EastEnders actors and other stars who created their own stories

Soap stars aren't just great at delivering award-worthy performances – it turns out that they have a talent for dreaming up storylines too.

A few years ago, we produced a collection of soap cast members who'd called the shots with their own storylines, dreaming up plots which eventually made it onto our screens.

Not to be outdone, plenty more actors have since come forward and shared similar behind-the-scenes gossip in recent years.

Rounding up some of the best examples in one place, here are 10 more stars who got their thinking caps on and helped out the writers.

1. James Bye – wanted Martin to clash with Ben in EastEnders

BBC

There's no denying that EastEnders has had a Ben Mitchell obsession over the past few years, so perhaps it was no surprise that cast member James Bye wanted a slice of the action by getting involved in a story with him in late 2019.

After on-set chats with Max Bowden, who plays Ben, James came up with the idea of his character Martin Fowler entering into a high-stakes feud with the Albert Square bad boy. This paved the way for Martin taking centre stage in a dark Christmas story.

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Speaking at the time, senior executive producer Kate Oates shared: "One of the reasons we had this idea initially was, when we got together for a bit of a character chat, James mentioned this thing – it was Martin with a different head and how he dangled Ben over the railway bridge.

"I hadn't seen that. James and Max were talking about it, and I just thought it was brilliant. It's nice to have those conversations and work collaboratively."

BBC

James added: "It is collaborative, and I've never had the opportunity to sit there and be open about ideas.

"Jon [Sen, executive producer at the time] and Kate are so amazing at just letting us do that and obviously not every idea we have is going to get taken up, but sometimes something happens like that and it gives us an opportunity to play stories like we have. I'm eternally grateful."

In the end, the story proved divisive with fans and has been brushed under the carpet since it finished, so whether you loved or loathed it, at least you know who to thank/blame.

2. Sair Khan – encouraged producers to explore racism with Alya in Coronation Street

ITV

Coronation Street covered an important topic in 2017 as Alya Nazir faced racist abuse while working at the factory. Alya was helping Aidan Connor to turn around Underworld's fortunes, but when she met with some wealthy clients as part of the mission, she was disgusted as the two men made racist comments.

The story sparked a mixed response at the time, with some viewers finding the scenes offensive and others praising the ITV soap for highlighting the issue.

Sair Khan, who plays Alya, later addressed the reaction by clarifying that the storyline had been her idea.

She told BBC News at the time: "This was an issue that I definitely wanted to raise and wanted addressed, because I get a lot of people coming up to me, young Asian girls, Asian guys, that are so happy to see me on the television [as] a representation of them.

"I'm so happy to be that voice for them in all the positive elements that come with that, but there is negativity and I thought that was definitely worth exploring."

3. Eve Morey – said Sonya should be killed off in Neighbours

corrie's alya and eastenders' martin and stacey

Channel 5

Neighbours bosses made one of their most controversial axing choices in 2018 when they decided to write out Sonya Rebecchi. This was part of a shake-up behind the scenes after the show's budget was reduced in one of its final contracts with Channel 5.

Although Eve Morey – who played Sonya – hadn't wanted to leave the show, she encouraged producers to write a tragic ending for her character rather than splitting up the Rebecchis in a less believable way.

Eve told Digital Spy at the time: "I suggested the story when we knew that Sonya would be leaving. One of my questions was: 'How do we get Toadie and Sonya to separate in a way that's very true to them, after everything they've been through?'

"My first instinct was: 'I think she has to die. She wouldn't leave any other way'. Although I don't think I thought about how traumatic it would be to play out! But I was involved in the evolution of this storyline."

Sonya's final scenes aired in early 2019, as she passed away in Toadie's arms a few weeks after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

4. Gillian Wright – pitched Jean's emotional Southend trip in EastEnders

BBC

EastEnders recently won the Best Showstopper prize at the Inside Soap Awards in recognition for the emotional episode which saw Jean Slater suffer a breakdown during a trip to Southend.

The award meant a lot to Gillian Wright, who plays Jean, as she'd come up with the idea for the episode in the first place.

Gillian told Inside Soap: "It was my idea! That's why this award means so much to me. I pitched it to the bosses thinking: 'There's no way they will do it'.

"This award means that something I've done has touched people. I'm chuffed!"

She added: "I loved it! I was like a dog with a bone for that whole storyline. I knew it was going to have an ending, then I'd be taking a backseat for some time, so I treasured every minute of it.

"Also it mattered to me that we tell an aspect of bipolar that we hadn't told before."

5. Daisy Campbell – wanted Amelia to become a teen mum in Emmerdale

ITV

Emmerdale's Daisy Campbell is a rising star of the show after her emotional performances in Amelia Spencer's pregnancy storyline. But we don't just have the writers to thank for the memorable scenes, as Daisy and her on-screen father Liam Fox (Dan) actually pitched the storyline.

Daisy told Inside Soap: "I've always said my dream storyline would be really challenging. Rosie Bentham did such an amazing job with her character being pregnant last year and I thought, 'I'd love to do something similar.'

"Me and Liam discussed it, then pitched it to our producer Kate Brooks, and a few months later she told us it was happening."

Daisy and Liam even saved the writers a job with working out who the father of Amelia's baby should be.

She added: "Me and Liam figured out who the dad could be as part of creating the storyline, so I've known all along."

6. Lacey Turner – wanted Stacey to sell baps in EastEnders

BBC

EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner doesn't ask for much when it comes to her storylines. While it might be tempting to demand a huge plot, modest Lacey just asked for Stacey to sell some baps.

Lacey recently shared how Stacey's food van came about when she suggested the idea in a conversation with Kate Oates. The show's team obliged, although let's hope Lacey doesn't regret asking to be outdoors all day during the cold winter months.

Speaking to Inside Soap recently, Lacey laughed: "I love Stacey's Baps! I think she works best on the market, outside, and I really missed her being on the stall.

"I tried to think of a way that Stacey could be outside, so I asked Kate Oates if she could have a bap van.

"Kate was like, 'What's a bap van?' and I was like, 'A roll van'.

"There's a lady in the B&Q car park who that whole bap van is based on, and she probably has no idea. But she's been giving me sausage in a roll since I was about 10.

"So when I got the bap van, I was over the moon because I now get to work with so many more people."

7. Gary Lucy – suggested Luke's tragic exit in Hollyoaks

Lime Pictures

In late 2019, Hollyoaks legend Luke Morgan was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, setting the stage for an emotional final storyline.

When Luke's exit scenes aired earlier this year, Gary Lucy – who played him – confirmed that it was his idea to leave the show in these sad circumstances.

Explaining his desire to raise awareness, Gary told Digital Spy: "We talked about it, and basically I suggested a young dementia story – frontotemporal dementia is the medical term for it.

"It had never been done before and that is what Hollyoaks is all about. It is leading the pack in regards to groundbreaking and heavy stories.

"Luke's male rape being another one obviously back in the day, which was huge and so important. This was a great opportunity to come back and to ultimately finish with another story that is a first basically – young dementia, especially."

8. Guy Pearce – wanted a daughter in Neighbours

Fremantle//Channel 5

When Guy Pearce was approached to reprise his Neighbours role as Mike Young for the show's final episodes in July this year, he had just one request – an on-screen connection to newer cast member Henrietta Graham.

Guy had known Henrietta and her family for years, so he suggested that Mike could be revealed as the father of her character Sam.

He later explained: "Right on Henrietta's 18th birthday in February was the day I read the article that the show was finishing. So I was going: 'No! No! This is terrible, I can't believe it!'

"My first port of call was to sort of check in and go: 'Well is she going to get to film anything at all? Is she going to get to be on the show?' And I found out that the show was going to continue on at least filming until the June, so she was at least going to get to do some stuff.

"So getting to come back and work with Henrietta, and more specifically to play her father, was a real joy, and Jason [Herbison] the producer and the other writers I think were very happy with that idea straight away. So that's what we all agreed to do."

Jason Herbison also told Digital Spy: "Guy was brilliant. We had a shape for the story, which of course involved revisiting Mike and 'plain' Jane. But he brought so much more to it. It was his idea that Mike turn out to be Sam's father, which we all felt was one of the most touching elements of the finale."

9 and 10. Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia – wanted Flick and Beth to meet in Neighbours

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One of the most bizarre moments in the Neighbours finale came when Felicity Scully and Beth Brennan met by chance, before recording a video message to send to Toadie Rebecchi and Melanie Pearson on their wedding day.

Soap-stars-turned-pop-stars Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia came up with the scene themselves while in negotiations for their cameo returns.

Valance told Studio 10: "We wanted to sneak in there and be like, 'Ooh wasn't expecting those two, especially not together!'"

"In true soap opera world, it is a bit unbelievable at times anyway, so we made it work.

"We put it to the producers and said, 'We'd love to do it together'."

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.