Soaps are always on the lookout for the next great couple. The ever-changing nature of the genre means that character groups and relationships need to be shaken up every now and again – and a new romance can often be the perfect way to do it.
We’ve got our eye on this lot at the moment – could any of them catch the attention of the viewers and build up their own army of eager shippers?
1. Jay Brown and Ruby Allen (EastEnders)
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick first teased a possible relationship for Jay and Ruby while chatting to Digital Spy at the Inside Soap Awards last month. Jay tried his luck with Ruby this week by asking her out on a date, but was left disappointed when she turned him down.
It’s no surprise that Ruby doesn’t want to rush into a relationship after her recent ordeal, but Louisa Lytton – who plays her – has hinted that her connection with Jay could definitely go somewhere in the long-run. Have our ‘please give Jay a storyline’ prayers finally been answered?
“It starts off as a nice friendship and I guess he’s a safe place for her. He’s very soft and tentative and is a lovely guy,” Louisa explained.
“Initially, she doesn’t want to go near anybody. Men are the last thing that she wants. But at the same time, she kind of needs the comfort of a man in a different way, because she doesn’t have a father figure or a dad. She just likes that he’s around, rather than likes the attention.”
2. Mercedes and Sylver McQueen (Hollyoaks)
Sure, they’re second cousins, but this is Hollyoaks we’re talking about. Mercedes is Sylver’s first love and the passionate chemistry between them has already been explored when they slept together in Magaluf. Mercedes’s engagement to Russ Owen stood in the pair’s way in the aftermath, but poor old Russ has now been conveniently dispatched by the village’s latest serial killer Breda.
Rumour has it that Mercedes and Sylver’s connection will be explored again in one of Hollyoaks‘ upcoming Christmas storylines, so we’ll just have to watch this space to find out whether they’re a McQueen match made in heaven.
3. Toyah Battersby and Imran Habeeb (Coronation Street)
These two had a brief fling earlier this year, but it turned predictably sour when Toyah discovered that love rat Imran was also sleeping with her sister Leanne at the time. Quite the passion killer.
Surprisingly though, it seems that Toyah is willing to overlook Imran’s recent sleaziness as they spontaneously hook up again next week after a heated argument. Can they make it work? Well, it certainly couldn’t go any worse than last time…
4. Elly Conway and Chloe Brennan (Neighbours)
Will this just be a one-sided infatuation, or the start of something more? Spoilers for next week have revealed that Chloe spontaneously kisses Elly during a heart-to-heart at the Kennedy house, before later brushing it off as a stupid mistake.
Elly is currently in a relationship with Chloe’s brother Mark and the couple get engaged next week. However, when interviewed recently, Jodi Anasta – who plays Elly – certainly wasn’t ruling out the possibility of a love triangle.
“Watch this space! This is really exciting to explore — that line between friendship and stepping over it, whether it’s with a boy or a girl,” Jodi told Inside Soap.
“It can be confusing when your love for a friend goes beyond that, and you’re torn between your heart and your head.”
5. Jean Slater and Ian Beale (EastEnders)
Ian may be obsessing with his ex-wife Mel Owen right now, but could his true chance of happiness lie elsewhere? Upcoming EastEnders spoilers have revealed that Jean and Ian strike up a surprising friendship while both taking part in the Christmas choir rehearsals.
Ian opens up to Jean about his grief for his late daughter Lucy, which is always more raw at this time of year. Jean is sympathetic towards her neighbour, but could this turn into more or will deluded Ian be distracted again by Mel within minutes?
6. Harry Thompson and James Nightingale (Hollyoaks)
‘Jarry’ already have heaps of history and a huge fanbase, but Hollyoaks fans have never been able to see them living peacefully together as a proper couple. Well, as peaceful as life in Hollyoaks can be, anyway.
Harry’s relationship with Ste is now seemingly over for good after his affair with James was exposed, and he’s been absent from the village in the past few weeks after all of his loved ones harshly turned against him.
The good news is that it’s not the last we’ll see of Harry, so could an exciting ‘Jarry’ era begin in 2019 once Tony’s trouble-prone son has made a comeback?
7. Angie Appleton and Adam Barlow (Coronation Street)
These two characters may not have shared too many scenes together recently, but we’re still holding out hope that Corrie bosses took note of their on-screen chemistry when they shared a kiss earlier this year.
We know that Angie’s husband Jude is leaving the show for good soon, which could potentially leave her at a loose end plot-wise. Meanwhile, poor old Adam hasn’t had a decent story since Eva left. Could pairing these two up give both characters a new lease of life?
8. Paul Robinson and Jane Harris (Neighbours)
Jane has been brought back to Erinsborough after Paul’s loved ones hoped she’d distract him from wreaking revenge on them for a while. Jane isn’t too impressed when she finds out she’s being used as a pawn in the Robinson family feud, but she’s still willing to give Paul a chance.
After Paul declares his feelings for Jane, she agrees to stick around on the condition that he finally makes peace with his family. Could she be the positive influence that Paul needs right now?
9. Peter Barlow and Carla Connor (Coronation Street)
Another soap pairing with a pre-existing fanbase, Carla and Peter have been tipped to take centre stage in Corrie‘s New Year episodes. Cancel all plans!
The unresolved feelings between the former couple come to a head when they find themselves alone in the disused snooker hall, which Peter is still planning to buy.
Could Carla and Peter see in 2019 with a kiss? The chemistry is still there, that’s for sure…
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest EastEnders spoilers, as Jean threatens Alfie over his baby secret and Mel makes another discovery about Ray.
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