IN RUINS We’re soap superfans – here are the characters writers have RUINED in EastEnders, Emmerdale and Corrie
SOAP superfans have come together to reveal which characters across the three main soaps have been ‘ruined’ by the writers.
Competition between fans of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street can be fierce, but one thing they can agree on is that some characters in all three soaps have changed beyond recognition over the years.
Taking to a soap fan forum, one viewer shared a post titled ‘Characters you wished went back to how they were originally created’.
They wrote underneath: “Well there are so many. I wish they could make Gail Platt like how she was originally intended instead of someone who acts a bit daft now and again.
“Steve Mcdonald who never used to be daft but was just an ordinary bloke who got up to some dodgy stuff.
“Jimmy King was a ruthless businessman. Now he is the complete opposite.
“And Tim Metcalfe was just ordinary bloke when he first arrived in the soap and now he is as bad as Steve and is a different character.”
While the author highlighted a number of characters in the ITV soaps, EastEnders wasn’t overlooked during the discussion.
One fan wrote: “Kathy Beale. She was recommended by Dr Legg to be a Samaritan in 1986 because of her empathy and ability to listen to the troubles of others.
“Now in 2024 she’s suggesting that Denise’s mental breakdown is being faked and declaring a cemented rotting corpse is ‘at peace’.”
Another viewer replied: “Corrie: Gail, Steve, Bethany, Daniel, Carla, and Shona were all once great characters that are now caricatures.
“EastEnders: This is controversial I think but I actually wish Peter was a bit more like Dayle Hudson’s Peter. Right now he’s really there to be a plank, but a good hearted one which I do get but I’d prefer if he had an edge.
“Same with Martin. I’ve never taken to Bye’s Martin (even though I like Bye a lot), he just never felt like 2000s Martin to me and was practically a different character.”
They concluded simply: “Emmerdale: Aaron.”
Sticking with ITV, one soap fan wrote: “Summer in Coronation Street with the original actress – she was so good! Summer went from being one of my favourite characters to being just so annoying.”
Another echoed what a previous post had highlighted, saying: “Jimmy King. Gail Rodwell. Both have been turned into bumbling idiots over the years by said producers.
“Jimmy and Gail used to be great characters but are now sadly shadows of their former selves.”
Meanwhile another picked apart the characters on EastEnders, writing: “Phil Mitchell – His hard man days should be over. Phil was likeable in the 90s and is just a parody now.
“Sharon Watts- If her return never happened I may have liked her from going and watching older stuff but I have never liked her since she returned and since Sheanu Even worse.
“Elaine Peacock – Harriet Thorpe does not work as Linda’s mum. I don’t want the old actress as couldn’t stand her either but I want Elaine to feel like Linda’s mum.
“Dean – So he wasn’t a rapist and they went down his childhood mummy issues counselling as he needed it. Was obvious prior to the rape. So Instead of making a character go down this irredeemable path, they went that route instead.
“Kathy – This six nonsense. Denise – This Six Nonsense. Sonia – So she doesn’t feel like a 80 year old way before she is. Think everyone else is fine.”
