The Sun 18th January 2003

EMMERDALE

Weekdays ITV

AFTER a false alarm and a traumatic labour, Zoe has a baby girl, and is determined to give her daughter up for adoption.

The week opens with Zoe hit by agonising back pains. She’s sure she’s going into labour and Scott takes her to hospital.

“But it’s a false alarm,” explains Leah Bracknell, who plays the reluctant mother.

“Zoe just wants to get the whole thing over with, but everyone seems to be interfering and trying to persuade her to keep the baby. She is furious when Chris and Charity get Chloe to keep an eye on her.

“She is really determined that her baby will be adopted. She insists that she is fine and even suggests going shopping for baby clothes to prove that she can handle it.”

Scott agrees to drive Zoe to the baby shop and is horrified when an assistant assumes he is the proud father-to-be.

“When they get back, Zoe has more back pains but she just shrugs them off as another false alarm,” says Leah.

“But she soon realises this is the real thing and starts to pack her bag. She tries to call for a taxi but can’t get one.

“She is just starting to panic when Chloe returns and asks Scott to give them a lift.”

But Scott is overwhelmed by the thought of Zoe giving birth to his child and can’t do it. Chloe and Zoe manage to get a taxi.

“Zoe arrives at the hospital too late for a Caesarean,” says Leah. “And has no choice but to deliver naturally.

“She is scared but relieved when the baby is born. But then the doctors rush the child away with breathing difficulties.

“When they bring her back, Zoe still does not want to hold her daughter. But she gives in and gives the baby a name, calling her Jean.

“Chris is moved that Zoe chose their mother’s name, but Zoe claims it’s the first name that came into her head.

“She never wanted to be a mother and has no idea who the father is. Now at last she can start her life again.”

Terry is left devastated when he tries to kiss an emotional Louise and she rejects him.

“Louise tells him they will always be friends but nothing more,” says Billy Hartman, who plays Terry. “And he is gutted.

“Terry loves Louise and he’s put his life on the line for her
by helping her cover up Ray’s murder. He can’t believe he has lost out in love yet again.

“Terry gets the day off for the funeral and tries to console Louise, but it’s too much for her and she runs out of the church.

“Terry realises she is going to the police to confess. He can’t bear that and he stops her.

“Louise is angry, but she doesn’t want him to suffer for helping her, so she backs down.”

The next day she says his ‘blackmail’ has put an end to her ideas of confessing.

“This hurts Terry,” says Billy. “But she says she is ‘hardening herself up’ like he told her to.”

After Ray is cremated, Louise tries to put the whole mess behind her. She starts destroying all records of her time with Ray.

“Terry finds her cutting up photos,” says Billy. “She tells Terry that she couldn’t have got through it all without him.

“He is sure this is the moment to show her how he feels, but when he kisses her, Louise pulls away.

“Terry is shattered. Louise says they will always be friends but nothing more, and that breaks his heart.

“When Louise leaves, Terry breaks down. He knows he has lost the woman he loves.”

Official Spoilers Week Beginning Monday 20th January 2003

© Yorkshire Television

Printed with kind permission of the Emmerdale Press Office

HIGHLIGHTS

MONDAY: - Zoe is rushed in to hospital with a false alarm
TUESDAY: Louise struggles to face Ray’s funeral
WEDNESDAY: Louise gives up Mill Cottage
THURSDAY: Zoe goes into labour for real
FRIDAY: Zoe gives birth to a baby daughter - in Emmerdale

18th January 2003: Daily Record

Soap watch
Merle Brown

RAY has the smallest funeral in Emmerdale and Louise is in bits - not because he is dead, but because she thinks everyone can see her darkest secret.

So she flips and decides to confess all to the police. Oh, get a grip, you hysterical woman.

Zoe has a false alarm and is then all embarrassed by it. And Paddy and Emily's foster daughter Debbie smuggles a baby runt into the house. How cute. Not what Paddy and Emily think.

Later in the week, Zoe has to be rushed to hospital for real and gives birth. When the midwife gives her the baby, Zoe names it Jean, her mother's name. Uh- oh. Is she going to want this child after all?

18th January 2003: Radio Times - Soaps by Alison Graham.

Emmerdale

Louise has to attend the funeral of the stalker she murdered, and naturally she finds maintaining her glacial façade difficult. But the "I am guilty" look she habitually wears seems to fool everyone.

Meanwhile, Zoë awaits the imminent birth of her baby, the unfortunate soap moppet conceived during her mental illness, whom she plans to put up for adoption. And Marlon and Tricia argue about their re-arranged wedding plans. Marlon suggests a hiking holiday instead, though Tricia's comment that she doesn't have the right slingbacks for climbing makes Marlon realise he's on a hiding to nothing. We could have told you that, Marlon. Any brain cell Tricia used to possess went on holiday and left a note for the milkman long, long ago.

Teletext 17th January 2003

Warren and Pauline quit hit drama
By Derek Robins

Warren Clarke and Pauline Quirke have quit BBC1's hit drama Down To Earth.

The duo, who play townies turned farmers Brian and Faith Addis, will bow out in the third series which begins in February.

A BBC spokesman said: "Warren always said he only wanted to do two series so his character will have an accident in the first episode and he will die in episode three. As a result Pauline's character will up sticks and leave."

Warren, 53, said: "I've had a great time making it such a success story but it's time to move on for the sake of the series," explained Warren, 53, who is currently making new Dalziel And Pascoe dramas.

Pauline, 43, said: "I will miss those views on the Devon set and the serenity. I've had a lot of fun doing the show but I think it will thrive without me."

BBC chiefs say Down To Earth will continue. Clarke and Quirke will be replaced halfway into the new run by ex-Corrie actress Angela Griffin and Ian Kelsey, who take over their characters' farm.

The drama has been a huge hit with ratings of 8m. A BBC spokesman said that a further fourth series starring Ian and Angela is likely.

17/01/03

16 January 2003

Ex-Emmerdale star is new voice for Late Night Yorkshire
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Having made her debut on BBC Radio York two years ago, Alex Hall, is the new voice of late night listening, broadcasting her own Late Night Yorkshire show across BBC local radio in Yorkshire and East Lincolnshire.

Late Night Yorkshire gives listeners the chance to phone in and talk to Alex and her various guests.

"I really want Late Night Yorkshire to be accessible to people. All our guests will be ready to talk to anyone who phones in - it’s important that we have that connection with our listeners and for them to feel that local radio is there for them," says Alex.

"It always surprises me what impact local radio can have on people’s lives. I get letters and emails from people who’ve listened to my shows over a number of years - one man told me that he’d met his wife through my phone-in. He’d liked the sound of her voice and they now have two children!"

Alex, who is popular at Radio York not least for her home made cakes, had become known at the station as The Grim Reaper because she was only ever heard on air when regular presenters were ill. Alex has also had an acting career. She was recently "killed off"’ in Emmerdale after playing the part of the headmistress for three years, but is now pleased to discover that there is life after death.

Two of her favourite hobbies are writing and after dinner speaking and she is also an ardent Victoria Wood fan. Alex also loves getting out to meet people and is keen to make contact again with some of her regular listeners.

Alex Hall can be heard on Late Night Yorkshire from 10.00pm to 1.00am weeknights on BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Radio Sheffield and BBC Radio York.

When Corrie met Brookie (Daily Mirror
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 16 2003
(and EastEnders met Emmerdale) STARS CAN'T FIND LOVE IN THEIR OWN SOAP SO WE CROSS-MATCH THEM UP
By Jill Foster And Claire Donnelly

YOU HAVE to feel sorry for our soap characters. When it comes to relationships with the opposite sex, most of them never have it easy.

Affairs are commonplace, marriages nearly always end in tears and if they don't find their partner is cheating on them, they discover he or she is a murderer, junkie or already married.

Is it any wonder they can never find happiness? The Daily Mirror thinks it's about time our favourite soap characters settled down with their perfect partner. And as none of them are likely to find love in their own soap, we're playing cupid by placing them with their soulmates from other soaps.

For instance, Coronation Street's evil Richard Hillman and Brookside's Lindsay Corkhill (pictured above) are a perfect match - if you like them rotten. He's a psycho serial killer and just the type of bloke Lindsay is used to recruiting to bump off her enemies.

Homicide on Corrieside. We don't know why the scriptwriters didn't think of it first...

Jacqui Farnham Phil Mitchell

EastEnders' Phil Mitchell and Brooksides' Jacqui Farnham have a shared love of buying local businesses and dallying with the criminal underworld. They'd be soapland's hardest couple.

Alfie Moon Shelley Unwin

EastEnders' Alfie Moon and Coronation Street's Shelley Unwin would make a great couple. He's a cockney charmer, she's a no- nonsense northern bird but together they'd be a knockout.

Eric Pollard Pauline Fowler

Emmerdale's Eric Pollard and EastEnder Pauline Fowler are made for each other. She spent years with her fraudster husband Arthur, so who better to keep Pauline warm at night than Eric the Emmerdale rogue?

Les Battersby Lisa Dingle

The Street's Les Battersby and Emmerdale's Lisa Dingle! Now there's a thought. Both as common as muck and larger than life, they could be ITV's answer to Wayne and Waynetta Slob.

Eileen Grimshaw Jack Sugden

Coronation Street's Eileen Grimshaw and Emmerdale's Jack Sugden were dumped by cheating partners, their exes are dead, and they're both bringing up children alone. They deserve a bit of romance.

Kat Slater Dev Allahan

EastEnders' Kat and Coronation Street's Dev Allahan are both natural-born flirters, Kat lives up to her name as a man-eater and Dev likes the ladies, so could these two wild cats tame each other?

Emily Kirk Ashley Peacock

The Street's Ashley Peacock and Emmerdale's Emily Kirk are both meek, mild and possessing TV's most irritating voices. Mouse-like Emily and big girls' blouse Ashley would be soap's wettest couple.

Zoe Tate Jimmy Corkhill

Emmerdale's Zoe Tate and Brookside's Jimmy Corkhill have both suffered mental breakdowns and seen their worlds fall apart. They could share everything, even their medication.

Mike Baldwin Steph Stokes

The Street's Mike Baldwin and Emmerdale Steph Stokes bring the East End to soap's northern reaches. The two cockney sparras - who both share a passion for young lovers - were born for each other.

Sammy Rogers Cain Dingle

Brookside's Sammy Rogers and Emmerdale's Cain Dingle - the Bonnie and Clyde of soapland. With their reputations for infidelity and causing trouble, this terrible twosome would be perfect for each other.

Martin Fowler Emily O'Leary

EastEnder's Martin Fowler with Emily O'Leary from Brookside are a match made in hell. Teenage tearaways, both drawn into a life of crime, this pair would be sure to keep Soaplands police on their toes.

Pat Evans Fred Elliott

EastEnders' Pat Evans and Coronation Street's Fred Elliott are both down to earth, I say, both down to earth and straight-talking folk. There might be a lot of banter - but not much peace and quiet in their house.

Antony Trueman Nisha Batra

EastEnders' Antony Trueman with Brookside's Nisha Batra are both well used to being in love triangles and both work in the medical profession so who better to play doctors and nurses with each other?

Diane Blackstock Ron Dixon

Emmerdale's Diane Blackstock and Brookside's Ron Dixon go together like a horse and cart! He's got a mouth like the Mersey Tunnel and she is Yorkshire's gobbiest barmaid. Light the touch paper - and stand well back!

15th January 2003

We Love Evil TV (Daily Mirror)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 15 2003
By Nicola Methven, TV Editor

IN the most gruesome scene in Coronation Street's 42-year history, poor Maxine Peacock was clobbered to death with a crowbar.

And 17 million viewers were gripped by every gory moment in Monday's double episode.

Serial killer Richard Hillman, played to perfection by Brian Capron, had struck again - and landed another ratings blow for the veteran soap in the process.

But what is it about Hillman and all the other twisted, evil men who infest our favourite series that has us glued to our sets?

The answer is simple: as a nation, we love to hate. Sure, we love to laugh and be kept in suspense as well, but there's nothing quite so unifying as some good old-fashioned fury.

In fact, it seems that a rotten rogue is the most crucial element for a soap's success.

At any one time, all the soaps have at least one baddie on the go - whether it's an angry Mitchell brother, a philandering Mike Baldwin or Tricky Dicky. And they are getting nastier all the time.

All the greats, from Den Watts to JR Ewing to Nick Cotton, have had us shouting at our TV sets - and you can guarantee that around half of the rest of the population are doing the same. Which spells bumper ratings.

EastEnders revelled in the soaring viewing figures last year when Phil Mitchell was shot after he'd terrorised so many characters that the list of would-be murderers was seemingly endless.

And who can forget the other classic baddies: Trevor Jordache and Barry Grant in Brookside, Alan Bradley and Mike Baldwin in Corrie, Trevor Morgan in EastEnders, Graham Clark in Emmerdale?

They are always at the centre of the major plots. And there has to be a reason why we find them so riveting.

John Altman, who still reappears from time to time to spread mayhem in Albert Square as nasty Nick Cotton, thinks it's in our genes.

"I think it's something that has been inherent in human beings for hundreds of years," he says.

"In the past, if there was a hanging at Marble Arch, a couple of thousand people would turn up to see the bad highwayman meet his end.

"It's the mixture of voyeurism and a fascination with evil - which is in all of us. It's just the way we are.

YOU'VE got to have the dark side in soap. It counteracts the love stories. It's basic drama, really - all the same themes as Shakespeare used, in a modern cloak.

"Sometimes the baddies have a bit of charm about them. I think with Nick Cotton there was a bit of black humour. He was so awful that it became funny sometimes.

"The viewers enjoy it, it makes a good talking point and it creates huge excitement."

Capron, who will bow out of Corrie after finally getting his comeuppance in the spring, credits Hillman's success as a character on his ability to mix badness with banter.

He says: "What I love about Richard more than anything is the dark humour they put around the character, like when he mutters: 'Where there's a will, there's a way.'"

But before the character was established as a rising baddie, Capron felt lost.

"I felt really cheesy and uncomfortable when I started, I thought: 'I don't belong on this programme at all,'" he says. "For a while I didn't know who Richard was.

"But as soon as we made some progress in the relationship with Gail, and then I went over to the dark side, I felt happier.

"I decided to make him very cool, very quiet and very calculating. I hate it when villains on television overact.

"It's been a fantastic year and a half - I've loved playing TV's most hated villain. I've done four year's worth of storylines in one year."

Naturally, there is a down-side to being soap's man of the moment.

Hillman admits: "I'm not one of these actors who takes everything home with him, but I have woken up with nightmares and it does impinge on me.

"Richard is the most disturbing character I've ever played, though I was once a murderer in Taggart who got beaten up for two days."

CORONATION Street producer Kieran Roberts has been involved in the incarnation of many a bad guy, but says there's never been one better than Hillman.

"Richard is the first proper serial killer," he enthuses. "He is the biggest, best, most incredible soap villain.

"There is a strange, perverse delight in watching a baddie do his absolute worst, and it has the added bonus of making the viewers realise how much they love and care about some of the other characters.

"I'd taken Emily Bishop for granted as a viewer for many years, and suddenly, in the past few months, I care about her enormously now that I've seen her under threat. A good baddie has that effect on other characters.

"Richard's success comes down to three things.

"The first is his rounded character - he is driven by a need to make things right for the family and he has a huge fear of failure.

"He will stop at nothing to provide a secure future for Gail and his new family, and so we understand what lies behind his rash actions.

"The second is that his behaviour has a huge effect on some of the characters who have been around for years - Gail, Audrey, Emily and Ashley, to name a few.

"He is at the centre of a story that touches almost everyone in the community.

"Third, the story has been building up over many months. We've not rushed it, it's been 11 months in the making and it's by no means finished yet."

Now Roberts is already preparing for Tricky Dicky's demise. He says: "You like to think that at any stage in your cast you've got two or three apprentice baddies. Now Richard will meet his comeuppance and we'll be looking to see who can fill his shoes."

Some viewers complain that there are too many disturbing storylines gripping the soaps - a charge which seems ludicrous considering so many of us love to watch them.

But TV-land would be a poorer place if we'd never seen Den forcing the divorce papers on Angie on Christmas Day or Alan Bradley's mental torture of Rita.

Without the baddies driving the shows they would be boring. Maybe the characters would live in nicer places, but they'd be damned dull to watch.

Roberts has an answer for those who moan about the number of angry soap storylines.

"We get complaints from some viewers asking why there has to be so much conflict," he says. "I understand their point of view, but actually without it there is no drama." Quite.

15th January 2003

Whatever happened to the romance of the FA Cup
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clarets stormed through to Round Four of the FA Cup tonight with a totally convincing 4-0 victory over Grimsby Town in front of a what could only be described as virtually empty Turf Moor.

The official attendance was just 5,436 with most people citing the cost as the reason for staying at home and keeping up with proceedings via Ceefax. What they missed was Burnley’s biggest FA Cup victory since Grimsby’s neighbours Scunthorpe went down 5-0 at the Turf in a 1st Round 2nd Replay in 1989/90 season.

In boxing they don’t always wait for a knock out, the referee has the power to stop the fight himself, and had this been a boxing match then I think referee Graham Laws would have finished it by 8 o’clock so one sided was it.

This was the Grimsby side that had fought back from two behind in the first match and the same Grimsby who had hit us for six in an earlier league game but tonight they looked pretty incapable of mounting a solitary attack never mind score goals.

With two stands closed it was never going to be a good atmosphere and at times it was almost as if it was reserve team football, where players could be heard easily everywhere on the ground.

And this the FA Cup. This was the competition that had crowds flocking to grounds not so many years ago. An FA Cup tie could guarantee a bigger crowd than the equivalent league game. But for a variety of reasons this is no longer the case and it is so sad to see the old competition treated so shabbily.

Not that I am having a go at those who stayed away, it is just that this competition has been devalued in so many ways supporters can no longer get too excited about it. And sadly the FA think they can put it all right by moving the draw back to a Monday lunchtime.

Tonight though it is somewhat difficult to judge just how well the Clarets really did play because the opposition were so bad. In 90 minutes they failed to trouble us once and Nik Michopoulos didn’t have a single save to make.

But our defenders did play well and Mark McGregor (my man of the match) and Arthur Gnohere were a solid central pair, yes the same central pair who started the league game against Grimsby at Blundell Park. There was never going to be a repeat tonight though and both had outstanding games.

We dominated midfield and this meant that there were opportunities for the forwards, seemingly almost too many opportunities as we created chance after chance. It took us 25 minutes to get ourselves in front and what a superb strike it was from Ian Moore from not much short of 30 yards.

His left footer gave keeper Danny Coyne no chance at all as it rocketed against the back of the net. Surely that would open the floodgates but incredibly we couldn’t add another goal during the rest of the first half and we had to settle for a 1-0 lead at half time and a change of half time entertainment.

There was no ex-Claret to make the half time draw tonight but a real Claret, a real Burnley supporter who can be seen on our television screens on a regular basis. He once tried to rape Gail Tilsley in Coronation Street, certainly got up to no good in a pair of gloves in Band of Gold, and now can be seen as Jarvis in Emmerdale. But none of it is for real and we welcomed out onto the pitch locally born actor Richard Moore.

Richard certainly changed nothing as far as the football was concerned because the second half followed the pattern of the first half, one way traffic towards the Grimsby goal. But still we couldn’t get a second. It was suggested that we struggle to keep 2-0 leads and so Stan had probably told them to stick at one.

You wouldn’t have thought so as we opened up Grimsby at will but whatever we did there was no second goal. At times we were certainly guilty of trying to walk the ball in and there was one moment when Tony Grant was set up perfectly on the edge of the box but chose to try and play a pass rather than have a shot at goal.

One goal leads are never enough though so regardless of the nervousness of a 2-0 lead I was pretty relieved when the second came eleven minutes from the end via a wonderful piece of trickery from Glen Little.

Glen appeared to lose the ball at least a couple of times as he dribbled through inside the box and eventually had his back to goal. At that point he swivelled round and hit it into the corner to the keeper’s left.

Never mind a two goal lead, there was no way this Grimsby team were coming back. And so it proved as we scored twice more and still could have had more.

The third was from a penalty that referee Laws initially waved away. Less than a minute earlier he had missed a spot kick at the other end when Graham Branch fouled Terry Cooke and he certainly missed this one. The assistant didn’t though and after a long consultation between the two the ball was on the spot for Robbie Blake to make it three.

Blake then left the field and the roof lifted as he was replaced by Andy Payton. Could he just mark his return with a goal we thought. The answer was no but we did get a fourth and the best goal of the game.

Ian Moore picked the ball up on the half way line almost on the touchline in front of the Bob Lord Stand. He turned two Grimsby players that allowed him to run towards goal. He saw off two more defenders before moving into the box and sliding the ball in past the oncoming Coyne with ease.

That was it, a more than comfortable 4-0 win and a place in the 4th round and a trip to Brentford in what has been called the greatest cup competition in the world. Tonight showed that to be a nonsense and things really need to be looked at when so few bother to turn up. The attendance was hardly higher than that for the first game at Blundell Park and questions really do need to be asked.

How good were Burnley tonight? We played well make no mistake about that but we were hardly tested by a Grimsby side that looked like a non-league team that had failed to rise to the occasion.

You can only beat the team you are playing though and in the end we did that with ease. We never looked troubled at the back, where as said previously Arthur and McGregor were excellent. Against a side though that gave the ball away so cheaply and in a game where we could create chances at will we should have had it wrapped up long before we did.

The cup competitions are all about making money for us now and we certainly had some success in that respect in the Worthington Cup. To do likewise in this competition requires us to get a draw that will bring in a decent size crowd and that won’t be happening in the next round either.

The same can be said of our trip to Brentford as was said of the game at Huddersfield in the Worthington, as important game as we will play all season. We need to reach the 5th round and hopefully get a televised game. That would bring in an extra £265,000 plus the prize money we get each round for winning. The prize money for tonight’s win is £50,000.

But forget the money for a while and just try and imagine the magic of the FA Cup as it used to be, what a pity tonight was almost like watching a reserve game with so few there.

The teams were,

Burnley:Nik Michopoulos, Dean West (Ian Cox 8 , Mark McGregor, Arthur Gnohere, Graham Branch, Glen Little, Tony Grant, Paul Cook, Alan Moore (Dimitri Papadopoulos 70), Robbie Blake (Andy Payton 87), Ian Moore. Subs not used: Gordon Armstrong, Matthew O’Neill.

Grimsby anny Coyne, Wes Parker (Iain Ward 70), Steve Livingstone, Steve Chettle (Christopher Thompson 75), Tony Gallimore, Terry Cooke, Paul Groves (Chris Bolder 87), Stuart Campbell, Darren Barnard, Darren Mansaram, David Soames. Subs not used: Jonathan Rowan, Greg Young.

Referee:Graham Laws (Whitley Bay).

BBC Puresap 14th January 2003

Soap Psychic... in Emmerdale
21 Jan - 3 Jan: it shall come to pass
Face it!
Louise faces up to the murdered stalker's brother at the funeral and is consumed by guilt! Meanwhile Ollie confesses her fling with Cain to Danny.
Oh brother!

Further ahead I see…
Tricia decides to organise a surprise Valentine wedding for her and Marlon.
Zoe has a relapse and checks herself back in the clinic.
Chris plots to get his hands on the Dingle's land.
And Katie's mugged for her mobile phone.

Louise: 'That's a big head you have there'.
© Yorkshire Television 2002

BBC Puresap 13th January 2003

Can Zoe steel herself to give up her baby?

Does Zoe Tate have the strength of will to give up the baby she is carrying almost as soon as it is born?

Can she avoid bonding with the child and putting herself through even more heartache than she has already suffered?

Fans of Emmerdale will be tuning in to see if Zoe, played by Leah Bracknell, remains as determined once she has the little mite in her arms.

Zoe has it all planned - an elective Caesarean section to deliver the child who will be quickly whisked off to adoptive parents.

She reasons that if she treats the birth as an operation she will have little chance of bonding with the baby and can get back to normal as soon as possible.

In an ironic twist Scott Windsor, her driver and - though she doesn't know it - the baby's father, is forced to take her to hospital and stay with her until Chris and Charity arrive.
The plans go awry when doctors tell her she will have to give birth naturally. When the child - a girl - is born, Zoe can't resist cradling her in her arms.

Zoe is affected by the birth far more than she ever anticipated. What chance adoption now?

Leah refused to give away the ending but did say: "I think Zoe will find the adoption issue far more difficult in practice than in theory."

Week Beginning Monday 13th January 2003

HIGHLIGHTS

MONDAY: Jack comes to the aid of a fellow farmer
TUESDAY: Louise braves the stalker’s inquest
WEDNESDAY: Jack tells Chris to stick his job
THURSDAY: Louise gets an alibi from an unlikely source
FRIDAY: Jack is stunned by news of Wilf’s attempted suicide- in Emmerdale

Emma and Marco are temporary foster carers who welcome a number of different children for varying lengths of times, while Ellen and Albert have a brother and sister who are under their permanent care.

Hopefully their experiences will prove that you don’t have to be the perfect family to offer the right kind of support to a child or young person in need.

The series continues on Friday with a focus on respite care.

For more information on becoming a temporary or permanent foster carer contact Education and Children’s Services at Perth and Kinross Council on 01738 626940.

In ITV soap Emmerdale, newlyweds Emily and Paddy Kirk have taken in five foster children.

Teletext Diary 8th/9th January 2003

Are the lads in blue going to rumble
Louise and her involvement in the
accidental death of Ray Mullen?

Not for a while it seems. Fans will
be treated to a "Will they, won't
they?" scenario. "Bearing up and
sticking to her alibi is almost
unbearable," reveals Emily Symons.

But she has two good friends, Terry
Woods and Charity Tate, who are
prepared to back her story. "It's a
fantastic storyline and there's a lot
of mileage in it yet," adds Emily.

If Emmerdale's executive producer
Keith Richardson could give one of
his team an award who would it be?

"I'd hand it to Leah Bracknell (Zoe
Tate) straight away," he says. "Some
of the situations we've put her
through in the last year have been
remarkably taxing."

But Keith has news for his star. Zoe
won't have an easy time of it for
quite a while. Her predicament over
her baby is set to get even more
complicated. Will she keep it?

With a new family about to arrive,
the soap's writers have been
pondering how to get one of their
best characters back on the land.

After being ignominiously fired by
Chris Tate, Jack Sugden (played by
Clive Hornby) is out of work again
and faces running the family home
almost singlehandedly.

"We're very conscious that we've
moved a long way from what goes on in
the fields," says my insider. "There
are a lot of stories to develop."

Other stories included: The Emmerdale Football team recently lost 9-0 to the Brookside Team. The team include Ben Freeman, Nathan "Nifty" Gladwell and Kelvin Fletcher. The boys were very embarrassed and are determined to do better next time.

BBC Puresap 7th January 2003

PURE SOAP Predictions - 14 Jan - 27 Jan:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soap Psychic... in Emmerdale
14 Jan - 27 Jan: it shall come to pass
Tough Times...
Ollie's struggling to keep up with her A Level work after taking time off to grieve for her mother. We also see that Louise is in turmoil at the funeral.

Meanwhile…
Zoe has a false alarm... Then she goes into labour - and has a baby girl.
But she immediately gives the baby up for adoption.
Katie prepares to move into the Sugdens.
Marlon and Tricia row about their renewed wedding plans.

The Sun 6th January 2003

EMMERDALE

Weekdays  ITV

EDNA is outraged when she is forced into the arms of her noisy neighbour Jarvis for the ballroom dancing competition after Len is injured.

But Jarvis is an expert dancer and together he and Edna waltz away with the top prize. Their big rivals Viv and Bob, who were firm favourites to win, are left stunned.

“Even Edna permits herself a smile,” says actress Shirley Stelfox, who plays the village dragon.

“Edna is more shocked than anyone else to discover that
she and her enemy Jarvis have something in common after all.”

Jarvis starts the week coaching Len and it seems as if his work is paying off as Len starts to improve.

Unfortunately, Len mutters rude words to help him concentrate and Edna is appalled.

“But she is much more upset when Viv sneers that she is too old to be in the contest,” says Shirley.

“Edna’s hurt by Viv’s cruel remark, and all the more determined to win.

“Edna and Viv even bet on the outcome, so the rivalry gets serious.”

While practising, Len’s confidence grows. He clamps a rose between his teeth to prevent him shouting and launches them into a whirling tango.

“But Viv’s been trying to put them off and Len gets carried away and sends them both flying,” says Shirley. “Edna is furious when Len is injured and can’t dance in the contest.”

Edna is bitterly disappointed at having to drop out - but on the big day, Len tricks her into dancing with Jarvis at the last minute.

“She’s shocked, but then she swallows her pride and Jarvis whisks her away,” says Shirley. “And they dance brilliantly together.

“Everyone’s surprised to see them dancing together but the judges are impressed and they win.

“The look of outraged jealousy on Viv’s face makes the effort all worthwhile for Edna!”

Louise is relieved when the police cordon is removed from Mill Cottage.

But life is far from returning to normal when the police suspect that Ray was murdered. And they’re convinced that the killer and the stalker could be the same person -  possibly one of Ray’s dodgy business associates.

Louise worries the finger of suspicion will point at her.
“It seems as if this nightmare will never end,” says Emily Symons, who plays Louise.

“She finds the whole pretence of playing Ray’s innocent, grieving girlfriend a real strain.

“She only has Terry to talk to -  he’s risking his freedom to help her and she’s grateful for that.

“But she also wishes she had just told the truth and taken whatever punishment she got.”

DI Dove tells Louise that although the police presence will be scaled down, the investigation will be continuing.

“Louise is petrified that she’ll be found out at any moment,” says Emily.

“She panics and decides she can’t stay in Mill Cottage another minute, so she turns to Diane, and is relieved when she invites her to stay at The Woolpack.”

Keen to get back to normality, Louise returns to work at the pub.

Meanwhile, as the police conduct their inquiries, Terry is one of the villagers they grill. He just wants to protect Louise.

“This is a pretty desperate time for Louise,” says Emily. “She feels guilty, sorry, frightened and terribly lonely.”

Also this week:

• Betty is mortified when Laurel goes out on the pull.
• Pollard returns from holiday, but Gloria has gone back to Westminster.
• Steph and her junk are evicted from the barn.
• Sam has a win on the horses but swaps all his money for a goat!
• Chris asks Jack to collect rent from a hard-up farmer.