Soap From The Box welcomes the legend Ashley Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren Osborne in Hollyoaks, appearing in over 1,000 episodes! 

Continuing our support of Mental Health Awareness Week the chat explores Hollyoaks storylines portraying depression and suicide. If any of these issues affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://www.samaritans.org/
https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/

For more on Mental Health Awareness Week visit
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

You can also check out Ashley’s YouTube channel Freedom Of Thoughts that discusses mental health issues:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF1dW7SLU5YEudy0koKoX2g

The chat also dives deep into Ashley’s role in Hollyoaks, his time in the pop group allSTARS*, his cowboy pasodoble on Strictly and the time he asked Chris de Burgh ‘who is the Lady In Red?’  

Relive the allSTARS* glory days here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7knwY-Cb2A

And Ashley’s time on Strictly here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-sP-u-EmXY

Find Ashley on Instagram and Twitter @ashoztd

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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alicya Eyo, who played Ruby Haswell in Emmerdale, joins Lee for a Soap From The Box chat.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and all of us at Soap From The Box want to send our love to anyone suffering with their mental health and encourage everyone to talk about how they’re feeling.

Find out more at https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

In that spirit, Alicya very kindly shares the story of her own struggles with anxiety and alcohol.  Thank you Alicya, and if any of these issues affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/
https://helpmestop.org.uk/
https://transformingchoice.co.uk/

Lee and Alicya also cover her time playing Denny Blood in Bad Girls, wearing a pink PVC suit, getting recognised, playing a gay character in Emmerdale, her amazing exit from the show and annual Bad Girls reunions.  

Plus there’s surprise messages from some special friends… 

You can find Alicya on Twitter @Alicya75
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee is joined by Kelli Hollis, who played Ali Spencer in Emmerdale.

Kelli chats to Lee about playing a gay character, her first scene in the Woolpack, her work on Shameless and reveals proof that James McAvoy is lovely. 

You can find Kelli on Instagram and Twitter @kelli.hollis
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the show Julie Hesmondhalgh who played Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street.

Julie chats to Lee abut how important Corrie has been in her life, her wonderful relationship with David Neilson who played Roy, Hayley’s red coat, taking her mum to the Soap Awards and her work on Catastrophe, Cucumber and Broadchurch. 

They talk in depth about Julie’s portrayal of a transgender character and how she hopes Hayley has encouraged inclusion and diversity.  Find out more about these issues here:
https://lgbt.foundation/
http://www.pfc.org.uk/

Julie’s time portraying Hayley also involved storylines about pancreatic cancer and exploring issues around the right to die.  If these issues affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide/
https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/

Julie is involved in the Manchester based theatre company Take Back and you can check them out here:
https://www.takebacktheatre.com/

You can find Julie on
Instagram @jhesmondhalgh
Twitter @juliehes
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hollyoaks legend that is Gemma Merna, also known as Carmel McQueen, comes to Soap From The Box!

Gemma reveals all to Lee about wearing fishnet stockings to her Hollyoaks audition, her friendship with Jennifer Metcalf, dealing with overnight fame, winning at the Soap Awards, her breast enlargement, yoga, her time on the TV show Splash and how she’d love to do Strictly. 

The chat also covers Gemma’s love of yoga.  She is an ambassador for Myga yoga and you can find them on Instagram @myga_yoga

You can find Gemma on Instagram and Twitter @gemmamerna

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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neighbours, everybody needs good… you know the rest!  

Zima Anderson aka Roxy Willis from Neighbours joins Soap From The Box this week.

Zima chats to Lee about how she always wanted to be on Neighbours, how gymnastics helps her wellbeing, what she does in between takes while filming and how Lee should really be called Meadow Salisbury! 

You can find Zima on social here:
Instagram @justzima 
Twitter @AndersonZima
Tik Tok @zimaanderson

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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee is joined by Shobna Gulati who played Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street.

They chat about Snoop Dogg’s love of Corrie, how Barbara Windsor was always supportive, being cast for Eastenders and Corrie in the same week and appearing in both a Boy George video and Bollywood.

Shobna also tells all about her iconic role in Dinnerladies, her work in soon to be released feature film Everyone’s Talking About Jamie and her book Remember Me?: Discovering My Mother As She Lost Her Memory.

They reminisce about Shobna’s appearance in the Children In Need special East Street, that combined Eastenders and Corrie and was directed by Lee.  Relive it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGTYY3qONHM

You can find Shobna on Instagram and Twitter @shobnagulati 

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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lee talks to close friend Natalie Anderson who played Alicia Gallagher on Emmerdale.

Natalie tells Lee about her magical memories of Emmerdale, how difficult it was to leave, the fact that she was on Pop Idol, her work in The Royal plus her experience of being in Wicked. 

The conversation does cover the Emmerdale storyline when Alicia was attacked.  If these issues affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://rapecrisis.org.uk/
https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/

Check out Natalie’s own website and podcast here:
https://www.thecapsule.co.uk/

And take a look as her production company here:
https://houseintheroad.com/

You can find Natalie on Insta @natjanderson and Twitter: @AndersonNatalie
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Louisa Clein, who played Maya Stepney in Emmerdale, joins Lee on Soap From The Box.

Louisa and Lee talk in-depth about her award winning portrayal of Maya in the controversial storyline about grooming young Jacob Gallagher.  

They also chat about her time in Judge John Deed, the equal representation of women in soap, getting the giggles in front 1000 people and drinking real beer in the Woolpack!

For the grooming storyline, the Emmerdale team sought advice from Barnardo’s and if these issues affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/protecting-children/sexual-abuse
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/grooming/

You can find Louisa on Instagram and Twitter @Louisaclein
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soap From The Box says ‘G’day Mate’ to Lukas Radovich who plays Ryder Jackson in Home and Away. 

Lukas and Lee chat about joining the Stewart dynasty, their shared love of the retro opening titles and how Lukas felt to be part of the first same sex kiss screened on Home and Away.  

Plus - it turns out that Lukas actually has the greatest Star Wars name ever AND all is revealed about Lee’s own appearance in Home and Away The Musical! 

You can watch the video for Secret Lover by Yuma X starring Lukas here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QVsrbntckc

And check out the Groovehouse cover of the Home and Away theme here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMjU0OdaxxM

Lukas mentions the Telethon charity in Western Australia that he has worked with.  You can find out more and donate here:
https://www.telethonkids.org.au/

Lukas speaks about being part of the storyline involving Ryder and Ty that culminated in the first same sex kiss screened on Home & Away.  If the experiences explored in that storyline affect you, you can find information and support here:
https://lgbt.foundation/
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

You can find Lukas on Instagram @lukas.radovich
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Lee Salisbury directed Continuing Drama for over 10 years.  Notable episodes including the Cot Death in Emmerdale and Barbara Windsor’s leaving episodes for Eastenders.  He s now a Series Producer… and of course a Podcaster!

Thanks to David Stevens at The Bothy for editing and technical wizardry.
@davidstevens_editor @the__bothy

Thanks to Iain McCallum for his press help.

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @soapfromthebox

Huge thanks to Podcorn for sponsoring this episode. Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up here: https://podcorn.com/podcasters/

If you are interested in sponsoring Soap From The Box, please get in contact with the team on instagram @soapfromthebox

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices