Coronation Street Chit-Chat news catch-up, July 2016

Here we go with Coronation Street chit-chat, a catch-up of some of the shorter news stories that haven't made it into their own blog post. Note that most of these stories are taken from the tabloids and should be read with a pinch of salt unless direct quotes are given and/or the story has been confirmed by ITV.

Current Corrie cast members
Kym Marsh (Michell McDonald) is not leaving Coronation Street. Read it here.
... and neither is Jane Danson (Leanne). Read it here.
Lucy-Jo Hudson and Alan Halsall (Katy Harris and Tyrone Dobbs) put on a united front after their recent split. Read it hereCath Tyldesley (Eva Price) talks about twitter trolls and being a mum. Read it here.
Bruno Langley (Todd Grimshaw) reckons Todd could bring down Phelan. Read it here.

Ex Cast members
Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster) talks about suffering from anxiety. Read it here.
The son of Denise Welch (Natalie Horrocks) has auditioned for a role on Coronation Street. Read it here.
Roy Barraclough (Alec Gilroy) slams the move to six episodes per week while revealing that he doesn't even watch the show any more. Read it here.

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Coronation Street denies cast holidays cause chaos

There's a report in today's Sun that says Coronation Street has been thrown into chaos as 17 cast members are away on their holidays at the same time.

Well, ITV have denied that it's true. 

A Coronation Street spokesperson today said in a statement:

"There is no issue at all with the number of people on holiday. School holidays are obviously a busier time of year but all cast holidays are booked four months in advance and are spaced out to accommodate storylines and scheduling."
 

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State of the Street July 2016

It's always sad when a character dies, especially one that a good deal of fans loved. Kylie will be missed and David may never get over it. Caz's lies were uncovered and she's now pulling Maria into her schemes to get Kate back. Even though it's taken a back seat to the current Platt crisis, Bethany is still suffering at the hands of the bullies. Leanne's ill advised one night stand with a heretofore unknown man ended up in a pregnancy and a reveal that the man was Steve McDonald. He seems to have a habit of getting women pregnant, women that didn't think they could have babies, that is.

If Leanne was going to have a baby, it would have to be with the one person where it would cause the most drama. Nick? She'd only have to contend with Gail. Robert? There's Tracy who'd start a new vendetta up now that Carla's gone, but I'd bet Leanne Battersby would put up a much more convincing fight than Carla did. No, Steve, with his tentative reconciliation to Michelle, is the best candidate for ongoing drama.

In the wake of Jason's exit, Phelan is trying to get his hands on the money while Todd is trying to get his hands on Billy. One has been more successful than the other. Jenny and Johnny are pussyfooting around each other. The Spy Who Loved Me may be their new favourite film.


All this and more on this month's State of the Street.



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Corrie weekly update - the return of demon David

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Billy the vicar helps David arrange Kylie’s funeral. Songs are chosen, an outfit is picked and David’s still swearing revenge on Kylie’s killers.  Everyone has a word with him – Gail, Bethany, Sarah. They all tell him the same – that his priorities have to be Max and Lily, not going after Clayton for revenge. But the look on David’s face lets us know exactly which way he’ll turn.

Steve confides in Rover in the back yard at the pub that Leanne is up the duff.  Rover, as you can imagine, deals with the news as only dogs do. But then he confides in Liz and all hell breaks loose, especially when Michelle tells Steve she wants a baby too.  Liz warns Steve he’s brewing up trouble for himself having Leanne pregnant at one of the Street and Michelle at t’other. “This has got disaster written all over it,” Liz says. I can only agree.

At the factory, Jenny swaps stitching for snitching when she tells Johnny that Kirk clocked Beth in as she was half an hour late.  She likes being the boss’s pet, does Jenny but it does nothing to endear her to her Underworld workmates.  Johnny’s still after Jenny and wonders if there’s any chance of kiss from his favourite seamstress.  “You have to earn them, kisses. They don’t just grow on trees,” Jenny teases him, in a lovely line from Simon Crowther.

Over at Jamila House, Billy’s left looking after the playgroup and Todd helps him out.  They’re keeping their relationship secret, for now, or at least trying to. But in Tyrone’s taxi with its broken radio, their lusty words in the back of the cab are overheard by Eileen on the switch. She hears every word, their secret is out and she’s not best pleased. She tells Todd to “Get home! Now!” and then clips him round the ear.  Sean returns from London earlier than planned but no-one’s told him yet that Todd and Billy are together. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he finds out.  A Sean fan I am not.

And that, short and sweet as it was, is just about that for this week.

Remember, you can sign up to get these Corrie weekly updates by email at http://www.corrie.net/updates/weekly/subscribe.htm

This week’s writers were Jayne Hollinson and Simon Crowther (double Monday); Martin Allen (Wednesday); Julie Jones and Ben Tagoe (double Friday). Find out all about the Coronation Street writing team at http://coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com/2008/11/exclusive-all-current-corrie-writers.html

Glenda Young
--
Blogging away merrily at http://flamingnora.blogspot.com
Website: glendayoungbooks.com
--
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Bill Roache on Kate Oates, six episodes and the young cast members

There's an interview with Coronation Street's Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, in today's Mirror.  In it, he talks about Corrie going to six episodes per week and he reveals his thoughts on new producer Kate Oates and the cast's younger members too.

Speaking about the new Corrie producer Kate Oates taking the show to six episodes per week, Bill says: “There’s been a lot of noise about Corrie going six days, but they will be very accommodating. It will be seamless. We’ll hardly notice it. The more the merrier, I say. The bosses are very caring. They’ll adjust the schedule and the logistics of the whole programme so that nobody gets any extra pressure on them. In the early days when we used to do two episodes a weeks we used to rehearse all week. Now it’s done like filming, there’s no rehearsals. I like that, I prefer that system I’m not shy of hard work. I’ll be there until the end if they’ll have me.”

And on the younger members of the cast, he says: “I always thought as I became the elder statesman, the longest serving member, the youngsters would beat a path to my dressing room seeking my advice. Not a chance. I feel it’s the other way around. They’re all so confident and good that I feel I should go to them for advice.”

He adds: "Acting is a real stimulus, it keeps me sharp. The stories keep coming in and they’re wonderful. It’s rejuvenated me. People seem to like me. I think they have just got used to me over the years. I’ve got generations who grew up watching me on TV. I love meeting elderly people and their eyes light up when they see you and they want to chat to you. It’s lovely one can have that effect. It’s not been an easy ride. You have to work hard at acting, you never get casual or flippant about it. I still get nervous before a take. If you don’t you shouldn’t be there.”

Speaking about the new producer Kate Oates, Bill tells the Mirror: “I think she’s wonderful. She’s a lovely person, she really bright. She’s bubbling over with ideas and we’re delighted to have her. She’s injected a new burst of life.”

It certainly looks like it's going to be a busy time for the Barlows with three of the Barlow family - Peter, Adam and Daniel - all returning to the show.

And on missing Anne Kirkbride, Bill says: “Every time I go on the set there are photographs of Anne all around. She was such a vibrant personality that she’s still very much alive in our thoughts. It’s gone very quickly. It’s like in any family, if someone passes away you feel a sense of loss. That doesn’t go away. There’s a big hole there that nobody else can fill. But you go on.”

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Corrie Weekly Awards for July 25 - 29

Demon David award: He's baaaaaaaaack!

Product Placement: Steve has a Windows OS phone.

That Awkward Moment award: Always difficult when somebody asks you where or how a loved one is and they didn't know the person has died.

Plot device award: Tyrone had problems with the two way radio in the cab. Thus, Eileen managed to overhear Todd and Billy discussing their relationship and the cat was out of the bag.

Chemistry award: Bev Callard just leaps off the screen, doesn't she? She's still got so much chemistry and screen presence. A true classic Rovers Landlady.

Throwback award: Love it when they talk Corrie history. This time it was Gail and Audrey talking about how Blanche loved funerals.

Mouths of Babes award: Max. He knows what is appropriate for a funeral, stuff that makes you think of the person that's passed.

Leopards Don't Change their Spots award: Jenny finds out Kirk clocks Beth in when she's late and the bosses don't know. She certainly filed that away for future use, like about 2 hours later and busted the Tinkers on the sly to Johnny, probably to keep him on her side.


Lines of the week:
Leanne to Steve "Man up, get a grip, and start acting normal!"
Fiz "I can see the headlines now 'Councillor Kills Cockapoo'"
Steve "What makes you think it's a boy?" Liz "Worst case scenario!" (ha!)
Michelle "It's no one's business who the father is" (but that didn't stop you trying to stick your nose in, did it?)
Jenny to Johnny "You have to earn them, kisses, they don't just grow on trees"
Liz "Dumb. And dumber. I'll look forward to the fireworks"
Johnny to Jenny "You have a very devious mind" (that's the Jenny we all know and love!)
Liz to steve "Keep your mouth shut, say nothing, and see how long it lasts. Because trust me, the truth always comes out sooner or later!" (she's been watching soap operas again!)
Michelle to Leanne "We could be going through our pregnancies together!" (I thought Leanne was going to pass out or throw up just at that point!)
Eileen "You're own little radio show, Radio Sordid!"
Todd "It's been Brokeback Mountain meets Romeo and Juliet round here for months"
Todd to Eileen "I'm not sure I can stand the smell of hypocracy" (...in the morning?)



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First-look pics: Aidan snogs Maria in Coronation Street

Here are some ITV preview pictures from the episode of Coronation Street to air on Friday 12 August.

Getting stuck into the wine, Maria and Aidan reminisce about childhood memories ...

 ... and soon they’re kissing passionately.

Luke and Eva clearly forgotten.

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Who’s That Pokémon? Weatherfield Edition

A wonderful guest blog post written by Michael from Conversation Street, the Coronation Street podcast. 

Check out their website, follow them on twitter and facebook.

And so now, it's over to Michael...

"I can’t be the only Corrie fan who’s been caught up in the Pokémon Go craze these past few weeks. The hottest new mobile app release is sweeping the world so much, I’m beginning to think that the reason we haven’t seen Emily Bishop back from Peru yet is that she’s actually searching the South American jungles for the mythical Mew.

Now this has all got me wondering – if some of our favourite Coronation Street characters were Pokémon, which ones would they be? I’ve drawn up a list of some of my ideas; if you have any of your own, feel free to add them to the comments below!

First up, who’s this flame-maned beauty?  Like Ponyta, Jenny Bradley can be a bit fiery at times, though treat her gently and she may offer you a ride (right, Johnny?) Just be careful you don’t get burned!

You may think that Pokémon’s just for kids, but the strangely alluring Lopunny has her fair share of grown up admirers in certain corners of the Internet. As the Street’s current sexpot, blonde bombshell Eva is certainly the Weatherfield equivalent of this beguiling bunny.

The blue garb, the squinting, pained expression, the hand thrust up to his throbbing temples… In this picture, Nick’s a dead ringer for Wobbuffet. Like his Pokémon doppelganger, Nick is usually fairly docile, but push him too hard and he’ll unleash a powerful counter attack.

When selling flowers in Preston’s Petals, Tracy and Todd may seem all sweetness and light. However, behind their rosy exteriors, these florists pack just as much toxin as the Poison-type Pokémon Roselia and Roserade.

The scowling Electric-type Pokémon Voltorb puts me in mind of Corrie’s latest villain, the chrome domed Pat Phelan. Voltorbs are best known for looking a lot like Poké Balls, but appearances can be deceptive. This is something you should certainly bear in mind about Phelan, who’s currently charming the likes of Eileen and Yasmeen into thinking he’s Mr Nice Guy…

He may be six feet under, but drug dealer Callum is still haunting poor old Sarah Platt, who’s convinced he’s out to get his revenge from beyond the grave. With its evil eyes and sharp toothed grin, the Ghost-type Pokémon Haunter, like Callum, is a fearsome force to be reckoned with.

Poor old Kirk – some people just aren’t as quick on the uptake as others. The same is true in the Pokémon world too, with Slowpoke being the epitome of dim-wittedness. Just look at those big grins, though - ignorance is most definitely bliss! And don’t you just want to give them both a hug?

Onto a few classic Corrie characters now, and one of the Street’s most notorious battleaxes, Ena Sharples. Her stocky frame and permanent scowl remind us of Purugly – you’d better be prepared if you’re hoping to take this one on in a battle!

Hilda Ogden was always going on at husband Stan for being a bit of a slacker, which is why I’ve chosen the ape-like Slaking as his Pokémon equivalent. Slaking is apparently the world’s laziest Pokémon, spending all day lying down and lolling about. I’m sure it wouldn’t say no to a pint of Newton & Ridley’s either!

Finally, we have a creature that’s well-known for being a bit of a dud and a laughing stock, spending most of the time just flopping around and gawping. I’ve paired her up with Magikarp, which at least has potential if you give it enough training!

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TONIGHT: Corrie's Billy the Vicar on Celebrity First Dates

Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy the vicar in Coronation Street, is starring in Celebrity First Dates on TV this week.

Daniel is one of the celebrities on the show who go in search of romance with members of the public.

Daniel fears kiss-and-tells, so he wants to meet someone who doesn't know who he is. American Dustin may be just the man - if he can get over how similar they are.

The programme airs on Friday night at 9pm on Channel 4.

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Celebrating 42 years of Gail on Coronation Street

Today, July 29th 2016 makes the 42nd anniversary of Gail's firt appearance in Coronation Street.

Young Gail Potter first turned up in Corrie on 29 July 1974.  She was brought into the show as a friend for Tricia Hopkins, played by Kathy Jones.

When Gail first arrived on Corrie, she lodged with Tricia at the shop flat until they were forced out by new owner Renee Bradshaw.  Then for her first few years on Coronation Street, Gail lodged with Elsie Tanner at No.11, sharing a room with Suzie Birchall.

42 years later, Gail is the most-married woman on Coronation Street - see all her husbands here. 

Steve McDonald holds the record as the most-married man - see all his wives here

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Charlie Lawson teases Big Jim return to Coronation Street

In today's Sun, they quote actor Charlie Lawson teasing a possible return to Coronation Street as Jim McDonald.

Charles spoke to The Sun Online and said that Jim might be returning to the show.  He said: “I speak to Simon [Gregson] every fortnight, or every week in fact, and he always lets me know what’s going on and I believe there’s the possibility of something happening sort of over the winter time.”

He continued:  “.... there are rumours around that there might be something to do with something I can’t really discuss. Watch this space.”

See who else is returning, leaving or taking a break from Coronation Street - our list is here!

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Spot the Corrie prop - July 29th 2016

This week congratulations go to Diane for being the first to spot that last week's bright bag belongs to Gemma. Well done for also spotting that the picture of it came from the morning after the night before with Jason.

For this week's prop puzzle all we want to know is whereabouts on Coronation Street you would finds this mug tree and toaster.

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Paula Lane gives birth to baby girl

Congratulations go to Paula Lane, who played Coronation Street's Kylie Platt, on the birth to her second child.

Paula announced the baby news on Twitter, saying: "She’s here! The latest addition to the Shaw clan is doing great. @SirTomShaw and I are feeling blessed and very lucky 💕👶🏼"

Paula and her husband Tom already have a son Arthur, who is now 19 months old.

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Meet Corrie's Kirk and Ashley this weekend - at a car boot sale!

Andy Whyment, who plays Kirk Sutherland in Coronation Street will be appearing at a car boot sale this weekend. 

Along with Steven Arnold, who played Ashley Peacock, Andy will be at the Furnace End car boot sale on Sunday 31 July.

They'll be promoting D & R Meats, something they've done together before this year.  For full details and location, you can have a look at the Furnace End Car Boot website.

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Preview of tonight's double Coronation Street - Fri 29 July

Friday 29th July
EILEEN HEARS TROUBLE ON THE GRAPEVINE An apologetic Billy tells Todd that they’ll have to cancel their trip to Formby as he’s been left to run the community centre playgroup. As Billy surveys Aadi, Simon and Amy causing mayhem, he realises it’s going to be a long day. He’s delighted when Todd arrives offering to help out. As Billy and Todd emerge from the community centre, Eileen wants to know what they’ve been doing. Painting on his best innocent face, Todd explains he was just helping the vicar with playgroup. Eileen’s suspicious. Billy suggests to Todd they have a night on the town. As Billy and Todd wait in Tyrone’s cab, they discuss their relationship and how much easier things will be when they go public. Unbeknown to them, a furious Eileen listens to every word over the cab radio!
DAVID’S IN NEED OF AN INTERVENTION Having been discharged from hospital for the day, Sarah returns home with Harry. As the Platts clear out Kylie’s clothes, they’re taken aback when David tells them he’s already chosen Kylie’s last outfit for the funeral. Aware he’s struggling, Sarah suggests to David he should keep Kylie’s jewellery for Lily. But David snaps at her to mind her own business and Sarah’s increasingly worried about him. When Gemma approaches David wanting to know the funeral arrangements, David flies into a rage and accusing Gemma of playing an integral part in Kylie’s death, bans her from the funeral. Gemma’s upset whilst Sarah worries for David’s sanity.
MICHELLE’S EXCITED BY HER BIG DECISION Michelle confides in Liz how she and Steve have decided to try for a baby.
ELSEWHERE As Zeedan enters the café, he clocks a guy chatting to Rana. Rana gives the guy short shrift but assuming her to be flirting, Zeedan leaves in a strop. Yasmeen advises Zeedan to sort out his differences with Rana as it’s clear they still have feelings for each other.

Friday 29th July
EILEEN LAYS DOWN THE LAW Eileen angrily drags Todd and Billy out of Tyrone’s taxi. The boys are horrified to realise she heard their conversation over the radio. Eileen rails at Todd accusing him of destroying other people’s relationships for the sake of it. Telling her how sorry he is, Todd heads off to find Billy. Sean arrives home from London bearing gifts for Eileen and Todd.  Eileen feels terrible knowing how hurt he’ll be when he finds out about Todd and Billy. Todd confides in Eileen that he’s never felt this way before and he reckons Billy’s the one. Eileen softens but insists he must tell Sean the truth and soon.
DAVID FACES UP TO THE NIGHTMARE Gail and Sarah put pressure on David to let Gemma attend the funeral, as she was Kylie’s oldest friend. David lets Max choose the music, food and drink. Gail’s horrified, pointing out that a funeral is meant to be a dignified affair. When Max announces he’d like to give the eulogy at Kylie’s funeral, David hugs him and tries to conceal his tears. Realising how much David is suffering, Sarah announces she’s not returning to hospital as it’s clear her family needs her. Gail and Bethany try to persuade Sarah that she needs to complete her treatment but Sarah’s adamant she’s staying put. David gives her a grateful smile. Sarah asks Bethany how her exams went and how she’s getting on at school but Bethany’s quick to change the subject. Calling in the kebab shop David tells Gemma he’s changed his mind, she can come to the funeral. He then confides in Sarah that he’s going to make sure someone pay for Kylie’s death.
MICHELLE HAS PLANS FOR STEVE Waving some ferry tickets at Steve, Michelle announces she’s booked them a few days in Ireland with her parents so they can start baby planning.
ELSEWHERE Rana calls at No.6 and apologises to Zeedan for failing to respect his beliefs when
they’re actually to be admired. Zeedan softens and Rana begs him to give her another chance. Will Zeedan agree?

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Corrie villain stars in new horror at Edinburgh Fringe

 

Sean Ward, who played Callum Logan in Coronation Street, will be starring in Darktales, a spooky horror ato the Edinburgh Fringe.

The Sunday Post says that it’s the scary show’s first time back in the capital since it made its debut there 21 years ago – and it left its mark.

“Someone in the audience fainted during the first night because it was so scary,” Sean explained. "Darktales was so successful at the Fringe that it went straight to London’s West End afterwards, which is the challenge we’ve now set ourselves for this version. This is a revised text because it’s tougher to scare people these days, but we have a few shocks and scares up our sleeves."

Not only is Darktales Sean’s first visit to the Fringe and to Scotland, it’s also his stage debut.

“This is probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever taken on in terms of acting, since the live episode of Corrie, but it’s good to constantly be pushing myself.”
 

Starring alongside him is fellow Corrie bad guy, Andrew Paul, who played Dan (the brewery man) Jones. He also spent years on The Bill as PC Dave Quinnan.


Darktales, Pleasance One, Edinburgh, Aug 3-29.  Buy your tickets here.

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Kate Oates first Coronation Street episode to air mid-August

Digital Spy confirms that we'll see the name of Coronation Street's new producer Kate Oates on her first credited episode next month.

Kate Oates' name will be in the Coronation Street credits for the first time on Monday, August 15, 2016.

The show's new producer has been working on Corrie since April this year. As  episodes are storylined and scripted so far in advance it has taken a while for her first episodes to appear on screen.

Blogger Emma and I met Kate Oates last week at the Coronation Street press day.

Read our interview with her here and find out what's in store on our favourite show.

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Coronation Street Weds 27th July episode review

Hello! It's just Jordan with this week's Wednesday review. Apologies for the lack of review last week - work just got on top of me like a derailed tram.  I've managed to plough my way through six episodes over the course of one evening and now, with my head whirring with thoughts of cobble drama, here are my thoughts on tonight's episode.

It's been an action-packed couple of weeks on our favourite street; we said goodbye to Kylie NotMinogue and I have been finding the episodes since her demise much more emotional than the somewhat stereotypical ratings-grabber episode dished up on the day she died.  Now it's time to get the important things organised and David has set to organising a funeral for his wife. When a liaison officer calls round with a bag of Kylie's possessions, both he and Gail are a little taken aback to find in it the jacket David was wearing at the time of the murder, still stained with Kylie's blood. Gail suggests he disposes of it,  a suggestion he later agrees to. He seems to have entered into an eerily calm phase of organisation. Deciding upon a humanist ceremony for his wife, with poems and songs instead of hymns, he plans the sad occasion with Billy. Gail stands watching them make plans and is growing more concerned about her son. Up until now, she herself seems to have had a systematic response to Kylie's death. She's doing what she can to support David but she, of all people, knows that life goes on in the face of death. Still, the news that Sarah is finally coming home from the psychiatric ward she really should have been on years ago on Friday lightens the mood a little.

"I'm worried he's bottling things up"

The other storyline dominating the Street at the minute is Leanne's pregnancy. We recently learned (as if we didn't know already) that Steve McDonald is the mystery father of the latest Battersby. an odd pairing to say the least. Only Soapland fate could lead Steve McDonald to Leanne Battersby's flat for way too much drink and a one night stand. In order to force the storyline to go that little bit further, Michelle is now playing best friend to the woman who is pregnant with her husband's baby and has decided she wants a baby with said husband. Old McDonald is against the idea though - apparently for that very reason. He thinks that he and Michelle are too old to have a baby. Isn't that right, Leanne? In a plot filler even more contrived than the friendship of Leanne and Michelle, Steve has now found an instant best friend in Dev. Yes, the local shopkeeper is now playing confidant to the local landlord. For some reason. After doing his usual trying-to-be-hilarious routine, he basically stupidly tells Steve that if he refuses to have a baby with Michelle then he risks losing her. I guess this explains why Dev has so many children dotted about all over the place. Honestly -  I would say that this whole thing about Michelle suddenly wanting a baby is nothing more than diluted fuel to add to the dying fire of contrived drama. Unfortunately, Steve listens to Dev and relents to a delighted Michelle by the end of the episode. You may be the most fertile man in Weatherfield, Steve, but that doesn't mean you should go round proving that title willy-nilly. It won't end well. As Michelle throws her arms round her husband, Liz pulls face akin to the frustrated matrons of storylines gone by. I don't think Michelle and Steve will end up having this baby anyway. Leanne and Steve's oh-so brilliant pact to lock away his paternity as a secret forever and ever is sure to be exposed soon.

"This has got disaster written all over it!"
"Well, we shall see"
"Indeed we shall"

Elsewhere, the gorgeous vicar and the equally as gorgeous florist graced our screens again tonight after an absence of a week or so. I've missed them so much! Anyway, it looks like Eileen is beginning to suspect something after she spots Todd swooning over his phone when he receives a text from Billy. Unfortunately, Sean is not staying in London permanently and is very conveniently returning home early from his trip to see Violet and Dylan. This gives the new couple very little time to formulate a plan on if, how and when to tell Sean. Not that it should really matter; it's nothing to do with him.  They're also struggling to keep a lid on things around Eileen and Pat. Not that this should matter either, but because Eileen is getting dafter and dafter lately so she'd probably side with her lodger rather than her son. However, I am still really enjoying the Todd/Billy storyline and the third-best thing about it is the ever-loving support they receive fromTracy.

"Oooh! Don't mind me, guys. You can use the back room if you like. Don't worry, I won't grass you up, Vicar"
"Tracy, we weren't do anything"
"Only, stay clear from the boiler because it's gas. One spark from you two and the whole place will blow up"

 A rather good episode tonight. However, I am still not sure I understand the Leanne/Steve storyline. It seems a little vague and random to me. On a positive note, though, nothing bad can be said about Jane Danson as Leanne. She is a strong actress and can always be relied upon to pull off a stellar performance no matter what is thrown at Leanne.

The Platt scenes following Kylie's death have been fantastic. The episode where it all happened was brilliantly acted but the script and story were just contrived. I hate having to use that word so frequently when reviewing Corrie, but it's becoming particularly and sadly useful.  On a lighter note - more Todd and Billy, please!  Oh, and a very warm welcome back to the ever-fabulous Eva, the glamour of the Street who has returned from France.


As always,

Thanks for reading!


Jordan

Twitter- @JordanLloyd39


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Lisa George hosts Vintage Fair and Fashion Show this weekend

Lisa George, who plays Beth Tinker in Coronation Street, will be hosting the Vintage Fair and Fashion Show this Saturday, 30th July.

Lisa will be hosting the show which takes place at Stalybridge Civic Hall. 

Tickets are £3 and can be purchased here.


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Helen Flanagan says she'd love to return to Coronation Street

Helen Flanagan, who played Rosie Webster on Coronation Street, was interviewed on ITV's Loose Women today.

She revealed that she would love to return to the show.  If you remember, Helen left the show in 2012 after suffering panic attacks and anxiety on set.  She gave a nice interview to the Manchester Evening News when she left - read it here.

Helen is now mum of Matilda and was pictured behind the scenes at Loose Women with her little girl today.

There could be a place for Rosie on the cobbles of course, as Sophie is leaving the show on a break as she takes to the stage with Ruth Madoc - read more on that here.

Would you welcome the return of Rosie Webster?

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Secret scenes written for Corrie couple's night of passion

When blogger Emma and I attended the Coronation Street press day at ITV last week, we met Simon Gregson and Kym Marsh.  Emma has written a fantastic account of the interview here and I would urge you to read it, it's great.

At the press event, Simon Gregson talked about Leanne's baby storyline, of course. And he took us all by surprise by saying that the Coronation Street scriptwriters had written the scene for Steve and Leanne for the night when Leanne's baby was conceived.

Now, it's a scene we'll never see, I guess. But the fact that the writers did this to help Simon and Jane (as Steve and Leanne) understand what was going on between their characters on that night, and how they ended up in bed together, is great. It really shows attention to detail.

Speaking about Steve and Leanne's baby, Simon Gregson told us: "It just came out of the blue - me and Jane were a bit like, ‘Where has this come from?'"

So, the scriptwriters wrote scenes for it, which made sense to us. Absolutely no sense to the viewers of course, but…"

"He goes around to her flat and they’re both in a bad place. Steve thinks Michelle’s gone and it’s all over. They have a drink of wine and woe is us!"

See also a guest blog post: Why Steve and Leanne's baby doesn't make sense.

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Guest blog post: Why Steve and Leanne's baby doesn't make sense

Our Coronation Street fan of the week this week is Deena from New Zealand.  She's also very kindly written a guest blog post for us as she believes that Steve and Leanne's baby just doesn't make sense.

And so, it's over to Deena. You can follow her on twitter @QueenAliKingx

"Steve and Leanne have barely ever interacted on the street and suddenly they do, but only to get it on? When the spoiler first came out about it, I honestly thought they were having a laugh! Steve is married to Michelle, and he just went off at her for KISSING Will. Now he has gone and got a woman he barely interacts with, pregnant.

Leanne getting pregnant is a shock full stop, seeing as back in 2011 she was basically told she wouldn't be able to have a baby of her own, but what do you know, here she is having Steve McDonald's baby. I think it would've been a lot more believable if Leanne had slept with Robert, seeing as the chemistry between them has been quite high. Even Zeedan would've been more believable than Steve.

To make things even worse for Steve, Michelle gets pregnant as well, so he will go from having 1 child (Amy), to 3 in a matter of months. For me personally I can definitely see Steve and Michelle with a baby of their own, and it would've been great to see that occur without the high expectation of Michelle about to find out about Steve’s other child, that Leanne will be carrying for 9 months.

Obviously Michelle is going to find out because when does a storyline ever go smoothly in soap? That's right, never. No doubt Michelle will find out either just before or after her baby is born and then want nothing more to do with Steve, but then you never know, a miracle may occur and she forgives him for knocking up Leanne Battersby.

I also can’t understand the fact Leanne and Nick get back together, and they pretend the baby is theirs. The fact they reunite is a shock to me, seeing as they have had two failed marriages. Clearly it’s not going to work a third time either. A few days after Carla left, he was sniffing around his ex wife, which yeah maybe, just maybe, a few months after her departure but not a few days!  Nick claimed to have loved Carla and in his words “It’s the best thing I've ever done, marrying Carla”. They were even going to try for a baby, but no no, he is now, only a couple of months after his and Carla's split, going to pretend that his ex wife’s baby is in fact his own.

To me this whole story isn't right. From Steve being Leanne's baby daddy, to Nick and Leanne getting back together. I just hope Peter returning will cause a rift between them and we get a repeat of 2010 where Peter and Leanne are a couple. I also hope, Michelle and Steve can work through things when all is revealed.

This story I’m sure will be acted out amazingly by all involved, but to me, it’s just not believable.

You can follow Deena on twitter @QueenAliKingx

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Coronation Street fan of the week - Deena from New Zealand

It's time to meet another Coronation Street fan of the week.
Would you like to be our Corrie fan of the week?
Find out more here! 

Who are you and where are you from?
 My name's Deena Barnes and I'm from New Zealand.

How long have you been watching Corrie?
I've been watching for 6 years, so since 2010.

Who are your favourite female and male characters - and the reasons why?
My favourite female character will always be Carla Connor, then I love Nick, Aidan and Johnny. I also loved Becky and Sian.

What's been some of your favourite Corrie storylines over the years?
I loved the tram crash, Carla's rape, Nick and Carla, Sophie and Sian's wedding, and now Kylie's Death.

And what would your fantasy Corrie storyline be?
It would be where Carla comes back in a couple of years and has a baby, which happens to be Nick's and she never told him about it, she sees him and in the end they end up back together and raise their baby together.

Have you any snippets or news about meeting any of the Corrie cast, or trips to the set, etc., that you'd like to share?No I've never met any of them, only have video messages.

Would you like to be our Corrie fan of the week?
Find out more here! 

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Preview of tonight's Coronation Street - Weds 27 July

Wednesday 27th July
STEVE WRESTLES WITH HIS DOUBTS Michelle puts pressure on Steve insisting that a baby of their own would be the best thing ever but Steve remains unconvinced. Steve confides in Dev how Michelle has become fixated on having a baby. Dev reckons that if he loves her as much as he says he does, he should be prepared to make that commitment. Steve arrives home and announces to Michelle that after a long hard think, he reckons a baby would be the best thing for them. 
JENNY REALISES THAT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Having taken Jenny’s words on board, Johnny tells her he’d like them to start again and he’s booked them into a posh hotel for the night. Jenny’s thrilled. Hungover Beth arrives late for work and Kirk assures her he clocked her in when no one was looking. Jenny takes Johnny to one side and gives him the heads up on Beth and Kirk’s ruse. Johnny confronts Beth and Kirk and tells them if they pull the same stunt again they’ll be fired. Jenny suggests to Johnny they should keep their relationship under wraps for the time being as she can be his eyes and ears on the factory floor. Johnny’s amused. Meanwhile Johnny announces that Alya will be moving her desk back into the office.
TODD AND BILLY HAVE A CLOSE SHAVE When Todd receives a text from Billy his face lights up, Eileen’s immediately suspicious wondering if he’s got a new man in his life. Todd and Billy secretly arrange a day out to Formby but agree that they need to work out how to break the news of their relationship to Sean. Meanwhile Billy calls at No.8 to discuss Kylie’s funeral arrangements. When David hands over a list of requirements, Billy’s taken aback by his apparent calm.
ELSEWHERE The police call at No.8 with Kylie’s belongings and David’s deeply moved to see his blood-stained jacket. Eva arrives home from France and is shocked when Leanne tells her she’s pregnant.

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Richard Haw­ley on Corrie: "I've wanted this job for 40 years"

There was a good interview with Corona­tion Street’s Richard Haw­ley in The Daily Mail's Weekend magazine which I saw at the weekend.

Richard, who plays Johnny Connor in Corrie, says he's been after a role in the show for 40 years!

He says: ‘I’ve been try­ing to get a job on the Street for my whole ca­reer; I’ve been up for jobs at least six times in the past 20 years. When I got the part I went into an emo­tional free-fall. It was the chance of a life­time, so I was in­cred­i­bly ex­cited and full of adren­a­line.

‘Even now I pinch my­self; I look around and get a sense of his­tory, of stand­ing on the shoul­ders of gi­ants. I’m not sure how I got here, but I feel I’ve got the best job in the coun­try.’

Speaking about Jenny and Johnny, Richard says: ‘I en­joy work­ing with Sally Ann Matthews, who plays Jenny, and I think we’ve got chemistry. So I hope they’ll have fun for years and maybe get mar­ried one day.’

Richard’s been mar­ried for more than 30 years and has grown-up twin daugh­ters. The fam­ily home’s in Brighton and Richard heads there when he can, but in the week he shares a Manch­ester flat with Con­nor McIntyre, who plays evil Pat Phe­lan.

It’s a price Richard’s pre­pared to pay for his dream role. ‘I al­ways wanted a job in Corrie that’d be­come a big char­ac­ter like Mike Bald­win. They’re big shoes to fill but it’s a priv­i­lege to be given a shot. If it was up to me, I’d spend a fair old time here.’

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Sarah reveals that Kylie killed Callum in Coronation Street

Next week on Coronation Street we'll see Kylie's funeral take place.  David's just about managing to keep it together but things looks set - in true soap style - to explode at the graveside.

Inside Soap magazine today reveal that on the morning of Kylie's funeral, Sarah visits Todd at Preston's Petals.  Todd tells Sarah that he knows she killed Callum - and of course Sarah denies it all. Todd's got the wrong end of the stick and when Sarah denies killing Callum, Todd then assumes that David must have killed him.

At the funeral, Todd has a go at David and follows the Platts back to the house accusing David of killing Callum. Todd's angry because he believes that Jason left because he thought his dad Tony Stewart was the murderer. Anyway, Todd's anger spills over and as David and Todd argue and fight, Sarah blurts out the truth: "David wasn't the killer! Kylie was!"


Oh 'eck.  I can't wait to see everyone's stunned faces at the wake at the Platts next week.

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