Vicky Entwistle is leaving the show after 14 years as Janice Battersby

[tammyy2j]

Where did the bin man go ??????

[Perdita]

To Wales, if I remember correctly. Glad he is coming back for her, nice to see a happy ending for a character for a change

[Perdita]

Coronation Street's Vicky Entwistle, who played Janice Battersby in the soap, has been given a part as Snow White's evil stepmother in the pantomime Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.

The actress, who decided to leave the street after 14 years to pursue other acting projects, will play the Wicked Queen from Friday December 2 to Monday January 2 at Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson said of her leaving: "Vicky created a strong and uncompromising battleaxe with a heart of gold lurking underneath - in the true tradition of great Coronation Street women. She'll be missed by us all and we wish her well."

Entwistle will star alongside Steve Royle from BBC Radio Lancashire in the classic fairytale fantasy.

The rest of the all-star supporting cast is yet to be announced.

DS

[alan45]

Corrie star Vicky *Entwistle plans to ditch her *trademark gobby voice – so she can become a Shakespearean actress.
Vicky, who has just left the soap after 14 years as loudmouth factory girl Janice Battersby, has told friends she wants to take lessons to lose her distinctive Lancashire accent and move into posh theatre work.
She has signed up for a Christmas panto at the end of the year as the evil stepmother in Snow White but she fancies getting *involved in period roleseither on stage or on TV.
A Corrie source said: “Vicky was being *absolutely serious when she told *people about her intentions for life after the Street.
“She was adamant that she would love to do Shakespeare or period *characters but she also realised that would mean having to tone her voice down and lose the accent she has.

“Other people have done it, so why shouldn’t she?
“There were a few *eyebrows raised when people started discussing what she had been saying but that is *because her accent is so distinctive and everybody associates Vicky with that broad twang.”
Vicky, 42, who is married to former Corrie props man Andy Chapman and lives in the Lancashire *countryside, said farewell to the show last week with a knees-up at the replica Rovers Return on the Manchester set.
One of the guests at the party said: “We were a bit shocked to hear she fancied doing Shakespeare. Vicky is a bubbly, outgoing woman and it was just hard to imagine her all serious.”
Corrie fans will see battleaxe Janice bow out of Weatherfield later this month.
Announcing her decision to leave last year, Vicky said: “I have a *hankering to do other drama projects and if I don’t move on now I never will.”


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[alan45]

Should any one person be guilty of lowering the tone of the neighbourhood and even the property prices, then it has to be that loud-mouthed old mare Janice Battersby.

Since arriving in Weatherfield 14 years ago as part of the infamous "family from hell", the pint-swilling, stroppy and frequently violent machinist from Underworld has been one of Corrie's larger-than-life characters.

But with the factory struggling now that Frank has cancelled his order, her role as unofficial shop steward with a very large wooden spoon gets her into serious trouble.



For when boss Carla overhears her encouraging workmates Hayley, Julie, Eileen and Sean to go on strike, she's sacked. Left jobless and homeless, how fortunate that her old lodger Trev should turn up and offer to take her away to Europe on Friday.

But as Jan says a final goodbye to Leanne, locals can be sure of one thing.

Weatherfield will be a much quieter place without her.

[alan45]

Vicky Entwistle has admitted that she was emotional during her final days of filming at Coronation Street.

The actress shot her final scenes for the ITV1 soap last month and fans will see her outspoken character Janice Battersby depart the cobbles in tonight's double bill of the show.

Appearing on Loose Women today, Entwistle confirmed that saying goodbye to co-star Sally Dynevor (Sally Webster) and screen stepdaughter Jane Danson (Leanne Barlow) was particularly difficult.

She explained: "Somebody asked me, 'What was your last day of filming like? You must have been heartbroken.' Well, the thing is, it was the day before that I was heartbroken because that's when I had the scenes with Jane, where Janice is saying goodbye to Leanne and I was saying goodbye to her. That was hard."

Recalling her leaving party, she continued: "We had drinks and they had a big screen with all of the scenes that I'd done. They had all this food laid on for me, and my producer and the executive producer came and gave lovely speeches about me.

"I was really holding it together and doing well - I wasn't crying or anything, and then Jane Danson and Sally Dynevor got up and they started talking about me. Well, I just went to bits then! It was like, 'Oh God, get me out of here!'

"Jane could hardly speak and she was sobbing, and Sally said that she would look at the schedule that we get and when she saw my name on it, she knew she was going to have a good day."

Entwistle announced her decision to leave Corrie last August. She has appeared on the programme for 14 years.

[Perdita]

Former Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle has reflected on her decision to leave the cobbles, revealing that she is happy with life after soap.

The actress was seen bowing out from her role as Weatherfield's Janice Battersby back in March following a 14-year-stint on the programme.

Speaking about how she felt after departing the show, Entwistle told the Blackpool Gazette: "I missed it but I was pleased to find that there is life after the Street. It does take over your life and although it's a very happy programme to be involved with, there comes a time when you want more than learning a new script almost every day.

"I went to drama school and learned different things. I needed to prove to myself again - and the rest of the world - that I could still do them. I wanted to show that there was more to me than Janice.

"I couldn't have done it for that long if I hadn't enjoyed it, but I started in it when I was 28 and finished when I was 42 - and in that time I'd moved three times, got married and got two dogs. It came to the stage where I didn't want to look back and start regretting what I might have done."

As reported earlier this year, the soap star is to appear as the Wicked Queen in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Blackpool's Grand Theatre over Christmas.

Entwistle told the newspaper that she is hoping to portray "strong women who have something to say" once her pantomime stint is over.

[alan45]

There's a good interview in this week's fab Inside Soap magazine with Vicky Entwistle, who played Janice Battersby. Unfortunately, the interview doesn't say that Vicky will be returning to Coronation Street any time soon, but she does give her verdict on newcomer St Ella, Leanne's mum on Corrie.

Vicky says: "Janice would want to knock Stella out! But you know what soap is like, they'd become buddies and go down the bingo together!".

Vicky is currently appearing on stage in the touring comedy Funny Peculiar alongside another ex-Corrie actor Craig Gazey, who played Graeme Proctor.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street bosses have denied tabloid rumours that Janice Battersby is heading back to the cobbles.

A report in the Daily Star Sunday today (August 31) claims that Vicky Entwistle is being lined up for a comeback as the outspoken character, who was last seen on screen in March 2011.

Vicky Entwistle appears on 'Loose Women'
© Rex Features / Ken McKay
Vicky Entwistle

While Janice still has connections to Weatherfield as her stepdaughter Leanne remains in the area, Digital Spy can confirm that the character is not returning.

A Coronation Street spokesperson told DS this morning: "There are absolutely no plans for Janice to return at the moment."

Rumours of a return for Janice were sparked after Corrie's producer Stuart Blackburn recently told Digital Spy that he is planning to bring back a popular face from the past.

He explained earlier this month: "I won't say who yet as it's still to be signed, sealed and delivered, but we do have plans.

"Our policy on returning characters is that we'll only do it when it's important for story. Returns can be overdone and we wouldn't just do it to grab a few headlines, but we'll do it when it's right to. The character who is returning will be back on screen early next year."

DS understands that plans are still afoot for the return but the mystery character in question is not Janice.

[TaintedLove]

Good....I never did like Janice