Charlie Condou on Coronation Street: "I loved that show"

Charlie Condou, who played midwife Marcus Dent on Coronation Street, was interviewed on ITV's Good Morning Britain this week. 

Charlie is currently on stage in London at The Crucible, playing witch-hunter Reverend Hale. The play goes on tour and you can see the tour dates and find out more here.

When asked on GMB, as most Coronation Street ex-actors are asked once they leave the show, if he'd like to return, this is what Charlie said:

"They were very nice when I said that I wanted to leave and they said 'the door will be open, we're not killing you off' so I would imagine the option's always there.

"I don't think it's right for me at the moment... but never say never. I loved that show."

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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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Sean's new Corrie storyline

Corrie's Antony Cotton has been quoted on Digital Spy talking about upcoming plans for his character Sean. Now Sean is very popular with some viewers, less so with others but I think it's a shame he's not been given much to do in recent years.

Antony has been a part of the Corrie cast since 2003 so he has staying power. I really liked Sean when he was first introduced. The set up chez Grimshaw worked a treat in those days with Sean, Eileen and Jason all under one roof. Something has gone a bit wrong more recently though, so I'm hoping a return to the forefront of the programme will help to address this.

We don't know much about Sean's new storyline however Antony Cotton has commented that it will be controversial and something that hasn't been covered before. Sounds interesting? Well yes of course if that's the case. I remember similar things being said when Eileen got involved with Paul and Lesley. However the Alzheimer's story HAD been done on Corrie before, back in 2000 with Rita, Anthony Stephens and his wife Isabel. 


I wonder what will happen to Sean and if it will be linked to the current Todd story and the subsequent departure of Sean's ex, Marcus. I really do hope it's not a rehash of something that has been done before but I'm scratching my head to imagine what it might be. The return of Sean's son Dylan perhaps?

Anyway, what do you think of Sean's return to the Corrie front line? And what do you think his big storyline will be?


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Can we have a respite from the Corrie misery please?

Has Coronation Street ever been so out and out depressing? Nearly all traces of humour have vanished over the past week as we lurch from one tragedy to another.

In the good old days a tragedy would be contrasted with a more lighthearted storyline, giving more weight and substance to both. At the moment though the writers are fixated with the aftermath of the Tina-Peter-Carla story climax and the Armstrong-Windass clan, both of which are pretty grim. Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do.

It's not enough for Peter to have an affair with Tina, it has to start the night he marries Carla. Both Tina and Carla must have pregnancy scares at the same time. Tina must plunge to her death. Peter must be constantly inebriated. The latest in a long line of tragedies has seen Carla lose her baby. Oh how I wish they had let her keep it. Carla as a single mother would have been an interesting journey for her to go on.

I can't fault any of the performances in this storyline, all the actors have been at the top of their game. I've just reached my misery limit!

Meanwhile, chez Armstrong-Windass, Anna's dark secret has finally emerged and predictably Owen hasn't taken it well. Given Anna was only forced into her drastic plan to rid them of Phelan due to Owen's original decisions, I don't think he has a lot of wriggle room here. However, on we go spiralling further into the darkness. Katy, of course, will not understand Anna's actions at all, so cue plenty of pouting and stomping. Gary will eventually also find out and no doubt there will be further fireworks as his temper and his fists get another airing. When will this all stop I frequently ask myself? I'm crying out for a change of tone with this crowd of characters. Enough is enough. Debbie Rush has been pretty phenomenal as downtrodden Anna, I just think we need a break from all at number 6 Coronation Street.

No doubt the misery will continue in both these main storylines for some time to come. I keep hoping some other background storylines will shed some light on the gloom. Sally and Tim continue to be terrific although I worry if Sally doesn't accept Tim's marriage proposal, this partnership might not last. Two other storylines are shortly to pop back into view and I must confess I am looking forward to neither of them.

The first, linked to the ongoing Tina story, will see Michelle discover Steve knew about Peter's affair. This will lead to much armfolding and bag packing as Michelle dumps Steve and no doubt treats him like dirt in the process. I'm heartily sick of Michelle. Apparently Steve will publicly plead for Michelle to take him back and Carla will also persuade her friend to return to Steve. PLEASE NO! Enough already. Steve and Michelle were awful the first time around and I've seen no improvement now. Steve is a tremendous character but pairing him with Michelle does him no favours. Make it stop.

The second storyline is the return of all the Todd and Marcus business. Marcus was a lovely character - very normal, kind and caring and someone the writers didn't do enough with. The beginning of the end was putting him with Maria, although this subsequent dalliance with Todd is the most unbelievable of all for me. Marcus woudn't be taken in by devious Todd. I think he'd see right through him and give him a wide berth. I was hoping that when Marcus leaves he would take Todd with him, but this too will end in tears. Marcus will have his heart broken and we still don't know why Todd has become such a horrid, nasty character.

Ho hum, at least we still have Deirdre and her pots.

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Charlie Condou films his final scenes as Marcus Dent

Charlie Condou, who played Marcus Dent, has now left Coronation Street after filming his final scenes last week.

Charlie has played Marcus for four years over two stints, but announced in November 2013 that he would be quitting to spend more time with his family.

Charlie tweeted a photo of Coronation Street pub The Rovers Return's sign, captioned "Over and out".

He lives in London with his partner Cameron Laux and their children Hal and Georgia, but recently told the Daily Mirror his commute to Manchester was becoming too much.

He said: "It was just getting too difficult. Georgia is at an age now where she was saying, 'How long are you away for this week?' and 'When are you going to be back, Daddy?'

"At my busiest I was getting home late on a Friday night and going back to Manchester on Sunday afternoon. I just wasn't getting that time with my kids."

I'll miss Marcus, he was one of the quiet men of soap.  But I never did like him and Todd together.

I also liked Charlie Condou.  He was one of the Coronation Street actors on twitter who interacted positively with his fans.  Nice!

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Charlie Condou admits Maria and Marcus were never meant to last

Recently at the TRIC awards, Charlie Condou spoke to someone from BANG Showbiz about his current storyline to do with his affair with Todd Grimshaw. He admitted that Marcus loves Maria but knew it wouldn't end well. So it will prove when Maria walks in on Todd and Marcus next week. Marcus and Maria are meant to be viewing another house. Todd knows this and manipulates the situation so that he and Marcus are alone in the house. The inevitable happens just as Maria walks in, exactly as Todd had planned.

Charlie thinks Marcus realizes what Todd is up to on some level. "I think he's not stupid, Marcus ... he's already getting a sense that he's being played, and I think that comes out quite quickly. Todd knew that Maria was coming, but Marcus is very attracted to Todd and there's a lot of chemistry there, he can't keep away from him. It's head and heart in a lot of ways ... I think he's trying to fight off the inevitable. There's going to be a lot of heartache coming in the next few weeks."

Maria is going to take this very badly and may even come close to a breakdown, if the spoilers are correct. We know this will soon lead to Charlie Condou's exit from the show, more's the pity. There's been a lot of exits lately and a few more to come.


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Todd the troublemaker

Blogger Graeme wondered why Marcus would be attracted to the unlikeable Todd.

Even without the impending departure of Charlie Condou, it doesn't see out of the realms of possibility to me. Marcus is flattered and becoming physically attracted.

Why doesn't he notice that Todd is trouble? I've been thinking about that and came to one or two conclusions over here along with  a few ideas on how I see this playing out.

I'm actually enjoying the storyline even though I don't like Todd and am not meant to. I know that's sailing against the wind of disapproval for most of the readers that have commented here on this blog on this storyline but I do find it interesting and would even if Charlie Condou wasn't leaving. But that's just me.


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Just what would attract Marcus to Todd?

There are some strange couplings occurring in Weatherfield at the moment - Peter and Tina, Dennis and Gloria - and now it would appear, Todd and Marcus. It looks like Todd's persistent unpleasantness is about to finally pay off.

Yes, Marcus and Todd are going to get it on. I think we all saw it coming as soon as the newly nastified Todd reappeared from that London with a chip on his shoulder (sadly not from the much missed Jackson's Chippy). The Marcus and Maria pairing was a brave attempt at trying something different, instead of the now standard coming out storyline, we had a going back in plot instead.

However after the initial bluster of sulky Sean and a Rovers brawl it all seemed to die a death as they quite clearly didn't know how to develop them further.

I think it was clear that sooner or later Marcus would question his sexuality again, it was bound to happen. I think he loves all the aspects of life with Maria - they get on well and have the family life he craves, but there is something missing. I don't think any of us thought it would end up being Todd in his current vile, manipulative variation. I hope at some point in the future we are given an explanation of what has happened to Todd to turn him into such an unpleasant character. I really liked him the first time round even though he was initially saddled with Sarah-Lou. I think it is really interesting to see how much Jason has matured while Todd has become quite the opposite.

So what could possibly attract Marcus to Todd? It's not his sparkling personality and Emily Bishop-like benevolence that's for sure. Part of it could be Todd's relentless pursuit - I guess many people would be susceptible to that. However it does seem quite far fetched that one minute Marcus and Maria are playing happy families and planning their life in a new home and the next, Todd is inviting Marcus up the Grimshaw staircase. Marcus is a sympathetic, empathetic character at a time when Corrie isn't exactly chock full of them. He's also always been portrayed as smart and well-educated. Would he really not see through Todd's mind games? Or is the truth that he has seen through them and wants to go for it anyway?

I guess time will tell. However the one thing we do know is that this story will end with us saying goodbye to both Marcus Dent and his portrayer, Charlie Condou. This is such a shame, although I understand why Condou might want to try other things. Marcus has been another character with great potential that has sadly never fully been realised, mainly due to a lack of screen time. Let's hope this final storyline does both the character and the actor justice.

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Charlie Condou reveals why he's leaving Coronation Street

There's a long interview in today's Mirror with Charlie Condou, who talks about leaving his role as Marcus Dent in Coronation Street.

Charlie says he decided to leave Corrie to spend more time with his family.  Charlie says: “It was just getting too difficult. Georgia is at an age now where she was saying, ‘How long are you away for this week?’ and ‘When are you going to be back Daddy?’ At my busiest I was getting home late on a Friday night and going back to Manchester on Sunday afternoon. I just wasn’t getting that time with my kids.”

So Charlie, who plays Corrie midwife Marcus Dent, will leave the show this summer.  The Mirror says that Marcus' departure will see him embroiled in a love triangle with Maria and Todd.

“It just gets darker and darker and I imagine Marcus and Todd will end up together,” says Charlie “This is soap and Marcus and Maria was never going to end well. There was going to be no happy ever after.”

Charlie reveals: “The producer said the door would be left open, so Marcus isn’t going to be killed off. That’s always a really nice thing to hear. I’m not under any illusions and saying I’m off to Hollywood. Obviously I want to do other things, but it’s nice to know that I could go back in the future.”

Read the full interview here.

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Top 50 Corrie Couples - Nos. 22 and 21

22. Sean Tully and Marcus Dent 2007-2008, 2011-2012 (68 votes)

The first Corrie gay couple. 

They met in hospital when Sean accompanied Violet Wilson when she went for their baby scan. They embarked on a relationship and Marcus was the one to deliver Violet’s baby Dylan. But soon enough the couple faced problems as Sean became paranoid of the men Marcus befriended. Marcus became tired of Sean’s jealousy and they separated and Marcus moved to London. 

When Sean went to London in 2011, he was shocked to see Marcus again. The flame was still there and they retried their relationship but yet again the relationship ended when Marcus slept with Maria Connor and they embarked on a relationship.

Were you a fan of Sean and Marcus? Should they be at 22?

21. Martin Platt and Gail Tilsley/Platt, 1989-2001 (69 votes)

Gail Tilsley had been friends with young Martin Platt since his arrival in 1985, but it wasn’t until Gail’s hubby Brian’s death in 1989 that they became closer. Much to ex mother in law Ivy’s chagrin, the relationship developed and Gail fell pregnant. Although thinking of aborting it, she kept the baby and David was born on Christmas Day 1990. Martin and Gail married in 1991 and he adopted Nick and Sarah – Gail’s children with Brian. 

In 1993, the marriage was tested when Carmel Finnan was hired as the children’s nanny. She was obsessed with Martin and tried to split the Platts up, but Gail soon sent her packing. As Martin was seven years younger than Gail, he was tempted by other women and in 1995 he had an affair with nurse Cathy Power. Gail forgave him but she wasn’t as forgiving when he had an affair with another nurse – Rebecca Hopkins in 2001. They divorced the same year. After their divorce, they still remained close friends due. Martin was genuinely happy when Gail married Richard Hillman in 2002. When Richard tried to kill the family in 2003, it was Martin who saved them from drowning.

Were you a fan of Gail and Martin? Should Martin pay the street a visit? Should the Platts be at 21? Or should they be in the top 20?

Check out who was at 24 and 23.

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Spoiler: Maria finds Marcus topless with Todd

There are some wonderful paparazzi pictures online of a topless Marcus Dent. 

What's Marcus doing being pictured with his top off?  He's running after Maria who has just caught him in a shirtless clinch with Todd. 

Or so says The Daily Star

The paper says that Maria finds Marcus with Todd, she storms out of the house and straight into the arms of Audrey.

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Todd and Marcus - Yay or Nay?

Todd's set his sights on Marcus, but is Marcus' relationship with Maria strong enough for Marcus to deny Todd's obvious, if somewhat oily charms? 

Could these two get together? Should they get together? What do you think, Coronation Street fans - Todd and Marcus - Yay or Nay?

I say Yay, only because Marcus and Maria have never worked for me.

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And so it begins

It's the beginning of the end for Julie and Brian. There's no way he can come back into her good graces after his most recent cowardly stunt. He says he didn't want to break her heart by admitting he was taking a job in Wales and by going along with her plan to foster. He says "IF" I was lying... eh? *IF*??? He's always been selfish and cowardly and Julie now knows it and he's broken her heart. The ultimate betrayal was him sabotaging their fostering chance behind her back. That really was the ultimate in underhandedness. He only admitted it when his back was against the wall in the face of her determination to appeal the decision.

We've already seen the beginnings of Peter and Tina. Whether that will continue after the honeymoon or not, whether we'll be in for a full on affair or a lot of angst, doe eyed looks across the bar and "come here, no, go away" over and over remains to be seen. After everything Carla has gone through to finally be happy, it's only inevitable that her world comes crashing down around her ears. She's uttered far too many Phrases of Doom in the past couple of weeks for it to be any other way.

It's the beginning of the end for Marcus and Maria too, if Todd's lascivious look at Marcus' backside is anything to go on. I applaud Corrie for breaking the mold and showing us the unlikely love affair between a gay man and a straight woman. It does happen, probably more often than we might thing but it's not all that common either. It is meant to show us that you really can be surprised by who you fall for. But in the end, Marcus still identifies as gay and it's bound to come between them sooner or later. I just wish it wasn't with the manipulative tosser that Todd has turned into. Todd may fancy Marcus but I wouldn't put it past this version of Todd to chase after Marcus just to stir the pot and break he and Maria up on purpose. With some people, it's more about the chase than about the catch and I think Todd is one of those people.

I'm going way out on a limb here and predicting another beginning, if not an end. With the arrival of the handsome Kal, everyone wants to know which woman he'll get involved with. There were rumours that Liz would get her claws into him but now that we've seen Kal, even just a little, I don't think he'd be lured by Liz in the least. I'm predicting another L-ady. I'm going to point the fickle finger of fate at Leanne Tilsley who is probably ripe for a bit of fun after the uphill battle she's having with damaged husband Nick. Kal will start working with Nick and be around more and I think Nick's tirades are wearing her down, little by little. I never really thought Nick and Leanne were suited this time around anyway. She might be the love of his life but I never felt that he was the love of hers. That honour went to Peter, in my feeling. I think she went to Nick on the rebound from Peter and while she loves Nick, it was more about stability and maybe to make up for hurting him in the past (the affair just before the tram crash when she had the affair with Nick but married Peter on his deathbed).

I can picture Leanne and Kal together and I think they would have a lot of chemistry. She's already proven she can be a good mother so his kids would be in good hands. He's a dad so he'd be good to Simon, too.



And the last beginning of the end is the final few weeks for our beloved Hayley Anne Cropper. So far, chemotherapy hasn't seemed to have had a lot of residual effect, not that we've seen but I do think that they're dressing her in clothes just a little too big, to imply she's losing weight. She's starting to look a bit more tired and pale around the edges. She's planning her funeral and it's all going to be terribly sad for all of us who have come to love her over all these years. Now that her son has popped up again, only to be just as horrible as it was the last time and the first time, she's at least got some sort of closure even if it's not really a peace made between them. More of a resignation.

And in this, the anniversary week of the tram crash three years ago, I do wish someone would have mentioned the fact. Three people died, one of them integral to the street for many years and who might still count quite a few neighbours as his friends. I still miss Ashley Peacock. It would have been nice for Nick, whose life Ashley saved, or Kirk, who worked with him, or some of the other regulars to make a mention of him.


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Charlie Condou to leave the Street

ITV have today announced that Charlie Condou is set to leave Coronation Street. His exit storyline will see Marcus falling for the recently returned Todd Grimshaw and doing what we've all been doing for the past year or so: questioning his relationship with Maria.

In order for the storyline to be fully developed, Charlie has agreed to stay on until early summer 2014 but has revealed that the producers will keep the door open for Marcus.

Speaking about the departure he had this to say: "I've had a fantastic time at Corrie but feel it's time for me to move on. I was only meant to return for three months and ended up staying for three years! The producers have been really supportive and are leaving the door open for Marcus which is great, and my exit will certainly be explosive."


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It's Grimshaw up north

Todd Grimshaw's return was, as is always the case with returning characters, going to be an interesting one. Had he just come back the same as before, fans would probably have quite rightly said, "so what?" However Eileen's pride and joy has reappeared on the cobbles with a definite evil glint in his jaded London eye.

I know Todd has only been back a week, and the reasons for his harsh unpleasantness may soon be revealed, however I must admit I'm really not enjoying it. 

So far he's cost his mother £500 she cannot afford and will probably never see again, given her a load of cheek and strop, freeloaded from Julie and anyone else who looks his way and attempted to blag a job from Nick Tilsley. Yes, the guy he tried to snog while being shacked up with his sister. Not bad for a week's work.

He is only still under his mother's roof because he knew Sean would be a soft touch. After all Sean has been through, would he really be that gullible? Probably. Would Todd really think asking Nick/Gail for a job would be a good idea?! The only chink of light I can see in all this is that it may lead to a rematch on the cobbles between Gail and Eileen. That scene from 2004, all wet hair, pursed lips, camp insults and towelling fabrics askew, will stay with me for years to come. More please!

It would appear Todd is going to set his sights on poor Marcus in the weeks and months ahead. Obviously that means Todd the terror is going to remain Bruno Langley's characterisation for the foreseeable. If Marcus and Maria do split up, I hope it is because Marcus or Maria realise the relationship is not working, not because Todd has decided to propel himself and his dodgy haircut directly at Marcus Dent's face. I don't think I can cope with Maria going into another hysterical meltdown. If she did, Audrey might have to get David back to cope with the Renshaw twins, and that would never do.

Perhaps lovely Marcus, who we hardly see at all, sadly, will be the one to make Todd see the error of his ways? Mr G certainly needs some sort of positive influence, otherwise he's destined for a life of Eileen's cottage pie and forty hours a week in Packing. 

The one thing that Todd's return has made me realise is just how far Ryan Thomas has come as Jason over the past thirteen years. When the brothers first hit our screens I couldn't stand Jason, much preferring the more sensitive, kindly soul that was Todd. Jason's character has grown onscreen, more consistently of course because Ryan Thomas has stuck with Corrie throughout. I think that's paid dividends though, as Jason is by far the stronger character now.

So do you like what you've seen so far from Todd? Are you happy to see the character back on screen? What are your hopes for Todd, and indeed the other Grimshaws in the months ahead?



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Favourite Corrie couples countdown - second poll

Now, I hope you've voted for two favourite Coronation Street couples in the blog's first poll of ten last week and thank you for doing so. If not, you can still do so. The poll closes on Monday, 11th November at midnight.
 

I do hope you have favourites in the first poll and so on to the second batch.
 

Mike Baldwin and Alma Sedgewick/Baldwin (1989-1999) – What began as an on/off tempestuous relationship turned into a wonderful partnership that defined 1990s Corrie. Despite being exasperated at times by his dodgy dealings, Alma stuck by Mike. The Baldwins separated in 1999 when Mike had an affair with Julia Stone and they divorced. Any possibility of a reunion was tarnished when Alma died in 2001.

Alan Howard and Elsie Tanner/Howard (1969-1973) – Alan hired Elsie as manageress in his hair salon and after a whirlwind romance they married. But the marriage was fraught with difficulties – Alan became bankrupt, he had an affair with Janet Reid and he started drinking heavily. In 1973, the Howards decided to start afresh and moved to Newcastle. Elsie returned alone in 1976, announcing the marriage was over. They divorced in 1978.
 

Ray Langton and Deirdre Hunt/Langton (1975-1978) – After fiancé Billy Walker fled to Jersey, Deirdre found comfort in her boss Ray. After a whirlwind romance they married. Tracy was born in 1977 and they became quite the perfect little family. But, like any other Corrie couple, they faced difficulties. Deirdre was sexually assaulted and contemplated suicide. This damaged the marriage and Deirdre’s reluctance to be close to Ray resulted in his affair with Janice Stubbs. Although the marriage survived the affair, when Ray was offered a job in Holland, Deirdre refused to join him. Ray returned in 2005 to make amends before he died of stomach cancer.

Richard Hillman and Gail Platt/Hillman (2001-2003) – Gail fell for suave Richard at Alma’s funeral and they soon began a relationship and he moved in. But Richard had a dark side – he was a fraudster and a murderer. With two deaths on his mind, he married Gail in 2002. Over the next few months, he went into financial difficulties and went to desperate measures to overcome them – by trying to kill Audrey and Emily. He also killed Maxine Peacock. Gail became suspicious and he confessed. He was on the run before returning to kidnap the family and drive into the canal. Only Richard perished.

 

Sean Tully and Marcus Dent (2007-2008, 2011-2012) – The first Corrie gay couple. They met in hospital when Sean accompanied Violet Wilson when she went for their baby scan. They embark on a relationship and Marcus is the one to deliver Violet’s baby Dylan. But soon enough the couple face problems as Sean becomes paranoid of the men Marcus befriends. Marcus is tired of Sean’s jealousy and they separate and Marcus moves to London. When Sean goes to London in 2011, he’s shocked to see Marcus again. The flame is still there and they retry their relationship but yet again the relationship ends when Marcus sleeps with Maria Connor and they embark on a relationship.

So who’s your favourite out of the second poll? Voting closes at midnight on Monday, 18th November.

And remember that a vote for your favourite could mean they could win the top spot in the countdown!
 

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