Pick of the Plots: Thursday, 26th June

A look at the latest storylines from the UK and Australian soaps….

Linda is at loggerheads with Elaine following the previous night and Johnny comforts her. At the hospital, Denise and Kat are furious that Elaine served the boys.

Ravi shows off his new car to Priya. Vicki broaches the subject of the suspicious invoices with Bernie again but gets nowhere. Ross suggests speaking to Ravi directly, but when she does, he knows nothing about them.

Ravi and Suki go to confront Bernie about the irregularities, can she explain the financial farce?

Nicola and Barney have a meal at Walford East, where a run-in with Zack causes more drama. That night, at Harry’s Barn, Nicola and George bond over their breakups.

EastEnders, BBC One, tonight at 7.30pm or watch on BBC iPlayer now

Sarah’s caught in a dilemma: will she decide to accept Jacob’s sperm offer?

At the hospital, Sarah’s grateful for Charity’s unflinching support as the seriousness of the day becomes an unavoidable reality for them both. Sarah wants to hear that Charity is in full support of her plan before she heads off for her cancer operation; Charity tries to tell Sarah that she can still support her even though she thinks that she may be making the wrong decision and Charity’s left distraught after she manages to break Sarah’s heart right before she heads off for her operation.

Cain and Charity anxiously await their granddaughter’s return from surgery, Cain does his best to comfort a dejected Charity in the aftermath of her ill-timed row with Sarah. They’re panicked to the core when the surgeon tells them things haven’t gone to plan with Sarah’s operation.

Gabby plants the seed that Paddy could try and do an online dementia test on Bear without his dad knowing. However, it’s quickly apparent to Paddy and Marlon that conducting the dementia test on an unwitting participant will be harder than they thought

Emmerdale, ITV1 and STV, tonight at 7.30pm  or watch on ITVX now

Eddie and Tyler suspicions are stirred when they both notice a black car following their every move. Outside his flat, Eddie is stunned to discover the identity of who has been watching them – Viv Barton, Tyler’s mum.

At the pub Eddie demands an explanation from her as Harry told everyone she died thirty years ago. Viv reveals she had post-natal depression and left her family, believing it was best for everyone. Despite getting better, she knew Harry would never accept her coming back.

Shocked by her confession, Eddie opens up about Tyler’s troubles and the extent of Harry’s control over his son. Eddie hides Viv from Harry but he later urges her to leave immediately…for all their sakes. However, Viv has other ideas, determined to reconnect with her son regardless of the danger.

Ahead of Mulvaney visiting Lenny, Lydia admits she wishes she could go too but he urges caution. At the hospital Mulvaney is troubled to see how weak his old friend is. Vulnerable, Lenny admits he doesn’t feel like himself anymore.

Later that night, Lenny’s unsettled when fellow patient, Mack, asks what’s going on, sparking an angry reaction. Hurt, Mack reminds him he’ll need a pal, leaving Lenny to reflect.

The police investigation into Chloe’s death gives cold comfort to Sonny who continues to find solace in alcohol. Gillian gets whiff of Sonny’s secret drinking and despite her reassurances, he’s resolute in blaming himself and drinking to numb the pain. At the end of her tether, Gillian leaves Sonny to his self-loathing.

River City, BBC One Scotland, tonight at 7pm. Across the UK on the iPlayer.

Dana appeals to Leah who refuses to leave Theo’s room, but when he’s wheeled back in, she gets her message to him, pleading that he return home once he’s discharged. Security arrives and Theo stands his ground – he won’t be talking about that anymore. Justin hears about Leah’s visit and is disappointed, reminding her that Theo made himself clear. Once he’s discharged, Theo lets them know he’s moved into Bree’s place, and he’s safe. Justin has to hold Leah back, but she still insists on dropping food on the doorstep for her estranged nephew.

Sonny’s made himself at home at Bree’s place, it’s certainly an upgrade from the motel, but any canoodling with Dana who stops by is halted by the latest houseguest, Theo. He explains to them his whole story, and they know very well his rift with Leah and Justin has a lot to do with the girl he’s caught up on – Lacey. Finally alone, Sonny and Dana are drawn to each other, sharing a passionate kiss.

When Dana abandons Harper to go be with Sonny, Harper and Bree get talking. The more Harper finds out about Sonny, the more concerned she becomes. Despite Bree thinking Sonny and Dana are good for each other, she mentions his stint in hospital, and that he is under security protection until the court case is over… The next morning, Harper gets more context over Sonny’s involvement with the River Boys from Leah and Justin and then goes to grill Dana who admits she was working in hospital when Theo was rescued in his critical condition. Harper is decided – she won’t allow Dana to be involved in this.

Theo unpacks with Sonny his longing for Lacey, worried by the fact he is yet to hear from her. But she has abandoned her safe house and tells a cab driver to take her to Summer Bay – to see Theo. Tailing her are three River Boys in a car. Lacey arrives safely and is reunited with Theo, their passion unflinching. But does this mean she has lead a car full of River Boys to Theo and Sonny?

Home and Away airs 1:45pm on Channel 5, at 6pm on 5STAR with first-look screenings of the following edition at 6:30 pm. The series also streams on 5.

Byron is stunned by Saskia’s bold advance and assures her it won’t be going any further. But as her welcome to the neighbourhood barbecue kicks off, Saskia charms everyone with her sweet, innocent persona. Byron is increasingly uncomfortable around Saskia.

He’s unsure how to read her and whether to tell Max his baby sister hit on him. Dex takes a liking to Saskia and asks her out on a date, but Saskia declines, claiming she’s too committed to her studies to get distracted by boys. Byron hears it and finds it another curious inconsistency in Saskia’s behaviour. Ultimately, Byron decides to keep Saskia’s transgression a secret because he knows the truth would hurt Max.

Saskia genuinely appreciates him saving her some embarrassment, but just as it seems like they’re reaching a reset, Saskia flirtatiously shows off her body, suggesting this is a taste of what he’s missing. It seems Byron isn’t out of the woods.

Rhett comes along to the barbecue as Aaron’s plus one and the vibes are high between the guys. They even tee up a private after party, where hooking up is clearly on the cards. But just as things are hearing up, Colton arrives. At first, Aaron’s unsure how to act towards Colton after he seemingly rejected Aaron.

But Colton is quick to clear up that misconception and reiterate how keen he is on Aaron. Cara isn’t happy about Colton’s presence and works extra hard to continue encouraging Aaron towards Rhett. But the demands for his affections begin to mess with Aaron’s head, especially after Colton and Rhett’s rivalry gets a little too intense during a game of volleyball. Aaron is confronted by the reality that he’s going to have to choose between the guys and becomes so overwhelmed he leaves the party. Nicolette tracks him down and urges him to get back in there, but Aaron can’t do it, and in his absence, Nicolette sees some concerning signs that Rhett and Colton are taking a liking to each other.

When Nicolette learns the men were in the bathroom for an inordinately long time and then left together, she’s convinced of the affair and breaks the bad news to Aaron: he’s been left behind. His two boys are getting busy without him.

Karl is demoralised by being forced into more physical therapy so soon after recovering from his leg injury. Susan is finding it hard to stay strong for him and confides in Colton, who suggests getting Karl back into his old habits might help. Susan runs with the advice and takes Karl for a trip to Eirini, where Karl takes in his usual environment. Karl’s mood improves and the visit has given him some fresh inspiration, the results of which leave Susan gobsmacked when Karl announces he’s decided to resign from Eirini Rising.

Amazon Prime, from 7.30am