Here's what's got me talking this week...
It's that time of the week again where I take a look back at the last 7 days to see what has got me talking the most.
From Phil Mitchell to The Masked Singer and more, here are my 4 telly talking points of the week...
1
PHIL MITCHELL'S
visit to 1985 in EastEnders
In what's been an extremely strong week of episodes for EastEnders, I found Thursday's in particular an incredible 30 minutes of television, and one that I've not stopped talking about, to whoever will listen.
Phil's hallucinations lead him to his childhood home, in 1985, the same year EastEnders began. From the moment the original opening titles were used, I knew that the next half an hour was going to be something special. And it did not disappoint.
The epsiode began how Wednesday's ended, with a young Peggy Mitchell, played superbly by Jaime Winstone, answering the door to Phil and asking "Where the hell have you been?"
We then watch along with Phil, as Eric tells his family he has been given three months to live and explaining how he had ambition and dreams before Peggy fell pregnant with Phil. Despite Peggy vowing to look after him and quitting her job at the cab office, Eric's too proud to allow that, telling Phil that he's in charge of himself and one day, he might know what that means.
Even the music playing on the TV was carefully chosen and chimes ith the storyline. Since Yesterday by Strawberry Switchblade, which spent 20 weeks in the charts in 1985, contains the lyrics "As we sit here alone, looking for a reason to go on, it's so clear that all we have now are our thoughts of yesterday".
As we return to 2025, we find Sharon worrying about Phil, whilst Billy proves, in one line, exactly why this storyline is having the impact that is has. Dismissing Sharon's concerns, Billy tells her "It's Phil Mitchell. He's indestructible." Except he isn't. No one is. And that's what's so powerful about what we've seen unfold over the past few weeks.
Back at home, Phil has another conversation with his younger self as he holds, in his hand, a bullet with his name on, which we later learn was given to him by his father - after he tried to end his own life - telling his son "You should be safe now" as everyone has a bullet with their name on.
When Jay knocks at the door, the pair have a discussion about grief, before Phil finally admits that he hasn't been sleeping well and doesn't understand how after all he's put his body through - the drink, drugs, fights, heart attack, cirrhosis and even being shot at - he's still here, saying "I should be dead". Asked if he's alright, Phil assures Jay that he is, of course we know he's far from it.
Returning to 1985, Phil comes to the realisation that he needs to get rid of his father, but as he points a gun at his father, his younger self assures him that pulling the trigger "won't fix anything" and Grant asks him to "put the gun down".
It's here that Daniel Delaney, who played a younger version of Phil, really came into his own. As he gives his older self a damning character assassination of the person he's become, his ability to embody Phil's mannerisms and the way he speaks, is truly remarkable. A flawless bit of casting. I'd happily watch an entire series of Phil's earlier years with Daniel at the helm.
When dared to "be a man", Phil pulls the trigger on his younger self, only to wake up suddenly from his hallucination to Sharon knocking at the door, who tells him "The last time I saw Peggy, I promised I'd look out for you. [...] I'm not giving up on you."
Turning to him mum for help, we cut back to 1985, where he and his mum are by the side of his dad's coffin before having a frank conversation during which Peggy points out that her son has no friends, has turned out just like his dad and would be better off letting his kids grow up without him in their lives.
Of course, this isn't what Peggy really thinks, but rather what Phil believes she thinks. A scene which really hits home how Phil is feeling inside. How his inner monologue is working against him. Something Steve is able to play so beautifully and effortlessly.
I said it last week, but Steve's ability to portray Phil's fragility, his pain and suffering, his inner turmoil, with often very few words, is remarkable. The mark of a truly great actor, often overlooked when it comes to awards and plaudits.
Thursday's episode really was a masterclass in storytelling and proof yet again at how soaps are able to bend the norms of the genre and tell stories in a unique way with characters we've grown up watching.
To all involved in Phil's storyline, and I'll keep saying it for as long as it's true, well done. And to James Payne who wrote Thursday's episode, congratulations on writing a beautiful script that was beautifully performed. Bravo.
2
RUSSELL T DAVIES'
upcoming Channel 4 drama Tip Toe
Queer as Folk, Doctor Who, Cucumber, Years & Years, It's A Sin and Doctor Who under Russell T Davies are some of the finest television dramas to ever grace British television. Which means that any time a new RTD project is announced, I'm immediately excited.
His latest, Tip Toe, was announced on Thursday and what makes this even more exciting is that over 25 years on from Queer as Folk, the team behind that groundbreaking series are reuniting and returning to Manchester and Canal Street to tell what they say is a vital story that speaks not just to the queer community but to the world today.
The five-part series will explore the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives. Problems we thought were long-gone are returning, toughened and weaponised, until no one knows truth from lies any more.
Casting hasn't been announced yet, but we know that Tip Toe will follow Leo and Clive who live next door to each other in Manchester. Leo runs a bar on Canal Street, Clive’s an electrician, with two teenage sons. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense.
Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.
The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies’ trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent yet gripping tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the re-emergence of an incipient threat.
In Tip Toe, Davies will explore the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives. Problems we thought were long-gone are returning, toughened and weaponised, until no one knows truth from lies any more.
3
MITCHELL & WEBB
bringing back sketch comedy
Also on Thursday, Channel 4 announced the rather surprising news that David Mitchell and Robert Webb, aka Mitchell & Webb, were reuniting for a brand new sketch show, 15 years after That Mitchell and Webb ended and almost 20 years since it began.
Whilst the sketch show doesn't have a name yet, we do know that it'll consist of six episodes as Mitchell & Webb combine forces with a host of exciting and innovative future stars. This news series marks a bold return to British sketch comedy, with an innovative merging of comedy minds across generations.
The ensemble cast of next generation writer/performers is made up of Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lara Ricote, Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans as well as a dynamic team of established and upcoming comic writers.
Speaking about their new show, David Mitchell and Robert Webb said "When Channel 4 asked us to do another sketch show we were startled, bemused and available. It’s a perilous time for the industry and so it’s our hope that relaunching the trickiest genre of comedy is a brilliant piece of counterintuitive commissioning. And we’re confident that unlike Roger Moore with his shoe on the bonnet of a car teetering on the edge of a cliff in For Your Eyes Only [REPLACE WITH 21ST CENTURY REFERENCE?] we’re not about to give British TV comedy a final lethal nudge into the abyss."
"We’re looking forward to working with our brilliant new cast despite their youth and talent and would like to encourage viewers to watch the advert break carefully and do their best to buy something. It doesn’t have to be a car but, you know, a box of chocolates or an app or something."
4
SAMANTHA BARKS
winning The Masked Singer
The Masked Singer is still the most bonkers show on TV. Where else would you get to see Macy Gracy, dressed as a Toad in the Hole storm off set when eliminated, only to return in the fowlest mood ever?!
This year's series, its sixth in the UK, saw Maya Jama join Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross on the panel, and she's been a great addition to the show. She really understood the energy of the show and seemed to gel well with the rest of the panel. I hope she's back in 2026!
Now to this year's contestants, the first celebrity to be unmasked was Kate Garraway who was dressed up as Spag Bol, because why not? Next to get unmasked was Prue Leith as Pegasus, then THAT Macy Gray exit during which she stormed off set whilst dressed as a Toad in the Hole.
Tattoo turned out to be Carol Decker, Teeth was unmasked as Mel Giedroyc and then came the double eliminations. Grayson Perry as Kingfisher and Andrea Corr as Snail were next to be unmasked before Example as Bear and Natalie Cassidy as Bush missed out on a place in this year's final.
The final saw Wolf, who we now know was Marti Pellow and Dressed Crab, who we now know was Gregory go up against Pufferfish, who was crowned this year's champion as after weeks of guessing, their identity was finally revealed to be West End star, Samantha Barks.
From their very first performance, I was INVESTED in Pufferfish and had them down as my early winner. Their voice was magnificent and it gave me actual goosebumps. What I also loved was that their identity wasn't obvious from the get go. Over the weeks I made many a wrong guess, including Perrie Edwards, Idina Menzel and Lea Michele, before landing on Samantha Barks just a couple of weeks before the final.
Looking back on the final, it's only right that she was the one to duet with last year's champion, Piranha aka Danny Jones, on a beautiful rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart. Samantha Barks, I applaud you. A truly worthy winner. WHAT A VOICE.
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