THERE was no doubt it was going to end in tears as vets Paddy and Rhona planned fleeing to New Zealand with baby Leo, despite a court order instructing them not to take him out of the country in Emmerdale (ITV1).

That’s because Leo’s real dad Marlon the chef (now playing happy families with the exvicar’s wife Laurel – but that’s another story) doesn’t want to lose his son to the other side of the world. Marlon dials 999 when he learns that the vets are doing a runner and catches them just as they’re about to leave. Paddy makes matters worse by punching a policeman called to the scene. A case of Nick Nack Paddy Whack.

Old-pals-turned-enemies Marlon and Paddy are brought together – for a night in the police cells. And what of Rhona, I hear you ask?

Well, Paddy urges her to sneak off to New Zealand, although how she’ll manage to carry all the luggage and a child is beyond me.

Tina is getting broody in Coronation Street (ITV1) after bringing on Kirsty’s labour in the Rovers. Not long afterwards she hears that Izzy and Gary are looking for a surrogate mother. Tina offers the childless couple a womb with a view to being paid for the privilege.

This would ease the financial troubles in which she and boyfriend Tommy find themselves. But she asks them to keep quiet about it for the moment. So obviously someone blabs to Tommy, who’s clueless at the best of times but is totally bemused when someone starts quizzing him on surrogacy.

He’s only just worked out the birds and the bees.

When he finally cottons on to what Tina’s proposing, he’s not happy. He thought when they had a child, it would be one they’d made themselves. Gloria is finding it difficult finding a home, mainly because she’s annoying everyone. She packs daughter Stella off for a day at a spa and then proceeds to make changes at the Rovers, including employing Stella’s estranged partner Karl to serve behind the bar. There’s one bright spot – the arrival of one of Soapland’s most familiar figures – the mysterious stranger. Gail can see that he clearly has some unfinished business with Gloria. Can’t wait to find out what it is.

Until now in EastEnders (BBC1) Lucy Beale hasn’t welcomed back dad Ian with open arms.

Understandable because he’d been living rough for months and looked like a dirty old tramp. Lucy, who was left to run her dad’s business empire single-handedly, is finally coming round to treating him with tea and sympathy. She actually makes an effort to talk to him after he has an appointment with a mental health assessor. She says she’s going to help him overcome his demons.