Weatherfield Precinct Exclusive! - Corrie Blog Chat with Channique Sterling-Brown

December 1st 2022 will be embedded forever in my Coronation Street fan memory, alongside a plethora of past Corrie blog treats. You couldn't dream it really. Casually wandering around this newly built 'Weatherfield Precinct' bit of TV history, my eyes were on stalks as various corrie cast members were out and about in this small, yet big-looking, studio lot. Sat on the new swings in the playground was Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dyvenor), a brief appearance, in school-uniform costume, from Jude Riordan (Sam Blakeman) and oh look there's David Platt actor, Jack P Shepherd, being interviewed at the side of the playground mural (you will love that artwork) All-in-all, a surreal sensory overload for any Corrie fan! With the legendary cast members mooching around, a good bit of the younger cast was in attendance too, and your Corrie blog roving reporters sort out as many interviews as we could. 

We were pleased to have a debut Coronation Street blog interview with the newest cast member, actress Channique Sterling-Brown who plays hotshot lawyer, Paul’s new flatmate, and Alya’s BFF, Diana ‘Dee Dee’ Bailey. A personal favourite of mine, it was great to meet her in the flesh and chat all about the show's even-newer set extension! 

Weatherfield Precinct - with media in attendance @rybazoxo

What do you think of the new set? 

Love it! I've said to everyone the attention to detail is incredible, the design team are so talented, and now it's here in the flesh! 

What would Dee-Dee’s favourite shop be? 

I've said it before, and I’ll say it again - it's got to be the bakery! I mean, we love Roy’s Rolls we do, but I think, Dee-dee will be heading in there on her lunch break! 

You are fairly new to Coronation Street, how have you been settling in?

It's been brilliant, everyone has been so kind and so nice, and been embraced by the Bailey family - I’ve been blessed.   

We were so excited to see that Dee-Dee is now in the solicitor's office. What kind of solicitor do you think she will be? We've had Adam, Todd, and Imran be a bit shady in that office in the past! Do you think Dee-Dee could head in that direction? 

I think she will give the solicitors a bit of a better rep. All about justice, all about helping people, which is why she got into law. I think it's gonna be hilarious to watch her interact with Adam, the juxtaposition of her chaos and his seriousness, and she is good at her job!

Dee-Dee now also has Alya as her Legal secretary. Will she be training her up? 

Absolutely, and we will see as we’ve already seen - they have a great partnership, and we can watch that relationship grow. I think it's exciting!. You've got two young women, both women of colour, front and centre! It's so fab to work with Sair (Khan) as well! 

******

Thank you Channique Sterling-Brown for that exclusive Corrie Blog chat. Keep following me and Sophie Williams for more content from our day at Weatherfield Precinct. Our exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes’ article is coming soon which delves into the nook and crannies of Weatherfield Precinct and will publish before the TV screen debut on January 13th 2023. 

I am @rybazoxo Keep following Coronation Street Blog for more Weatherfield Precinct content, over Christmas and into 2023  

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Sair Khan leaves I'm a Celebrity jungle

Sair Khan, the Leeds-born actress who plays Coronation Street's Alya Nazir, has been voted out of ITV's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. 

Sair entered the jungle two weeks ago and endured a sliming, a Bush Tucker trial, and the Sickening Sewer.

She's become the third celeb to leave the jungle, following presenter Noel Edmonds and Hollyoaks actor Malique Thompson-Dwyer.

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!  
 

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Tonight: Corrie's Sair Khan joins celebrity jungle show

Sair Khan has played Alya Nasir for nearly five years on Coronation Street, but now she’s looking forward to using the Jungle experience to show how different she is away from the cobbles.

“My gut feeling was telling me ‘yes’ straight away when they approached me,” says Sair. “And now I’m about to go on I’m A Celebrity, I still can’t believe it! I do think I’m still numb and I probably won’t believe it’s happening until I walk into Camp.”

Revealing she’s used to roughing it as a seasoned festival-goer at Glastonbury, Sair is determined to try her hardest in the Trials. She says: “I don’t want to be locked in a coffin in the dark or be in those water rising Trials, but I will definitely give it a go.”

Sair reveals she isn’t the type to take centre stage and she’ll be happy to let any Celebrities with big personalities come to the forefront. “I’m not a very big personality and I’m happy to sit back. But I don’t like bullies and I won’t stand for it. If I snap, then they will face my wrath!”

Would she like to win? “There’s no chance I am going to win whatsoever,” she replies, smiling as she does. “I don’t think it’s about the winning. Just to be able to do those amazing trials is winning to me. This is a chance to do something different.”

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!  

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Sair Khan arrives in Australia for I'm a Celebrity jungle show

Sair Khan, who plays Alya Nazir in Coronation Street, has been confirmed now as one of the contestants for reality TV show I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here.

Sair has now landed in Australia and there are pictures in the tabloids.

Sair will be following in the jungle footsteps of some of her Coronation Street cast mates. Previous Corrie cast members who have been involved in the show include Antony Cotton (Sean Tully), Jennie McAlpine (Fiz Stape) and Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster).

The new series starts on Sunday November 18.  It's one of the telly highlights of my year, and I love the show so I'm really looking forward to this!

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook 

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Sair Khan joining I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here?

Coronation Street's Sair Khan, who plays Alya Nazir, is one of the telly celebs rumoured to be joining the new series of reality jungle show, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

If it's true, Sair will be following in the jungle footsteps of some of her Coronation Street cast mates. Previous Corrie cast members who have been involved in the show include Antony Cotton (Sean Tully), Jennie McAlpine (Fiz Stape) and Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster).

The new series starts on Sunday November 18.  It's one of the telly highlights of my year, and I love the show so I'm really looking forward to this!

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook 

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Corrie Press Day; Sair Khan talks about Alya V Carla - '4 years in the making'

Location - Coronation Street Studios, ITV, Salford Quays.

Date - 13/06/2018

So here I am then. Trundling along Salford Quays and heading towards ITV Coronation Street studios, it hasn't quite sunk in. I'm here on behalf of the Coronation Street blog to attend the PRESS DAY 'round table' event.

Walking up to reception, I tell them my name and where I'm from, and they let me in. Yes me!. The first thing I notice is the new 'Victoria Street' Set. It's immediately on your right as you walk in, I take a cheeky look and see 'Tattoo'll do nicely', the 'Co-Op' and Weatherfield North tram stop!!. It looks smaller than on screen but it's an impressive addition.

Heading towards reception area, its a busy bustling day on set. Hardly surprising then that various cast members are going to and from 'work', my eyes must have been on stalks!. I see Simon Gregson chatting to Richard Hawley (Steve McDonald and Johnny Connor) and then (as I'm signed in on reception desk) Sue Nicholls (AKA Audrey Roberts) cheerily strolls into the building. AUDREY ROBERTS!. Whilst sat in the waiting area, various crew members breeze in and out. Is that a writer? producer? set-builder?. I've never been on a film set but why would I need to. This is THE set of Coronation Street. I look round in absolute awe and genuine wonder. A true corrie nerd 'cobbles connoisseur' and a budding 'corrieologist', for me, this is the pinnacle of fandom.

Escorted to the 'hub', the journos and me are treated to a gorgeous delicatessen style light lunch (cheers ITV), copious amounts of coffee and water (trendy branded ITV mugs of course) and it's down to business to 'interview' the cast.

First up, is Sair Khan (AKA Alya Nazir).

Slightly blinded by her obvious beauty, I click 'record' on my mobile phone, (Fleet Street all have dictaphones resting on a table in front of Sair)  and we're ready to discuss Alya taking over the helm (or hem) at Underworld.

'This is 4 years in the making' beams the charming Sair 'but her drive and ambition, that's always been there, has been dampened by all the deaths. But now she's been given this opportunity'.

We are of course taking about Alya's recent discovery that Aidan left Underworld to her in his will. A fight with the Connors and most notably Corrie alpha-female, Carla Connor, is surely on the cards.

Can Alya really run the factory?

'Yes she's intelligent, although she has made a few mistakes, she was running the business with Aidan before Carla came back on the scene'

Do you enjoy the recent argument scenes with Ali King (AKA Carla Connor)?.

'Any scene with Ali King is a pleasure' she continues ' shes's so brilliant, they were scary, I'm not going to lie' she laughs ' my adrenaline was on an all-time high, I was shaking after those scenes and it took me a while to calm down after it'

Has Alya been affected by Aidan's death?

'I think Aidan's death was a turning point for her. When her Dad died and Luke died, it really put her on a downward spiral' she continues 'she got so lost and so dark and didn't know how to come out of it. Yet with Aidan, she realised she needs to come out of that and move forward. The contents of Aidan's Will, will help her do that'.

'Aidan and Alya had a shared vision for Underworld, she would like to continue that legacy'

Carla has the weight of the Connors behind her, does Alya have allies in this factory battle e.g Imran, Yasmeen, etc?

'Yes, she does have the support of everyone else. When she sees the will she doesn't know what to do. Imran is the driving force behind her really taking ownership of it but the factory staff are less supportive to start with, she certainly cracks the whip'

This is the first article in a short series of Corrie Press Day blog posts. I was in the presence of several cast members discussing the summer schedule of storylines and have plenty of exciting interviews to publish!!

Keep your eyes peeled on the @CoroStreetBlog for more of the same.

If you like light banter, books, Music, & Corrie, follow me on twitter @rybazoxo





Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License