October 31st 2024.
It's a fact of life that all good things must eventually come to an end. And in the world of our beloved soap operas, these endings can be quite permanent. Shows like EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks have had their fair share of dramatic deaths over the years, and they certainly know how to make them memorable. With Halloween just around the corner, we thought it would be the perfect time to look back at some of the most gruesome deaths on these supposedly family-friendly shows.
From wooden knitting needles to car crashes, lorries to photo frames, hammers to chair legs, and even a wobbly piece of glass, these are just some of the scenes that actors can add to their "grim" Spotlight CV. Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the scariest and most shocking deaths that have happened on our favorite soaps.
We have to start with something that we still can't forgive, and probably never will. It was a sad day when our kind-hearted friend Kush Kazemi met his untimely demise. In one of the most painfully conceived serial killer storylines in soap history, Gray Atkins went from being a powerful and harrowing depiction of domestic abuse to a kill-by-numbers panto-fest. As a result, we lost two great characters in Kush and Tina Carter. And Kush's exit was particularly hard to stomach. After an altercation with Gray, who he had previously saved, Kush was thrown under the tracks of a speeding train.
Coronation Street took a turn for the grim when its most infamous killer set out to bash poor old Emily Bishop's skull in with a crowbar. And unfortunately, he succeeded. But it didn't end there. When Richard returned home, he was rightfully told that he should have stayed at the party, as he went on to bludgeon Maxine Peacock as well. Emily, with her "skull of steel," miraculously survived, while Maxine was not so lucky.
But Corrie wasn't done with the horror just yet. When Emily's bashing was spliced with a scene of a cleaver going through meat, it took the macabre factor to a whole new level. And then there's the infamous Hollyoaks scene that made us never want to even consider a skydive again. Sarah's parachute was sabotaged, and as she leapt for the jump of her life, it turned out to be the jump of her death. To this day, fans still consider it one of the most shocking deaths in soap history.
EastEnders never shies away from the gruesome either, as we saw with Trina Johnson's death. A rake to the neck? Oh, the show really knows how to spoil us. And let's not forget about Lucas, who drowned a dog and strangled a prostitute. But it was when he silenced Trina by shoving her against the sharp end of a gardening tool that we all had to push our dinners aside. The sound of her gargling as she slowly died was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Andrea Tate's death on Emmerdale was truly "a-maze-ingly" cruel. Meena Jutla, possibly one of the most crazed characters to grace our screens, pushed teenager Leanna to her death from a bridge and clobbered Ben Tucker with an oar. But she went all out when it came to Andrea. She chased her through a hedge maze, singing manically and enjoying herself. And as she closed in on her victim, she finished her off with a flare gun and a horrific blow to the head. The whole scene was a nightmarish display of violence and cruelty, leaving fans reeling.
Brookside was never afraid to push boundaries and shock its audience, and perhaps the most horrifying deaths of all were those of Sue and her baby Danny. When Barry Grant cornered them on some scaffolding and pushed them to their deaths, the camera panning over the lifeless baby and his dead mum remains seriously haunting.
Modern-day soap operas can also be incredibly cruel, as we saw with Fatboy Chubb's tragic end on EastEnders. Poor Fats ended up trapped in the boot of a car, which was then sent to be crushed. When Vincent opened the boot and saw what was left, it was clear that he was just as shocked as we were. But there's still a glimmer of hope that Fatboy somehow miraculously escaped, and it was just the state of the car that left Vincent dumbstruck.
And who can forget Andy Carver's death on Coronation Street, which caused a huge outcry from fans and even celebrities? While we may not have agreed with the overall complaint that the show was becoming too gruesome, it's not hard to see why the deaths of Andy and Vinny pushed the boundaries for many. After being held in a cellar for almost a year, Andy was forced to shoot Vinny before being shot himself by the infamous Pat Phelan. And if that wasn't enough, Phelan then shoved both bodies into a nearby lake before burying them under his new building project. It was like something out of a Goodfellas movie.
Roads are never safe in soap operas, and Mel Owen learned that the hard way on EastEnders. After surviving a massive car crash and explosion, Mel was haunted by the voice of her dead son Hunter. And despite Sharon's desperate screams, she was drawn onto the road and met her end under the wheels of a CGI lorry.
Despite these gruesome and shocking deaths, we still can't help but be drawn in by the drama and suspense that our favorite soaps deliver. And with Halloween just around the corner, we can only imagine what other horrors and surprises are in store for us in the future.
Death is an inevitable part of life, and our beloved soap operas are no exception. However, some exits are more permanent than others. Shows like EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks have had their fair share of dramatic deaths over the years, and they certainly know how to make them memorable. As we approach Halloween, let's take a look at some of the most gruesome demises in these supposedly family-friendly shows.
Wooden knitting needles, car crashes, lorries, photo frames, hammers, chair legs, and even a wobbly piece of glass – these are just some of the terrifying scenes that actors can add to their resumes. Let's relive some of the scariest and most shocking deaths here.
We start with a death that we still haven't forgiven – and probably never will. The kind-hearted Kush Kazemi certainly didn't deserve his fate. In what can only be described as one of the most poorly executed serial killer storylines in soap history, Gray Atkins' story went from a powerful and harrowing tale of domestic abuse to a nonsensical killing spree. As a result, we had to say goodbye to two beloved characters – Kush and Tina Carter. But Kush's exit was particularly hard to stomach. After a confrontation with Gray, the man whose life he had saved, Kush was thrown under a speeding train.
Coronation Street took a dark turn when soap's most infamous killer set out to attack poor Emily Bishop with a crowbar – and succeeded. But that wasn't enough for him. Maxine then came home and was also bludgeoned to death. The most disturbing part? Emily survived, earning the nickname "skull of steel." The scene was made even more macabre by cutting to another scene where a cleaver was slicing through meat.
Hollyoaks fans will never forget the horrifying scene where Sarah's parachute was sabotaged, causing her to fall to her death. Even to this day, it is considered one of the most shocking death scenes in soap history.
A rake in the neck? Yes, that's exactly what EastEnders gave us. Lucas, a man who had already drowned a dog and strangled a prostitute, silenced his ex-wife Trina by impaling her on a gardening tool. The gurgling sound that followed was enough to make us lose our appetite.
All of Meena Jutla's killings could be considered gruesome, but her attack on Andrea Tate was particularly cruel. Not satisfied with just hitting her with a metal signpost, she chased her through a hedge maze while singing maniacally. She closed in on her victim, causing a flare gun to go off and set the maze on fire. With a sickening thud, Meena slammed Andrea's head against a wooden step before leaving her to burn.
Brookside was known for pushing the boundaries, and the deaths of Sue and her baby Danny were no exception. Barry Grant cornered them on a scaffold and pushed them to their deaths, leaving behind a haunting image of the lifeless baby and his dead mother.
One of the cruelest endings in modern soap history was the death of Fatboy in EastEnders. He ended up trapped in a car that was sent to be crushed, leaving Vincent devastated when he opened the trunk to find his friend's remains. Some fans still hold out hope that Fatboy somehow escaped and Vincent was just in shock at the state of the car.
In a similar vein, the death of Gerry in Emmerdale was equally horrifying. Despite being a lovable comedic character, he met a gruesome end when Lachlan caused the floor of the B&B to collapse, then finished him off with a heavy stone to the face. Fans were outraged at this senseless killing.
Coronation Street received numerous complaints from fans and celebrities alike for the particularly grisly deaths of Andy and Vinny. After being held captive for nearly a year, Andy was shot by villain Pat Phelan in a dark warehouse, followed by Vinny. Phelan then disposed of their bodies in a nearby lake before burying them under a house he was building. This was truly a Goodfellas-level of violence.
Roads are never safe in soap operas, and Mel Owen's death in EastEnders was a prime example. After surviving a massive car crash and explosion, Mel was haunted by the voice of her deceased son, Hunter. In a heartbreaking moment, she was drawn onto the road and hit by a CGI lorry, leaving her friends and family to mourn yet another tragic loss.
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