Coronation Street Episode Review; Weds 21 Aug 8.30pm

Emma is understandably shocked and whacks Steve with a wreath before storming away from the church.

Out of hospital, Craig heads over to see Bethany and tells her that Mr Lambardi has been arrested for his involvement in Nathan's underage parties. Feeling the guilt, Daniel has published a positive front-page spread about Craig, for the Weatherfield Gazette.

Nick finds Max in Victoria gardens and the youngster smashes a plant pot in front of him, blaming his 'Uncle' for David's imprisonment. Shona shuts Roy's Rolls and heads out to find her surrogate son.

Back from the funeral, Emma opens her laptop and confronts her Mum with some home truths.  Emma's grief is palpable and she's reeling from the shock of  her identity being torn apart. In retaliation, Emma tells her Mum that she's doing fine; working in the salon and living above it in Audrey's flat. Only then does Fiona realise that she needs to visit Emma and quick!

Is Fiona seeing Emma make the same mistakes she once did?

Meanwhile, Geoff visits Dr Gaddas to discuss some mysterious ailments. Explaining his 'palpitations' to Yasmeen, she asks him to move back in with him.

At the builder's yard, Ed admits to Michael that his money troubles stem from online gambling, and he breaks down in guilt and remorse. At home, Ed admits to Aggie that his gambling bug is back, and in fact, it wasn't Michael who lost them their previous home - it was him!. Admitting remorse and shame, Ed confronts his family and Aggie is quick to dash out of the door- upset and reeling in anguish.

Arriving back on the street, Steve admits to Liz that he knows the test results, and he's told Emma. Liz tells him he best relay this news to Tracy before someone else does!

Telling Tracy that Emma's Mum is Fiona Middleton, Tracy is quick is realise just what he's been struggling to say. Attacked again with flowers, Steve shifts swiftly out of the florists, only to be met with Amy and Liz, and Amy soon finds out she has a half-sister!

Heading to the salon flat to visit Emma, Audrey reluctantly admits that she knew all about Fiona and Steve. Emma can't believe the deceit and asks her to leave.

When Steve struggles to reconcile with Emma, Tracy adds salt to his wounds and throws him out of their flat.

At least he's avoided another beating by flowers!

What did you of tonight's Corrie? Let us know in the comments section.

I shall be back same time next week.

You can follow me @rybazoxo over on twitter, your self-styled 'Cobbles Connoisseur'.
TA-RA!

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Who's the Daddy? Coronation Street Blog Interviews Alexandra Mardell

Stood outside studio one on the ITV Coronation Street lot, the air hangs heavy with the smell of my fruity vape. Like nicotine-starved Liz McDonald, I enthusiastically take a drag, whilst we wait to commence the final interview of this Coronation Street summer press day.  We stand idly chatting, as actress Alexandra Mardell, who plays Emma Brooker, is still filming on the outside set of those hallowed Corrie cobbles, which is bang across from where we are stood (and yes, we saw quite a few other cast members too!).

It was a treat then (once she'd finished filming, and cheerily strolling into the Rovers studio) to sit down with Alexandra to discuss her latest storyline, and one that installs Emma Brooker into the fore of one of Weatherfield's most famous families, the McDonalds. Yep, that's right, it's not even a retcon. It harks back to super stud Steve McDonald and his one-time girlfriend, the gorgeous Fiona Middleton, played by Angela Griffin, who we discover is Emma's mum. Due to her stepfather dying suddenly, Emma is about to discover a long-held secret about her paternity, and that Steve is her real father.

How does Alexandra feel about this sudden character development?

'It was a bit of a shock but I'm chuffed it's happening. Angela Griffin has always been an idol of mine all my life, and we are both from Leeds, I'm excited. I've seen clips of Steve and Fiona together, she was a brilliant character, and it's lovely how she lived in the flat above the salon, just like Emma'.

Alexandra is also equally excited about upcoming filming with Angela Griffin ' We've spoken on the phone and she's reached out to me, it has been nice'.

With the death of her 'father', Emma confides in Audrey, Maria, and Bethany about how she's feeling, which sparks suspicion in Audrey, once she realises who Emma's mum is.

'Emma gets a call from her mum, and Audrey sees the picture of Fiona pop up on her phone and recognises her,' Alexandra tells us. 'Emma only finds out that her dad isn't biologically her father, on his deathbed, so Audrey is suspicious and starts digging further. Steve gets wind of this and decides to take Emma out to lunch to support her, but he has an ulterior motive. She thinks its all innocent and then he secretly snips some of her hair for a paternal DNA test.'

How does she feel about Steve, will Emma be her father's daughter?

'Building up to the situation, she gets on with Steve, he's kind and generous but he's gone about it all the wrong way, and she feels lonely as a result of this'

What's her relationship with Liz like?

'They've had conversations in the past and seem to get on quite well so it could be nice'

And, Tracy?

'Well, Tracy doesn't like Emma and finds her irritating, so it could be interesting.'

Following her Best Newcomer Award at this year's British Soap Awards and Emma joining one of the Street's most famous families, how does Alexandra feel about her future on Coronation Street?

'I'm still not over winning the award. I've been here a year and a half now, Emma has made her mark. She's made to be dipsy but I've pushed it a little bit further. I'm happy to stay here as long as they will have me!'

I can't wait to see Emma develop into a McDonald. What do you think?

For those of you who are too young to remember Fiona Middleton, check out her Corriepedia character profile here

Personally, 1998 was the year I turned 17 and Fiona Middleton was one of my earliest Corrie crushes! 21 years later, I could have never envisaged being on set for this great insight into upcoming Corrie storylines and her proposed (Rovers) return.

Emma is Steve's daughter, which means Liz is her gran. I'm off for a vape, that's Corrie history, right there!

With thanks to fellow Corrie blogger Emma Hynes for emailing me the interview audio.

*Someone's* phone battery died from taking too many selfies in The Rovers Return studio set.

Cue Eric Spears theme music...

Until next time Corrie fans,

TA-RA

I am @rybazoxo on twitter, your cobbles connoisseur and writer of Wednesday episode reviews.

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Angela Griffin: "I could and I would return to Coronation Street"

Angela Griffin, who played Fiona Middleton in Coronation Street, was interviewed on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch this morning, which I've just finished watched. She  was asked about her time on Coronation Street as Fiona, and she said if she was asked, she could, and would  return to the show.

Angela said she went into Corrie at the age of 16. Asked what it was like being in Manchester and being famous in the 90s she said: "It was like the Hacienda and all the bands and all the raves that were going. I did go to the Hacienda, I was about 19 or 20.

"I had a great time when I was on Corrie but it was very different to what it is now. There wasn't as much press intrusion then as what there is now, or social media. There were mobile phones then, but not with cameras. It was amazing, it was a great thing to do to be in Corrie at that time and it taught me how to present myself.

Asked what she meant when she said she learned to present herself,  Angela said: "It means when I've had a drink, no-one knows that I've had a drink because I had to make sure, at that point (being in Corrie), people were looking at you because whenever you went anywhere it was a bit like being royalty in Manchester. So I learned to present myself to the nation," she laughed.

And asked if she would ever go back to Coronation Street, Angela said this:

"I could, yes, I could go back. I would potentially and I could potentially, but I can't, because I'm contracted to The Detail and The Globe. But I wouldn't ever say that I wouldn't go back because I loved it and I loved that character and I think that that she'd make a great impression if she came back again."

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The faces of Corrie in 1997

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1997, 209 episodes were broadcast.

1. Kevin Webster (140 episodes)

2. Judy Mallett (122 episodes)

3. Sally Webster (121 episodes)

4. Jim McDonald (120 episodes)

5. Vera Duckworth (119 episodes)

6. Chris Collins (116 episodes)

7. Alec Gilroy (116 episodes)

8. Gary Mallett (116 episodes)

9. Rita Sullivan (116 episodes) 

10. Fiona Middleton (114 episodes)

11. Deirdre Rachid (112 episodes)

12. Samantha Failsworth (111 episodes)

Average age: 38 – this is the first time the average age of the top 12 is under 40. The average age drops from 51 to 38 in a year 

Note: To date, this is the last time Deirdre and Fiona appear in the top 12. And this is the only time Judy, Chris, Gary and Samantha appear in the top 12.

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The faces of Corrie in 1995

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1995, 156 episodes were broadcast.

1. Fiona Middleton (110 episodes)

2. Vera Duckworth (108 episodes)

3. Jim McDonald (106 episodes)

4. Des Barnes (105 episodes)

5. Gail Platt (104 episodes)

6. Raquel Wolstenhulme/Watts (103 episodes)

7. Steve McDonald (102 episodes)

8. Liz McDonald (100 episodes)

9. Jack Duckworth (98 episodes)

10. Betty Turpin/Williams (97 episodes)

11. Ken Barlow (93 episodes)

12. Alma Baldwin (92 episodes)

Average age: 43

Note: This is the last time Betty appears in the top 12, after 17 years. This is also the last time Raquel (to date), Alma and Des appear

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Keeping it in the family

Having already enjoyed the pleasure of somewhat more than St. Ella's back room, Jason Grimshaw has now added the notch of her daughter Eva to his crumbling bed post.

Of course, we've been here before. Regular viewers, try hard as they might, can fail to forget the time Dev Alahan bedded Deirdre Barlow having previously enjoyed a dalliance with her daughter Tracy. But then I got to thinking and came up with a long list of characters who have had relationships with a parent and their child.

By far the most nausea-inducing of these has to be the Baldwins. Not Mike, though he did have an affair with Deirdre before then wooing and marrying her step-daughter Susan, but the truly awful love triangle of Frankie, Danny and Jamie. Having brought up her step-son Jamie from the age of 6, her affair with him 14 years later is the closest Coronation Street has ever come to running an incest storyline. Additionally, Leanne Battersby had a relationship with Jamie before shacking up with his father Danny.

Another Baldwin, if only by marriage, to join this ignoble club is Linda. Having seduced her boss at the factory, a man old enough to be her father, she actually became very fond of Mike Baldwin and they began living together. All went well until Mike's son Mark Redman turned up on the scene and he and Linda started an on/off affair. Mike eventually proposed to Linda and with Mark as Mike's best man, everything fell apart at the wedding.

Another wedding to expose family secrets was that of Fiona Middleton to Alan McKenna. Fiona had had a long term relationship with Steve McDonald but they'd eventually split up and then some years later Jim had a one-night stand with her. This all came out when Jim interrupted the wedding, which resulted in Alan ditching Fiona at the altar, unable to be certain of the paternity of the child she was carrying.

There have been a few near misses as well. John Stape had an affair with Rosie Webster and Sally had a huge crush on him as he tutored her for an A-level in English. Jason Grimshaw nearly married Sarah-Louise Platt and once made a pass at her mother Gail. And most recently Lewis Archer having been made a fool of by Audrey Roberts pretended to set his sights on her daughter Gail by way of revenge.

Is that the lot? Or have there been more?


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