Sun 22 May, 2005

Mel tells Norris to get the Book Club members to make their cheques out to Lionel Hipkiss, Mel's publisher. Jamie and Leanne go for lunch at Carol's house in Birmingham. Carol burns the lunch and drinks too much. Leanne's shocked at the squalor of the house. Upset Liz tells Deirdre that Jim's attacked his cell mate and had his sentence extended by two years. She decides their relationship is over. Liz tells Steve she's going to divorce Jim. Steve's upset. The Book Club meet and hand over their money to Mel. Mel reads a passage from his new tome,The Canary's Last Song. Jamie thinks the lunch with Carol went well but Leanne points out she's got a drink problem and needs help. Ken arrives at the Book Club and exposes Mel for the fraud that he is. Mel's real name is Lionel Hipkiss and he has a track record of taking money from people for potential book publication, only for nothing to appear. Emily, Blanche, Roy, Rita, Audrey and Norris are shocked and demand their money back. Norris manhandles Mel out of the door after he has told the group what he really thinks of them. Jamie blames himself for his mother's mental state as he chose to live with Danny and Frankie over her. Leanne tries to console him.