whole new mission of trying to find Tegan and Ziggy."

The Lomax family have had their fair share of tragedy already this year, as their parents, Sam and Danny were killed off in a shocking hit and run car smash - caused by Cameron. 

Kirsty-Leigh continued:

"She starts scouring the floors of the hospital to find them, and Leela can only use her voice to try and communicate with Tegan because she has no mobile reception inside the building. When Leela finally does manage to get to the lift, there's a massive struggle. The lift isn't stable and it suddenly drops with Tegan and Ziggy still inside."

Will the pair survive the fall? And who else will be hurt during Big Bob's hold-up?

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EASTENDERS NEWS

REALITY TELLY 

EASTENDERS - The Carter's are set for a new shock...

EastEnders has revealed that Sylvie Carter has been cast - and she's set to walk back into her family's lives, years after abandoning them. 

Actress Linda Marlowe is the name behind the character and 'Enders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said that they've had the character of Sylvie in mind since her daughter, Shirley Carter, first stepped foot on the Square.

Speaking of her new role, Linda said: 

"I'm totally thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders and playing such a wonderful character."

Linda Marlowe is set to join the cast of EastEnders as Sylvie Carter

Sylvie will be making guest appearances only, but her comeback is sure to start a new whirlwind in what will be an already rocked Carter family. 

Going with my theory that Shirley will be shot after the Phil and Sharon wedding (or non-wedding, as the case may be!) will this be the reason for Sylvie's return?

And with Shirley already keeping mum about being, well, brother Mick's REAL mum, and Mick's wife Linda about to be horrifically raped by her nephew/half brother-in-law Dean Wicks, how will Sylvie's arrival affect the clan?

We know that Sylvie left due to being unable to cope with her children and her husband Stan's abusive ways - so I'm excited to see how her return will pan out. 

Dominic Treadwell-Collins also added: "Linda is such an intuitive, raw and skilled actress, perfect to bring to life the brittle faded glamour of this most selfish of mothers. Sylvie's return is going to open old wounds in the Carter family - and watching Linda Marlowe, Annette Badland, Ann Mitchell and Timothy West going for it on screen is going to be electric."

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HOLLYOAKS NEWS

REALITY TELLY

HOLLYOAKS - Newbies to cause a stir!

We know that te McQueen family are due to have a couple of new members added to their clan in the shape of cousins Porsche and Celine, but it's these two new characters who will cause another stir in the village. 

Meet Kim Butterfield, sister of Lindsey and Doctor Savage, Dennis' dad! 

We'll first meet these two during a hostage siege at the hospital, when Big Bob holds people up in a drug robbery bid. 

Kim has followed her big sis into the me oval profession, and will cause quite a bit of trouble and strife for the Roscoe clan, while Doctor Savage, who's also Dirk's brother, of course, will be back in his son Dennis' life - but will the rest of the Savage's be pleased to see their relative?

The hospital drama was seen in the Hollyoaks Autumn trailer - where a few villagers are in danger, due to various scenarios... 

Who will survive this long September?

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EASTENDERS BIG NEWS

REALITY TELLY - WHO'S JOINING THE VOICE UK?

The Voice returns with Rita Ora!

The BBC have announced that The Voice UK is returning, along with a brand new judge in the shape of Rita Ora...

Rita will be joining Tom Jones, Will.I.Am and Ricky Wilson on the panel to find the ultimate voice of Britain. 

The judges will be heading up to Manchester for the blind auditions next month to prepare for the new series, which will kick off in January 2015. 

Emma Willis and Marvin Humes will also be back to present the music talent show. 

Rita said: "So excited to be part of - and for my team to win - The Voice this series! Let's have some fun will.i.am, Tom and Ricky! I’m really looking forward to the blind auditions – and spinning in my big red chair. EXCITED!!!!”

Next year also sees Rita's film debut as she has a role in the highly anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey movie. 

The other three judges are also all excited to be back. Here's what they had to say: 

Sir Tom Jones quipped: "I'm really looking forward to coming back to The Voice for season four. Not only do I get to know and work with Rita, I can once again enjoy hearing and seeing the talent that comes from just about every corner of the UK. I respect and admire all those who have the guts and determination to get through each challenge that the show presents, so let's see what happens in 2015!" 

will.i.am rapped: “Season four of The Voice is going to be amazing!  (Sir) Tom Jones is our rock, Ricky is awesome and it’s our pleasure to welcome the very talented Rita Ora.  Rita is sweet, spicy and sassy - she’s going to be a great addition to the Coaches team.”

Ricky Wilson said: "I enjoyed spending last winter with The Voice, it's definitely fun to be part of a show with a spinning chair. I hope Rita likes it too… I'm sure the audience will love her."

Are you excited for the return of The Voice?

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SOAP NEWS

COMEDY JOLLYS

EASTENDERS - Killer Bride?

I think we all know by now that Sharon and Phil's wedding will not go without a hitch. But will everyone survive the day? 

As the trailer showed a few weeks back - a gun shot is heard ringing out from the Mitchell house. 

Now, I doubt we'll have another 'Who shot Phil' on our hands and the fact that Sharon features in a bloodied wedding dress may just be too much of a giveaway. 

My guess? Sharon shoots Shirley... 

Accidentally? Probably. But what and where will Phil go from here if that's the way the story goes? 

Will he cover for Sharon, even though he's been declaring his love for Shirl'? Or will he be by Shirley's side while she hopefully fights to make a full recovery?

I've always been a Phil and Shirley fan - Sharon's past relationships have proved that she should probably stay single... For life. 

That's if she's not locked up, after shooting Shirley. 

Do you think it'll be Shirl' who's on the other end of the bullet, or someone else? 

MORE EASTENDERS

HOLLYOAKS NEWS

REALITY TELLY

EASTENDERS Photo Special - The Moon's devastation continues...

Tonight sees EastEnders continue its fire aftermath, as both Alfie and Mo are left devastated by their parts in the blast, which has left Kat with life-changing burns.

When it's confirmed that the dodgy hairspray Mo was attempting to sell caused the explosion, she's left feeling guilty - but not as guilty as Alfie, who started the fire, of course, in a bid to claim insurance money.

Knowing that Kat's condition is his fault, Alfie prepares to go to the hospital to tell his wife the truth, but is stopped in his tracks when he sees just what a terrible state Kat is really in.

Mo is devastated to learn that her knocked-off hairspray caused the blast...

Kat is in a terrible state...

Will Alfie reveal the truth?

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HOLLYOAKS GOSS

REALITY TELLY

                             

EASTENDERS - Fire aftermath...

                              

Last night's EastEnders episode promised heartbreak and action and it did not disappoint. 

Mid-way through the episode, I assumed that we wouldn't see much of the aftermath, and that the cliff-hanger would be Alfie realising that Kat was in the house... But I was wrong, and the last 10-15 minutes were so beautifully cinematic. Hearing the drama, after the explosion, through Alfie's ears made you feel as though you were there, in the thick of the action. 

Every cast member involved looked at the top of their game - we saw Roxy's genuine care for Alfie, like the friendship she used to share with 'grandad,' and Laila Morse, who plays Mo, gave the performance of a panic-striken nan, which really stood out to me, even if she didn't have too many lines. I hope that this marks the start of Mo being an even more permanent fixture on the Square once again. 

Back to Alfie, though, and his hospital scenes were brilliant. Shane Ritchie deserves a hell of a lot of merit for such a heartbreaking performance. At one point it looked like he was about to confess all to the nurse, and we went through a rollercoaster of emotions with him. Upset, guilt, heart-break, and this is only the beginning. 

As actors say, when they win awards, it's not just them who deserves accolades for their work. The crew backstage do, too. And this is true for the EastEnders make-up department, as Kat's horrific burns looked so realistic. 

Tamwar's scenes, simple yet powerful, also stood out. The fire bringing back horrid memories for him, will I think mark the start of his close friendship with Nancy. 

With that - and after a big 'well done EastEnders' - I'm off to look forward to Thursday's episode!

What did you all think of last night's show?

EASTENDERS - Who killed Lucy update!

The big boss has spoken. EastEnders producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins has revealed that the suspect list in the Lucy Beale murder mystery will soon become much smaller.

In fact, on New Years Day, it will become apparent as to who isn't the culprit.

With the big reveal set to happen in Feburary next year, tying in with the show's 30th birthday, DTC has made it very clear that the anniversary celebration has to be perfect.

He also revealed that the initial killer was changed when they first started planning the story, as it didn't 'come from the heart.'

Dominic told Inside Soap magazine:

"When we first talked about the story, there was one killer - but something did not fit right about that person. It was a very clever idea, but it didn't come from the heart.So Sharon Batten (story producer), Alex Lamb (story producer) Manpreet Dosanjh (script producer) and I locked ourselves away in a hotel room to come up with an alternative killer.
It feels emotionally right, true and very exciting. From that moment it's been locked in, and we would not cheat the audience by changing it now."

As for keeping the plot a secret, Dom said: "The hardest thing is when people have thrown their theories at me and got it right. It's so difficult to keep your cool and pretend not to care."

Hmm... let's put our detective hats back on, shall we?

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HOLLYOAKS GOSS

HOLLYOAKS - Massive stunt revealed in Autumn trailer!

Hollyoaks never fail to disappoint when it comes to big, shocking stunts... Just think back to the Dog in the Pond fire, all those years back, which killed the Burton twins, the bus crash which saw horrible Maddie and poor Rhys Ashworth lose their lives and, of course the bomb explosion at Ste's flat which claimed the character's of Doug and Leanne...

Well, this Autumn, we'll see another cracker of a stunt and, as you can see from the official trailer - it's HUGE!

It's set to be an unforgettable few weeks for the residents of Hollyoaks village as the trailer shows Big Bob hold the hospital hostage, with an ill-looking Esther, pregnant Lindsey and Grace and Leela Lomax all inside, while Maxine prepares to ask Dodger to marry her, with a vengeful looking Sienna looking on... However, Maxine looks set to be the least of our Si Si's troubles, when Theresa announces that she's in labour - and the baby isn't a prison guards - but Dodger's!

Meanwhile, the new McQueen cousins arrive, Finn O'Connor's rape trial gets underway and Jason looks set to have his heart broken when he walks in on his twin brother, Robbie and girlfriend Holly looking cosy, asleep on the bed.

The bigger stunts, however, hot up when Tegan Lomax ends up plunging in a broken lift, while Sienna prepares to run her dad, Patrick over, after he warns her that Nico will be taken away, should she ever tell anyone that Dodger is the teen's real dad.

Lindsey also looks over a very injured looking Freddie, telling him that she needs him... What does this mean for poor Joe?

Elsewhere, Sonny's car is pulled from a river, while a distraught looking Mercedes and Myra look on... Where's Carmel?

The McQueen's are part of the biggest Autumn stunt, however, when one of them appears to be tying the knot on an old-fashioned rail train... Which is heading for disaster, and an explosive crash!

Who survives - and who dies?

Watch the trailer, here!

And let me know what you think...

Who's excited?

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EASTENDERS NEWS

CORRIE GOSSIP

CORONATION STREET - Rob becomes a runaway groom

So, I haven't written up on the cobbles of Corrie since the demise of Tina McIntyre - as the Telly Jolly readers back then didn't seem to interested in the most famous street in the world...

I figured I'd try again with the Corrie pieces, just to see if the growth of the readers are into a bit of Manchester madness. And boy, is Coronation Street about to get mad.

The runaway groom...

Those of you who watch the soap will know that Tracy Barlow and Rob Donovan are tying the knot. But Rob's life hasn't been plain sailing of late - as he was the one who killed Tina, and since half framing and blaming Tracy's brother Peter Barlow for the crime.

Tracy finally gets the lavish wedding day she's been so greedily planning, but all goes wrong, according to these pap pics, when the groom decides to do a runner!

Rob will apparently call Tracy to tell her the bad news, leaving the bride to scuffle with Rob's sister Carla Connor.

Tracy and Carla have a bit of a catfight!

The scenes were filmed at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, and looks set to be one of Corrie's most explosive weddings to date...and they've had a few.

The question is - why does Rob decide not to go through with the nuptials? 

Has his conscience caught up with him over Tina? Or is there another reason?

HOLLYOAKS GOSS

EASTENDERS BITS

REALITY TELLY 

EASTENDERS - Alfie sets his worries alight

Tonight is the beginning of a massive week of episodes for EastEnders, as Alfie Moon turns arsonist when he sets fire to the family home.

The last few weeks have seen Alfie become increasingly withdrawn and depressed about the state of his family finances, and with the Moon/Slater clan about to be evicted, he sees no other option but to torch his house.

Taking the opportunity of Sharon's hen do (to which she's now NOT screwing Phil over, instead, him doing the dirty on her - but that's another story!) Alfie encourages Kat, Stacey and Mo to go along and enjoy themselves, while Whitney babysits their children.

Lighting a cigarette, and dropping it into a bin, Alfie leave the house, knowing it's about to go up in flames.

Alfie is about to make a terrible mistake...

However, Mo (being Mo!) has stashed some beauty-type products in the house, causing the house to explode... As previously reported, though, just before the big bang, Kat calls her hubby to say she's at home waiting for him.

Later this week, putting his own life at risk - Alfie goes back to rescue his missus.

It's going to be an unmissable week!

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SOAP GOSSIP

REALITY TELLY

Hollyoaks - Will Carmel pay for Theresa's crime?

So this week we saw Theresa's gamble jail break! What did you think? 

For me, it was all a little non-believable. And I hate to say it, as I love to champion Hollyoaks usually. 

The part that was most unbelievable for me was Mercedes' dress up as a doctor - especially her gaining entry into the hospital wards by grabbing a pass from around a 'fellow' doctors' neck without him noticing the tug... Hmm. 

Anyhow, they managed to get pregnant-by-a-prison-guard Theresa out, and with an orange skinned, blonde Myra whacking Sonny over the head... The girls made a short lived getaway. 

As you know if you watched the ep - Sonny returned, cuffed Theresa to a radiator in Browning's old flat and told the McQueen's that the police were on their way. Carmel (after making Sonny promise to not arrest Mercedes, Myra and Phoebe for their parts) then toddled off with her mean man and Theresa's daughter, Kathleen Angel. 

Now this is where my inner soap storyliner comes into play...

We know that a re-arrested Theresa is making a permanent Hollyoaks comeback. And that Carmel (and Mercedes) are off. But how? 

My theories:

Sonny either harms Carmel, which gives way to her exit, and gets arrested...making way for his 'surprise' exit, possibly? And therefore Theresa appeals as she was caught by a bent cop...and she's back giggling and fluttering in the village. 

OR

The McQueen family somehow turn against Carmel, due to her betrayal, and set her up (again, somehow), leaving her languishing in prison for Theresa's crime. Now, this ones a tall order considering that everyone knows that Carmel didn't  kill Calvin, as she was taking part in their first dance with him, while he was shot. But hey, we've all learned that ANYTHING can happen in soapland, right? 

This now leaves the mystery as to how Mercedes leaves the village? Will it be linked to Carmel's exit or will she, too, join her mum and sister over in Alicante?

It seems the Spanish island is becoming McQueen Paradise! 

EASTENDERS - Matt Di Angelo talks of upcoming rape storyline

EastEnders actor Matt Di Angelo, who plays Dean Wicks, has spoken to Digital Spy about the upcoming plot where his character rapes Linda Carter.

Matt said that he felt the challenge was intimidating and wasn't nice to film - grateful when the producers allowed a closed set and six hours of rehearsal time - which is almost unheard of at EastEnders.

Viewers have seen Dean grow more obsessed with Linda, who is his secret on-screen brother's wife, over the last few weeks, resulting in his horrific attack on her.

Dean has already shocked Linda by trying to kiss her

Matt said, at last nights TV Choice Awards:

"We shot it about a month ago now and I'm going to watch it tomorrow afternoon. I haven't seen it yet, but the feedback from the director and the executive producer is that they're extremely happy with the episode, so I feel good that my boss is happy with my work. Initially it was a very intimidating storyline. It's a disgusting, scary thing and to have your face associated with that heinous crime is a challenge, but what I'm here for is to tell these meaningful stories and it is a job."

Dean may not face imprisonment for his crime, as the plot aims to mirror the injustice of rape in real life.  

Matt continued: "It's an important story and the statistics about rape are really, really shocking. People often aren't reporting rapes - I think 80% of rapes aren't reported. Around 20% are but only around 2% lead to prosecution and imprisonment. That's shocking and it needs to be spoken about. People are going to be shocked and upset with the story, but it brings attention to a very important subject so that's why we're doing it."

Dean will be deluded by the fact that he raped Linda, and doesn't think he's actually done anything wrong...

How Linda and the rest of the Carter clan will react to the attack is still unknown, but it looks as though things will never be the same for the family again.

What are your thoughts on this hard-hitting storyline?

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HOLLYOAKS NEWS

REALITY TELLY

HOLLYOAKS - Sienna puts her life in danger

As we know, Patrick has been keeping his daughter Sienna locked up in the school boiler room, after she discovered that her daughter Nico's father is in fact her twin brother, Dodger.

If you haven't been keeping up with the Oaks, and the above sentence just confuses you, then there's not much I can really do to help - apart from sending you to read all about what's been happening in Hollyoaks of late! Because, believe me, even the hardest of Hollyoaks fans have been baffled by this one!

Sienna tries to escape...

Desperate to escape Patrick's clutches, Sienna decides that she must form her own escape route...and dangerously disconnects a pipe (although I doubt she'll want to shimmy through one!)

Water begins to gush out of the pipe that Sienna has tampered with and at risk of the room filling with water, will Sienna be found before it's too late?

This storyline promises to have yet more twists and turns and there are still so many unanswered questions...

Will Dodger find out the truth?

Is Patrick being completely honest about the whole situation?

How will Nico cope if the truth is revealed?

Will Sienna ever get the mental help she needs? If she survives, that is...

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REALITY TV

COMEDY JOLLYS

A new Royal baby!

Okay, so this is just a tad off topic for Telly Jolly, but it has been announced this morning that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her and Prince William's second child. 

How exciting!

Cute little Prince George looks like he'll be the perfect big brother... but will it be to a little brother or sister?

In an official statement, Kensington Palace said:

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child. The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news. As with her first pregnancy, The Duchess is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. 

Her Royal Highness will no longer accompany The Duke of Cambridge on their planned engagement in Oxford today. The Duchess is being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace."

Kate and Wills are probably expecting the madness to begin, with the media and fans speculating the odds of a new prince or princess... My early guess is a girl!

I'm sure the Royal mad Linda Carter in EastEnders will be clapping in delight!

Simon Cowell signs Britain's Got Talent finalists

It's been announced this morning that Simon Cowell has signed BGT finalists, Jack Pack!

These guys were my absolute favourite this year and I'll be eagerly looking out for their debut... 

The band - Sean Ryder Wolf, Alfie Palmer, Andrew Bourn and Martin McCafferty are thrilled to be working with Simon and his label, saying:

“It's a dream come true for us to be signing to Syco Music. We'd like to thank Simon Cowell for believing in us and giving us this opportunity. We can’t wait to get to work in the studio and try to repay our supporters for the faith they have shown in us.”

Jack Pack, when they starred on BGT

Simon is also clearly a fan, commenting:

“I love this era of music, it only works if you’ve got great voices and if you respect the time and Jack Pack win on both counts. I’ve always wanted to work on this type of record so I am looking forward to us working together”.

The boys album is said to be due for release next year, where they will take inspiration from the Rat Pack and swing era.

Who's excited?

EASTENDERS - September is about to get HOT!

It's about to get HOT HOT HOT in Albert Square - and not just because Alfie decides to set fire to his family home...

As you can see in the official Autumn trailer over on the BBC EastEnders website, there's going to be more than a few reasons to check in with our favourite EastEnder's this month.

Like I said above, Alfie makes the terrible, life-changing decision to torch his own home, in a desperate need to claim from the insurance. As the Moon/Slater's are about to be evicted, Alfie feels he has no other option left, despite being begged to back out by Mick. (Yes, another situation poor Mick has got involved in, that only spells trouble and strife from, well, his trouble and strife!)
While the rest of the clan are over at Sharon's hen-do, Alf trots over to the home, flickers a match and waits for the fire to burn. Kat then calls. She's left the party, and is 'at home'. Seconds later, before he can do anything about it, Alfie watches as his house goes up, with his beloved Kat in it.

Now, we know that Kat is to suffer life-changing burns from the blaze, but as the trailer shows, Stacey is more worried about the children. Had Kat collected Tommy and baby twins Bert and Ernie, before she went home? And what about Stacey's girl, Lily?

EastEnders like to have heard-hitting plots, but would they really kill off Kat and Alfie's children in such a way? Or maybe, even more heartbreaking, would be if one of the twins perished, while one survived?

Over to the brilliant writers for that one...

The next big story will surely be the Phil and Sharon marriage-to-be from hell! The trailer shows both Ben and pregnant Ronnie's returns. Exciting stuff ahead!

Poor Charlie Cotton is seen telling Dot that he'd be a terrible father, while Roxy looks thrilled by her sister's pregnancy. I am, too... Let hope nothing goes wrong for our tragic heroin this time!

Ronnie has come back because she wants to stop Phil from marrying Sharon, while Ben is seen yelling at Phil that he has always and will always love Shirley, so should be with her. Of course, we then see Phil declare to Shirl' that he will leave Sharon for her... Yay! I've been calling for a Phil/Shirley reunion since, well, they first split up. The comedy Shirley brings to EastEnders also gives another layer to the character of Phil. They're a pairing made in, not quite heaven, but somewhere in the clouds!

Will Shirley be able to forgive Ben, though, for killing Heather? I hope so, because their relationship was also one I loved. (Back when Ben was played by the cute little kid who looked over his glasses!) The new Ben, from what I've seen so far, has come back more mature, less irritating and, I hope, with a substance to go the distance.

Other plots see Dean proposition Tosh, with Tosh confessing to Tina that she and Dean slept together, and Lauren telling Peter 'I love You'... Now, Tosh is going to (totally) end up pregnant with Dean's child and Lauren and Peter will get together, until a spanner is thrown into the works (probably to do with Lucy's murder inquiry!)

We were also given a glimpse of the big Carter story for the coming months, where Dean also comes onto Linda again. This leads to Linda's rape... How will the family cope with such a horrific circumstance?

The end of the trailer goes back to the Mitchell household.

With Phil leaving Sharon for Shirley, Sharon having a major dislike for Ronnie and even more so for Shirley and Ben being back... A gun shot rings.

Who is on the end of the bullet and who pulled the trigger? I'd like to make a guess, but I think I'll wait a while.

What do you all think of the upcoming stories?

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HOLLYOAKS - Dodger's Nico's dad!

Yep, you read the headline right - Dodger - Sienna's twin brother - is Nico - Sienna's daughter's dad!

And I thought the family connections with the Dingle's in Emmerdale were confusing!

What did you all think to the shock twist in the tale?

As we saw in last night's ep, Sienna herself didn't realise that her brother was her daughter's dad, with only Patrick, Dodger and Sienna's father, knowing the truth. The twins were, of course, separated by their mother as children and, consequently, brought up separately...not knowing about each other until only a couple of years ago.

Anna Passey who plays Sienna spoke to the Hollyoaks Official Website after the reveal:

"At first she is in total shock. Not in a million years did she remotely think it was possible that Dodger could be the father of her daughter, so it knocks her for six. But then as the news settles in, she starts to feel that it makes sense of lots of things. If Dodger found out the news that he was in fact Nico's father, I think he would be entirely freaked out. Dodger would obviously have a normal reaction to it. 

I don't think he would get his head around it. I don't even think he would believe it, and if he was made to believe it, I think he would panic and not want to be anywhere near Sienna or probably Nico sadly!"

Sienna is currently being held captive by Patrick, in a bid to stop her from revealing the truth to Dodger...

Anna continued to explain:

The big question is, does Sienna tell Dodger the news? Well, at first she wants to. Her immediate reaction is, 'Great - let's go there now and tell him. It's going to be fantastic'. But Patrick won't let that happen and he's so worried about Sienna running off to tell him that he locks her in a boiler room, so she's stuck in there. The more time she spends in there, the more she convinces herself it would be a fabulous idea to tell him, so Patrick has definitely got his work cut out for him trying to stop her. But we know what Sienna's like, so she's not going to give up without a fight."

Tonight's episode explores further into how the pair stumbled across their chance encounter, which resulted in Nico. 

Give me your thoughts on the shocker...

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HOLLYOAKS - Dodger's in danger

Oh Si Si, when will you learn?!

So you've fallen in love with your brother. Your TWIN brother at that and in a desperate attempt to get him to stay in Hollyoaks village, you stab him in the leg.

Just a normal day for the Blake/Savage family, eh!

Those of you who watched last night's E4 first look will know that Dodger has been knifed in the leg by his sister, who also made Maxine believe that Dodger wants her to leave the village without him.

What's going to happen next?

Well, Patrick arrives to find his son, after learning of his daughter's obsession - but Sienna, being one step ahead clasps Dodger's mouth shut, leaving him unable to call out for help. With Dodger bleeding critically, Maxine heading out of the village heartbroken and Sienna not being of much help, who will come to the hunk's aid?

Well, I've already had a teeny sneak peek (okay, okay, an almighty peek!) and as I said yesterday, you will NOT want to miss the outcome of this story.

It possibly answers a lot of questions about how and why Sienna is as messed up as she is, and even why Patrick is as twisted as can be. 

The Blake's lives will never be the same again, that's for sure!

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HOLLYOAKS - The Blake family drama continues...

Tonight's E4 Hollyoaks is the beginning of what's to be a massive, shocking Blake family drama.

Last night, we saw Maxine find the hidden webcam, which Sienna planted to spy on her brother's relationship.

We all know that our favourite soap nutter has fallen for her twin brother in recent weeks, and has a twisted plan to have him as her own and create the perfect family for her daughter, Nico.

Maxine is shaken, believing that Patrick actually planted the camera, so insists that she and Dodger should leave Hollyoaks. When Dodge' pays Patrick a visit, humiliating him at the school, Patrick protests his innocence...

But will Dodger believe him?

As I've said, this marks the start of a whole new, shocking plot in Hollyoaks, and trust me... you will be left picking your jaw up from the floor... I definitely was!

Do not - I repeat DO NOT! - miss Hollyoaks this coming week, or next!

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EASTENDERS - Stacey's back for good, will Ryan follow?

This week, we've seen the (permanent) return of Stacey to Albert Square. 

Who's glad to see her return? 

I am, mainly because it's been one of the most highly anticipated returns of the year and secondly, because Stacey is one of my favourite characters. 

Stacey's coming, going and coming again kept giving us little teasers of what we were about to gain on her return and last nights ep didn't disappoint. 

Feisty Stacey was back with a bang, letting Whitney know exactly where she stood when it came to Lily. Whitney mentioning Ryan to Lily (and the messages she's been receiving from her missing brother) got fans in a spin about Ryan's possible return. And tonight, we saw it! 

Stacey and Ryan, I feel, were a great relationship waiting to happen - but they didn't ever really get going. Bar having a child together, of course! 

So if Ryan was to make a (permanent) comeback, it would be welcome! I couldn't believe it when he popped himself around from the back of that shed in the park... Well done Dominic T-C for yet another surprise comeback well kept. 

In this week's episodes, so far, we've seen the multi-dimensional Stacey that everyone loves best. She's given us 'mouthy,' 'emotional,' and 'compassionate' already. She and Whitney could be a fab friendship just waiting to happen... 

Elsewhere, I need to give a special mention to Cindy's return. Having given birth, on Ian's living room floor of all places...teen motherhood seems to have made her a softer soul. The scenes between Cindy and Ian (yet another great Adam Woodyatt performance) during baby Beth's birth were both touching and hilarious at the same time. 

Mimi Keene, who plays Cindy, has promised that we'll soon be seeing even more developments in Lucy's murder case, while Ben Hardy, who plays Peter Beale has said that scenes he's filmed lately have made him question whether Jane Beale could be the murderer! Ooo-err!

Back to Stacey, though - and I hope it's not too long before we discover the secret of the key she gave to Lauren Branning to keep safe. 

Why do I now wonder if it has something to do with Ryan... He's a man on the run. She was a woman on the run. They share Lily together. 

Secrets in Walford seem to be getting more and more exciting! 

Return of The X Factor

The X Factor jumped back on to our screens this weekend with a Saturday and Sunday double bill. 

Cheryl and Mel B's relationship was fab and I can only see it getting stronger. As two powerful women, there's no need for them to compete, they both know who they are and are comfortable with that so I really don't think it'll be a catty bitch-fest this series.

Simon Cowell was back, too, of course and it's true what the backstage rumours were saying. He's more relaxed, chilled and genuinely funny. 

Louis was, just, Lou Lou. And we wouldn't expect anything else!

I felt that the calibre of contestants was very high this weekend. Especially as it was only the first two shows. Amy's return was emotional and I'm glad she did so well. Goosebump performance. 

The fact she's back - because of Cheryl - leaves me hoping that it's the Girls category that Cheryl gets. 

The woman who was once in Girl Thing, Linzi, didn't sound great and I think Cheryl and Simon were quite strong to stick to their guns and not put her through. It was nerves and the passion of wanting something so much that too over, I think, but I also have an inkling that she maybe wasn't the strongest singer in the group back in the day, anyway. 

The boys group, and the men we've seen so far in the Overs category sounded fab - especially the man who was in the Navy. He gave a highly emotional performance and I hope he does well. 

With so much talent pumped into one weekend, I'm excited to see how the series progresses. The double weekenders of X Factor are here to stay, to accommodate the room auditions, going on to the arena auditions, before Bootcamp. 

Who stood out to you this weekend? 

And did anyone go through who you would've given the boot to?