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New Eastenders chief Kate Oates lifts the lid on what’s next for the Square…
Soap superwoman Kate Oates has steered both Corrie Emmerdale and to tremendous success – with the Street scooping the coveted gong for Best Soap at this year’s Inside Soap Awards (see p42 for the cast’s winning interview)! Now, just over a month into her new job – overseeing Eastenders as well as Casualty and Holby City – Kate gives us a few sneaky hints on what we can expect to see happen in the Square, and teases some of her long-term plans for the show…
Hi Kate! How are you settling into life at Eastenders?
Good! I’ve hit the ground running, and couldn’t ask for a nicer team. I’m working with [executive consultant] John Yorke, who I’ve admired for most of my career, which is great.
Which Walford residents can we expect to be involved in some big storylines this winter?
Well… There’s going to be a great long story for the Mitchell family, so that’s going to be exciting, with the whole Phil, Sharon and Keanu extravaganza going on. I’m excited about the Carters too, and I want to see them tested – but that doesn’t mean not seeing them in the Queen Vic. I like seeing them in the pub, and I think Danny [Dyer, aka Mick] and Kellie [Bright, who plays Linda] are a brilliant soap pairing. What else do we have? Tiffany is getting herself into a whole lot of trouble, and things are going to get sticky for Mel around New Year!
Can you tease any new plots that are currently brewing?
There is a story I’m thinking of actually that makes me a little bit nervous, but I think I have the team behind me to tell it. I believe that it will be an important story, and it will offer what Eastenders does best, which is a really gritty-butrelevant long-term arc. Time will tell!
Will we meet any new characters in the coming months?
We’re already talking about some new additions, so that’s exciting. Generally there’s quite a good spectrum already, and that’s as much as I’ll tease for now!
What sort of Christmas can we expect in Walford this year?
That was all planned before I got here, but I know what’s happening. It’s pacey drama, and it’s all kicking off!
Is it bittersweet that Corrie just scooped our Best Soap gong?
I sort of feel a bit jammy really, as I can enjoy Corrie’s success and be proud of it – and I’m also hungry for us to do well on Eastenders. When I pick up a copy of
Inside Soap and flick through it, I feel as though I kind of know everybody!