Acting out of character

Krissi Bohn in The Bogus Woman

Last night I went to the Live Theatre in Newcastle to see Krissi Bohn in her one-woman play, The Bogus Woman. Krissi, you'll remember, played the part of Jenna Kamara in Coronation Street. When Krissi left Coronation Street, she gave her one and only interview to us here at the Coronation Street Blog.

Krissi Bohn as Jenna in Coronation Street

In The Bogus Woman play, Krissi takes on 52 (yes, 52) different roles. To say it's a powerful, incredible and emotional performance doesn't do it justice. I don't think I have the words to tell you how good Krissi was in the play and how moved I was by it. At the end of the play, I couldn't move. I was stuck in my seat by the force of emotion I felt - and on the brink of tears too.  The morning after the night before when I saw this show, I'm still moved by what I watched. 

So I had a good night at the theatre... I can hear you thinking. So what?  Well, it once again impressed upon me how BLUMMIN GREAT the actors are that we watch day in, day out, in Coronation Street. But sometimes we only ever get to appreciate how truly fantastic they are at their craft when we see them outside of the context of soap. Within Coronation Street, these trained actors are confined by the constraints of their character and of soap itself.  Outside of Coronation Street, they can fly.

That's why I'm very excited to hear that a few of the cast are taking breaks from Corrie early next year to do live theatre. David Neilson (Roy Cropper) is starring in a Beckett play with Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) in Glasgow and Manchester.  Les Dennis (Michael Rodwell) is starring in an Alan Beasdale play at Liverpool's Royal Court.  Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) will be starring in a play at The Lowry in Manchester. 

We know these actors can act, that's why they're in Coronation Street. Sarah Harding aside, ITV tends not to recruit people without acting experience and talent. However, having seen a few Corrie actors  tread the boards outside of the world of soap, I think it's only when we see them in a different role that we appreciate how crafted and talented they really are, and how versatile they can be.

I've seen Bev Callard in Little Voice in Scarborough and what a TREAT that was! 

I also very much enjoyed the performance from Les Dennis in an Alan Ayckbourn play in London.

Other Corrie actors I've seen on stage include Roy Barraclough at the Oldham Coliseum, Steve Huison in Harrogate and Scarborough and Susie Blake at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

And many years ago I saw Charles Lawson (Jim McDonald) and James Gaddas (Vinny Sorrell) on stage in Art, with Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp.

Krissi's performance last night made me wonder who else I'd like to see from Corrie acting on stage.  Whatever comes Krissi's way next in terms of job offers, I wish her the very best of everything. She is an amazing, talented actor who deserves to shine bright.




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Blog interview with Corrie's Jenna, actress Krissi Bohn

Krissi Bohn, who has played Jenna Kamara on Coronation Street for almost two years, has now left Corrie.  Jenna left the Street tonight in her final scenes, and with a huge amount of thanks, we have an exclusive interview with actress Krissi Bohn talking about her time on Coronation Street.

Who will you miss most at Coronation Street, who were your best friends there?
It's funny, it's not actually specific people I will miss (I can always see them outside of work) but it's actually the place. I'll miss walking onto the Street or into the Rovers to film a scene. I'll miss having lunch and a natter in the canteen, I'll miss walking over the bridge and seeing that huge Coronation Street sign and knowing I'm a part of that!  That being said I am probably closest with Cherylee (Izzy Armstrong) and Hayley (Andrea) out of the cast and then there is Laura McAteer who is now a 3rd Assistant Director. When I started she was a green room runner so its been great watching her progress through her career as well! 

Have you taken any souvenirs with you from the set?
Although I haven't taken anything from the set, I was able to choose any items of Jenna's that I wanted to keep. I've have the tops she wore in her first and last episode and of course I HAD to take my red apron!
 
What was it like to walk into the green room for the first time and meet the legends of Coronation Street?
I'd only ever done a couple of very short scenes in an episode of Law and Order UK before so I was more terrified about filming the scenes than I was seeing all these Corrie stars. I have to admit (don't shoot me) - I didn't actually watch Coronation Street properly before I got this role so I was still trying to figure out who people were! Of course I recognised Annie Kirkbride (Deirdre Barlow), Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole), Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) and the older faces but I struggled with the newer people. 

Everyone was very, very friendly though and introduced themselves to me and made sure I was okay. I even got a hug off a lovely lady who said she was nervous too as she was quite new. It was only after she walked off and someone said: "Oh, you've met Sue then," that I realised it was the legend that is Sue Johnston! I was so nervous I hadn't even recognised her!
 

What's next for Krissi Bohn after Corrie?
I get asked that quite a lot and the honest answer is - I have no idea! My agent is busy putting me up for all sorts of roles in both TV and theatre. After that it is just a question of waiting to see if a casting director wants to see me and then if I good enough and of course if am right for the part. Coronation Street is an amazing platform for me as an actor, especially as I hadn't done much telly before but I still have to audition for roles like anyone else. I would love to get back on stage and do a nice piece of theatre but I would also love to do more telly. A nice gritty 3 part drama would be lovely! I am open to anything though. (if you are reading this casting directors get in touch!)
 
What would be your dream acting role either on stage or on screen?
It is not a particular character or anything but I would LOVE to be the lead in a crime drama or something like that. I love to be busy and that was one thing I missed in my time at Corrie. So the thought of being at the forefront of a drama with hundreds of lines to learn and lots of action would be amazing!

Jenna has not been killed off, would you like to see her return to the Street one day?
I'd love for her to return one day but I would want to make sure she doesn't just fade into the background! I think it would be lovely for her to come back with a partner (poor Jenna never got a look at anyone after Sophie!) and a couple of kids so that Lloyd could have some grandchildren!
 
Did you ever meet Fat Brenda in the green room?
I thought you might ask about her. I never me Bren face to face. It was wierd - she was always in at different times to me. There are always a couple of people you rarely see though!! I've heard she's lovely as long as you stay on her good side... We tweet each other every now and then though. I'll miss her now I've left.
 

What have been your highlights and most memorable moments from your time on Coronation Street?
19th September 2012 - The day my first episode was aired. I watched it with Pamela Nomvete (who played Mandy my mum) and I just spent the who half an hour screaming!
Filming whilst I was in plaster and on crutches. I spent the whole time kneeling on a stool so I looked like I was standing!
Meeting Christopher Dean and finding out he was as excited about meeting me as I was him as he's a massive fan of Corrie!
Walking down the cobbles for the first time.
Meeting fans outside the gate. It just amazes me how crazy people are about the show! (Special shout out to Meg & Em the lovely ladies who made @lovekrissib on twitter and put me together an AMAZING leaving book!)
Getting to know how a show like Corrie works. There are so many people involved behind the scenes that so such a good job and work so hard - I really had no idea!
Learning how to do my makeup! I was completely clueless about stuff like that before I start but now I can make myself look like a proper girl! I also now own a hairdryer - although I barely ever use it but still!
Making my husband (a huge red dwarf fan) massively happy and introducing him to Craig Charles!
I could go on forever....

You've joined the Corrie Tri Team, can you tell us about that and what they do?
Its my last Corrie related thing I'll be doing. There are around 40 crazy people taking part in the Salford Trialthalon on Sunday. They are from all areas of Coronation Street production. I am part of the actors realay team. I will be doing 750m openwater swimming, Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshaw) will do the 20K bike and Ian Puleston Davis (Owen Armstrong) will be doing the 5K. We are all raising money collectively for St Mary's hospital intensive care unit who provide amazing care for premeture and very ill babies.  Follow them on twitter @corrietriteam

You ran the London Marathon last year for your charity - Children with Aids. On a scale of 1-10, how much did your feet hurt the next day?
Feet - 6. Knees - 1000000. I have never been in so much pain in my life. My whole body aches and I think I was filming the next day. It was hard trying to convince myself that "Jenna" hadnt run the marathon so I needed to look normal! Sadly the charity I was a patron of and did the run for has had to close its doors. They did such amazing work and I am so proud that the money we raised went towards the final grants given to families in need. The marathon was the hardest thing ever and I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. Yes the atmosphere was amazing but I reckon cheering people on is much more fun that doing it!! 

What's your favourite seat on the bus?
Used to be up top at the front. Now downstairs on the right hand side... And just incase anyone is wondering - Yep! I still get the bus! 

Will you continue to watch Coronation Street now you're no longer in it and can you enjoy it as a fan now you know what goes on and how it's made and all the behind-the-scenes technical stuff that goes into making it?
I think I will carry on watching it as now I know people involved both infront and behind the camera I will want to see what is going on!  It is very hard to watch it now knowing all the stuff happening behind the scenes - I'm always looking for mistakes!! 

When you read your script that said Jenna would be a lesbian and you'd end up kissing Brooke Vincent, what went through your mind?
"Does she have soft lips?" and "Oh ,she is rather young!" It was all very exciting but I had hoped that they would explore the Jenna / Sophie relationship more. Once they put us together it didn't go anywhere. I think the writers were right to split us up but I do wish Jenna had found someone else to have a flirt with! I only got to have one kiss!

Did you like doing scenes in Roy's Rolls? Is the food real?
I really enjoyed filming in Roys Rolls although trying to say my lines whilst making a bacon sandwhich at the same time is harder than it looks. Its bizarre because in real life you just do it but suddenly when you are being filmed you hands dont seem to work and you seem to be banging everything about!!
The food is real but depending on what time of day it is it could have been there for a while. The hot breakfasts are cooked by the amazing props team and are GORGEOUS when they come out fresh
It is difficult to resist if you are spending a whole day surrounded by chips and sausages and cakes... but I soon learnt that if you start you cant stop so better not eat any of it!! 

What's your favourite dessert?
I'd rather have cheese and biscuits but if I had to have one I'd like treacle sponge pudding with custard or my aunty's apple crumble with cream!

And finally...
I just want to say a final thankyou to all the people who have liked, disliked or been indifferent to Jenna over the last two years. People watching are what makes the show and your opinions do make a difference.

Of course there are some things I wish I could change about the way Jenna's time on the street went but ultimately I am just so proud and happy to be able to say I was part of history. There are so many people who will never get the chance to appear on this show and I was there for two whole years! Considering I only thought it would be 6 months I am a very lucky girl.

Thank you to the Coronation Street Blog for this interview. Since day one I have thought this was an amazing site and a great resource for Corrie fans - I hope you all realise how lucky you are having such an amazing site at your fingertips! Hats off to Glenda and the team for the time and dedication they put into this site!

Thank you everyone for reading,
That's me over and out.
Krissi Bohn
X

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Is Coronation Street in the doldrums?

It's a question us fans are often asking. There's a strange divergence of opinion at the moment, splitting Corrie viewers. While some people think Coronation Street still has more highs than lows, others are seriously concerned that the Street is in trouble.

My views are well known on the whole. I think Corrie is still the best continuing drama on British television featuring some bona fide telly legends, some great acting and some funny, poignant writing. However I also think it is shown too often each week which cannot help but harm the quality of Corrie's overall output. I also think the cast is far too large and while some characters dominate for months on end others barely get a look in.

I think some storylines go on far too long while others disappear without trace far too soon. Some of the writing is brilliant yet some in uneven and I question some situations and the actions of certain characters. I worry that the competition for ratings is pushing our favourite programme into areas of desperation previously unheard of - everything is dramatic and explosive when simple human dramas used to suffice.

Each new Corrie producer has their own favourite actors and that can be both good and bad for the show. The past year of Corrie output makes it abundantly clear to me who those are. I know Corrie has done well at awards ceremonies but when you look at the outcomes most of the prizes have gone to Julie Hesmondhalgh and David Neilson. Richly deserved, but take them out of the equation and what does that leave us with?

The introduction of new characters to a long running, ongoing drama can be tricky. Introduce too many at once and viewers feel all at sea and can't take to them. Bring them in too slowly and people get bored very quickly. The past year has seen the introduction of several new characters and on the whole I'm struggling to take to many of them. I know I must give these things time but many of them just don't feel like Corrie to me. Too many characters these days are too easily interchangeable with other programmes in the genre. Corrie used to lead the way with character development and character driven drama but now I fear this has been lost.

While many new characters have been added to an already bulging cast, too many others have been lost and in some cases it's just been such a puzzling waste. Charlie Condou decided to leave his role as Marcus Dent. Fair enough, however Marcus has been woefully underused in recent times. A normal, down to earth intelligent guy was suddenly cheating on his partner with someone he would previously have crossed the street to avoid. Not good enough. 

Dennis Tanner, one of Corrie's originals from 1960 was brought back, married off and given nothing to do. A criminal waste of Philip Lowrie's wonderful acting talents and a vital, tangible link to Corrie's golden age gone, just like that. Not good enough. Lloyd's daughter Jenna, brought in to give Craig Charles' brilliant character some family and some depth. Mismatched with Sophie Webster and there was no going back. Surely the writers could think up something else for Krissi Bohn to do apart from dish up beans in the background of other people's scenes? Whole stories of father and daughter connecting were left untouched by the writers. She'll be gone soon too. Not good enough. 

While there doesn't appear to be time to do these characters or actors justice, other stories drag on forever. Nick has become the new Demon David. Childish pranks and general unpleasantness instead of covering the serious topic of his rehabilitation. Tina's demise took month after month to reach a climax and the aftermath will be with us until Christmas. The Windass dramas show no sign of letting up despite being centre stage since the turn of the year. And Tracy keeps on being Tracy without any significant comeuppance. 

I know times change, viewers want different things and television companies face new pressures and an ever-changing climate but certain aspects of Corrie must remain the same for it to be Corrie.  

If I want depressing murder and mayhem, I'll watch EastEnders. If I want teenage screechy angst and pantomime performances, I'll watch Hollyoaks. I don't want these dubious qualities creeping into my Corrie. I want comedy. I want pathos. I want real, believable drama. I want characters I can root for and get behind, not characters that irritate and have me reaching for the remote control or my DVD boxed sets. I want the modern day equivalent of Hilda quietly grieving for Stan. I want the modern day equivalent of Bet painting on her barmaid's smile to mask her pain. 

I know this will be controversial for some but I write this because I love my Corrie and I want it to be the best it can be. 

There's still enough about Coronation Street to keep me watching. I think. 


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Why I'm sorry to see Corrie's Jenna go

Yesterday it was announced that actress Krissi Bohn would be leaving her role as Corrie's Jenna Kamara this summer. As we've not really seen that much of Jenna I guess it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, however I found myself getting very vexed over this latest exit.

First and foremost I feel sorry for the actors. Krissi Bohn has done her best in the role of Jenna and she's always impressed me even though she's been given very little to do. The character had great promise at first I thought, however she was underused and saddled with the really poor Sophie Webster plot and that didn't help. There were no attempts to revive Jenna's fortunes on the back of this and I struggle to believe the Corrie writing team couldn't come up with something interesting for this promising character to do.

I also thought Jenna had great chemistry with Lloyd, played so brilliantly by Craig Charles. They were very believable as father and daughter, yet again, sadly the actors were never given much of a chance onscreen to show this. Craig Charles was interviewed when it was announced he would be getting a Corrie family and you could tell he was thrilled to have a family and that it would also be Corrie's first proper black family too. Two years down the line and the writing is on the wall again. Mandy and Jenna were a definite improvement on the last characters Lloyd was involved with - Cheryl and her son Russ - remember them?

It just felt that the actors were employed without the powers that be having a clear idea of what to do with them. When Jenna told her mother she was gay and entering a relationship with Sophie, there were initially very powerful scenes between mother and daughter. I can't remember now what they were up against, however this storyline seemed to be rather quickly brushed under the rug for the sake of something else. The fact I can't remember what that something else was speaks volumes.

The Corrie cast is far too big. There is no chance, even at five episodes a week, that every actor will get their chance to dominate in a high profile storyline. Despite this, the cast just seems to get bigger, even with characters leaving fairly regularly. There is about to be another deluge, with Kal's family arriving left, right and centre. I wonder how long they will last?

Even worse, the cast continues to be huge while it seems a smaller and smaller number of characters seem to dominate endlessly. As much as I like Chris Gascoyne, Alison King and Michelle Keegan, they do seem to feature really heavily. It's no wonder Gascoyne and Keegan are both leaving.

While it is reasonable that more senior members of the cast do not want to appear so regularly anymore, there are still plenty of other characters that are more than capable of carrying bigger storylines. As well as Lloyd and Jenna, there are super characters like Beth and Kirk, Deirdre, Jason and Eva and Sally and Tim. We see them in the background or in storylines that never seem to lead anywhere but I think there should be room made for them to tackle more challenging stuff. Even much respected cast members like Sue Nicholls, Philip Lowrie and Barbara Knox are only used these days as foils to younger characters like Tina and Maria.

Anyway, back to my original point. I always think it's a rather lame excuse when statements are released saying that a certain character has been taken as far as they can when really, they haven't actually gone anywhere at all.

I do think Corrie needs to look at its casting decisions and its cast in general otherwise things will never improve.

I hope Craig Charles stays in Corrie despite the ever fluctuating characters around him. He's an asset I wish Krissi Bohn well with whatever she does next. She is a good actress and deserves something that shows off how talented she is.

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Jenna Kamara to leave Coronation Street in summer

Corontion Street announced today that Krissi Bohn, who plays Jenna Kamara, will be leaving in the summer. She has been in the role for 2 years after being introduced as a physiotherapist helping Sophie Webster recover from a car accident. It was later revealed that she was the daughter of Lloyd Mullaney after he rekindeled his relationship with her mother, Mandy.

"I have enjoyed every single moment of my time on The Street," the actress said.

"Although I am disappointed not to have my contract renewed I am thankful for all the experience I've gained and look forward to whatever the future may hold."

Producer Stuart Blackburn also praised the actress, adding: "It is with great regret that we're saying goodbye to Krissi, she's a wonderful person and a great actor who has played a key role in some fantastic stories. We wish her all the very best for her future."

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Just what is Andrea hiding?

Last night we saw Corrie focus more on Lloyd, Andrea and Jenna - and about time too. I love Craig Charles and Lloyd is a great character. I also think we need to see more of Lloyd and Jenna's relationship on-screen. Where does Andrea fit in though?

We don't know very much about her, although she obviously has some sort of secret. When Andrea first arrived she seemed to have the hots for Steve and Michelle took against her straight away. Initially I thought she was a breath of fresh air and warmed to her. However, now I'm not so sure.

At the moment Lloyd is oblivious to anything untoward going on behind the scenes. However last night, both Jenna and Eileen were deeply suspicious as Andrea's absence from the fun run was explained through what appeared to me to be a cobbled together tissue of lies. It's always the women who smell a rat!

It's nice to see Jenna being supportive and standing up for her dad - more of this please! We don't see enough of them on screen and this is a shame as I think Craig Charles and Krissi Bohn work well together and are very believable.

So what about Andrea then? What is she hiding? I did wonder if she had a child and didn't want Lloyd to know. However given Jenna's appearance in Lloyd's life, it's quite obvious he wouldn't react badly to this. So what then? Another bloke? Is she after Jenna? I don't know - what do you think, and how would you like to see this storyline progress?


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Time for Sophie Webster to grow up?

Ah Sophie Webster, what has become of you? Unfortunately young Sophie is now neck and neck with Michelle for the award of character most likely to get on my nerves.

It wasn't always this way. Once upon a time Sophie was bright and cheeky and a great foil for her sister Rosie. We felt sorry for her as Sally lavished all her attentions on Rosie and her ambitions at Oakhill. However since Rosie departed for the bright lights of wherever it was she went, Sophie has taken centre stage chez Webster and sadly not in a good way.

I think it was a great decision to have a regular lesbian character in Coronation Street, I just wish it had been someone likeable. Instead we have pouty, shouty, narky Sophie being disrespectful to her mother and boringly self-righteous whenever the mood takes her. Her religious leanings are only mentioned these days when the writers remember.I applauded her Christmas time charity work but unfortunately that has been dropped, only being a segue for yet another tortuous romance.

I didn't particularly enjoy the Sophie/Sian pairing as they were a tad on the screechy side for me. Sophie and Jenna was just wrong from the start. Ms Webster ruined Jenna's career and most probably the characters future storyline potential.

Now we come to Maddie. I am trying to like her but it's all just causing me too much effort. The pair of them sleeping rough should have been thought provoking, instead I found it tedious and I struggled not to fast forward. I just hate the way the pair sneer at Sally and anyone else who disagrees with them. It feels like both characters would be better suited to EastEnders or Hollyoaks.

Sophie, like several other characters, has lost her way. We've had her current incarnation for ten years now and while it is great that young actors stay in Corrie that length of time, I just wish they could focus efforts on taking them in interesting directions. Why can't Sophie better herself, get back to college and move on? She seems stuck in a neverending loop of working in Dev's, chasing Maddie around the place and being nasty to her mother. Enough already!

So do you agree, is it time Sophie Webster grew up?


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Time Corrie's Jenna was given something to do?

Isn't it about time the Corrie writers found Jenna Kamara something to do? Since her split from Sophie she has been very much a background character while Sophie has embarked on a whole new storyline helping the homeless and being pursued by Maddie.

I think we all agree that Jenna and Sophie were not a good match and I'm glad the writers split them up. However it would have been good if this decision had been made with some forethought for what to do next with Jenna. 

Instead, Jenna has popped up every so often in the background of the cafe, without even playing a major role in the Croppers' storyline. Her dad Lloyd is enjoying a new romance with Andrea but yet again Jenna hasn't had much to do with that either.

When Jenna first came into the show she was a trained professional. Sadly this side of her character was lost when she sacrificed it for her doomed relationship with Ms Webster. I don't think Jenna is suited to working in the cafe. I think we should be seeing her trying to rebuild her life and career with the support of her father, out of the shadow cast by her now absent mum. Perhaps Kal could take her on at his new gym? It would also be interesting to see Jenna embark on a new relationship.

Krissi Bohn is a good actress and unfortunately I just don't think she's being given a chance to shine. She has a great sparring partner in her onscreen father, played by the wonderful Craig Charles. We just don't see enough of them together.

So what do you think the writers should do next with Jenna? Do you agree she has a lot more to offer?

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Mighty Afro-Dite

Coronation Street is a world of diversity, a world where black live alongside white, gay with straight, Norris with normal humanoids.  It's a world where people love and accept people who look and act in all sorts of peculiar ways - I'll just point at Mary and back away slowly.

Why, then, is only one afro ever allowed on the Street at a time?

The afro is the mightiest of all hairstyles.  It is proud, defiant; it is quite literally headstrong.  Think of the greatest wearers of the afro.  Diana Ross.  Pam Grier.  Lionel Richie.  Michael Jackson.  These people are legends.  It's the Official Hairstyle of Blaxploitation and Motown, an expression of political might and social awareness.  It's damn fine, you dig?

The first person in Corrie to properly wield an afro with pride was Kelly Crabtree.  (Curly's girlfriend Shirley had a semi-fro, but it was the eighties: everyone had big hair then).  Kelly was short of skirt and big of hair, huge, voluminous locks bursting out of the top of her head.  It acted as an early warning system - beware the mighty mouth approaching.  One glimpse of those stacked curls over the back of a Rovers booth and you knew a noisy time was going to follow.

Kelly left, and was replaced with that girl who was a stripper and who bunked up with Lloyd.  She was completely forgettable.  I can't remember her name even as I sit here.  All I can remember is she had a fierce ball of incredible black hair that radiated from her head like a darkened sun.  It was far and away the most interesting thing about her, and I was sorry to see it leave.

Fortunately, Coronation Street's one and only afro comb was passed on to Kirsty.  This was the first hint that an afro could be a useful mood indicator.  If Kirsty was wearing her hair out, letting it bounce round her head in a free and easy fashion, she was cool and relaxed.  If the hair was pulled back however, pinched into a tiny bun, it was a signal that madness was soon to follow.  Tyrone might have saved himself a lot of bother if he'd just hidden her kirby grips: it was probably the stress of keeping that awesome weave under control that drove Kirsty mad in the first place.  Of course, Natalie Gumede then went on to wield her afro to devastating effect on Strictly.  I was beside myself the week that she fell ill and therefore couldn't perform to Proud Mary, perhaps one of the finest hair shaking songs ever written.  And yes, she was robbed by Abbey Clancey.

Now Jenna's here to uphold the afro tradition, though in the grand tradition of ladies who like ladies, her hair is a little shorter and more sensible than her predecessors.  Unfortunately her job in Roy's Rolls means that her mop of black pride is sadly kept under wraps for health and safety grounds; it's none the less always a pleasure when she turns up in the Rovers with it happily bouncing around her ears.  All these women have been strong, gutsy, fierce - well, all of them except that girl who went off with her ex-husband in the end (Sharon?  Susan?  It'll come to me).  I think Jenna should break out the afro more often, and perhaps influence other members of the Street to follow her example.  Just imagine if Gail emerged from the salon with hair a foot high and a foot wide; I'm sure you'd agree, that would be a joy to behold.

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Are some Corrie characters without real character?

We are always divided when it comes to which Corrie characters work and which simply do not. Most avid viewers will always appreciate characters like Deirdre, Audrey, Rita, Steve and Lloyd. Roy and Hayley will always be true Weatherfield legends. 

However more and more it feels like our screens are being filled with dead end characters that we don't care about in the present, never mind hoping they will develop into the next generation of Corrie legends.

While Fiz, Tyrone, Jason and Leanne have achieved longevity and popularity as they developed, will we one day say the same about Sophie, Jenna, Tim or Faye? It's hard to believe the current incarnation of Sophie Webster has been on screen for nearly ten years. She was adorable as a child actor, very sharp, funny and the antithesis of sister Rosie. Then she grew up, stopped being sharp, funny or even interesting. I didn't get Sophie and Sian; I didn't like Sophie and Jenna. All she does is moan, whinge and strop. She should really get herself to EastEnders with manners like hers.

Jenna is a more sympathetic character (it wouldn't be hard). Apart from her scenes with Lloyd, she just doesn't seem to gel. Maybe it was just me, but Jenna's scenes with Roy on Friday evening just didn't quite come off. I would like her to stay around, but she really does need to escape the mess Sophie got her into. Would it be wrong to have one young female Corrie character with a successful career away from the street itself?

TIm was an interesting arrival. Joe Duttine is a great actor with a good track record in other telly and films. The writers kept us guessing for ages - was Tim really a dreadful father or just a bit hopeless, but still genuine underneath. Putting TIm with Sally is a huge mistake. I do love Sally. She's like Leanne in many ways - she has different facets and can go from sympathetic (her lovely chat with Roy recently) to snob (her comments on Anna's soft furnishings) with ease. However Tim's character development seems to have hit the skids. There's only so many times we can see him let everyone down and appear not to care. 

Of course it doesn't help that the daughter at the centre of this storyline is Faye. She remains deeply unlikeable and I can't for the life of me see why Anna is so besotted with the little madam. Adding the vile Grace to the mix really isn't helping one bit. We all know what will happen. Grace will encourage and pressurise Faye to do increasingly horrid things to other adults and children, daft Anna will defend them both to the hilt, blinkered as usual, then it will all come out in the wash. I cannot wait.

So is it just me, is there really a clutch of unsympathetic, unlikeable, EastEnders style characters populating our favourite street at the moment? Can you see a way forward for Sophie, Jenna, Tim or Faye?

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Corrie's Krissi Bohn new patron of Children with AIDS Charity

Children with AIDS Charity (CWAC) are delighted to announce Krissi Bohn, who plays Jenna Kamara in Coronation Street, as their new patron. 

Children with AIDS Charity was established to help the youngest of those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS maintain a good quality of life. It is a national UK charity with the aim of working towards a future without poverty or prejudice for these children and their families.

Krissi said: “What some people don't know is that prior to Coronation Street I was training as a healthcare support worker in one of London’s top sexual health centres; with a clinic designed specifically for those living with HIV and AIDS.  It is partly because of this job that I decided to become involved with CWAC. I think it is very important to provide support (emotionally and financially) to children with or affected by HIV.  I also think it’s vital that the general public are educated about the disease too. I was delighted to find a charity that does this and hope I can use my newfound status to support and promote such a worthy cause!” 

Find out more at their website: http://www.cwac.org/ and on their Facebook page and twitter.

Visit Krissi Bohn's website at http://www.krissibohn.co.uk/ and follow her on twitter.

Krissi Bohn: "I bought posh loo roll with my first Corrie pay cheque"

There's a great interview with Krissi Bohn, who plays Jenna Kamara, in this week's Inside Soap magazine.

Jenna says her best mate on set is Pamela Nomvete, who plays her on-screen mum Mandy; that she loves working with Craig Charles who plays her dad Lloyd and that she'd loved to play a bad girl like Kirsty or Tracy.

Something that made me laugh out loud was Krissi's response to a question: "Did you buy any treats with your first Coronation Street pay cheque?"

Krissi's response: "I started buying nice toilet paper!".  She also treated herself to an iPhone.  But still, nice loo paper. This is a girl who likes her home comforts!

Follow Krissi on twitter @krissibohner

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Your views on Corrie's gay characters

I've been having a good old muse about Coronation Street's gay characters and the direction they are currently heading in thanks to the powers that be and the Corrie writing team. I must start this blog by saying thank goodness we have gay male and female characters in Weatherfield these days to actually talk about. Progress at last. 

Currently we have four gay characters, well three and a half if you count Marcus and his current partner, Maria (no, that's not just a strange name for a bloke). So we have Marcus Dent, Sean Tully, Sawphie Webster and her new girlfriend, Jenna Kamara.

Let's start with the longest standing character on that list - Sean Tully. Sean has been a regular in Corrie for almost a decade and certainly does split viewers - some love him and others, well not so much. When Sean first appeared amid the Todd and Karl coming out storyline back in 2003 he was like a breath of fresh air. He was like Bet Lynch, only less butch. He was funny, bright and unlucky in love, just how we like our Corrie characters. He freshened up both the Grimshaw household and Underworld. For a while he was flavour of the month, appearing everywhere, and then something went wrong.

I really liked Sean when he first appeared. I also enjoyed watching the early days of his relationship with Marcus, but it wasn't to be. Sean's character has unfortunately started to grate on my nerves and I really dislike his selfish "all about me" childishness. He must be in his late 30s now and unfortunately, like many Corrie characters he just hasn't progressed or moved on. I think he suffered from over-exposure (shudder!) and in my view, it will be hard to rescue him from this slippery slope. There are rumours that he may be heading for a new romance in the future so let's hope that sees an improvement. Otherwise, I'd be happy to see him leave the cobbles.

So what about Sean's ex, Marcus Dent? I really really like Marcus. I always thought he was too good for Sean. He's a well-rounded, caring, sympathetic character of the kind that seem to be in short supply in Coronation Street today. Charlie Condou is a great actor and is always believable. I know his current story, which sees him in a surprise relationship with Maria Connor, has divided fans. I think it works though. The actors clearly demonstrate how much the characters do care about each other and I think Marcus makes a great father figure and role model for Liam. How much of this relationship is down to the instant family Marcus has long craved, I don't know but I guess time will tell.

I would really like to see Marcus interact more with his parents. We saw a glimpse of them at Christmas and I think there would be plenty of mileage in having them back again. I hope Marcus and Maria are not a flash in the pan, even if he eventually gets back on the other bus.  Ten years ago Corrie could never have explored this kind of angle so I think we must see it as a positive thing.


Finally, let's look at the only current gay relationship in Coronation Street, that of Sophie and Jenna. i like both characters individually however I had real reservations about them being together. I just couldn't see it happening in real life - it didn't seem true to me. However recent, more relaxed scenes between Jenna and Sophie have seen me warming to them as a couple. I also like how accepting Sally has been. So please, less drama and more humour in the Webster household! I was never a huge fan of the Sophie and Sian partnership. I always felt a more mature lesbian character would have been a better approach, rather than two screechy teenage girls. I hope Jenna's arrival will see Sophie grow up. 

Another interesting aspect of this relationship is Mandy's reaction. Jenna's mum was less than pleased when Jenna came out and not just because she was dating someone significantly younger. Mandy had a point when she despaired about Jenna losing her job and career prospects. I too was upset with this - there is a serious lack of educated young people in Corrie and I think this is something that needs to be rectified. I would like to see Mandy getting closer to Jenna and Sophie in the months ahead - some scenes with Sally could also be quite amusing.

So what do you think about the current crop of gay men and women in Coronation Street? Do you have a favourite? Anyone you'd gladly see the back of? 

And more importantly, do you think they are representative of gay men and women in British society today?


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