Jump directly to the content
Exclusive
SOAP BUBBLE

How EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale plan to return to filming – with stars doing own hair and make-up

BRITAIN'S soaps are now just weeks away from returning to filming, but production is set to be a far cry from what the stars are used to.

The Sun Online can reveal that EastEnders, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale will be making huge changes to how they operate to keep in line with Government guidelines.

 Actors will need to do their own hair and make-up when they return to work due to social distancing
Actors will need to do their own hair and make-up when they return to work due to social distancingCredit: BBC

Both the BBC and ITV will resume making episodes of their much-loved soaps in June, and the BBC’s director of content, Charlotte Moore, revealed what the cast can expect upon their return.

Charlotte said: "We've been looking carefully at how we can safely put some of our shows back into production, and I'm pleased to announce that we plan to begin filming again on both EastEnders and Top Gear by the end of June.

"Of course, we will work within Government guidelines. Crews will be strictly limited. Cast members will do their own hair and make-up. Social distancing will be in place."

A source close to the show told us: "Makeup artists will be on hand - both socially distanced on set and via video link - to check the cast's handiwork and will offer tutorials on how to do their looks and any special effects makeup like cuts and bruises."

 The crew will double as extras to reduce the amount of people on set
The crew will double as extras to reduce the amount of people on setCredit: BBC

It was previously revealed that soap casts will be able to return to set as long as they stay two metres away from their co-stars at all times.

It would put an end to romantic moments and physical fights, with the characters prevented from getting too near to one another in any given scene.

Another way that producers are considering working around coronavirus restrictions includes keeping older cast members off-air until it is safer for high-risk groups.

ITV programme boss Kevin Lygo said he didn’t want actors like Corrie’s William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, or Chris Chittell, who plays Emmerdale’s Eric Pollard, to "get sick", so retiring their characters for the time being could be their only option.

 Older cast members will remain off-screen for longer
Older cast members will remain off-screen for longerCredit: PA:Press Association

He also said that actors could be tested for the deadly disease upon their return to set as part of the network’s raft of measures to get filming again.

Camera trickery to make characters look closer than they really are, plus an increase in the number of two-hander episodes - which would minimise cast on set - are also on the table.

TV production was forced to an abrupt halt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with filming paused on many of the UK's biggest shows for health and safety reasons.

 Stars will have to keep their distance from co-stars - making scenes like this a thing of the past
Stars will have to keep their distance from co-stars - making scenes like this a thing of the pastCredit: ITV
Coronation Street’s Bill Roache insists soap will never go off the air during coronavirus pandemic

Corrie and Emmerdale are in final talks with the Government to begin rolling the cameras once more.

ITV had rationed their episodes to three a week to get through the crisis without running out of content.

A spokesman revealed: "ITV is in the final stages of working with others across the industry on a return-to-production protocol and we are in active discussions with Government on this.

"We will share further updates in due course."

Topics