New! Magazine promotes 'Don't Wait for Me' because of 'Hollyoaks' fame!

'Beth Morris talks to New! about watching mental illness take over her brother's life' reads the headline in the very well written feature about 'Beth' and her now troubled relationship with 'Zach'. Notwithstanding that New! is very much the kind of magazine that you pick up at the newsagent for a quick read on the tube or in the hairdresser, I thought that the article was handled extremely sensitively and not sensationally. It was touching for me to see the photos that we had given them of the children when they were... children. How things have changed! Read it!

The interesting thing is that now soaps are featuring mental illness as a part of their plotlines. I remember when 'Eastenders' ran the story with Paul Nicholls as the schizophrenic son. He was fantastic in the part and totally believable. That was because of the writing but also his understanding of the part. Yet, conversely, publishers are still finding it difficult to promote books about mental illness and newspapers feel that one story fits all...

'Sophie' told me online last night that she reads the blog. I doubt that she knew that she is 'Sophie'. Maybe now she'll work it out. It's great that people are reading it but I would love some feedback too. Do use the comments button. At least that way I'll know whether I'm saying anything that resonates...