Buzzin Soap Stars

Phil Mitchell

Steve McFadden who plays Phil Mitchell in Eastenders, became a father again yesterday with his partner Rachel Sidwell.

Their daughter was born weighing 6lbs 30z at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London and has not yet been named.

It is the fourth child for McFadden who already has Matthew, Teona and Mollie from  previous relationships and also the fourth for his partner.  The pair allegedly began a relationship after meeting on a school run where they lived only ten-minutes away from each other.  After the unexpected pregnancy, it was reported that Ms. Sidwell had moved in with the actor who’s private life seems as dramatic as his screen life!

Janine Butcher - Eastenders

Janine Butcher, played by Charlie Brooks, is stay on the streets of Walford after it was announced that the actress has signed a new three-year contract.

It was announced in December that a one-year contract had been signed initially but now her former partner confirmed that she would be staying longer.

Janine first arrived on our screens in June 1989 when she arrived to be with her father Frank Butcher, played by Mike Reid, however, the Janine that Brooks played didn’t appear until 1999.

One of the soaps most wickedest characters, Janine was seen leaving the Square in 2004 and re-appeared in April 2008 at the funeral of her father, still as evil as ever.

Luke Strong

Craig Kelly, who plays the part of Luke Strong in Coronation Street is leaving the ITV soap after less than a year with the programme.

Viewers will see the secretive businessman disappear from the street under suspicious circumstances although it has been said that his character will not be killed off, so it’s possible he may once again return in the future.

Luke Strong first appeared on our screens when he claimed to be sent by Carla Connor to take care of business at the Underworld factory while she was away.

The 38-year-old actor will be filming his final scenes in the coming months but will still be on the programme until October when it expected that Carla, played by Alison King will be returning to the Street from her maternity leave.

Owen Turner

Lee Ross, 38, who played the part of Libby’s dad Owen Turner, and the woman who played his mother Liz (Kate Williams), are returning to the streets of Walford.

Owen is the ex-husband of Denise Wicks and father of her youngest daughter who she divorced because of his problems with alcohol.

He was last seen in the soap abducting Libby, he drove her to Epping Forest in a stolen car where he drugged her and then phoned Denise to tell her that he was going to kill himself and his daughter.  He attempted filling the car with exhaust fumes before his daughter made her escape before he grabbed the girl and tried to drown her in a stream.

Denise arrived to find her daughter unconscious on the bank and paramedics revived Owen before he was arrested.

Eastenders

The popular BBC soap opera Eastenders, have cast their first ever disabled adult actor to the show, wheelchair user David Proud.

Proud, is to play the part of Adam Best, the 20-year-old son of Manda played by Josie Lawrence, who comes to stay with her during term holidays from Oxford University.

The 26-year-old actor suffers from Spina Bifida and will begin filming for his role in the next few weeks and will be appearing on our screens in the autumn.

Proud has previously appeared in the CBBC basketball drama ‘Desperados’ and the second series of the ‘Secret Diary Of A Call Girl’.