Top 5 most successful ex-Corrie stars

Last night it was the BAFTA TV Awards in that London.  You can find out who won Best Continuing Drama (aka Best Soap) here.

The award for Best Actress went to Sarah Lancashire for her role in Happy Valley.  Coronation Street fans will remember Sarah of course for her role as Raquel in our favourite show, although I doubt we'll ever see her back behind the bar of the Rovers again.

Sarah's win at last night's awards bash made me think about some of the other ex-Corrie stars who have gone on to do wonderful things in TV and film.  So, along with Sarah Lancashire, here are four more of my favourite ex-Corrie stars who are still very much in the spotlight, still working hard and achieving enormous success.

Anne Reid, who played Valerie Barlow.

Anne can turn her hand to comedy, drama, stage plays, radio and television - and all with ease and an air of grace about her. She's almost never stopped being in the public eye since she left Coronation Street. Anne is currently starring in a comedy stage play on a national tour. Find out more here.

Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald

Suranne is another actress, who like Anne Reid, has worked consistently since leaving Coronation Street. I don't think we've seen the best of her yet and feel we'll see her on the big screen soon.

Katherine Kelly, who played Becky McDonald

Katherine played another feisty female from Coronation Street and a fantastically popular character in Becky McDonalod. We need to see more of her on TV as what we have seen has been amazing, showing the many different facets to her acting style. More please!

And finally, Matthew Marsden who played Chris Collins

Lured away from Weatherfield for the bright lights of Hollywood, no less. Matthew moved from being a grease monkey in Kev Webster's garage to starring in Hollywood films such as Black Hawk Down.

Which of your favourite ex-Coronation Street actors would you say have been most successful away from the Street?

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Former Corrie star moving to Hollyoaks

For fans of Adam Rickett who are wondering if he's going to return to the world of soap, you will be pleased to hear, via the Radio Times. that he's going to be appearing on Hollyoaks soon. Adam will be brought in as a former boyfriend of the character called Nancy Osbourne and will appear in April.


Adam had a brief pop career in the 90s and then moved to New Zealand for a role on soap Shortland Street there.


Adam played the first adult Nick Tilsley in the late 90s and again in 2002 - 2004 and don't you think the 38 year old is beginning to look startlingly like current Nick actor, Ben Price?

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Katherine Kelly elopes to Las Vegas

News in today that former Coronation Street actor, Katherine Kelly has eloped with her boyfriend of two years, boxer Ryan Clark. The wedding was kept secret, with none of their family present and took place last Tuesday at the Little Chapel of the West.

She then sold the photos to Hello Magazine and you can see them in this week's issue.

The interview in Hello, reported in the Mirror says Katherine, who we knew as Becky McDonald, says that the wedding was exactly what they wanted:

“The day was everything we hoped it would be - no fuss, low-key, sunshine and just us. We wanted to enjoy the day without all the usual planning and pressure. We just wanted to let it roll, so it had an on-the-run feel to it. We’d been laughing and joking all day and then suddenly everything seemed to stop and we tried to get the words ‘I do’ out without becoming emotional wrecks. It was awesome. I’ll never forget that moment for the rest of my life.”

Congratulations!

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'Tyrone is not my husband' says Lucy Jo Hudson

What's On TV has an interview with Lucy Jo Hudson today. Lucy Jo is familiar to Corrie fans from her days as Katy Harris who met a sugary end after lashing out and killing her father, Tommy in the garage. Lucy Jo is also married to Alan Halsall who we also know as Tyrone Dobbs.

Lucy Jo has just finished a successful run on ITV's Wild at Heart. In this interview, she says she doesn't connect the character of Tyrone to her husband Alan because the two are very different. 

"But I don't see Tyrone as my husband, he's much quieter than Al who's really in your face and very funny. I think the storyline is really good, they're doing a brilliant job. Natalie is amazing at playing a psycho."

But she thinks Alan and co-star Natalie Gumede are doing a bang up job (pardon the pun).

Lucy Jo also talks about her own career, and how she found it difficult to handle the fame when she was on Coronation Street as a young 17 year old actor. Acting was never something she'd considered previously but has grown to love it.

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Mystery about Sandra Gough solved

Very long time viewers may remember that in 1971, Irma Ogden Barlow vanished suddenly from the show, never to be seen again. In the media, there was a big to-do about it as nobody knew if Sandra Gough was fired.  

This week on the last episode of The Corrie Years, Sandra Gough revealed that she had wanted to leave for some time and was dealing with her mother's serious illness. She had enough one Friday, called her bosses and said she wasn't returning. She was surprised when the media took it up but clearly never corrected the misconception. She went on to other roles including one in Emmerdale.

Over on my State of the Street blog, there's a bit more and there's also a potted history of Irma Barlow. One of the photos shows Irma in 1964 with RDennis!


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Denise Welch confesses all to Piers Morgan

Loose Woman Denise Welch, who played Rovers Landlady Natalie Barnes on Corrie, has had quite a rocky road through life. In her autobiography,  She revealed a cocaine habit, infidelity and a battle with depression.

On September 28, she's going to be interviewed on Piers Morgan's Life Stories where she's going to reveal more of her hushed up secrets. Reflecting a current Corrie storyline, she's admitting she used to beat her ex-husband, actor Tim Healy. She also confesses to being a sex addict.

If this sort of thing interests or amuses you, mark your calendars.

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Photography Exhibit from Ex-Corrie Star Bill Ward

Charlie Stubbs might have been a bad'un and now dead and buried but actor Bill Ward, who portrayed him, has had a lifelong hobby as a photographer. At the end of this month in Manchester, he'll have a show of his recent photographs of the Manchester area.

According to an interview with the MEN, He says he often chills out with a walk around the city with his camera and the shots of the city and it's people make up the new exhibit called "Passing Through". 
“My character was an unpleasant piece of work so I liked keeping keeping myself to myself and staying undercover. I saw that there were so many beautiful routes in Manchester to photograph.”  A lot of the photos feature water, the river and canals around Manchester and Salford. He promises that there are prices suited to all budgets.

Although he is currently living in London, the exhibit will take place in a purpose-buillt marquee in the Spinningfields area of Manchester at the Buy Art Fair over Thursday September 27 to Sunday September 30.Tickets are available on their website/blog. 




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Door's Open for Liz's Return?

There's no immediate return for Liz McDonald, but Bev Callard has said that one never knows. "The door is still open." As long as her son Steve and granddaughter Amy are still around, there's always a chance in the future that Liz could return since her character was not killed off when she turned off the lights of the Rovers.

Meanwhile, according to the Express,  Bev is on stage in Guildford, Surrey for The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice. She's playing Little Voice's mother and has had to gain weight for the role of the blowsy alcoholic. Bev has had a rough time over the past 10 years, battling depression and dealing with bankruptcy. We wish her well and I for one, would love to see Liz back, even just for a visit. Someone needs to take Tracy in hand and, while she's at it, show St. Ella what a classic Rovers Landlady is made of! 

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is playing from August 31 to Sept. 8 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.  Tickets from a very reasonable £15.00. If this week isn't good for you, Little Voice is on tour around the U.K. Check out the schedule here.


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Tales from Coronation Street in Ontario, Canada

Canadian Corrie fans in the Barrie, Ontario region can look forward to Tales From The Street,  a live event featuring four former Coronation Street cast members, at the Fisher Auditorium at Barrie Central Collegiate on March 27.

The Barrie event features Steve Arnold and Julia Haworth (Claire and Ashley Peacock, together again!), Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth),  and Nick Cochrane (Andy McDonald). There will be a Q and A session aswell.

There's a pre-show Meet and Greet for 100 VIP ticket holders ($96) and General Admission tickets are $50 (all Canadian dollars).

Tickets are available at Bandito Video, Barrie Central, Music Pro and through Ticketweb

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New BBC series starring ex Corrie cast

There will be a new BBC series going into production this year, a romantic comedy called Antony and Cleopatra. It's got several Coronation Street links including former Corrie actors Anne Reid (Val Barlow) and Sarah Lancashire (Raquel Watts).

It is written by ex- Corrie writer, Sally Wainwright and it is about former childhood sweethearts who meet up 60 years later and reminisce about what could have been while the lives of their children are in upheaval around them. Anne Reid's co-star is veteran actor, Derek Jacobi.

You can read more about the series here. I think this sounds like it will be worth checking out. The rest of the cast is excellent too. The series will be aired on BBC One later this year.


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Steve Huison's art still for sale and auction

He may be gone from Coronation Street, but he's not forgotten. Steve Huison, aka Eddie Windass, is also a talented artist and those Corrie portraits he did and subsequently auctioned of are still for sale. You can order one here

He's also offereing them for auction on eBay where you might be lucky enough to get one for less than the £50 they sell for online. Check out the current offerings here. It's all going towards the charity he supports that helps people with mental illness, the Hospital to Home project.

Steve Huison's signed script now on eBay

This just in from Twitter, Steven Huison has put a signed script from the 50th anniversary show up on eBay to raise money for the Soteria Network. It's signed by pretty much everyone that appeared in the episode. You may recall that Steve has done lots of other fundraisers for Soteria, a charity close to his heart.

He's also having his hair cut live on This Morning on Thursday, April 21st. That's for Soteria aswell and he says he's making some "hairy dolls" to auction off as well as putting Eddie's red shirt on eBay.

His signed portraits are still available, as well. Keep your eyes peeled!

Richard Fleeshman in spirit

The young Richard Fleeshman (Craig Harris when he was on Coronation Street) has a career that seems to be advancing by leaps and bounds. He's a recording artist and actor and he's about to open in a stage version of the hit Hollywood movie, Ghost, in London's West End this summer.

Ghost, The Musical is on right now at the Opera House in Manchester until May 14 and it opens at the Piccadilly Theatre in London on June 22 (the MEN has both dates mentioned but the theatre website says June). It's been reviewed in the MEN here where Richard's acting and singing, in the part made famous in the non-musical movie by Patrick Swayze, are praised along with the other two leads.

Anne Reid in new ITV drama

Former Coronation Street actress Anne Reid, who played Valerie Barlow, will be seen in a new series on ITV1. The series is called Marchlands and Anne will appear from episode two onwards. She was awarded the MBE last year and talks about the honour in this interview with Ian Wylie. She also has some interesting comments about her days in Corrie back in the 1960s.

Marchlands is about a haunted house and its effects on three different families that live there in the late 60s, late 80s and present day.

Anne was also recently seen in the revival of Upstairs Downstairs and is waiting to hear if a further series is going to be commissioned.

Marchlands starts tonight on ITV1 at 9:00pm.

Former Corrie actors in new series

Monday night sees the start of a new six part series on BBC1 called Accused.  It centres around one person who is accused of a crime. You see them about to receive the verdict and then each show back-tracks so you can see their story before coming back to the verdict at the end.

The first of the series starts on Monday Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. on BBC1 Corrie spotters will see Tupele Dorgu (Kelly Crabtree) and Emma Stansfield (Ronnie Clayton) in the cast. Christopher Ecclestone is the character on trial in this episode. You can read more about it him and the show in Ian Wylie's article for the MEN with a bit more detail and a photo that has Tupele in it on his blog, Life of Wylie.

Suranne Jones joins Doctor Who

Good news for fans of Suranne Jones and fans of Doctor Who (that would be me!) Suranne is going to be featured in the next series of the Doctor on BBC. Her character's name will be Idris and the episode is one written by Neil Gaiman. She's had a part in the Doctor Who spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures as an evil Mona Lisa and she's really excited to be going up against Matt Smith's Doctor next year. Look for Suranne in episode 3 in the new season in the spring of 2011.

Suranne joins a list of former Coronation Street actors who have appeared in Doctor Who including Sarah Lancashire, Anne Reid, Ayesha Darker, Thelma Barlow, Bruno Langley, and in her pre-Corrie days, Helen Worth. Of course new producer, Phil Collinson worked on Doctor Who and Russel T. Davies, who revived the Doctor Who series used to be a writer for Coronation Street.

Bruce Jones opening up a bar??

I'm not quite sure if this is a wind up or a truly bizarre twist, but there's a report today in the Sunderland Echo that Bruce Jones is opening a bar with a friend in Sunderland. After a recent run in with the courts due to his drinking, and his previous history of getting into legal trouble because of the same, and reports that he's broke and living in a caravan, I find it hard to believe he's getting involved in a bar to be called Agadoo. They have plans to open up a Comedy club in the establishment and have even bigger plans to open up more bars across the country. I may be a skeptic, but perhaps the friend is hoping Bruce's name will bring in the punters?

Whatever happened to Linda Sykes Baldwin?

You may remember that the actor who played Linda Sykes, Jacqueline Chadwick, disappeared. Mike Baldwin, her new husband and sparring partner, was suspected of doing away with her but it turned out she went to Ireland, last we knew.

Jacqueline Chadwick left the show to have a baby but has never gone back to acting. She's now living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, and running a successful acting school for children. She also writes plays for the kids to perform and produce. She says she really wasn't comfortable in the spotlight that came with celebrity and much prefers teaching and writing. I didn't realise that she was a child actor herself. It sounds like she's made a very happy life for herself over here and we wish her all the best!

New Series with Suranne Jones coming

We won't be seeing any of this sort of thing when Tracy Barlow returns later this year because Suranne Jones is not returning as Karen McDonald. However, there's a great interview and article on Suranne in the Times Online. They reckon she's one of the former Corrie actors that shook off their Corrie persona and have really done well since leaving the show. It's interesting how they point out the three types of actors, one who's personality and character are not that different, one who's very different from their character but who play them like a second skin and actors like Suranne "who earn their wings on a soap and then fly gloriously beyond it."

They specifically cite her fantastic performance in last year's Unforgiven (which really was worth every bit of praise it got!). She does lots of stage work and is going to appear in a five part BBC drama starting March 1 at 9 p.m., airing on five consecutive nights, called "Five Days". It's a thriller also starring former Corrie actor Anne Reid (Val Barlow) along with David Morrissey and Bernard Hill. There's lots about her background and a bit about her personal life and how fame affected her relationships. A few insights into acting on Coronation Street which I found interesting, particularly about how most of the actors "self-direct" to some extent as they are the ones that know their characters best and the directors give them that little bit of leeway.

Suranne was always one of my favourites and I'll be checking out the new series.

Corrie memories

I came across a copy of a Coronation Street variety show from January 1993. It was all about Coronation Street memories with loads of clips and a few spots with several actors and people talking about the show. There was a feature on Annie Walker, Ena Sharples, the Ken and Mike feud and to top it all off, a special appearance by the almost 94-year-old Doris Speed. For a bit more detail and pictures that I took as screen captures (not great quality but I didn't have much to work with), have a look over here. (Phobia Warning, there's a photo of part of a very large spider)

There's lots more fab Corrie memories at the great Corrie fan blog Back on the Street.