Favourite Corrie couples countdown - ninth poll

Hello all! Now, I hope you've voted in the seventh poll of ten because that is now officially closed. But you have until midnight next Monday to vote for two of your favourite couples in the eighth poll.

So, who's in our penultimate poll?

David Barlow and Irma Ogden/Barlow (1964-1968) – Irma was flattered by David’s interest in her and gladly accepted his marriage proposal. They had a quiet wedding, only for the whole street to turn up at their reception. David retired from football and they bought the Corner Shop in 1966. Irma later suffered a miscarriage. By 1968, David had grown tired of shop life and decided to return to football and was offered a place on an Australian team. The Barlows sold up and emigrated. Irma gave birth to Darren that year. Sadly, Irma returned alone in 1970 – both David and Darren had died in a car crash in Australia.

Ashley Peacock and Maxine Heavey/Peacock (1997, 1999-2003) – Although mismatched, they loved each other. After an on/off romance, they married in 1999. The marriage did have problems, like Maxine having problems getting pregnant by Ashley. While Ashley was having an operation, Maxine drunkenly spent the night with GP Matt Ramsden and fell pregnant. Joshua was born in 2001. Although angered that Matt was the father, Ashley brought Josh up as his own. By 2003, the Peacocks were happy but tragedy happened when Richard Hillman murdered Maxine after she interrupted him attacking Emily. Ashley was left a widower at 26.

David Platt and Kylie Turner/Platt (2011- ) – Gail and Audrey were shocked when David returned from Tenerife with Kylie in tow, saying they were engaged. They had a double wedding with Graeme and Xin that year and Kylie and David soon regained custody of Max. The couple had a happy period until David started pressurising Kylie to have a baby and they briefly split up. A fed up Kylie confided in Nick and they slept together, but agreed not to tell David. Kylie later fell pregnant and was worried who was the father. A few months later David found out and secretly sabotaged Nick’s business and when he confronted him, he nearly killed him in a van/lorry crash. David found out he was the father and hoped Nick wouldn’t remember. But he did and told Kylie. Since then, David and Kylie have separated as David tries to win her back.

Jack and Vera Duckworth (1979, 1981-2008) – One of Corrie’s most iconic couples who were a part of our lives for over 25 years. Jack was a layabout who liked nothing more than supping in the Rovers, while Vera was loud, brash and nosy. They made their mark on the street by installing stone cladding on No.9. Vera was elated when her father falsely told her the family was in the royal lineage and she put on airs and graces when she became Rovers landlady in 1995. During their time behind the bar, they shared many a classic moment like Vera’s attempt at seducing Jack or Jack pinching Betty’s bum. They moved out of the Rovers in 1999 and over the next few years they still bickered – be it over Vera’s decision to rename their house ‘The Old Rectory’ or Jack becoming a nude model. ‘Our Terry’ was also a point of debate between them. Sadly, the partnership ended with Vera’s death in 2008. Jack was lost without his little ‘swampduck’.

 
Jason Grimshaw and Sarah Platt/Grimshaw (2005-2007) – Although they had a schooldays fling, they embarked on a real relationship in 2005, after Jason was dumped by Violet Wilson. The relationship didn’t please Eileen or Gail as Sarah had already had a failed relationship with Jason’s brother Todd. Sarah’s insecurity about Jason’s relationship with Violet was an early problem with Sarah dumping him in the Rovers. But, determined to be with her, Jason proposed. The wedding is a disaster as Jason jumps through a toilet window. But they reconcile and despite David’s sabotaging and scheming, they marry on Halloween 2007. But by the end of the year, the marriage is over as Jason decides not to join Sarah and Bethany in Milan.

Have you got favourites in this five? Well, vote for two of them and we'll see where they'll be in the countdown! The poll closes at midnight on Monday, 6th of January.
 

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Exclusive: Tina O'Brien returning to Corrie - or not?

Over the silly season that was Christmas when the Coronation Street press office was closed for its holidays, a story ran in the press that Tina O'Brien was returning to Corrie as Sarah Grimshaw. The story said Sarah would be returning to Corrie with her daughter Bethany who would be 13 years old by now.  In fact, Bethany would turn 13 this June.

The Daily Mail went as far as reporting that Tina has signed a new contract.

Well, here at the Coronation Street Blog we've received confrmation that Tina has not been formally approached to return to Coronation Street and that the story about her return to Corrie which first appeared in The Mirror was nothing more than a rumour. 

And Tina O'Brien has now posted to twitter the following which confirms she hasn't been asked back to Coronation Street.  Shame, eh? I'd love to see her return.

Tina O'Brien ‏@tinaob

So a lot of peeps asking if I'm returning to corrie but I've only read it in paper like everyone else lol

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Sarah and Bethany to return to Corrie in the New Year?

There's a Coronation Street spoiler in today's Mirror that says Tina O’Brien will return in the New Year as Sarah Grimshaw.  She'll bring with her Bethany, who is now 13 years old.

The Mirror says that next year’s return is being masterminded by Corrie’s new producer Stuart Blackburn,who is taking over from Phil Collinson.

 

This is interesting, I think, especially as we wondered here in this blog post about a shock storyline for the Platt clan whether Bethany and Sarah would be getting killed off.  Hmmm.... I wonder?

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Tina O'Brien: "I'd love to return to Corrie"

There's a long interview in today's Mirror with Tina O'Brien, best known to us Coronation Street fans as Sarah-Lou(ise) Platt or the more recent Mrs Sarah Grimshaw.

Tina talks about her split from her Corrie co-star husband Ryan Thomas (who plays Jason Grimshaw) and says their relationship is friendly now, they get on well and share custody of Scarlett.

She explains: “There are times when it’s been quite difficult but I’m really fortunate to have my mum and dad and a brilliant family around me. And Ryan is unbelievably hands-on too, and she just loves being with him. He’s brilliant. Things are good. We have found a really nice way of doing things and Scarlett is really happy, which has always been the most important thing."

Last year there were rumours that she and Nikki Sanderson, who played Candice Stowe, were being offered big money to return to Coronation Street. Tina tells the Mirror: “I was never approached so I think that was just speculation. They did ask me back once, but I’d just signed to do Waterloo Road so there was no way I could. I had the best eight years ever on Corrie, I loved it. But I had been there since I left high school at 16 and felt I had to go. It was all I’d known and I had to get out and experience the big wide world.

“But now that I’m older, yes, I would LOVE the opportunity to go back one day.

"Sometimes I think they could bring Sarah-Lou back but with a different face, played by someone else. That happens – but it would be awful!”

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Corrie boss wants return for Sarah and Candice

I love Sunday tabloid tales about Coronation Street, don't you?. Today's Daily Star says that Corrie producer Phil Collinson is going to 'lure' Tina O’Brien and Nikki Sanderson back to the cobbles as Sarah Grimshaw and Candice Stowe. 

A source close to Collinson told the paper that Phil Collinson is "aware that Sarah-Lou and Candice were hugely popular characters. He thinks it would be a ratings winner to bring them back. Losing Katherine (Kelly) and Helen (Flanagan) is a big blow to the show so Phil wants to beef things up a bit with the return of a couple of big names. He hasn’t even spoken to them about returning yet because he wants to go in armed with a big deal that they can’t say no to. Luckily, ITV have every faith in him and have handed him an open cheque book to lure whoever he thinks will be good for the show.”

Collinson is also leaving the door open for both Helen, 21, who plays Rosie Webster, and Katherine, 31, (Becky McDonald) to return.

But one cast member may not be too happy at Tina’s proposed return – her ex Ryan Thomas. The couple split two years ago after a series of rows and they now share custody of their daughter Scarlet.

Anyone actually want either Sarah or Candice back in Weatherfield?

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 2004

Day 44 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

Maya Sharma had first appeared as the lawyer advising Roy and Hayley Cropper about their rights over Tracy Barlow’s baby, Amy, when they’d been convinced by Tracy that Roy was the father. Coming across as a foxy smart lawyer, it slowly became clear that she was rather unstable and when she was dumped by Dev Alahan in favour of shop assistant Sunita Parekh, the full extent of her craziness was unleashed. She married six illegal immigrants in Sunita’s name and then ruined her real wedding to Dev by arranging for her to be arrested at the reception. Maya was rumbled and arrested but while out on bail she hatched a bigger and much more disruptive plan to get her own back on the happy couple.

First she blew up some of Dev’s shops and as he raced round Greater Manchester watching his empire go up in flames, she kidnapped Sunita and tied her up in the flat above the corner shop on Coronation Street. Dev tracked his wife down but before he can release her Maya clubbed him unconscious and he ended up bound and gagged as well. She kept them there overnight and the following morning she turned on the gas on the cooker before heading down to the shop where she built a bonfire and lit it using one of their wedding photos. She made her escape but the neighbours were soon alerted to the fire and Ciaran and Charlie managed to save the Alahans before the corner shop exploded. Maya had watched all the commotion from the safety of her car and on seeing that Sunita is safe, sped towards her and the other residents gathered on the cobbles. They all managed to get out of the way and Maya crashed her car into a wall but she still wasn’t beaten. When she came round she had another go at Sunita by reversing towards her but was hit by a truck and crushed against the wall. She managed to survive this final crash but by now the police had arrived and after a spell in intensive care she was sent for trial.

As the arrival of his first – and Sarah Platt’s second – child approached, Todd Grimshaw’s life started to unravel. Having already kissed Sarah’s brother Nick, Todd started a full-blown affair with nurse Karl Foster, though he couldn’t bring himself to end his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend even when Katy Harris threatened to blow the whistle. When the truth finally came out, Sarah was naturally devastated, Todd’s brother Jason was uncomfortable and confused (when isn’t he) and Gail was disgusted. Gail went to confront Eileen and after a doorstep confrontation it spilled out onto the Street with Eileen slapping Gail, Gail pulling Eileen’s hair and the pair of them wrestling on the cobbles while gob-smacked neighbours looked on. Todd was now very publicly out of the closet. Sarah went on to give birth 9 weeks prematurely and the baby, Billy, died.

Also in 2004: Amy Barlow is born; Claire Casey and Ashley Peacock have a Christmas wedding; Steve and Karen MacDonald remarry; Barlows play happy families on TV; Tracy sells Amy to the Croppers who call her Patience; Danny, Frankie, Jamie and Warren Baldwin make their first appearance; Jack dresses as Ida Fagg for bowls match; Peter Kay makes a guest appearance as drayman Eric Gartside.

Tina O'Brien joins Strictly Come Dancing

According to the papers today, ex-Coronation Street actress Tina O'Brien, who played Sarah Grimshaw, is joining the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Let's hope she does better than last year's ex-Corrie cast member Craig Kelly (Luke Strong).

Ryan Thomas and Tina O'Brien split up

If the Sunday papers are to believed today, Tina O'Brien has thrown Ryan Thomas out of their flat. It's in all the papers and if the stories are true, the gist of it is that their split comes after Ryan was questioned by cops after crashing his car. The couple have a 13 month old daughter, Scarlett.

The Mirror says that Tina was being comforted by friends after the split, while Ryan is with pals in Amsterdam. And yesterday, apparantly, Tina updated her profile from 'In a relationship' to 'Single' on Facebook. Oh dear.

Tina O'Brien in TV lesbian drama

Tina O'Brien, who played Coronation Street's Sarah Grimshaw, will turn up next on TV as a lesbian. Tina will soon film her role in a BBC Two drama about the wealthy landowner and diarist Anne Lister, played by Maxine Peake.

Describing the role, Tina said: "It's based on a true story about a woman who wrote all these diaries in code - they decoded them and found out she was a bit of a saucy lesbian and I play one of her love interests."

Tina is also soon to launch a new campaign for household appliances brand Indesit. More here.

Tina O'Brien back on TV

Tina O'Brien, who played Coronation Street's Sarah Grimshaw, is back on TV next week in an episode of Blue Murder on Monday 28th Sep at 9pm on ITV1.

Interviewed by Ian Wylie at the Manchester Evening News, Tina says that she might return to Coronation Street one day, but not just yet. She does say that she feels very lucky that they didn’t kill Sarah off. Read it all here.