Coronation Street fans, can you remember the time that Mel B appeared in the show before hitting the big time with the Spice Girls? Did you know that Oscar winner Ben 'Gandhi' Kingsley also hit the cobbles in 1966?

It doesn't stop there: June Brown - aka EastEnders legend Dot Cotton - was originally a Corrie actress. One Girls Aloud member made it onto the cast, while another auditioned but was rejected.

And don't get us started on Gandalf secretly preferring Weatherfield to Middle-earth.

To celebrate Corrie turning 55 today, Digital Spy has compiled 11 brain-popping facts about the long-running show. Watch the video above for a fast-paced look at 55 years of fascinating trivia and A-lister appearances.



http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coro...bout-the-soap/