What next for Coronation Street's Julie Carp?

What on earth are the powers that be playing at with Julie Carp? I really don't like the changes they have made to this character of late, namely her steadfast support for that evil, nasty, vicious Kirsty Soames. I could write at length on what would lead Julie to be so stupid,  but as the love of her life is Brian "Derek Wilton" Packham, I'll just leave it at that.

A more interesting question, with any luck, is what direction the Coronation Street writers will take Julie in once all this Kirsty awfulness is done with. I pose this question for two reasons. First of all, we know that actress Katy Cavanagh is pregnant, so a period of maternity leave is obviously in the offing. And also, we now know that Peter Gunn will be leaving his role as Brian in the coming months. This will naturally leave the character of Julie at a crossroads. No, not the motel.

I actually really like the old pre-Kirsty Julie. I love her attitude to life, the support she gives her friends (normally!) and her amazing, individual sense of style. I think her character does bring a lot to Coronation Street when she's given the chance. I do feel that she is often lumbered with slightly daft, in the background storylines when we all know the actress is capable of much more.

I loved all the fall out surrounding the revelations with her mother and Eileen's dad, Colin. I also thought the story that saw her find out she could not have a baby incredibly touching and well played. However it did not seem to get the onscreen mileage it should have done. I can't help but think that if that story had featured Tina, Michelle or Stella it would have taken centre stage for weeks.

I also don't think we have seen enough of the developments in Julie and Brian's relationship. They may not be the pretty young things like Tommy and Tina, but I think they are characters that we, the viewers, could invest in. Sadly this is pointless now as Peter Gunn is going to be off soon. I can't help but see Brian and Julie as a wasted opportunity. They were very much the Mavis and Derek of the future as far as I could see.


Which brings me back to my original question. Where do we see Julie going in the future? As Brian is going to leave, will she depart with him only to return on her own at a later date? Or do you think the writers will be horrible and split them up on screen? 

Personally, I would like to see Julie's mum Paula return. Paula was brilliantly played by Sharon Duce - the kind of actress Corrie should be recruiting as far as I'm concerned. I would love to see them explore this mother/daughter relationship in greater detail. As they parted on less than friendly terms it could be very interesting!

As usual, I want to hear what you think! So get in touch.


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Where have you seen Julie Carp's mum before?

Actress Sharon Duce plays the role of Paula Carp in Coronation Street. While Paula Carp is mum to Julie and school friend of Eileen Grimshaw, Sharon Duce is one of those actresses whose face seems very familiar, and it's no surprise. Sharon has been acting on British TV since 1970 and has appeared in classic telly programmes such as Armchair Theatre and Softly Softly through to Z Cars and Peak Practice. Her IMDB profile is here so you can see for yourself where you've seen her before. It's always a joy to have such an established British actress turn up on the cobbles.

See also - where have you seen before...?
Luke Strong, Sophie Webster's boyfriend, Eileen Grimshaw's dad, Norris' girlfriend, Graeme Proctor, Molly's Aunty Pam, Maria's mum and dad, Gail's dad, Scary Brian, Tina's dad, Tony Gordon's henchman, Little Simon Barlow

Three new Corrie characters join cast

Coronation Street's going to get three new characters over the coming weeks.

First off is Luke Strong, played by Craig Kelly. Luke is an old friend of Carla Gordon's whose arrival will cause havoc in Underworld. He arrives to manage Carla's share of the factory after she leaves Tony and he'll turn up on February 20th.
Read more about Luke Strong here.

Then we'll meet Julie Carp's mum Paula, played by Sharon Duce. She arrives on February 27th and is an old school-friend of Eileen Grimshaw, so why does she try to avoid meeting Eileen? Mysterious! Sharon has starred in Casualty, Emmerdale and a whole host of great telly programmes.

And finally this month we'll meet Dev's uncle Umed, played by Harish Patel. He arrives on the Street on March 9th to cast his eye over Dev's questionable personal life. Harish Patel is an Indian actor who has starred in the movie Run, Fatboy, Run.