EastEnders' longest-serving cast member Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) will be taking centre stage with an exciting new storyline next year.Speaking at an EastEnders' press event, the soap's new producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins spoke about his plans for a number of the show's characters, promising that there are "massive stories" to come in 2014."We've got massive stories for the Masoods, for Denise, for Kat and Alfie - and maybe our biggest stories for the Beale family. There's a big, big Beale story that will hit around Easter and keep going until the anniversary.
© Photo: BBCCLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
"It'll shock and entertain and hopefully make the nation weep. It will give Adam Woodyatt, who's a brilliant actor and a lovely man, a big chance to shine. "The other thing is Ronnie will have a big story. The question with Ronnie is, 'Is she her father's daughter?' I think we're going to see with Ronnie how someone becomes a villain. I keep talking about Darth Vader - the making of a villain. Not a soap bitch, but a villain. "He continued, "Everyone will get a big story. There's big stories for Sharon, for Phil Mitchell, and for Carol.
© Photo: BBCSamantha Womack who plays Ronnie Mitchell
"Lindsey Coulson is acting her socks off in her breast cancer story. It's a very important story and I've been sobbing in the edit suite a lot. "Dominic also spoke about the exit of Janine Butcher, the return of Stacey Branning and the arrival of Danny Dyer at the Queen Vic. "You'll see Charlie Brooks's exit story. There will be a coda to that story. It's not going to be the last you'll see of Janine, but that's all I'll say at the moment.
© Photo: BBCDanny Dyer plays Mick Carter and has just moved to the square with his family
"We've also got Lacey Turner's return as Stacey. (Story producer) Alex (Lamb) and I storylined the last time Stacey was on the Square. That was Act One. We know the character and we know where she's going to go. "With the arrival of the Carters, stories are going to flow out of The Vic. But it's not going to be the Carter show and it's not going to be the Stacey Slater show - it's going to be EastEnders. This show works best when there's a bomb going off at The Vic, a bomb going off at the Beales' and a bomb going off at the Brannings'."Not a literal bomb! I think when you're stuck for story, you blow things up. I'm not saying I'm never going to blow anything up, but I don't care - let another soap win Most Spectacular Scene. I don't think soaps should be about blowing things up, I think they should be about characters, people and they should move you. I don't cry at houses getting blown up."
