There’s just over two months to go until Christmas, so the bosses and cast at Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks have already begun teasing what to expect in the soaps over the festive season. While precise details and spoilers won’t be revealed until much nearer the time, there have still been a few sneaky snippets to whet our appetites.

From Christmas joy at the pub in Coronation Street, to sad scenes ahead in Hollyoaks, read on for our handy round-up of everything revealed so far.

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1. Christmas with Coronation Street’s new family

Coronation Street brings back Eva Price later this month, as she descends on The Rovers with five other characters. Eva, now part of a big new family called the Driscolls, will be taking over as landlady following the recent departure of Jenny Connor.

Show bosses are hoping to put the pub right back at the heart of the show, so it’ll be central to the Christmas Day episode this year as the Driscolls continue to settle in.

“There’s loads going on Christmas Day. The day itself is a real family affair. And the Driscolls are very much at the heart of it, because it’s a proper pub Christmas Day,” Corrie producer Kate Brooks told us recently.

“It’s very community based and very lively. There’s loads going on. Secrets are exposed. So it’s a real feel-good episode, with a lot of drama thrown into the mix.”

2. Coronation Street’s Debbie and Ronnie plan a wedding

Debbie Webster and Ronnie Bailey are hoping to tie the knot towards the end of the year, so their wedding plans will also play a role in Coronation Street‘s Christmas episodes.

“We’ve got Ronnie and Debbie, who are very keen to crack on with their wedding,” Brooks said.

“There’s lots of preparation for that – fun and games in terms of that. It’s not taking place in the Chariot Square Hotel!”

3. A mix of old and new in EastEnders

EastEnders has been the quietest of all the soaps when it comes to Christmas plans so far – perhaps unsurprising given the show’s reputation for delivering big shocks and treats for the audience over the festive period.

Executive producer Ben Wadey did give some cryptic hints in the press room at the National Television Awards recently, where he promised: “The team have really brought their A-game.

“This Christmas, we’re looking past, present and future, so we’ve got a lot of stuff that we’re very excited to share with the audience.”

4. Phil’s tough time in EastEnders

EastEnders legend Steve McFadden recently warned us – well in advance – that Christmas may not be the most joyful for his character Phil Mitchell this year.

“There will be more sadness for Phil,” Steve told the Daily Star.

“That’s what is coming up. Christmas might not be so good…”

5. Sam’s return in EastEnders?

EastEnders has already started filming its festive episodes, as decorations were put up around the Albert Square set a few weeks ago.

Since then, leaked footage from a drone appeared to catch a glimpse of Kim Medcalf back filming as fan favourite Sam Mitchell – a comeback which hasn’t yet been confirmed by the BBC, but still has everyone talking.

Could Sam really re-join her family in time for Christmas? We’ll just have to wait and see!

6. Carla, Lisa and Becky’s new Coronation Street twists

After dropping the bombshell that Becky Swain is Corrie‘s next big villain, Brooks promised big plans for this storyline at Christmas.

Becky will stop at nothing to push Carla out of the picture and win back Lisa, as we’ll see over the coming weeks, but how far will she have got with her mission by the time the festive season arrives?

“That story really goes up a gear around about Christmas time. There are a few really big twists that will keep people hooked and keep people watching as they watch this all unfold,” Brooks said.

7. Todd and Theo’s special episode in Coronation Street

A special episode exploring the abuse in Todd Grimshaw and Theo Silverton’s relationship will air on Coronation Street in the run-up to Christmas.

“Christmas is often a time where there are spikes in calls to the Samaritans. We wanted to really show Todd and Theo’s journey in the build-up to Christmas,” Brooks said.

“We’ve got a really special episode which is just focused primarily on Todd and Theo’s relationship. But it’s told in a completely different, unique, never-been-done-before way, which will really pack a punch on many levels. So we’ve got that story really shaping up.”

Theo’s mistreatment of Todd has been building since they moved out of the Grimshaw house and into a flat together – with worse to come in the next few weeks.

8. Trouble for Ruby in Emmerdale

Beth Cordingly, who plays Emmerdale‘s Ruby Miligan, has confirmed that she’ll get a festive storyline this year.

“We’ve just started filming Christmas,” Beth told Inside Soap last week.

“Ruby has something fun that happens which I think the viewers will enjoy. It involves a bit of Manpreet, Caleb getting annoyed – and Ruby trying to get herself out of trouble…”

9. Emmerdale breaks new ground

Lisa Riley, who plays Emmerdale‘s Mandy Dingle, has promised a “never been done before” storyline on the soap this Christmas.

This looks set to tie in with the ongoing mystery of what’s happened to Bear Wolf since he left the village a few months ago.

“Vicky Thomas, who directed [the] big ice [limousine] crash, is directing Christmas Day, so that speaks for itself,” Lisa told The Sun.

“It’s going to straggle over the whole of Christmas and into the New Year – it’s a storyline that’s never been done before. When we got the script – we were told months ago – it’s something really exciting.

“That’s [what’s] so good about soaps, we’ve planned loads of things to knock you off kilter. We tackled Paddy’s [mental health] before and that probed people to liken it to what’s happened to Bear.

“Is that the truth? It might be a complete curveball. That’s why we’re lucky with our writers – they’re dropping stuff on purpose to knock you off kilter.”

10. Lucas and Ste’s story comes to a head in Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks has been exploring child-to-parent physical abuse over the past few months, with Lucas Hay repeatedly lashing out at his father Ste.

Executive producer Hannah Cheers recently named this as one of the main plots taking centre stage on the show at the end of this year.

“The Lucas and Ste child-to-parent abuse story has a big peak at Christmas,” Cheers told Inside Soap. “There’s a big climax there.”

11. Carl’s lies come under threat in Coronation Street

Coronation Street‘s Carl Webster is a man of many secrets, as he’s currently keeping quiet about his fling with James Bailey – and his guilt over Tyrone Dobbs’ accident.

Could any of these come back to haunt him during the festive period?

“We’ve also got the Websters. You’ve got Tyrone and Fiz, and the Abi/Carl/James story is all still going on. Abi hasn’t got a scooby that that’s happening,” Brooks told us.

“Also, Tyrone still doesn’t know the truth about Carl and the car. So there are things which are bubbling [at Christmas] – and ready to kick off…”