mmerdale’s Tom and Belle story ends

Mark the date in your soap calendars – Emmerdale‘s long-running Tom and Belle storyline will reach its conclusion in the week commencing Monday, December 16.

The episodes in question will see Tom go on trial for assault and coercive control, although his tormented wife Belle has some last-minute doubts about whether to testify.

Producers have stopped short of confirming the trial’s outcome, but all signs point towards Tom hopefully getting his comeuppance at last.

James Chase, who plays Tom, recently commented: “I think it was the right decision. I think it’s satisfying but still an interesting way of going about it. How we get to that end point, it’s not just cut and dry. It is an interesting way of doing it.”

Read the full story: Emmerdale confirms Tom King’s final shocking plan

Coronation Street’s Evelyn Plummer waves goodbye

We always knew that Dame Maureen Lipman planned to take a sabbatical from Coronation Street next year, but she went a step further this week by announcing that she’ll no longer be a full-time cast member.

Dame Maureen’s character Evelyn Plummer leaves Weatherfield in the coming weeks to start studying law – inspired by a petty legal dispute with Steve McDonald.

Beyond her departure, plans are in place to see Evelyn again, but this will be on an ad hoc basis rather than her living permanently in Weatherfield.

Read the full story: Coronation Street legend confirms exit as full-time cast member

EastEnders’ special Linda episode

EastEnders has a special single-storyline episode scheduled in for later this month, as Linda Carter makes a devastating decision about her future.

When Linda’s mum Elaine forces her to choose between drinking and her family, the troubled landlady refuses to address her problems.

Linda leaves The Vic and a dangerous night of alcohol abuse follows. Has Linda now reached the point of no return?

Read more: EastEnders confirms special Linda episode in tragic Christmas plot

Emmerdale’s special Jacob episode

Not to be outdone in the “special episode” stakes, Emmerdale also announced a one-off standalone edition earlier this week.

In early 2025, viewers will see Jacob Gallagher take centre stage as the emotional hour-long episode follows his first day on a work placement in A&E.

Show bosses have confirmed that Jacob will face a challenging time on his shift, especially when some of the cases he’s dealing with involve familiar faces from the village.

Read the full story: Emmerdale announces special Jacob episode for 2025

Christmas schedules confirmed

Final schedules for Christmas and New Year were released this week, including some changes to the regular transmission patterns for the soaps.

Highlights included confirmation of two half-hour Christmas Day episodes for EastEnders this year, and Coronation Street returning to an hour-long slot on the day for Gail Rodwell’s exit.

See the full schedules here: Coronation Street / EastEnders / Emmerdale / Hollyoaks / Casualty

Neighbours legend Ian Smith leaves the show

The saddest soap news of the week was announced early on Monday, as Neighbours legend Ian Smith revealed that he’d left the soap after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Ian has already filmed his final scenes as fan favourite Harold Bishop, which will air next year. He was surrounded by cast and crew on set for a grand farewell, with many of his colleagues in tears as they paid tribute to him.

The episodes in question see Anne Charleston, who played Harold’s beloved wife Madge, return as a new character.