Soaps preview – 21 – 25 November

Coronation Street
Just how much would you give up for Ciaran’s twinkling Irish eyes? We all know he’s got the gift of the gab – but really, is he that nice? Having lost the money for Michelle’s dream wedding venue to Karl (who, incidentally, is not a very good gambler) during a game of poker, Ciaran goes on to discover that even if he could pay, the pair have lost the chance of the venue as their date has gone to another couple.

Not only that, but Ciaran is keeping one important fact from his bride-to-be – he wants to leave the Street once again, get hitched on a beach and go back to living their lives on the ocean waves, working on a cruise liner.  So when he comes clean about this -it’s got to be too much for the down-to-earth capable Michelle, right?

[See also: TV Highlights - 21 - 27 November]

Wrong. For some reason – those aforementioned twinkling Irish eyes perhaps – Michelle decides it is worth giving up her plan to put down roots in Weatherfield, in order to be with Ciaran. Silly girl.
So instead of a service, Michelle gets to wear her wedding frock – which seems to be crafted out of spray painted rosettes - at a leaving party in the Rovers. But as they all gather to say goodbye, Michelle looks as if she’s got something to get off her chest…

Also this week: Steve and Becky’s divorce is finalised and Steve tells her she should move away from The Street and start again. Maybe not quite yet, Steve. Not quite yet.

EastEnders
Remember a while ago there was that bizarre scene where Lola decided to test if Ben Mitchell was gay? The cousins had awkward sex and decided he was indeed gay, remember? Then nothing was ever said about it again. Well, you can’t get away with that sort of thing in Soapland, can you?

Nope, you can’t.  Lola is, of course, pregnant which we would have thought made the results of the gay experiment more inconclusive than they first stated.  While Lola is happy enough, she’s shocked that her granddad Billy is not content to hear the news (No matter how often we write it or hear it, Billy Mitchell just isn’t a granddad, is he?) Lola reckons the baby means they will get a nice flat to live in. Clearly she needs to learn a lot about parenting (Maybe she could ask Ronnie, erm no, Roxie, erm no, Pat, oh, forget it).

[See also: I'm a Celeb - Sinitta cops the cable car trial]

Billy is convinced that the father must be Tyler – which is fair enough, as he’s been getting about as if he’s Walford’s  own Enrique Iglesias. But of course, it’s her gay cousin’s, which is in no way complicated. How will Ben react, the poor lamb – he’s confused enough as it is? We reckon Phil will be unpleasantly delighted, though.

Also this week: Abi is brought home by the police for shoplifting. But just as Tanya’s at the end of her tether with her wayward daughter, who should arrive back in town? That’s right, Max!

Emmerdale
The Ross and Rachel of the Dales finally get it together when Nikhil gets it off his chest and tells Gennie that he loves her.

There’s been so many sparks flying between them for so long that you would have thought it was fireworks night in Emmerdale for about six months, but after last week’s near miss, Nikhil finally comes clean and tells Gennie how much he loves her.

Obviously Gennie is concerned about her relationship with boyfriend Nicky and so she hesitates – for about half a second – before kissing him passionately.

While it’s lovely to see them together at last, Nicky will not be looking so sweetly at candy king Nikhil. Nicky is gutted when the next day Gennie calls their relationship off and can’t work out what he’s done wrong. He’s not about to go quietly and when he finds out what’s been going on, there’s sure to be trouble.

Also this week: Speaking of relationship trauma, Laurel admits to Ashley that she had deep feelings for Marlon. Ashley is furious with Marlon and accuses him of tearing his family apart.
Ends