Soaps preview: 3 - 7 August

This week, Dawn is humiliated after she is forced to choose between Garry and Phil in EastEnders, Gail finds out about Joe's painkiller addiction in Coronation Street and Nicola is all alone as she goes into labour in Emmerdale. Find out more...
 
Coronation Street

Poor Gail has had rotten luck when it comes to men and it continues this week when she finds out that Joe is addicted to painkillers. I suppose she should be grateful for small mercies - at least this one's not a serial killer!

Joe has been acting increasingly erratic in recent weeks, however, Gail has been putting his moodswings down to the backpain he's been suffering.

She continues to believe that theory when she catches him having an angry confrontation with the doctor after being refused more drugs.

However, she is forced to face up to the truth when Joe steals the keys for the medical centre from her handbag and is caught breaking in by the police. Will Gail stand by her man?

Meanwhile, all hell breaks loose over at the factory when a catfight breaks out over Fiz's engagement ring.

Because Fiz has been keeping her engagement from John secret, she hasn't been able to tell anyone that she's lost her ring. Unbeknown to her, her brother Chesney took the ring and then dropped it in Rosie's car while he was joyriding.

So imagine Fiz's surprise when Sally arrives at work showing off the ring that Rosie 'bought' her. Fiz is forced to remain tight-lipped, however, when Sally takes the ring off she decides to steal it back while her workmate's not looking.

A search of the lockers later reveals the culprit and leads to a fight between Fiz and Sally on the factory floor. So that's another day with not much work done then.

Also this week, Michelle clashes with Rosie when she returns to the street and Julie is shocked when she overhears Sean and Jesse's conversation.

EastEnders

Dawn returns from her break this week to find that she has to choose between Phil and Garry - so who will it be?

She is faced with the stark choice after Minty warns her that he will tell Garry she's been cheating unless she chooses between her two lovers.

Amazingly, Dawn decides that Phil is the man for her and tells him that she is in love with him. But she hasn't counted on what his reaction might be and is humiliated when he laughs in her face and tells her that he doesn't feel the same and their fling was only a bit of fun.

With her tail between her legs, Dawn heads back to Garry and before you can say 'it'll never last' the pair of them are in the Queen Vic announcing their engagement. Will Minty tell Garry the truth?

Elsewhere in the Square, Lauren fears that her dad Max is back to his cheating ways after she finds an earring in his car.

Her suspicions later appear to be founded when she discovers that the earring belongs to Whitney!

However, Lauren doesn't know the full facts - namely that Whitney lost the jewellery in the car while she was out joyriding in it with her brother. (What is it with people losing jewellery in cars while joyriding this week in soapland?)

Will Lauren destroy Max and Tanya's new-found happiness over a misunderstanding?

Also this week, Owen seeks Denise's forgiveness and Ronnie plots her revenge on Archie.

Emmerdale

Maria's recent pregnancy on Corrie felt like the longest in soap history, however, Nicola's in Emmerdale feels like the shortest as she goes into labour this week.

In all fairness, she isn't due for another month and - in soap tradition - the birth certainly doesn't go to plan.

It's a bad week for her which begins when she falls down the stairs after a row with Lexi. Although the baby is fine after that, it doesn't stop Jimmy and Rodney fussing over her and things get so bad that she ends up locking herself in the shop.

But it's there, all alone and with no access to her phone, that Nicola suddenly (and prematurely) goes into labour. With the door locked and no way of contacting anyone she lies on the floor in agony. Will anyone find her before it's too late?

Meanwhile, Viv has only been back for a couple of weeks but she's already up to her old tricks in the village.

She's been locking horns with Brenda ever since her return and she thinks she has a trump card this week when she finds out that her enemy is bankrupt.

Viv wastes no time in telling Terry about his girlfriend's financial situation, however, she's in for a shock at his reaction.

Also this week, Natasha confronts Faye and Val tries to patch things up with Pollard.

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