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Coronation Street legend Blanche Hunt is to get an on-screen send-off after the much-loved character passes away, it has been announced.
Producers' plans for Blanche had remained uncertain after actress Maggie Jones, who played the Weatherfield battleaxe from 1974, died last month following a period of ill health.
Speaking on This Morning today, the soap's leading producer Kim Crowther confirmed that Blanche will get an on-screen funeral later this year. The occasion will see the comeback of Kate Ford in the role of Blanche's twisted granddaughter Tracy Barlow.
Crowther explained: "Blanche's death seemed the perfect opportunity to introduce [Tracy] back to the show, as she is released from prison especially to attend the funeral and allowed say goodbye to her grandmother. This won't be the last we see of Tracy though - she is set to share a cell with a well-known character - who could it be?"
Blanche's absence from screens has so far been explained by an extended break in Portugal with a friend.
Jones's funeral took place at a church in London on December 15.
I'd like to see a big deal made of Blanche's funeral as a tribute to Maggie Jones.
I am sure they will, they tend to be quite sensitive and caring when it comes to on-screen funerals for actors that have passed away
tammyy2j
11-01-2010, 15:38
At least Tracey (Kate Ford) is back for the funeral
I heard about this, and when it come's on i will watch it. Kim Crowther did say that it would be everythng "Sad, touching and a bit of fun" so looking forward to it.And hopefully a fitting tribute to Maggie Jones.
LostVoodoo
11-01-2010, 19:39
it'll be great, plus Blanche loved a good funeral
I hope we see lots of people from the 1 o'clock club :D
This is going to be really sad
Hannelene
17-01-2010, 13:56
Tracy will be upset as Blanche did so much for her!
CORONATION Street legend Maggie Jones will be remembered at a public memorial service next week.
The actress, who played acid-tongued Blanche Hunt, died in December aged 75.
Filming will be suspended to allow soap cast and crew to go to Salford Cathedral on Thursday at 2pm.
William Roache - who plays her onscreen son-in-law Ken Barlow - will give an address.
Corrie producer Kim Crowther said: "This is not just for the people who worked with her and knew her well, but also for the public who adored her."
In the soap Blanche is staying in Portugal. Viewers will hear of her death in May.
The Sun
Earlier this month, Coronation Street began filming scenes for Blanche's funeral, due to transmit in early May.
At the end of last week, Roy Hudd returned to the soap's set in Manchester to reprise his role as undertaker Archie Shuttleworth.
Kate Ford also returns as murderer Tracy Barlow for her screen gran's funeral, while June Whitfield will make an appearance as Blanche's friend May.
JAILBIRD Tracy Barlow makes a dramatic return to Corrie for Blanche's funeral - handcuffed to a prison warden.
Killer Tracy, played by Kate Ford, is granted release to pay tribute to her sharp-tongued grandmother in scenes to air later this year.
But the mum - who was convicted of knocking off her lover Charlie Stubbs - spots her daughter Amy (Amber Chadwick) and attempts to make a break to get her.
Mum Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) and the warden try to hold her back as she looks on in horror as her ex Steve's (Simon Gregson) new wife Becky (Katherine Kelly) cuddles up to the six-year-old.
The scenes are set to pave the way for Tracy's return to the ITV1 soap.
After getting a taste for freedom at the funeral, she plots to stitch up her new cell-mate Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth) for the murder of her husband Joe (Reece Dinsdale) in exchange for her early release.
Witty Blanche's send-off was devised after veteran Maggie Jones, who played her, died following a short break from the show last December.
Her on-screen son-in-law Ken Barlow (William Roache), step-grandson Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne), Roy Cropper (David Neilson) and Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) are all pallbearers in the upcoming scenes.
In 2007 Tracy was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for murder.
Telly legend June Whitfield will join the soap as Blanche's friend May who she was said to be staying with in Portugal before her death.
Corrie regular Archie Shuttleworth (Roy Hudd) is also back as the undertaker.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/2904352/Killer-Tracy-Barlow-back-for-funeral.html#ixzz0j2amTkES
JAILBIRD Tracy Barlow flies at Becky McDonald during a foul-mouthed clash at Blanche’s funeral.
The pair scream at each other as killer Tracy (Kate Ford, 32) gets an attack of the green-eyed monster watching daughter Amy cosy up to new stepmum Becky.
Tracy is released for a day to attend Blanche’s funeral, but is more interested in giving her rival Becky (Katherine Kelly, 30) a good slapping than she is in grieving for her grandmother.
She breaks away from her prison escort and dashes to where Becky is standing and flies at her.
Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson, 33,) and the warder struggle to hold the warring women apart and they all end up tumbling to the ground.
Coronation Street stars were reportedly baffled when they heard snoring as they filmed a scene for Blanche Hunt's funeral.
According to The Mirror, the cast noticed the noise after Anne Kirkbride stood up and started giving a speech in character as Blanche's daughter Deirdre for the ceremony.
Filming for the funeral has been taking place in recent weeks as a tribute to the character of Blanche, who was played by late actress Maggie Jones.
After hearing the snoring during shooting this week, it is thought that Weatherfield's regulars soon discovered that Malcolm Hebden, who plays busybody Norris Cole, was the source of the sound.
Kirkbride apparently then hugged her noisy co-star and said: "That's typical Maggie - she'll be looking down on us!"
A Coronation Street source said: "Anne laughed her head off. The snoring had been a mystery."
Blanche's send-off will air on the soap in May. In real life, Maggie Jones died in December following a period of ill health.
Tracey handcuffed to a warden at the funeral
She's not looking very happy. Is it because it's Blanche's funeral, or something else I wonder? Maybe she's just seen Amy with Becky.
Guess it is before she has a cat fight with Becky
Chris_2k11
26-03-2010, 17:05
How does she manage to have a fight with Becky when shes handcuffed to the prison escort?
might be a verbal fight rather than physical
NNE Kirkbride proves she's the joker in the BACK - as she pretends to be struck by a spine spasm while filming her on-screen mum's funeral.
The Corrie legend's clowning was a world away from her miserable character Deirdre Barlow, as she winced in pretend pain and fell over surrounded by her giggling colleagues.
And it lightened the mood of the cast's sad task in filming Blanche Hunt's funeral. Maggie Jones, who had played Blanche since 1974, died just four months ago, aged 75.
In the soap Blanche's family were told she is in Portugal with pals, but they are soon to be given the tragic news of her death.
And insiders said filming the service, due to be screened in May, was very emotional for the cast.
One added: "It was nice that Anne gave them all a laugh. It's exactly what Maggie would have wanted."
Coronation Street star Bill Roache has admitted that he found it difficult to film Blanche Hunt's forthcoming death storyline.
Later this year, the Barlow family will be told that Blanche - who is currently enjoying a holiday in Portugal with a friend - has passed away. Viewers will then see a screen funeral for the Weatherfield favourite.
While filming the emotional scenes, Roache - who plays the battleaxe's son-in-law Ken Barlow - and his co-stars were busy preparing for a public memorial service held to celebrate the life of Blanche actress Maggie Jones.
Speaking to PA, Roache commented: "What was quite bizarre was that on screen we were doing the death of Blanche and then we had to break off and do the memorial service for Maggie.
"It really got very complex. I have never had a confusion of reality and non-reality before and it was really upsetting for a lot of us.
"You didn't know what you were upset about either, you were losing the actor, a friend, a colleague and the character."
Jones passed away in December following a period of ill health. She was 75.
CORONATION STREET veteran Bill Roache has spoken of his torment over pal Maggie Jones's death - and the pain of re-living her funeral on screen.
He admitted it was "confusing and upsetting" filming battleaxe Blanche Hunt's send-off at about the same time as the actress's real-life memorial.
Soap legend Bill, who has played Ken Barlow for half a century, said: "It really got very complex. I have never had a confusion of reality and non-reality before and it was really upsetting for a lot of us." Many cast members felt like they were mourning the actress twice, the 77-year-old added.
Tribute ... Maggie Jones
Describing the sombre mood on set, he explained: "What was quite bizarre was that on-screen we were doing the death of Blanche and then we had to break off and do the memorial service for Maggie. You didn't know what you were upset about - you were losing the actor, a friend, a colleague and the character." Maggie, who had played Blanche on and off since 1974, died in December aged 75.
Bill had become close to the actress, who played his on-screen mum-in-law, and he led the tributes when he attended her memorial service in February with Corrie colleague Anne Kirkbride.
Memorial ... Bill Roache and Anne Kirkbride
During the emotional ceremony - which was open to fans - he described Maggie as a "unique and truly wonderful" actress, before reciting some of Blanche's best one-liners.
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Blanche's absence from the cobbles was originally explained by a holiday in Portugal, where she was said to be with a pal.
Earlier this year it was announced that telly legend June Whitfield was to be drafted in to play the friend, who breaks the news that Blanche had died.
The funeral scenes have been filmed over the past few weeks, but work has had to be halted several times as cast members broke down.
Tearful Anne, who plays Blanche's daughter Deirdre Barlow, had to be comforted on set last week as she remembered her pal.
The funeral scenes are to air in May.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/2914185/Bill-Roaches-pain-over-death-of-Maggie-Jones.html#ixzz0ji4nXK1J
Coronation Street fans will hear Blanche Hunt's voice one last time in the Weatherfield favourite's funeral episode, it has been revealed.
The acid-tongued battleaxe is to get an on-screen send-off later this year after passing away during a holiday in Portugal.
Speaking to Toronto's Star newspaper, Katherine Kelly - who plays Becky McDonald on the soap - explained that the emotional storyline was created "so people can say goodbye to the character".
She added: "The brilliant writers have found a very clever way of getting her voice into the episode."
Meanwhile, Antony Cotton (Sean Tully), who was also interviewed by the publication, paid tribute to the late Blanche actress Maggie Jones. Jones died last December following a period of ill health.
Cotton said: "She's irreplaceable and was universally adored by the public and also the cast and crew. She was part of the furniture."
Coronation Street star Kate Ford has admitted that she tried to switch off her real-life emotions when she filmed her screen grandmother Blanche Hunt's funeral scenes.
The actress's jailed character Tracy Barlow will feature in the soap for the first time in three years next month when she is granted day release to pay her last respects to the Weatherfield battleaxe.
Blanche's death storyline was created by the serial's producers after Maggie Jones, who played the character from 1974, passed away following a period of ill health.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Ford explained: "I went to Maggie's funeral in London - that was beautiful. But for me, personally, I had to not think about Maggie when it was Blanche's funeral because that would have been too hard to get through the day.
"It was difficult because the photograph of Blanche was on the front of the coffin, which is obviously Maggie, and she's passed away. It was hard but I just tried to separate the two things."
Paying tribute to her former co-star, she added: "Maggie was just so dry and she had such a naughty sense of humour. I was quite shocked sometimes by some of the things that she would say. But she was really good fun. You could not forget Maggie. She had such spirit. And such a good actress as well."
Kate Ford returns to Coronation Street as superbitch Tracy Barlow in a fortnight, just in time for her gran Blanche's funeral.
Despite the occasion, though, her comeback is far from a civilised affair...
Having persuaded the prison governor to allow her day release for Blanche's ceremony, Tracy rocks up at the church cuffed to a prison guard. However, when she spots her daughter Amy playing happy families with Steve and Becky, she hits the roof - especially when Amy reveals that she's officially becoming a McDonald.
As Tracy and Becky lock horns, fists fly and insults are exchanged until the prison guard breaks them up and carts Tracy back to the nick.
Realising that she needs to find a way out of prison in order to be with her daughter, Tracy's mind goes into overdrive as she begins to concoct a plan.
DS
These scenes air on Monday, May 10 at 7.30pm on ITV1.
LostVoodoo
25-04-2010, 13:41
lol, only Becky would wear a leopard print puffa jacket to a funeral.
glad to know it's soon though, feel like we have been talking about this forever! ooh look and Amy Barlow has her new head, hurrah.
ITV is to screen a special documentary paying tribute to Coronation Street favourite Blanche Hunt, it has been announced.
The programme, titled Goodbye Blanche, will air next month to accompany the Weatherfield battleaxe's screen funeral.
Loose Women star and former Corrie actress Denise Welch will narrate the special, which is expected to feature clips of Blanche's best bits and funniest one-liners.
William Roache (Ken Barlow), Anne Kirkbride (Deirdre Barlow), Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) and Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby) are among the cast members who will provide contributions to the show.
Fans will see the Barlow family learning of the much-loved character's passing in an episode which airs next week. The storyline was devised by bosses following the death of Blanche actress Maggie Jones last December.
With her blunt put-downs and witty one-liners, acid-tongued pensioner Blanche Hunt was one of Coronation Street’s most loved characters, entertaining millions as she gossiped about her neighbours.
The death of actress Maggie Jones, who had been playing Blanche since 1974, saddened both her fans and the people she worked with. Now the half-hour special, Goodbye Blanche, pays tribute to the actress who established Blanche as the ultimate mother-in-law from hell.
Narrated by Denise Welch, the documentary looks back over the Blanche’s life, showing clips of her best moments, including her delight at Ken’s failures and her outrageously snide remarks at daughter Deirdre’s disastrous personal life.
Friends and Coronation Street colleagues, including William Roache, Anne Kirkbride, Chris Gascoyne, Jane Danson, Sue Nichols, Malcolm Hebden and David Neilson also pay tribute to the work of Maggie Jones.
Goodbye Blanche is produced and directed by Sarah Cain. The executive producer is Mark Robinson.
Goodbye Blanche is being aired Monday, 10 May, 8.00PM - 8.30 PM
I'm looking forward to seeing Blanche's best moments.
Kate Ford has claimed that her Coronation Street character Tracy Barlow will be "angrier than ever".
The 32-year-old actress insisted that her murderous alter ego will always struggle to love anyone else other than herself.
She told Radio Times: "If anything, she's got worse. She's been dwelling on things and is angrier than ever. Tracy thinks she doesn't have the life she deserves and it enrages her.
"If she was happy - if she loved someone or had any friends - she'd be a different person. But she'll never have that. Tracy's stuck in a terrible trap of her own making."
Ford, who signed up for a Weatherfield comeback earlier this year, will make her on-screen return later this month for Blanche's funeral.
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