Regular readers will know how I feel on reading this story today at the official Coronation Street website at itv.com/corrie.Michelle Collins will be leaving Coronation Street when her contract ends in April next year.
Klaxon alert.
No more flamin' St Ella. No more.
Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: “When an actor decides to leave a programme like Corrie, it means the writing team can creatively scale new heights. We promise the tour de force that is Stella Price will leave with a bang. We wish Michelle every happiness as she moves on to pastures new. Her character has made a tremendous impact and has deservedly earned her the status of a classic Coronation Street matriarch."
A classic Coronation Street matriarch? Has someone spiked Mr Blackburn's tea?
I've gone a bit peculiar with this happy news.
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34 comments:
Champagne corks will be popping around the world tonight:)
Not surprised. This character never worked for various reasons. However, Michelle Collins always seems like quite a nice person so I wish her luck, expect we will see her in Holby or Waterloo Road or something similar.
Well I, for one, am bitterly disappointed...
...that she didn't leave sooner!! Hahaaa!! Yayyy! Brilliant news. Made my day.
Good luck to Michelle Collins. A real shame that Stella never really worked but having Collinson throw her at every single scene killed off whatever popularity she had.
Depends how she goes. If it's death, then we're only going to be *treated* to months of Leanne's sourpuss face grieving - not a very pleasant prospect. Let's hope she gets married or something - to Michelle in a sudden "discovering their sexuality for the first time" storyline that sees both of them sod off
I've quite liked Collins in Corrie. Yes, they over-used her in the past few months, but I always defended her accent, something Collins herself appreciated, and he brought some acting class to Corrie, even though there were some good - and some bad - actors in it already.
It will probably blow over, but the papers will see this as "another blow for the beleaguered soap."
Just read - with disbelief - this quote from Stuart Blackburn on Digital Spy: "Her character has made a tremendous impact and has deservedly earned her the status of a classic Coronation Street matriarch."
I mean sure, let MC depart with some dignity, but this statement is risible - and frankly, insulting to former long-standing cast members who actually DID earn that status.
Sorry to hear this. I thought that Michelle Collins did a very good job in this role.
The problem, I think, has been the chronic lack of decent major plot threads involving Stella. The Rovers fire, for example, was absurd.
I've almost come to accept her, but then that "constant sore throat" voice she has kicks in, and sets my teeth on edge. SO good riddance.
Please keep Eva though - one of the best new characters in years.
Can she please take the VERY pointless Kym Marsh with her as well??
Classic corrie matriarch my foot! Don't you just wish that sometimes the powers that be would be honest and just say 'the character didn't work' rather than this clap trap. Michelle Collins seems like a lovely lady but the character of Stella has no real substance. The landlady of the rovers needs to be central to the show but not in terms of sticking her thumb in every pie. As landlady its rare that she even does a full shift behind the bar! Keep Eva and try and remember what Leanne used to be by bringing back Janice. As for going with a bang Id be just as happy if she just scootled off in a black cab as shes had enough bangs alrady! - Micky
Hoorah!! The character of St Ella is irredeemable and it's the only option left. I have absolutely no problems with MC (loved her in 1000 Acres of Sky) but the writing was on the wall for her right from the start with that dreadful 'Fanfare-and-bunting' arrival promo we had pushed down our throats at every opportunity (the one where she arrives in a car on The Cobbles...one elegant ankle appearing from the rear door...ooh, the tension!). Over-exposure has been the demise of St Ella and I hope TPTB learn from this (mind, they never have in the past.....)
Yay! Only Tracy Barlow, Jenna and Rob to go and all of Collinson's disastrous casting decisions will be gone.
WAHEY!!!!!!
Not surprised. MC was reported as saying she wanted to leave when an earlier contract was up, and then quickly retracted it. I'm sure she can't have been happy in the role. Corrie should have let her keep her own accent; they were obviously worried a southern accent would be too much like Cindy Beale. She didn't make one female friend on the Street except Sunita. Stella was thrust into every scene going until you groaned when you saw her approaching. There were too many mistakes with this character, her family and their storylines. I've got nothing against MC the actor and wish her luck in the future.
I didn't mind Stella that much, though i am happy to see her go, but it will mean that Leanne won't have any family left on the street apart from Eva (if she stays). Cue the bring back of Janice and Toyah
I do hope Eva stays as she's a breath of fresh air. Nothing against MC it's just the character didn't work
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
Actually in all honesty, I was kinda expecting this. Just last night during those scenes she shared with Karl and Eva, I was wondering if they really would keep her. There just seems to be no story for her after Karl is gone beyond meddling in her children's lives.
Now I do think that Michelle Collins did a good job despite the accent. But like her on-screen mother, it doesn't matter how good a job she did because the character just didn't work.
I too hope Eva stays. There's plenty more to be done with that character.
Her bessie mate the previous producer shoved her down our throats but unwittingly and rather stupidly it was beyond saturation point and the character became a bad joke. Add that a very unpleasant shrew of a mother that nobody warmed to and it was just a disaster. Nepotism just dont work. I suspect Stella will follow MC around for some time to come.
"The tour de force that is Stella Price?" - is he joking? I must be watching a different Coronation Street because I found this character to be dull, uninspired and really stupid. She's leaving..quelle surprise.
The whole Price family could have worked out so much better than they did. I liked Carl at first, I though he was going to be a loveable rogue and Stella would be be the gullible loving partner, lots of laughs along the way. How wrong was I. Sorry it didn't work out, not sorry to see them all go, but can we please keep Eva, love her, wish they'd do more with her.
Taxi for Price.... and Stuart Blackburn has just rocketed up my Christmas card list ( he would have been top if he hadn't uttered such total drivel like 'classic' and tour de force'). Hope Eva stays though she has some depth and vulnerability. Celebratory drink tonight methinks!
Finally! I have nothing at all against Michelle Collins, but I'm thrilled that character will be off our screens!
Good news. I liked the character in the beginning but then she got on her high horse AND the writers shoehorning her into almost every episode didn't help.
I really enjoyed Stuart Blackburn's recent interview with Digital Spy and I liked what he said about some of my favourite characters - for example; I agreed with his opinion on Carla and Peter. But if he truly believes that Stella is 'a classic Coronation Street matriarch' then we're not on the same page after all.
Halle-feckin-lujiah!!!! Worst actress EVER in the soap. She never fitted in - neither did her mother, her boyfriend or her whingeing daughter. Will be glad to see the back of the lot of them!
I have a feeling these itv statements are written by the publicity department with corrie producers name stamped on it. We all know that stuart blackburn brought back liz mcdonald so he could get rid of stella. It does seem rather odd though that they've made the announcement almost a year ahead. Stella would never come back so the bestthing they could do would be to kill her off. No doubt by Karl.
On behalf of all the silent viewers who stopped watching Corrie after decades of loyalty, this comes as a sigh of relief. I actually switched off after Mr Blackburn made a statement in April 2013 to the effect that the Price family were to take centre stage (where they seemed to be permanently esconed anyway)and that Tracy would be more active in coming months. Gradually my Corrie habit is dying a slow death, I do not know if will survive till April 2014.
Barrie T I am sure you are right about the press release being routine with the producer's name on it. But at least Liz will be back soon and likely St Ella will be more to the background.
I don't particularly dislike Stella as a character on the whole I just dislike the shoe-horning of her into every scene. Overexposure ruined her for me.
Hooray!!!! Good riddance St Ella of the Back Room! The only downside I see to this is that we have to put up with her awful voice until 2014. Well, that and "explosive" storylines usually mean more screen time for the character involved.
For me, the worst was when they forced her into the scene after Betty's death. Why on earth was she helping pack up her things? She barely KNEW the woman! So inappropriate!
Bev
Well I hope you are all proud of yourselves! All your complaining, your constant belittling and your verbal bullying has paid off. A beautiful and talented actress was so deflated she could not bring herself to sign on the dotted line for one more year.
(Now can you do the same with Katie Ford, please)
Do you know that I've seen that exact same bouquet at several weddings this year? Must be a trend. Although I find it hilariously resembles a bunch of cauliflower! :)
Yes, I think we're all proud of ourselves if, as true Corrie fans we persisted in voicing our opinions that Stella was awful and we wanted her off our screens. Funny that, the viewers can actually influence the show they watch and to hell with the "beautiful and talented actress"; she performs at our pleasure... or not. If it were possible, I'd be happy to drive down to the set to tell Kate Ford to never come back to work again. However, I suppose it's slipped the notice of some St.Ella fans that we've targeted Kate Ford with the same veracity but we're fortunate that she's not on our screens nearly as much at St.Ella!
I'm sure Tracy is only kept on because she provides a catalyst for all sorts of stories involving the Barlow clan. But it's a shame she is portrayed as a one dimensional baddie without light and shade. For this I blame the writers as well as the actress.
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