Coronation Street Blog Interview: Shayne Ward

Things aren’t half hotting up on Corrie, as the double wedding of Johnny and Jenny and Aidan and Eva approaches. With Eva continuing her revenge mission against her husband-to-be, I met with Shayne Ward who plays Aidan Connor at Coronation Street studios in Manchester to hear all about his character’s approaching nuptials. For those wishing to avoid spoilers, it might be best look away now.

Aidan has cheated on Eva with Maria, this we know. But, he is arguably paying too big a price for his deceit by being led to believe he’s to be a father by his furious fiancée. So, does Shayne feel sorry for Aidan, or does he think he has brought it all upon himself? “It's never acceptable to have an affair, but he absolutely fell in love with two women from the get go” Shayne explains. “And he just wishes he could have found someone that had both their qualities.” He continues, “When he first did the affair and it stopped, Maria then instigated it again and I think the moment that Aidan agreed that, you know, you have to keep it a secret, that’s when he became a bit of a love rat. He didn’t set out to be a love rat, but he genuinely was in love with two women so I think what he gets at the minute, he does deserve.”

We know now that Aidan flattens the fizz on Eva’s revenge plan by confessing to his affair on the day of their wedding. But why does Shayne think his character decides to do this? “A little while back Aidan was going to confess anyway as Maria gave him an ultimatum – tell her or it’s over – and he was going to tell her” he recalls. However, the prospect of becoming a Dad makes him so excited, something Shayne says he can relate to. “He didn’t know who to be with, but when she tells him she’s pregnant he decides to completely focus on her" he explains. Shayne reveals that a conversation takes place with his sister on the day of the wedding that makes him wonder if he can go through with harbouring such a deceit. “Kate says something to me that changes my whole opinion of ‘was I going to keep it secret all this time?’ or ‘could I live with a guilty conscience?’”

I asked Shayne if Aidan will enjoy the build up to the wedding or if he will be in guilty turmoil until he confesses. “Completely guilty" he tells me, "because he doesn’t want to live with something like that type of secret, that’s why he does tell her on the day of the wedding ‘Listen, I’ve cheated’”

Regarding his stag night, in which Aidan and company cut quite the dash as ladies on the town, Shayne says of his costume, “I remember when I first looked at it and I thought ‘Oh, can I not be sexy?’ and I thought ‘Hang on Shayne, you’re getting a bit carried away there, like.’" He adds, “I was the only one who kept the heels on. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got three sisters, I don't know but it was like ‘Shayne, you don’t have to keep it on’ and I was like ‘I want to, for the art. It’s just in case the Director says you have to walk across cobbles and he went ‘Shayne, you’re not going outside’. I kept it on for dinner and walked up the stairs and didn’t take the lift. Can I get an amen for the women because I tell you what, I take my hat off to you, how you walk in heels I don’t know.”

Asked if people shout at him in the street, Shayne says “I love it because it’s helped my confidence in terms of my acting ability, the fact that people find it believable because a lot of people see me now and don’t see Shayne, they see Aidan Connor - ‘It’s Aidan, it’s Aidan!’ - and that’s great for me because it means, you know, that I’m obviously doing it right and they’re believing it.” He adds, “I love playing Aidan Connor, I think it’s brilliant."

We also know that Alison King is set to return to the cobbles to reprise the role of the inimitable Carla Connor. Asked if he’s looking forward to her return, Shayne says, “Very excited. We all are. No-one knows what’s going to happen when she comes back and I quite like that, it’s quite secret. For me personally she’s one of the most captivating actresses I’ve ever watched on screen. She was in my first scene” he recalls, “she just made me feel so relaxed."

Speaking of his experience filming this storyline, Shayne says, “I’ve had a wicked time with Cath and Samia. It’s been a brilliant love triangle and it really helped the fact that we’ve known each other anyway for years so it’s been so much fun.”

I think Shayne has done a great job in making us feel sympathy for Aidan despite his infidelity. No matter the outcome, I’m sure we’ll be glued to our screens this coming week as it’s not just a double wedding, but double Corrie, with Wednesday heralding the start of the sixth weekly episode.

Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites
Instagram: emmalouhynes

You can also read my interviews with Cath Tyldesley and Sally Ann Matthews, view the Coronation Street Promo Video, and read about the announcement of a sixth weekly episode of Corrie from 20 September.

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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Sally Ann Matthews

There’s nothing quite like a Corrie wedding, of which there have been plenty. But we’re promised that, when it comes to the pending double nuptials of Aidan and Eva, and Johnny and Jenny, we’re set to see the biggest, most lavish and dramatic of Big Days to date.

I travelled to Coronation Street studios at ITV, Manchester to get a taste of the wedding fever afoot, and had the pleasure of interviewing the actress, Twitter warrior and all round legend that is Sally Ann Matthews about what lies ahead for bride-to-be Jennybradley. If you don't want to read any spoilers, then now's the time to look away.

Getting into the spirit of it all at Corrie is never difficult, but the fact that our interview took place in the Bistro, which was decked out as if we were attending a wedding reception, certainly added the wow factor.

One of the most amusing aspects of the drama so far for me has been Jenny’s increasingly futile efforts to make this a classy affair, and as Sally Ann Matthews sashayed through our impromptu wedding venue with a glass of champagne in hand, I got an entertaining flavour of the force of nature that is her onscreen character.

Once settled with her bubbly, she gave some great insights about what it’s like to play Jenny, and the drama to come. 

Having known about the wedding six months before getting the scripts, there was some excitement with she and Shayne Ward attempting to piece together snippets as it was being storylined. “It just kept sounding more and more amazing” she tells us. When it finally came to filming, she says, “It was an absolute joy to do.” Complimenting the director John Anderson, the crew and the staff of the venue, she describes the experience as “all pretty brilliant really.”

“When Corrie is 150 years old, you’ll have a clip of this wedding, it’s that epic” she enthuses. “The entire week’s worth of episodes are jam packed with a number of different stories that all come in and intertwine and there’s high drama, there’s heartbreak, there is ridiculous comedy which is such classic Corrie stuff and it all mixes and melds together really well.”

Sally Ann reveals that Jenny swaps her horse and carriage for a motorbike, and special considerations needed to be made on foot of this when choosing her Suzanne Neville wedding dress. Describing the scenes themselves as “Terrifying”, Sally Ann adds, “I’m totally risk averse. I do all talk, no action.” It helped that they had two genuine Hell’s Angels, on hand to help with the scenes.

We’re told that Rita comes to be hospitalised, which puts Johnny and Jenny’s wedding in doubt. So how will Jenny react to this? Sally Ann describes her fury at Gemma for not telling her about Rita’s illness, even though she may very well have, acknowledging the self-obsessed side of her character which led to her missing signs of Johnny’s illness. 

While we don’t know what lies ahead for Rita, it is with great reverence that Sally Ann speaks of her colleague Barbara Knox. “Barbara is a fantastic actress, and the consummate professional, and the three of us, with Dolly as well, they’re very easy scenes to do because you’re all in it, you’re all on it. The emotional stuff is very easy to play with Barbara” she tells us, adding,“They are going to be tugging at your heart strings.” While she doesn’t reveal what might happen, Sally Ann believes that Twitter will likely go crazy on Friday the 14th and the rest of the following week.

We’re told that a discussion concerning this storyline took place with the producer many months ago, and is something Barbara Knox is fully on board with. “It’s a storyline that Barbara is so deserving of” Sally Ann tells us. “It’s been so well thought out and she’s been very involved in the way it’s going to play out.” Sally Ann had high praise for the amount of hard work Barbara has put in, with long hours and continually seeking to challenge herself with the story.

So, while we don't know the outcome, are we likely to see a change in Jenny’s character? Sally Ann notes that Jenny has had her challenges with this wedding, what with having Gemma as a bridesmaid and having to share her day, and describes it as an important way for Jenny to say, “I am here, and look at me, and my life is wonderful and sorted out from where it was a couple of years ago.” However, while noting Jenny is not ‘soft’, Sally Ann reveals, “I think you might see her reassessing and evaluating and thinking about what’s important.”

Asked about her character’s famous withering looks, Sally Ann tells us “I think the ‘upper-downer’ is my favourite”, before treating us to one which, I can tell you, I was happy to be on the receiving end of for entertainment purposes only.

Sally Ann has fully embraced her return to the show and is really proud to be part of it. “I only ever thought it would be 6 months or so” she tells us, adding “I’m having a really good time and I’m being served with really nice stories. I’m very lucky that they keep writing bonkers stuff for me.”

As a very active member of the Twitter community, no interview with Sally Ann would be complete without asking her about her experiences on the platform. Not one to shy away from taking down the trolls, it's the left-of-field tweets that continue to take her by surprise. "The rest of the time you’ll get ‘you’re a bitch, I hate you’ with a kiss, and that’s fine, and it’s usually when Corrie’s on, or someone’s talking about it, and so it’s linked to that. When it’s half past two on a Thursday afternoon and randomly someone’s calling you a ginger doo daa, then I’m going to bite back aren’t I." she tells us, and we've no doubt about that. But what is her experience in the street? "Either they have got no idea who I am, or some people are very nice, and a lot of people I think are actually quite scared" she explains, revealing that she knows people have clocked her, but unlike the old days when they would have said something, they're now reluctant to approach her. This, I'm sure, is in no small part down to the fact that she thoroughly inhabits her formidable character, the return of which, for me, has been one of the show's great triumphs in recent years.

Interviewing Sally Ann was an absolute pleasure, and while we have no idea how things will pan out, this certainly promises to be a great week on the cobbles, and one I'm very much looking forward to. 

Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites
Instagram: emmalouhynes

Sally Ann made mention of the Coronation Street Blog’s promotion of the Save Rita campaign badges in her interview which you can enter a competition to win here.

You can also read my interview with Cath Tyldesley, view the Coronation Street Promo Video, and read about the announcement of a sixth weekly episode of Corrie from 20 September.

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Coronation Street Blog interview: Cath Tyldesley

Weddings can be an expensive business, but the stakes are higher than your average where Eva Price is concerned. Intent on wreaking revenge on Aidan for his infidelity, Maria for breaking the sacred ‘girl-code’, and Jenny for keeping their secret, the question is, at what cost?

I caught up with Cath Tyldesley, who plays Eva, at Coronation Street studios in Manchester to hear all about the Big Day. If you don’t want to read any spoilers, it’s probably best to look away now.

Describing it as “very action packed”, there is no doubt that Cath enjoyed every minute of this epic shoot. But what could she tell us about the events which lead up to it, and what unfolds on the day itself?

First up is the hen party, which, we’re told, is used as a way to get at Jenny and Maria. “She’s just vile to Maria” explains Cath before revealing details of a humiliating stunt pulled on her in the Rovers which I won’t spoil for readers. “I really felt for [Samia] because [Eva] just goes for it” she tells us, “but she deserves it in her eyes.” It’s interesting to hear that Maria is to bear some of the brunt of her revenge as, up to now, Aidan has seemed the main target. So, does Cath feel Eva is more angry at one over the other? “It’s both of them” she explains. “But what I quite liked is that, for years actually, whenever she’s talked about being cheated on, she’s spoke many times about the girl code and how much she despises women that do that. So the fact that it’s her best friend that’s done it is just another level for her. Her feelings for Maria are completely gone now, there’s nothing left, but she does still love Aidan despite what he’s done.”

Love him she might, but she is still hell-bent on revenge, and he manages to flatten the champagne on the morning of the wedding by confessing to his affair. Cath explains, "It’s a real game changer that for Eva… she can see the absolute sincerity in his eyes, she can see how genuine he is and that he does actually really love her and the whole thing to him has been a massive mistake.” She continues, “She had the day completely planned out to a tee. She’s got this revenge plot firmly in her mind and then all of a sudden she’s like, ‘he’s offering me everything I ever wanted and he’s come clean’.” It wouldn’t be Eva, however, if this wasn’t tinged with irritation. “At the same time, she was really angry with him, because she has this firm plan and she’s like, ‘oh, now you’ve done this’…so there are lots of different emotions.”

Nor would it be Eva if she didn’t capitalise on an opportunity to take down her nemesis when Maria gatecrashes the wedding and, as we’ve seen in the official Corrie promo video, the pair swap the chocolate fountain for a real one. 2.5 hours and no less than 6 very heavy, completely ruined, wedding dresses later, the pair were tired out after thrashing it out in the water, but both really enjoyed it and Cath clearly felt it was worth it. “I was just really excited about it, to be doing something that physical” she explains. “Normally it is very coordinated, but because of the nature of the scene they were like, ‘Just go for it guys’ and me and Samia were like, ‘Oh my God’. And we did, we just went for it, you know, within reason. We’re kind of both aware of what we should and shouldn’t do. But yeah, it was pretty full on.” She continues, “It was good fun, I really enjoyed doing that actually.” It wasn’t all high drama either, “Andy Whyment plays a blinder in the fountain scenes” she reveals, “I just find him hysterical anyway, so yeah, it was really funny stuff.”

So, what does Cath think about the emergence of this villainous element to her character? “I’ve loved it, I’ve absolutely loved it” she enthuses. “It’s been really nice to see another side to her because, when she came into it, she was a woman scorned and you know, she is her mother’s daughter, they are strong, feisty women. And I think Eva is a very likeable character and her vulnerability and her dizziness makes people like her, but I think this is great that we go, ‘oh crap, yeah, we forgot about this side to her’.” She continues, “Every boyfriend that she’s ever had has cheated on her. At some point you are gonna lose it, and this is character changing for her, this is it now, she’s had enough.”

Asked if it’s likely that something could develop with Adam, Cath tells us, “I think for her at the moment she appreciates that he’s a good looking guy and it’s been a shoulder-to-lean-on sort of thing for her, but her heart is with Aidan.” But can Eva ever forgive him? “Yeah, I think she could. I think for her, that was her prince charming, I think she loves him that much.”

Having just gotten married herself last year, Cath found it weird to be back in a wedding dress and in bride mode again. “The way everything was shot, we tried to do things in order as much as we could cos of the nature of the scenes, it did feel like I was getting married again. It was bizarre” she says. “But yeah, I loved it. Who doesn’t love putting a big frock on? It was the first dress I saw and I knew in my head exactly what I wanted ‘cos I choose all of Eva’s outfits, and as soon as I saw it, I was like, that’s the one.”

As my interview with Cath coincided with the announcement that Corrie’s sixth episode would comprise a Wednesday double and start on the 20th of September with this very wedding, I was interested to hear her thoughts. Speaking of Kate Oates, Cath says “she’s just fantastic, she’s an absolute powerhouse. Everything has been structured in a way that nobody is overloaded, and everything is quite evenly spread, so it’s been great for us. And, as a viewer, I’m really excited because it’s just another episode.”

All that remains now is for us to choose a hat for the 20th, and position ourselves as far from that fountain as possible.

Meeting Cath was lovely. Her enthusiasm and sense of humour is very infectious. She was also, in fact, the captain of my Rovers Return pub quiz team on the day, but more on that later...

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.net

Twitter: @ELHynes

Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites

Instagram: emmalouhynes

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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Bill Roache

Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when Bill Roache walks into a room and sits down in front of you for a chat. I was lucky enough to have had such an experience last week when I travelled to Manchester on behalf of the Coronation Street Blog. There was a ripple of excitement in the air mixed with a palpable reverence for the Corrie stalwart of 56 years and counting as he settled in to talk about his years on the show and what lies in store for Ken.

We were treated to a preview of last night’s episodes before interviewing Bill, and I was shocked to see Ken experience a stroke. Like many viewers tuning in to Monday's double, all kinds of questions ran through my mind, and while I may have been frantic, Bill was as calm and collected as you might imagine.

“When I first heard about it, of course, I was a bit paranoid” he explained. “The first thing I said was ‘do I get better?’ And then I said, the only thing I want is medical advice.” Bill worked with an expert to learn about the onset, whether or not he could speak, and if his method of portrayal was accurate. “As an actor it’s good to have something to do like that” he explained, “but you want to get it right, which I think we did.”

Asked if we are to see a more vulnerable Ken, Bill noted, “Ken has always been a peacemaker, and he’s got his daughter who’s a murdering psychopath, his son Peter who is an alcoholic bigamist and lies, and now you’ve got the two children who come and are historically connected, but they’ve both got baggage, and yet Ken always tries to see the good and keep the peace. However, now, the one thing he mustn’t have is stress. What a great situation” he laughs, “brilliant.”

Describing new producer Kate Oates as “absolutely wonderful”, Bill continued, “when she told me about this, I was just absolutely thrilled to bits. The Barlows have always been female, what with Blanche and Deirdre, and the two children, and suddenly it’s four males.” Revealing that returned sons Peter and Daniel, and grandson Adam, surround him in his hospital bed, Bill remarked, “I actually felt this sense of family and it was really quite exciting. I hope they become like a mafia family, you know, we in-fight like crazy but if anybody else attacks us, we go out and get 'em.”

This makes it all the more fitting for someone to have remarked that he sounded like Marlon Brando. "But, maybe Marlon Brando sounded like me, I don’t know” he smiled, adding “I don’t mind having something in common with Marlon Brando.”

Bill’s excitement about this development is infectious. “I’m loving it” he enthused, “I’m thrilled to bits that having been in the show for 56 years, being 84 years old myself, I’m very fortunate to have such a vital and vibrant story”

He has high hopes for the Barlow clan, and sees the idea as “brilliance” on the part of Kate and the writers. “Many producers have brought in a new family, usually within a year, most of that family are gone” he notes. “This family, they’re historic. There is the history for each one which is absolutely wonderful.”

Asked if experiencing a stroke on the show made him paranoid about his health in real life, Bill declares, “no, it made me feel paranoid about my job.” He continues, “I don’t act, I try to be. So, to be having a stroke is not good, you set things going in your body. But I do protect myself from that and I tell myself I’m just an actor enjoying playing this. But on the other hand as an actor to have something positive to do is brilliant and I just love it.”

More laughter ensued when Bill waxed lyrical about Chris Gascoyne, who was sitting in the room with us to listen in on the interview. But his sentiments were very much sincere and from the heart. “I love him as a man, and I have tremendous respect and admiration for him as an actor” he revealed, “so I couldn’t be more fortunate. My son Peter - from Ken’s point of view, he’s an alcoholic bigamist who lies, - but Ken still loves him. There’s still that love there. And he’s hoping some day he will get him on the right course and make him a good father to his own son.”

In a rather surreal and brilliant moment, Chris Gascoyne asked if he could pose a question. He wanted to know if Ken felt any guilt about Peter.

“Ken is riddled with guilt” replied his on-screen father, “all of his children got farmed out one way or another at some time or another. But he did, I will say this, at the time he believed he was doing the right thing, he thought wherever he was sending them was better than being with him, and he was probably right.”

With regard to having advice for the young Barlows, or anyone joining the show, Bill was very humble in saying “these young actors come in and they’re so good, they really are very very good. I honestly feel I should go to them for advice.”

I told Bill that I loved the idea of a male Barlow dynasty, but asked if there might be a lady to help him cope. “Well there’s been a little bit of Ken / Audrey hasn’t there” he notes, “and it’s very much on the perimeter, but I do feel if Ken needed a shoulder to cry on, or a female point of view, or a little bit of female company, Audrey is still sort of there. Whether that develops or fades away or remains the same, we’ll have to wait and see. Who knows. I love acting with Sue” he revealed, but added, “At the moment, Ken has got more than his hands full dealing with his very dysfunctional family.”

And then on to the question which concerns us all the most. Will Ken recover?

“It can be very severe, but it can be recovered within days, weeks, months or not at all, so that left it wide open for the writers to do it” Bill explains. “The writers weren’t very helpful on this, they just said Ken is at the state that he’s got to, and we were filming out of order.” He continues, “We actually had to move two scenes further down the line because I honestly didn’t know how I’d be.” This really does leave us none the wiser, which is no bad thing, as it seems people really did enjoy the surprise of not knowing about this huge development.

So, after 56 years, does Bill have a show highlight? “No” he reveals, “I’m very much a here and now man, and I can honestly say, when Kate told me, apart from my paranoia when she told me about the stroke, I was absolutely thrilled. I love acting with Chris, I love being with him and the two boys are absolutely wonderful.”

The sense of occasion that accompanied this most enjoyable interview was so deserving of a Corrie legend such as Bill, and it was entirely fitting for it to end with an enthusiastic round of applause.

By Emma Hynes
www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites
Instagram: emmalouhynes

See Coronation Street's First Look Pic: Will Ken Survive?

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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Jack P. Shepherd and Paula Lane

It has been an exciting week so far on the Coronation Street Blog. It started on Monday when my fellow blogger Ruth and I travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of Corrie’s big week which starts this Sunday, and since then we have been sharing our experiences of the day and bringing you our interviews with key cast members. Next up, are Jack P. Shepherd and Paula Lane who play David and Kylie Platt. 

Now, I’ve long been a fan of David Platt. But over the last year in particular, he has really come into his own. From deadpan references to his chequered family history to gallows humour at the most (in)appropriate moments, he never fails to make me laugh. I also marvel at his ability to cope, and wryly at that, with the worst situations imaginable as he courses coolly through life with an apparent absence of any discernible conscience. My Weatherfield Psycho blog from a number of months back covered all of this, but suffice to say I love what they've done with the character in the capable hands of Jack P. Shepherd. 

If David Platt doesn’t disappoint, neither does interviewing Jack.

We also now know that Paula Lane is leaving the street. I have very much enjoyed Kylie’s time on the cobbles, and she will be sorely missed. I wasn’t sure about the gobby sister of Becky Grainger at first, but she matured into a complex character with a catalogue of great storylines, and compelling performances, including last September’s live episode, and I am sad to see her go.

I’ve been lucky enough to interview Paula a number of times now, and she is always a pleasure to chat with.

So, on to the interviews.

The Corrie powers that be are remaining tight lipped  surrounding the discovery of Callum’s body, and believe me, you’ll be glad of this as you tune in to see for yourself.

But what could Jack and Paula tell me about what happens after he is found? “The police get involved, and all the main suspects are arrested; Gail, David, Kylie and Sarah” Jack tells me. “It’s a case of which stories are the same and which are different.”

Jack explained that, as you might expect, David is the one who tries to hold it together. “Sarah panics and cries a lot” he reveals, “I’m very evasive, [saying] I haven’t a clue, I don’t know how it got there. I try to shift the blame and say there were a lot of people after him.”

Jack grins as, speaking of David, he says “I’ve certainly gotten over [Callum's death]. I don’t think he’s got much of a conscience to be honest”. He notes that David is alright, Kylie is the middle ground, and poor Sarah is at the other end of the spectrum. 

Paula observed that the writers decided to have the girls respond differently since the live episode, otherwise there would’ve been a sameness which wouldn’t have worked as well. It has certainly been a great dynamic.

So how does Gail react? “She’s really shocked” Jack explains, “and I think she points the blame towards me. She thinks I’ve done it.”

Paula told me how she considers Kylie to be lucky in that she can take comfort from David, whereas Sarah doesn’t have that, but Kylie can be there for her. “I’m just trusting David’s advice” she says.

I asked Jack if he was glad to see the story coming to its conclusion. He explained, “When I first found out about the storyline it was the live episode and the producer, Stuart at the time, said ‘in 5 years time we’ll uncover the body’. I was like, wow, that’s a long storyline. I’m quite surprised it’s happened sooner, but I don’t mind it. I’m glad.”

I noted that many viewers thought there’d be nothing in the manhole, and asked if that was ever on the cards. “Not from us” replies Jack, who was amused at having heard the same speculation.

As Paula prepares to leave the soap, she’s asked if she’s excited, and replies “Yes I am.” Pointing at her baby bump, she continues, “I’m a bit preoccupied obviously with other things at the minute, but I’m sad as well, it’s bittersweet.”

I asked Paula if she had any roles in mind for the future, including theatre.

“It’s mixed to be honest” she told me, “there’s been a few theatre checks that have happened since I’ve announced I’m leaving, so I’ll just watch this space. But I’m kind of mindful of the fact that I need a bit of a mental rest as I’ve had six very very busy years. It’s quite exciting to see what’s on the horizon.”

Jack respects Paula’s choice to leave adding, “They are a good couple and work well together, so that’ll be a shame that will end, but it’s her decision.”

So, has David got his eye on anyone else? “No” Jack confirms, “I think there’d have to be another actor introduced, as I don’t think anybody sort of fits the bill on the Street at the minute, for David anyway.” At the suggestion of Gemma, he grins “Definitely not Gemma.”

This was a very enjoyable interview with plenty of laughs. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for both the Platts, and Paula Lane as she departs. As I did on Monday in person, again, I wish her the very best of luck.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

Read all about our week in Weatherfield and find out more about Corrie's big week, including the official trailer and spoilers, here.

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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Alison King

With another big Corrie week on the horizon starting this coming Sunday 22nd May, my fellow blogger Ruth and I travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of the upcoming episodes as well as interviews with key cast members, including Alison King, who plays troubled bride-to-be, Carla Connor.

As we know, Alison is leaving the soap, and when we sat down to chat, despite it being three weeks since she had filmed her last scene as Carla, she was still fatigued from the experience. “I’ve been away for five days and come back and yeah, I’m still knackered." she told me. "I’ve a cold now. When you stop, all your ailments kick in don’t they. But yeah, I’m alright, I’ll get there.” 

So just how tiring was filming her final scenes? “Very emotional and very draining" Alison explains, "you have to rev yourself up to do that all day long.” She continues, "that was all emotion and real stuff as well; obviously I knew I was going." While finishing up has given Alison closure, there are still a few more scenes that she has yet to see.

Alison told me that she is both happy with the exit storyline she was given and the fact that they have left the door open for a return, adding, "I’m really grateful for that.”

So, has she anything lined up now? “I can’t possibly tell you" she teases, before laughing and confirming, "no, nothing. I’m just having a rest at the minute, and being Mum and I’ve got a million jobs to do that I haven’t got around to yet."

She is currently nominated for Best Actress in the Soap Awards, and tells me, “It’d be great [to win], the fans have been amazing, and it’s the fans vote, isn’t it.”

With regard to a favourite storyline, she acknowledges that they've all been biggies, but makes particular mention of the 2011 one in which Carla was raped by Frank Foster, noting that Carla's actions saw the statistics change with more men and women in the same situation coming forward. 

Alison says she has loved working with Ben Price, and will miss the people on Corrie most. “These are my best friends and I love them very much" she tells me. "I’ll miss them all and being with them, you know, the cast and crew and production, they’re my family.” 

Asked if she has taken any mementos with her, Alison reveals, “No, just a lot of Carla’s clothes which were mine anyway, and none of the heels.”

Carla has been a huge part of Coronation Street for a long time now, and the loss of such a major character will undoubtedly be felt on the cobbles. However, I do wish Alison the very best, and look forward to seeing what she does next.

Alison says she will definitely keep watching Coronation Street, and our readers should make sure they do the same for what promises to be a compelling week of viewing.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

Read more about our exclusive press preview in Manchester here.

You can find more about Corrie's big week, including the official spoilers and trailer, here.

NEW!
The Little Book of Carla Connor
A Decade in the Life of a Soap Queen
An unofficial Coronation Street companion book

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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Kate Ford

The tension mounts as, like my fellow blogger Ruth making her third attempt to get to Media City UK after two cancelled trains from Sheffield, we hurtle towards another big week for Corrie. We both travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of next week’s episodes and interviews with key cast members, including Kate Ford who plays the infamous Tracy Barlow.

With Carla and Nick’s wedding on the horizon, it doesn’t help that scheming Tracy has the potential to derail proceedings. Speaking of Tracy and Robert in a Q&A which we published yesterday, Kate revealed “something happens that puts their relationship in jeopardy”. Could this mean the end for the pair?

“Well I don’t think it’s looking good at the moment” explains Kate. Tracy’s not the only one hoping it’s not over for her and Robert, however, as both she and actor Tristan Gemmill, who was also there on the day, agree that they enjoy working together.

It sounds as if Tracy manages to upset more than Robert, as she reveals, “Amy falls out with Tracy as well and that is really painful for her. She hasn’t really thought through how behaving like that in front of her daughter is going to affect her.”

Kate had an insightful take on Tracy’s relationship with her only daughter. Acknowledging that there’s only one person at the centre of Tracy’s universe, that being Tracy, she adds, “but more recently, since Amy got older, she hasn’t bored her as much, so they’ve spent more time together and she’s more fond of her. She loves her and she’s been a better mother in that sense. When she was a baby she used to try and palm her off all the time on Aunty Emily and that. But she’s proud of her and she’s proud of how conniving she can be." Kate explains Tracy's shock when Amy appears to turn her back on her. "It really hurts her because actually, they’ve been very close, and she thinks she’s been a good Mum over the last few years, compared to what she was anyway”.

When I asked Kate if this was the long awaited turning point for Tracy, and if her character will finally be redeemed, she expressed an awareness that some fans wouldn’t have her any other way. “It’s really tricky” she told me, “because I don’t think anybody would ever want her to be nice, they like Tracy to be like that. But I think she’s going to show some more humanity.” That sounds good to me.

It was interesting to hear how it feels for Kate to play arguably the most despised woman on the cobbles. “She’s been hated for 14 years, and what’s good about it is that it’s paved the way for me to explore something else. Tracy is desperate to win people back around which is something that I’ve never really had with her. The last scripts I’ve been doing have been quite nice because her karma has come a little bit.”

When asked if she’ll miss Alison King, and if her departure has given her itchy feet, Kate had a similarly interesting answer. “We are really good friends, so I’m gonna miss seeing her every day” she acknowledged, continuing, “I can see why she wants a break from the character and I can see why she wants to spread her wings and do all that, but at the moment I’m happy to stay at Coronation Street because I’m still enjoying it, and it’s a good job. I can see why she’s doing it, it’s not unappealing, but I’m staying for now.” I'm glad that's the case, as I'm not ready for a Corrie without Tracy in it.

While Kate doesn’t manage to watch Corrie every day, she isn’t averse to seeing herself perform. “If there’s an episode I particularly enjoyed doing, or a scene that I felt proud of [I will]”, she explains. But, is viewing herself on screen ever a source of discomfort? “It depends on the lighting” she grins which leads to an eruption of laughter around the table.

Kate revealed that her little boy features in an upcoming episode of Corrie in which he’ll be walking past during a scene. “He came to watch me film and he asked whether he could be an extra” she revealed, adding, “he actually asked me yesterday, ‘when’s my episode on TV?’”

Kate was a joy to interview and strikes me as a thoughtful individual with a great sense of humour who would be very good company. Indeed, so different is she from her on screen persona, that it's truly a testament to the quality of her performance as the infamous Tracy Barlow.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

Read more about our exclusive press preview in Manchester here.

You can find more about Corrie's big week, including the official spoilers and trailer, here.

NEW!
The Little Book of Carla Connor
A Decade in the Life of a Soap Queen
An unofficial Coronation Street companion book

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog

All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Coronation Street Blog Interview: Samia Ghadie

Maria makes her return to Corrie next week after a six month absence, but has arrived back from Cyprus with more than a fridge magnet; a new husband by the name of Pablo. I travelled from Ireland to ITV in Manchester to meet Samia Ghadie and hear all about what’s to come. To avoid spoilers, look away now!

Samia is excited to be back, but was she surprised at the storyline? “To be fair, Maria’s done loads of stupid stuff over the years” she told me, “so nothing is too surprising. But yeah, it’s kind of up there isn’t it, coming back with a gay husband from Argentina.”

So there we have it Corrie fans, but what’s all this about?

“The whole reason Maria’s married him is because he’s in love with Ash, his boyfriend who we don’t meet, and he needs a visa to get into the country, so actually what she’s done is illegal, but she’s done it out of the goodness of her heart so they can be together.”

Luke is naturally furious at the news that she’s married. How does he find out?

“He comes in the restaurant to surprise her with a big bouquet of flowers and she’s there having lunch with Pablo and obviously at first he doesn’t know that he’s gay, so to him, he thinks that she’s got a boyfriend back from Cyprus, and then I introduce Pablo to him as my husband and so he’s a bit puzzled to say the least.”

Poor Luke! Why has Maria kept this a secret from him? 

“She knew he wouldn’t be too happy, and I think alcohol played a part. She was drunk when they got married and so she wasn’t really thinking straight.”

So how does Maria try to make it up to Luke once he knows the whole story? 

Samia immediately starts laughing and tells me “I think I must have upset one of the writers, seriously. One of Audrey’s clients, Debs, is in the Weatherfield amateur dramatics so Audrey’s been telling her how to do her hair like a lion and she brings the costume in. It’s basically an excuse to get me in a lion outfit and make me look stupid. She is trying to say sorry to Luke by saying ‘I’ve made you look stupid by coming back with a gay husband, so I’m gonna make myself look stupid’.”

So, as far as Maria is concerned, is Luke the man for her?

“Yeah, I think so. But Maria is always thinking that whoever she’s with is the man for her, she always throws herself into it. I think she’s been with him quite a while now, and he knows Liam, and so she’s broken down that barrier of letting him have a relationship with her son, so yeah, she’s probably quite serious about him.” Since we spoke, the official Corrie site has revealed that  Luke gets down on one knee, but we'll have to wait and see if Maria accepts.

Who does Samia think was the perfect partner for Maria?

“Samia would say Tyrone, because I adore Alan, and he really is like a brother to me, and I love working with Al, but I’d say probably Liam was the real love of her life, he really broke her heart, and then obviously he died. Anyone who Maria gets involved with either leaves the show or dies” she laughs, “so I’ve warned Dean not to stay with me.”

I asked Samia how other characters on the Street react at the news of what she’s done. “Audrey’s the most judgemental ‘cos Audrey’s like Maria’s surrogate Mum” she tells me, “so she’s really not happy with her about it. Kirk’s reaction is quite funny. I think he says ‘what is it with you and the gays?’ She’s had a gay boyfriend and now she’s got a gay husband.”

Samia seems to be a big fan of Pablo and hopes the viewers warm to him, revealing “I actually texted the writer who wrote the episode saying ‘please can we keep [him] ‘cos he’s just hysterical'. My cheeks were hurting when I got home from laughing that night. He’s brilliant.”

Having made her Corrie debut in 2000, what has kept her with the show all these years?

“I just genuinely love Corrie, I love the show and the people here” she says. “I know it’s so cheesy and all of us say it, but it is like a second family. Especially ‘cos a lot of us have actually grown up together. There’s not many jobs where you’re actually still working with your closest friends that you’ve had from twenty odd years ago. It’s a really special place.” She confesses to having had itchy feet a few years ago, but not now. “It’s quite unique to be able to see a character through…it’s been really interesting to go through her life” she observes, adding that she still feels challenged, especially when tricky storylines come her way.

Talking wedding plans, family life and Dancing on Ice, Samia is a very entertaining and enthusiastic interviewee, and I laughed as much as she did as she regaled me with her perilous hairdressing mishaps including almost cutting Kate Ford’s fringe off during a scene, and nearly beheading Barbara Knox with an old-fashioned drier.

There is no mention of there being any consequences for what Maria has done, and while I'm not condoning her actions, could they herald a new era for her character where she doesn’t play it quite so safe? Here’s hoping.

By Emma Hynes
www.emmahynes.wordpress.com
Twitter: @ELHynes

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net

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All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License