Corrie's Jennie McAlpine backs maternal mental health campaign

Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape in Coronation Street, is supporting a new campaign by the National Childbirth Trust to help encourage people to talk more openly about maternal mental health.

Jennie said: “Since becoming a mother myself, I know just what an amazing job mums do. I'm in awe of all of us! I can also see that so much more needs to be done to support mums whose mental health is suffering, for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their families. If you need help - please ask someone. I’ve seen myself how support can make all the difference.”

Half of new mothers are concerned about their mental health and many are suffering in silence, according to new research released today by NCT as it launches its #BeyondBabyBlues campaign supported by celebrities.

The #BeyondBabyBlues campaign aims to encourage people to talk more openly about maternal mental health, to avoid the mistake of dismissing potentially serious mental health issues in themselves, friends or family and to seek help.

For more information about the campaign visit: https://www.nct.org.uk/beyond-baby-blues


Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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Jennie McAlpine announces her pregnancy

This just in via Digital Spy which is then via Twitter. Jennie McAlpine announced on Twitter that she and her partner Chris Farr are expecting a baby.

She and Chris have been a couple for 9 years and own a Manchester city centre restaurant, Annie's. Jennie has been on Coronation Street since 2001.

Once Tyrone and Fiz recover from Maria's misguided campaign to split them up, maybe the powers that be will write Jennie's pregnancy into the show and Tyrone and Fiz will have a truly blended family, with a wedding to top it all off. That's my wish.

Congratulations to Jennie and Chris from all of us here at Blog Towers!



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Watch: Samia Smith and Jennie McAlpine on the Paul O'Grady show

Samia Smith and Jennie McAlpine, who play Maria Connor and Fiz Stape, were on the Paul O'Grady show on ITV today.

They talked about the "love triangle" their characters are currently in with Tyrone.  Jennie says that the storyline gets a lot worse as Maria descends into madness over her fight with Fiz for Tyrone.

And The Renshaw Twins even get a mention too! 

They also talk about the new set, the new canteen and how much they're enjoying it there.

Watch the interview here.

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Fiz and John do Calgary

There's an interview with Jennie McAlpine and Graeme Hawley in the Canadian Calgary Herald today. Jennie and Graeme where there a couple of months ago for the Banff World Media Festival. Corrie was up for an award for a Best Soap Opera but lost to a Spanish soap. They were interviewed for  the newspaper.

For Canadian Fans, currently 10 months behind the UK shows, there is a minor spoiler about Stape's future but for those of you reading here regularly, you'll already know. Graeme talks about John Stape and describes him as a good man, really. He describes John as mulit-faceted and "he was the bad guy but he kind of wasn't the bad guy,". He also says that in spite of the sensational storylines that are not going away, Corrie still manages to "maintain what is essentially the (core) of the show: this slice of kitchen-sink life."

Don't forget, Canadian Fans, CBC is going to start showing 1 hour of Corrie every week night starting Monday, September 5 and airing a Sunday repeat from 7:30 a.m. onward. It's a lot to keep up on but these first two weeks of September lead up to the Tram Crash on September 15.

Jennie McAlpine turns Rock Chick for charity

Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape in Coronation Street, has turned herself іntο thе ultimate Rock Chick and learned to play electric guitar. Jennie wіll bе entertaining millions οn ‘Born tο Shine’ to be shown on Sunday 14th August on ITV1 at 8pm, don’t miss іt.

It's all in a great cause to raise funds for Save The Children.

A Sad Day on the Cobbles

Friday’s episodes of Corrie gave us some of the most emotion scenes we’ve had in a long while. And they were a shining example of just how well Corrie can do drama when the writers put their minds to it.

I am of course talking about the scenes involving Leanne and Peter and Sylvia and Roy (although Sean’s strife at not being able to take Dylan to the Frescos audition almost made the cut).

Firstly, Leanne, who has been a bit of a mardy madam lately, had to go through the heartbreaking experience of losing her unborn child. The scenes involving her and Peter in the hospital were beautifully done and reflected what a strong unit the two of them are.

However, it was the scene at the end of the episode in which Stella came to Leanne and offered a shoulder to cry on that really gave the episode a real emotional punch. Jane Danson was wonderful as ever, sobbing her heart out over a culmination of emotions. She really is one of the strongest actresses on the show and I hope she stays at the focus of things for a while yet, because quite frankly I think we all deserve a break from Jennie McAlpine’s drawling little voice crying about John and Hope.

Then we had the Roy and Sylvia storyline, which marked a turning point in their relationship. We got to see a more human side to Sylvia, especially when she told Hayley that she struggled to love Roy as a baby because he resisted her. It was a very emotional and raw scene, which I haven’t seen on Corrie in a long, long time.

Again, solid performances from all involved made the scenes feel genuine and again it’s nice to see Corrie doing real drama like this because for too long now we have been subjected to Steve and Becky screaming the odds and weekly stunts ranging from rooftop falls to hostage situations.

People can argue all they want about Corrie going off the rails, but as Friday showed, there is still a lot that is right on the nation’s favourite street. I hope they keep this up, because I had forgotten that Corrie could actually do real human drama.

Jennie McAlpine on being on-screen mum to baby Hope

There's a wonderful interview with Jennie McAlpine, who plays Coronation Street's Fiz Stape, in the Daily Record today. Jennie talks about playing an on-screen mum to baby Hope in Corrie and reveals that John's going to confess all and have a breakdown.

The paper calls John Stape, The Mr Bean of serial killers, which made me chuckle, as did this quote by Jennie about working with a baby on set. She says: "We are getting a real baby and I'm looking forward to it. People have told me not to work with a baby but I've worked with a massive dog for years and the baby will be nothing compared to that. Not that the dog's any trouble but trying to manoeuvre a six-foot-long, 17-stone Great Dane to do anything other than what it wants to do is quite difficult. So a baby will be easy-peasy."

Fiz and the baby - what next?

This week's poll asks readers their views on the best way forward for Coronation Street's Fiz Stape and her forthcoming baby. I must say I'm struggling with this one.

Just look at the photo. Her husband is in the woods, burning a dead man's clothes, helped along by Charlotte, his strange and besotted accomplice. Okay, Fiz doesn't know all the gory details, but after the kidnapping, ID theft and all, she does have a fairly shrewd understanding of John's "nature". But she loves him anyway, and Charlotte's gone back to being "busy on Sundays" - so that's all right. Or is it? Would it be right for Fiz to put the past behind her, and would she be able to? I can definitely envisage John cracking again - he'll never last at the bookies - so she might be best to cut her losses and go it alone. On the other hand, she might well feel that her child needs its dad no matter what, and I think it could be really interesting if they stayed together, and Cilla came back as the mother-in-law from hell.

The one option I'd definitely rule out, personally speaking, is Fiz getting back with Kirk. I just can't see that working again. Too much water under the bridge.

Whaatever happens, Jenni McAlpine is great as Fiz, and we mustn't lose her.

By the way - is it me or did anyone else catch John's line the other night, asking Fiz if Nick and Natasha were "swingers"? I THINK he was joking, but you never know with Stape!

Meet Corrie's Kirk and Fiz this weekend

Bargain shop Poundland continue to crack the credit crunch by opening two new shops this Saturday, 28th March.

Andy Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) will be opening the new Poundland store in Barrow in Furness and Jennie McAlipine (Fiz Brown) will be opening the new Poundland in East Ham on Saturday too.

Funny face photo of the week

Last week it was Tony Gordon and Carla Connor, this week it's Fiz Brown putting a smile on Coronation Street fans' faces with a priceless expression. With thanks to Tarty Doris for the picture.