Phil has a lot to fear in EastEnders (From The Northern Echo)

Phil has a lot to fear in EastEnders

2:10pm Thursday 12th January 2012 in Soap Watch By Steve Pratt

THE past is catching up with Fill the Fug in EastEnders (BBC1) and it could land him behind bars. The skeletons are rapidly tumbling out of the closet previously occupied by once-secretly-gay son Bovvered Ben.

First there was the stalker – own up, Ben, it was you – who spread stories about Fill’s role in the car accident that killed Kevin Wicks. Then there was a reminder that the car lot fire that led to the death of a homeless person was Fill’s fault too.

Now his old police nemesis DCI Marsden is back on the case and attempting to add a third misdemeanour to Fill’s CV. This involves Stella, the woman who jumped to her death from the roof on the day she was meant to marry Fill. One minute it was here comes the bride, the next it was splat! The evidence is piling up and now the copper quizzes Ben, a troubled young man if ever I saw one – and a lot of his problems stem from the time Stella abused him.

Another teenager up to no good is the newly-returned Lucy, who’s put out that dad Ian Beale is sharing his life and his bed with Handy Mandy. Having consumed vast amounts of alcohol, Shandy Mandy agrees to get some pills for Lucy. Alas, she passes out from all the drink and Lucy grabs the pills.

She leaves them lying around so young halfbrother Bobby can find them. Let’s hope he doesn’t think they’re Smarties.

So law-breakers Mandy and Fill could both be heading for prison – if there’s room. They could be sharing a cell with Rodney Blackstock from Emmerdale (ITV1). He’s been set up by Carl the King brother.

Carl stands head and shoulders above the rest of the village in terms of skullduggery, which is only to be expected as he’s the tallest man in soap. His past crimes include defenestrating his father on Christmas Day.

Now he has his sights set on someone else.

HOT Rod agrees to take the rap for a driving offence committed by Carl.

This is more than collecting points for speeding as Hot Rod discovers when the police arrive to accuse him of running over a child cyclist and leaving the scene. A prison cell beckons unless he can depose the King brother with a spot of blackmail.

And so to Weatherfield, where Becky McDonald is contemplating not her navel, but a spot of breaking and entering in Coronation Street (ITV1). Terrible Tracy has accused her of pushing her down the stairs and causing her to have a miscarriage. We know Tracy is lying (it comes naturally to her) and she lost the twins the day before.

Becky’s new man Danny provides vital information about the accident that could prove her innocence, but they need to see Tracy’s medical records. Becky is talked out of breaking into the medical centre, but recruits Gail the hamster – how we’ve missed her in recent weeks – in her cunning plan.

Gail used to work as the doctor’s receptionist so she can help them get at the records. She’s willing to do it because she wants to get back at Tracy, who set her up when she was in Soapland’s overcrowded prison.