ONE thing is for sure when it comes to soaps – you’re never far away from drama.
Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week.
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From baby snatchers to quirky serial killers and bodies under the patio, there’s never a dull day in soapland.
Here we reveal the craziest storylines in soap history that have kept us on the edge of our sofas…
Brookside: body under the patio (1993-1995)
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Channel 4 soap Brookside may be long gone but its controversial storylines are certainly not forgotten.
Its famous ‘body under the patio’ plot caused a furore, with chilling echoes of serial killers Fred and Rose West.
After enduring years of abuse, long-suffering Mandy Jordache murdered her evil husband Trevor (Bryan Murray) and buried him underneath the patio in 1993 along with their daughter Beth, who’d also suffered at his hands.
It was another two years until his body was found, when new owner Eddie Banks was trying to find a leaking water pipe connected to the house.
Both Mandy and Beth were jailed for the murder after a mammoth trial, and Beth – played by Anna Friel – later died in prison of a mystery heart condition.
EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009)
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Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer.
But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12.
The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning.
Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.
Tony was later sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016)
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In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict.
The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit.
Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed.
Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.
Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000)
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Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first make rape victim.
It was broadcast during during Hollyoaks’ first late night spin-off show, Breaking Boundaries, in 2000.
Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him.
Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.
In 2017, Gary returned to the soap to reprise his role as Luke and saw his rapist in another dramatic storyline.
Coronation Street: Bethany’s grooming ordeal (2017)
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Vulnerable schoolgirl Bethany Platt, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie’s darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator Nathan Curtis.
The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her.
The storyline was based on a real life story and also drew inspiration from the child sex abuse ring in Rochdale, which saw nine men jailed in 2012.
Emmerdale: Organ swapping (2025)
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This year, Emmerdale launched a controversial storyline involving the newly returned Joe Tate.
Joe battled with a medical secret before it was revealed that he needed a kidney transplant.
As part of the plot, Joe has insisted on securing a relative’s kidney through deception.
Using a private doctor, he first attempted to see if Noah Dingle was a match before next setting his sights on Caleb Milligan and going all out in order to swipe and secure his kidney.
However, the show faced a backlash from leading charity Kidney Research UK, which made it clear it does not back the show’s ongoing plot.
Hollyoaks: Hannah’s anorexia (2007)
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At a time when the ‘size zero’ debate was raging, Hollyoaks embarked on a heartbreaking storyline highlighting the dangers of eating disorders.
Hannah Ashworth, played by Emma Rigby, developed bulimia and anorexia after befriending anorexic model Melissa, who taught her how to starve herself in a bid to lose weight.
When Melissa suddenly died from a heart attack, Hannah’s own health spiralled and she was hospitalised in an eating disorder unit for two months.
Emma won numerous awards for her portrayal of Hannah and her illness.
EastEnders: Ronnie’s baby swap (2011)
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This controversial cot death storyline – which saw Ronnie Branning, played by Samantha Womack, swap her dead baby with Kat Moon’s newborn – saw the soap hit with a flood of complaints from outraged viewers.
The media regulator Ofcom also received 1,044 complaints over the two New Year episodes, which concluded with baby Tommy returned to his natural mother and Ronnie being sent to prison for child abduction.
The plot saw actress Samantha leave the soap, which was later cleared by Ofcom.
Hollyoaks: The Gloved Hand Killer (2015)
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Soap fans were hooked on the 2015 storyline which saw a serial killer roaming the village, injecting victims with potassium chloride and claiming the lives of seven characters.
And they were stunned when in a dramatic climax, nurse Lindsey Roscoe, played by Sophie Austin, was revealed to be the evil Gloved Hand Killer and not her sister Kim.
In a highly dramatic and bizarre twist, fellow serial killer Silas Blissett (Jerr Rawle) returned to the soap to out Lindsey before killing her.
Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003)
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Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans.
He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why.
The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel.
In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house.
And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head.
He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal.
They survived, but he didn’t.
Emmerdale: John Sugden’s killing streak (2025)
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John Sugden was clearly hiding something from the moment he arrived in the village.
But after a few months of keeping fans guessing, viewers soon discovered he had something of a hero complex killing compulsion.
Flashbacks showed him killing Nate Robinson, after he disappeared and Amy saw his body in the frozen lake but died before she could tell anyone.
John was also seen stalking Chas Dingle before drugging her and framing Ella, leading to her departure from the village.
Viewers have yet to see what else he is capable of, but fiance Aaron Dingle wants to have his wits about him, that’s for sure.
