Hello, Princess we missed you
REPORTED Missing on BBC1 focused on one of our worst fears – when a loved one vanishes.
It started with police searching for 25-year-old Oli’s father, Michael. In a sad reversal of the parent-child relationship, Oli has the unenviable role of caring for his dad,who suffers from a severe mental illness.
It was painful to see his son worry as the days dragged on and Gloucestershire Police continued to hunt for his beloved dad. Luckily there was a happy ending to Wednesday’s episode as Michael was found alive – but he had to be sectioned for his own wellbeing.
It was a distressing watch and my heart goes out to Oli and others like him.
AFTER nearly three months off air, the Walford residents we know and love are finally on their way back to the Square.
Eastenders Series 2 is set to return with four glorious episodes a week from September 7.
For 35 years and over 6,000 episodes it’s kept the nation hooked with gripping storylines building up to that famous duff duff.
The soap has been on its own roller coaster, too, with audience figures peaking at 30 million on Christmas Day in 1986.
Dirty Den delivering those divorce papers to Angie is still the most-watched moment in British soap history.
And we saw it sink to an all-time low of 2.4 million viewers last year. But in this new era of catch up, on demand and delayed viewing, a loyal five million viewers still tune in to every episode – and that includes me.
I have missed Eastenders terribly while filming was halted because of the pandemic. I could have done with losing myself in their made-up drama instead of our own.
Blackmail
One consolation for having to wait for its return was knowing that Letitia Dean’s iconic Sharon Watts has finally got The Queen Vic back.
Tish has sizzled on screen this past year, from her affair with a toyboy lover to being embroiled in a blackmail plot with Tamzin Outhwaite’s Mel Owen.
Oh and not forgetting the giving birth in a funeral parlour then mourning the drowning of her firstborn, Dennis, in scenes that could make a stone cry.
And all that in 6in heels and perfect hair extensions that would turn Gemma Collins green with envy.
Storylines have keep us informed as well as gripped over the years and the fabulous ensemble cast have been part of our lives for so long they feel like family.
So I’m ready to hang out the bunting for their homecoming.
I’m excited to see how singer Mica Paris will bed into the new cast too, playing fiery Ellie Nixon.
But it’s Shazza I’m desperate to see and who I’ve missed the most. And from the buzz online, the nation cannot wait to see what she has in store for us now she’s back where she belongs – behind the bar.