Sue Johnston - Gloria Price

[Perdita]

ROYLE Family actress Sue Johnston is poised to ditch her slob screen hubby and take a new mumsy role — in the Rovers

Coronation Street chiefs want her to join the soap as landlady Stella's mother.

Sue, 68 — long-suffering wife of Jim Royle in the BBC comedy starring Ricky Tomlinson — was last night said to be "keen" to sign up.

A Corrie insider said: "Everyone is thrilled. She's a brilliant actress. We can't wait to have a member of the Royle Family walking down those famous cobbles and enjoying a drink in the Rovers."

The move would mark a return to the ITV1 show after telly veteran Sue had a cameo role for a handful of episodes playing bookie Sammy Chadwick's wife in the early 1980s.

She went on to find fame in rival soap Brookside, playing Sheila Grant for eight years. Her role as stoic Barbara in The Royle Family won a new generation of fans.

The source said: "Sue would be a perfect addition to Weatherfield.

"She is the only person we are talking to about the role.

"She is keen and we're keen so it should hopefully be a done deal very soon."

The Sun

[alan45]

This mornings story from The Sun that had a rumour in it saying*ex-Brookside actress and Royle Family regular Sue Johnston might be joining Corrie as Stella Price's mum.*

Well, that remains a rumour but what we can confirm is that Corrie are definitely casting for an actress to play Stella's mum on Coronation Street.

A Corrie spokeswoman said today: "We are currently looking to cast Stella's mum. We would never comment on who we may or may not be interested in for any role."

Let's hope whoever it is is only coming for St. Ella's funeral

[Siobhan]

moving to rumour mill until all it confirmed

[tammyy2j]

This mornings story from The Sun that had a rumour in it saying*ex-Brookside actress and Royle Family regular Sue Johnston might be joining Corrie as Stella Price's mum.*

Well, that remains a rumour but what we can confirm is that Corrie are definitely casting for an actress to play Stella's mum on Coronation Street.

A Corrie spokeswoman said today: "We are currently looking to cast Stella's mum. We would never comment on who we may or may not be interested in for any role."

Let's hope whoever it is is only coming for St. Ella's funeral

I'd say Alan you'd like it to be Babs Windsor

[alan45]

Yes then I could decide which of them is the worst actor. I would live to hear the poison dwarf attempt an accent other than the cockney twang for which she has become synonymous

[LizzyBizzy]

I'm expecting Barbara Windsor to be rolled out as some sort of Carry On Olympics ambassador.

[alan45]

I'm expecting Barbara Windsor to be rolled out as some sort of Carry On Olympics ambassador.

Well she is a National Tweasure. apparently

[Perdita]

Coronation Street boss Phil Collinson has confirmed that The Royle Family star Sue Johnston is joining the soap in the role of Stella Price's mother.

The show's producer announced the news on This Morning today (April 2), promising that Johnston's character Gloria will cause a stir on the cobbles.


© PA Images / Fiona Hanson/PA Wire

© ITV


Collinson commented: "I'm very excited to be able to tell you that Sue Johnston is going to be joining the Coronation Street cast. She starts recording with us in a couple of weeks, and she'll be on screen in June.

"She's going to play Gloria Price - Stella's mum, and Leanne and Eva's grandma. A very vivid, brilliant character, I think - already from what I'm reading in the scripts.

"She's feisty, brilliant - she comes over from Spain, where she's been running a bar, so she's perma-tanned! She's a terrifying, domineering, overbearing mother, so there's going to be sparks flying."

Gloria's debut episode will see her arrive in Weatherfield unannounced, telling Stella (Michelle Collins) that she only plans to stay for a short time. However, she is still around months later - leaving Stella suspicious over what her mum has been up to abroad and why she isn't returning.




A Coronation Street statement teased: "It soon becomes clear that Gloria has been economical with the truth and the sparks fly between her and her daughter.

"And the ladies of Weatherfield soon discover that they will have to keep an eye on their men, as she sets her sights on Dennis and Lewis.

"Larger than life, ballsy and outspoken, Gloria will be in the great tradition of strong Weatherfield women who don't take no for an answer and live life to the full."

Johnston's extensive CV includes her roles as Brookside's Sheila Grant and The Royle Family's Barbara Royle.

[Dazzle]

This is great news, and I'm interested to read that Lewis will still be around in June.

[alan45]

Well folks, here she is in all her glory - it's Gloria, the new cast addition to Coronation Street. Gloria is played by actress Sue Johnston and the official Coronation Street website at itv.com has the first pic of her filming on the cobbles.

The official Corrie site reports that Sue started filming on Thursday 26th April, as Gloria arrived outside the Rovers Return. But from the expression on Stella's face, her unexpected appearance may be far from welcome.

They reveal that Gloria is set to be thrown into the middle of Stella and Karl's marriage crisis, after returning from Spain where she has been running a bar. But it soon becomes clear that Gloria has also been economical with the truth and the sparks will fly between her and her daughter Stella, following Gloria's arrival on screen in June.