S02E04: '...And In With the New'

Tanya is desperate for a bit of positive media attention for a change – and to gain the attention of her currently estranged husband Jason. A few conspicuous visits to Narcotics Anonymous and a ‘revealing’ TV interview looks like the way to go – and who better to conduct it than Tanya’s best friend, Chardonnay? But Jason’s none too happy when the press start questioning him about impotence and low sperm counts, and hits back at Tanya with the revelation that he’s already fathered a child of his own.

Ian is summoned to a meeting at Earls Park to discuss his future with the club but is disgusted when Frank tries to blackmail him into silence with details about his wife Donna and her affair with his team-mate, Sal Biagi. Ian walks away and soon the story is all over the tabloids. News of the affair has placed Sal in a very precarious position. Egged on by Jason, the rest of the team send him to Coventry and proceed to make his life on the training pitch a living hell. Sal is now even more determined to return to Italy, and to take Donna and Holly with him.

Reluctantly, Stefan agrees to bring in Ian’s replacement early to meet the press. Teenager Darius Fry has arrived fresh from the youth team and is bewildered by the attention of the media – not to mention an invitation to dinner a deux with Tanya Turner in her luxury hotel room. The next morning, Darius goes straight to training and finds it very hard to look Jason in the eye, especially after spending the night in bed with his estranged wife!

Donna sees a TV news report about Ian’s new venture, running a football training scheme for under-privileged kids, and begins to wonder if her decision to start a new life with Sal is the right one. As soon as Sal is out of the house, she goes to see Ian and asks him for another chance. Now that he’s reunited with his wife and daughter, an offer of a first team place at Manchester United is just the icing on Ian’s cake.

Now that she’s redeemed herself with the press, Tanya can concentrate on getting Jason back. However, now that he’s got a son to worry about, Jason ain’t interested. Even Tanya’s threats to take him for every penny he’s got don’t cut any ice. Could it be that she’s lost him for good?

Jackie is desperate to be reunited with Paddy, but Chardonnay and Kyle have no intention of giving up the child they think of as their own son. Alone, Jackie is powerless to convince them otherwise – but when Jason gets involved, things take a very dramatic turn indeed – he sneaks Paddy out of the Pascoe house, viciously taking care of Kyle when he tries to interfere.