No one does melodrama quite like our beloved TV soaps.
Many of those stalwart shows that make up our tea time television viewing have been on screens here in the UK for longer than a significant chunk of us have even been alive – in the case of Manchester’s iconic Coronation Street, 60 years as of last December – so it stands to reason that unique storylines geared towards entice viewers, and keeping them sufficiently entertained to come back for more, are becoming thinner on the ground as time ticks on.
This is probably why most of them – some more than others, we might add – are filled with some of the most dramatic scenarios that rarely happen in everyday life, spawning plenty of iconic quotes that are used in memes and conversation for years to come.
But for every “Im on pills, for God’s sake”, “I’ve got nothing left”, and “I didn’t just become a little bit of a slag, I became a total slag”, there’s a whole host of quotes that often slip under the radar.
Twitter user @dan_egg took to the ever-popular social media platform over the weekend to ask people what their favourite “iconic but underrated quotes from soaps” are, starting the list off himself with his personal favourite “ridiculously camp line from Eastenders that is never spoken about”.
what are some iconic but underrated quotes from soaps?
my personal fave is this ridiculously camp line from Eastenders that is never spoken about: pic.twitter.com/TtIMNepiKJ
Given that this is a pretty extensive Twitter thread, with over 420 responses and counting, we have chosen to only include a few of our favourites in this article, otherwise we’d be here all day.
Oh, and we forgotten to mention the best part about all of this.
Even Britain’s undoubted national treasure Stephen Fry has chipped in with his take on it all too, calling it “the best thread ever”.
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The legendary actor, comedian, writer and TV presenter added: “This might just be the best thread ever. Not sure i can add much. I do remember Bet Lynch and Betty Turpin/Williams at the bar of the RR eyeing a young man who was entering: “Nice,” said Betty. Bet Lynch sniffed and said “I wouldn’t have him if he came wirra nest of tables”.
This might just be the best thread ever. Not sure i can add much. I do remember Bet Lynch and Betty Turpin/Williams at the bar of the RR eyeing a young man who was entering: “Nice,” said Betty. Bet Lynch sniffed and said “I wouldn’t have him if he came wirra nest of tables”
Which “iconic but underrated” quote was your favourite from the list? Did we forget any others that you think deserve a shoutout?
You can check out the full thread of responses on Twitter here.
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Prince Andrew set to lose titles and leave Royal Lodge residence
Danny Jones
Prince Andrew is officially set to lose his royal titles and vacate his current residence, as per a direct communication from Buckingham Palace.
Most crucially, the statement makes a rather notable acknowledgement of the abuse claims still looming over the 65-year-old.
The decision was shared by the Royal Family and the likes of the BBC on Thursday evening, 30 October, with confirmation that the King’s brother will no longer be known as a prince, nor will he live at the Royal Lodge in Berkshire.
With countless people reacting online, this public address is a watershed moment for the monarchy.
BREAKING: The man once know as Prince, to be called Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He is also out of Royal Lodge and going to Sandringham pic.twitter.com/RGT2NRgU7h
The official update on behalf of King Charles III reads as follows: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
“Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
You can find out more about the formal process now said to be underway in more detail down below.
As yet, there has been no official response from Andrew Windsor or his representative regarding the breaking news.
Elsewhere, it is said that his daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, will retain their own royal titles, as they are still the daughters of the son of a Sovereign (in accordance with King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917).
As for the now former Duke of York, the King’s younger brother and third child of the late Queen Elizabeth II, he is now preparing to relocate and settle into the royal estate at Sandringham.
This move is being privately paid for by the King, according to reports.
Salford Red Devils supporters meet winding-up adjournment with a petition of their own
Danny Jones
Large numbers of Salford Red Devils supporters are currently rallying behind the push to remove their current ownership group, meeting yet another delay to the winding-up petition with a petition of their own: one that would see the owners kicked out of the club, full stop.
Shared online yesterday, the ‘Salford Red Devils Fans Against Jacobsen Venture Group’ (JVG) petition has amassed more than 1,000 signatures and is rapidly gaining traction.
But these supposed assurances all sound far too familiar and are clearly no longer enough for most fans. They no longer care about future investment from those currently behind the scenes: they just want them gone for good.
For context, in addition to more than £700,000 in outstanding fees owed to HMRC, the 152-year-old sporting organisation is also estimated to owe in excess of £5m to various other creditors.
As a result, after a third stay of execution earlier this week – but one that has done little more than prolong this long-drawn-out uncertainty – most fans have simply had enough.
Following up with a lengthy open letter on Wednesday evening, 29 October, the increasingly militant fan group known as The 1873 said of the potential new funding, “Let us be absolutely clear, we have heard all of this before.”
Even poking holes in the board’s own statement, noting that it suggests that “funding has been formally secured” before noting that it has not yet officially arrived.
“This kind of vague language”, they say, “is exactly what supporters have been subjected to for months: a cycle of empty promises and missed deadlines.
Helping spearhead the ‘JVG Out’ petition, leading member Nick Holt went on to tell BBC Sport Manchester that the patience and blind faith have simply run out.
🗣️ "We do not want these within our club"
Salford Red Devils' owners announced they have secured new funding to settle outstanding debts and clear a winding-up petition against them.
The 1873 went on to write: “Back in September, the same individuals told the courts that funding would arrive ‘within 10 days’. It never did. In August, at the meeting with The 1873, they claimed money would be in place by the end of that month. It wasn’t.
“Every single time, the same promise and every single time, the same failure to deliver. False hope and no real investment. It is vital [that] supporters understand what is actually being proposed. The owners are not clearing the club’s debts, including the millions they have personally run up.
“Instead, they intend to roll all debts into one high-interest loan, a move that only deepens the long-term financial hole. How do they plan to service such a loan? Next season, the club’s central distribution is set to drop from around £1.3 million to less than £100,000.”
Noting that the recent IMG grading drop and subsequent relegation from the Betfred Super League will mean a significant drop in revenues across the board, they have quite rightly asked where the higher-ups expect to find the funds to make their already heavily overdue repayments.
“Season ticket sales are expected to collapse under the current ownership”, they continue, “and major commercial sponsors will not associate with this regime.
“To claim that this ‘funding’ secures the future of a 152-year-old club is not just misleading, it is an insult to every supporter who has kept this club alive through generations.”
A petition like this and further demonstrations were guaranteed from the moment Salford Red Devils were relegated.
The impassioned response from the group signs off by adding: “The ownership’s reference to a so-called ‘strategic plan’ for a return to Super League in 2027 is beyond belief. Where is this plan? Why has it not been shared with supporters?
“At this moment, there is no head coach for 2026, no contracted players, and no football department infrastructure. To talk about a Super League return within two years is pure fantasy […] The reality is simple: This ownership group has repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises.
“It has mismanaged and misled, time and again. Every new statement only confirms how detached they are from the damage they continue to cause.”
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Most drastically, they insist that supporters will no longer “be fooled” nor continue to recognise the current ‘stewards’ failing to live up to that title by giving their own time and money to the regime, urging fellow fans to refrain from renewing season tickets, purchasing any merchandise, or attending games.
It’s a bold stance, to be sure, but it’s clear that those most fiercely loyal of supporters are looking to wrestle back control however they can; if you’re one of them, you can sign the petition HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd January 2021 
