View Full Version : Cilla Battersby-Brown
DaVeyWaVey
18-01-2007, 18:06
Coronation Street actress Wendi Peters is to quit the show after four years.
The 38-year-old – who plays loudmouth mother-from-hell Cilla Battersby-Brown – informed executive producer Steve Frost of her decision to leave at the end of last year.
The soap's writing team are now in the process of working on a dramatic exit storyline for the character.
Of her decision to call time on her role, Wendi said: "I've had a brilliant four years at Coronation Street. It's been filled with wonderful experiences and great opportunities.
"I feel very privileged to have been given the fantastic character of Cilla and I shall really miss her. I'm looking forward to spending a bit more time with my family and pursuing and working on other projects."
Steve Frost commented: "Wendi is a valued member of the cast and she has made the character of Cilla one of the most colourful and memorable characters in soap history.
"We totally understand her reasons for wanting to leave and are grateful that she has given us so much notice – this means that we can spend time writing an exit storyline which will do her and the character of Cilla justice."
Cilla will return to Weatherfield on Monday (Jan 22) from the trip of a lifetime after announcing to Les and the neighbours that she had duped them all over her claim that she was suffering from skin cancer.
Wendi currently commutes from Hertfordshire to Manchester to play Cilla and is "looking forward to combining new roles with spending more time with husband Kenny and daughter Gracie."
Cilla's final scenes on the cobbles are to air in the autumn.
Source: Digital Spy
Chris_2k11
18-01-2007, 18:55
Good riddance to panto Cilla! :cheer:
Good riddance to panto Cilla! :cheer:
I quite like her character. She is all the neighbours from hell rolled into one. I think her character is made up of a combination of people. Lets face it we all know someone like Cilla
parkerman
18-01-2007, 19:03
She'll be a great loss. Wendi Peters is a great actor and the character is just brilliant. Very sad.
CrazyLea
18-01-2007, 19:07
I love Cilla too. And I agree Wendi is great! Cilla is really funny. I will miss her :)
Chris_2k11
18-01-2007, 19:20
Good riddance to panto Cilla! :cheer:Lets face it we all know someone like CillaMaybe, but surely not to that extent alan!! :D
i like Cilla, and i really do know a few like her. I cant believe shes been in it for four years.
Richie_lecturer
18-01-2007, 23:33
Good riddance to panto Cilla! :cheer:Lets face it we all know someone like CillaMaybe, but surely not to that extent alan!! :D
Oh yes, I used to live on the same street as someone just like her. :eek:
Wendi will be missed, as she is very good at playing drama, and a bit of comedy. It's a shame the writers never delved into her past. I expect she will be taking Chesney Hawkes with her. "I am, the kid from Corrie..."
Chris_2k11
18-01-2007, 23:51
I just want to say that I do like the actress btw.. she seems very nice in real life but I just think she's played a bad character.
I just want to say that I do like the actress btw.. she seems very nice in real life but I just think she's played a bad character.
Have to disagree with you there. Yes there were some terrible panto moments last year, Deep Fried Turkey, the Bath Scene and the theft of the zimmer. The early storyline when she was trying to obtain ''compo'' for Chesney was sheer class and so typical of someone like Cilla. The recent cancer storyline has been good and Im looking forward to the aftermath of it when she returns from swimming with the dolphins
LostVoodoo
19-01-2007, 10:56
so do we think she'll be taking Chesney with her? i really don't think he'd want to go he loves the street and being with Fiz, Kirk and Les. i think they should get Cilla banged up for shoplifiting or something, if Bad Girls was still on i'd say put her character in there!
tammyy2j
19-01-2007, 10:57
She'll be a loss, Wendi Peters is a such a great actress and the character is very funny. Maybe Wendi's sister from Shameless (the bar owner) would join the cast?
Not all that sad to see her go, she's a character that Inever really took to.
Hopefully when she leaves Yana will become Les Batttersby's new live in love interest.
Footie_Chick
19-01-2007, 13:02
Lol, not sure how i feel about this, like her but then i don't if you get what i mean, hopefully her exit will be a good one.
DaVeyWaVey
13-07-2007, 20:46
This rumour is going round the Digital Spy forums currently surrounding Cilla's exit. Here it is:
Cilla takes a new job as a cleaner in a nursing home where she meets pensioner, frisky Frank. He's a wheelchair-bound millionaire and offers Cilla a full-time job as his carer, but only if she moves in with him. Cilla jumps at the offer, ditches Les and the kids and moves in with Frank. He'll be played by actor Keith Clifford, best known for his stint as Billy Hardcastle in Last of the Summer Wine. "Cilla poses provacatively and bends down in front of Frank to make sure he gets a bird's eye view of her bosom and bum. Frank is smitten".
This rumour is going round the Digital Spy forums currently surrounding Cilla's exit. Here it is:
Cilla takes a new job as a cleaner in a nursing home where she meets pensioner, frisky Frank. He's a wheelchair-bound millionaire and offers Cilla a full-time job as his carer, but only if she moves in with him. Cilla jumps at the offer, ditches Les and the kids and moves in with Frank. He'll be played by actor Keith Clifford, best known for his stint as Billy Hardcastle in Last of the Summer Wine. "Cilla poses provacatively and bends down in front of Frank to make sure he gets a bird's eye view of her bosom and bum. Frank is smitten".
DS and rumours go well together. \\\DS is really an EE fan club. Take all from it with a pinch of salt until its confirmed elsewhere
This rumour is going round the Digital Spy forums currently surrounding Cilla's exit. Here it is:
Cilla takes a new job as a cleaner in a nursing home where she meets pensioner, frisky Frank. He's a wheelchair-bound millionaire and offers Cilla a full-time job as his carer, but only if she moves in with him. Cilla jumps at the offer, ditches Les and the kids and moves in with Frank. He'll be played by actor Keith Clifford, best known for his stint as Billy Hardcastle in Last of the Summer Wine. "Cilla poses provacatively and bends down in front of Frank to make sure he gets a bird's eye view of her bosom and bum. Frank is smitten".
DS and rumours go well together. \\\DS is really an EE fan club. Take all from it with a pinch of salt until its confirmed elsewhere
it would fit well with cila's character though....i think this would be a great exit for her
This rumour is going round the Digital Spy forums currently surrounding Cilla's exit. Here it is:
Cilla takes a new job as a cleaner in a nursing home where she meets pensioner, frisky Frank. He's a wheelchair-bound millionaire and offers Cilla a full-time job as his carer, but only if she moves in with him. Cilla jumps at the offer, ditches Les and the kids and moves in with Frank. He'll be played by actor Keith Clifford, best known for his stint as Billy Hardcastle in Last of the Summer Wine. "Cilla poses provacatively and bends down in front of Frank to make sure he gets a bird's eye view of her bosom and bum. Frank is smitten".
DS and rumours go well together. DS is really an EE fan club. Take all from it with a pinch of salt until its confirmed elsewhere
it would fit well with cila's character though....i think this would be a great exit for herI agree. Cilla really doesnt care who she is with as long as they have a huge
Wallet:rotfl:
DaVeyWaVey
14-07-2007, 10:48
Out of all the carers the millionaire could choose from though, would he really choose Cilla?!
Chloe O'brien
14-07-2007, 23:18
I'll be surprised if the poor man doesn't have a heart attack looking at her boobs and bum. maybe she will take Les with her as they have to write in an exit for Les.
Sounds a bit Anna Nicole Smith!
tammyy2j
26-06-2014, 15:34
She could be making a return
Coronation Street bosses have announced that Wendi Peters is returning to the show as Fiz and Chesney's outrageous mother Cilla Battersby-Brown.
Cilla will be back on screen for a guest stint, appearing back in Weatherfield for six weeks from October.
While the full storyline details are being kept under wraps for now, Cilla's shock comeback will lead to Fiz's temporary departure from the show as actress Jennie McAlpine will go on maternity leave in the autumn.
Speaking of her return, Peters commented: "I'm really thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit Cilla and the cobbles for a short while and to see what she has been up to for the last seven years."
Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn added: "We can't wait to see Cilla back on the cobbles, she's a truly unforgettable character who is at the heart of Corrie's rich history."
Peters portrayed the role of Cilla between 2003 and 2007, shaking up life on the Street with her wayward behaviour. She later reprised the part in Corrie DVD spinoff Out of Africa in 2008.
Since leaving the cobbles, Peters has appeared in a number of theatre productions.
tammyy2j
26-06-2014, 15:56
I can see her and Beth clashing, which should be fun to watch
I'm looking forward to this as I always found Cilla amusing.
flappinfanny
26-06-2014, 23:28
it will be interesting to see cilla again.
however i hope her short stint doesn't turn into a disaster. remember when bet returned. they need to make sure peter's doesn't turn cilla into a caricature. corrie has moved on.
is she still with les?
no she went to South Africa and Les went off to be Status Quo's roady
Yes, Candice also joined the Status Quo tour as their hairdresser :)
tammyy2j
27-06-2014, 16:40
.
tammyy2j
27-06-2014, 16:40
is she still with les?
No he is rocking all over the world :p
Yes, Candice also joined the Status Quo tour as their hairdresser :)
I'd forgotten all about that! Good memory! :bow:
Fiz and Chesney are in for a shock later this year when their errant mother Cilla Battersby-Brown makes a surprise return to the street.
Actress Wendi Peters will reprise the role she made famous 7 years after Cilla left Weatherfield.
During her time on Coronation Street loudmouth Cilla made many enemies with her outrageous behaviour and she left in October 2007 after inheriting a £45k necklace from a pensioner who died whilst in her care.
She was last seen in the DVD spin off Out of Africa in 2008.
Exact details of the storyline surrounding her return are being kept under wraps but it will help facilitate Jennie McAlpine’s maternity leave when she leaves the show in the autumn to have her first baby.
Cilla will be on screen for 6 weeks from October.
Wendi Peters said: "I'm really thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit Cilla and the cobbles for a short while and to see what she has been up to for the last 7 years."
Coronation street Producer Stuart Blackburn said: “We can't wait to see Cilla back on the cobbles, she's a truly unforgettable character who is at the heart of Corrie's rich history.”
Since leaving the show Wendi has worked extensively in theatre notably in the The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rutherford & Son and White Christmas - a show to which she returns to at the Dominion Theatre, West End this Christmas.
On television she has been seen in Hacker Time, Sadie J, Crime Stories and was also a finalist of Celebrity Masterchef in 2009 as well as being the narrator of ITV's Britain's Best Bakery.
Coronation Street star Wendi Peters has returned to filming today (August 19).
The actress is reprising her role as Cilla Battersby-Brown for a six-week guest stint and will be back on screen from October.
Show bosses today released the first picture of Peters back with her on-screen family on the show's official Twitter page.
It's the lovely @WendiPeters' first day filming on the Street #CillasBack (See her on screen in October!) pic.twitter.com/TaCCee732q
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) August 19, 2014
The picture sees Peters reunited with her on-screen kids Jennie McAlpine (Fiz) and Sam Aston (Chesney).
Since Cilla left the cobbles, Fiz and Chesney have found love with their respective partners Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn), who also feature in the picture.
Coronation Street bosses announced the return of Cilla in June, confirming that her shock comeback will facilitate Fiz's temporary departure from the show as McAlpine will go on maternity leave in the autumn.
Speaking of her return at the time, Peters commented: "I'm really thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit Cilla and the cobbles for a short while and to see what she has been up to for the last seven years."
Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn added: "We can't wait to see Cilla back on the cobbles, she's a truly unforgettable character who is at the heart of Corrie's rich history."
Coronation Street star Katie McGlynn has shared more details of Cilla Battersby-Brown's return storyline, revealing that her shock arrival will leave Sinead Tinker in a difficult position.
Wendi Peters recently returned to the ITV soap's set for a six-week guest stint as Cilla, who will be hiding a secret when she visits Weatherfield to be reunited with her children Chesney and Fiz.
With Chesney and Fiz unhappy to see their mum, Cilla strikes up a bond with McGlynn's character Sinead instead - hoping that she can convince her boyfriend to forgive and forget.
McGlynn told the Daily Star: "Cilla comes back and shakes things up. It will be interesting for viewers as she knows how Chesney feels about her.
"They're cross about being abandoned and shocked she's back. Chesney had a tough childhood and he and Fiz are right to be angry, thinking she's here to scrounge off them or be devious. Cilla normally wants something, but she does have a reason to be back.
"Chesney has given up on her. He's never had much faith in her. So Cilla uses Sinead to get to Chesney and to communicate through her, which means she becomes tangled up in it all."
McGlynn also said that she is enjoying being part of the Street's lighter moments, with more on the way as Sinead's auntie Beth prepares to marry Kirk Sutherland.
She said: "We've only touched a little bit on her other family. We know that Beth's her auntie but as it unfolds, her whole family are basically bonkers. So there's a lot more to explore there.
"I'm a fan and I know how nice it is to have the fun, light-hearted scenes running through all the drama. Kirk and Beth's wedding will be so hilarious and outrageous - I can't wait."
It sounds like she is ill. Maybe cancer
tammyy2j
30-09-2014, 15:20
Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine has hinted that viewers will see a softer side to Cilla Battersby-Brown when she makes her return to Weatherfield.
Wendi Peters has recently been back on set filming a short return stint as Cilla, who was last seen on the cobbles in 2007.
McAlpine's character Fiz Stape will be surprised to see her mum, but that's nothing compared to her shock when the usually-callous Cilla displays a whole new attitude.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning about Cilla today (September 30), McAlpine explained: "She did go to Vegas, then she had a little stint in South Africa - Sun City, where we actually did go and do a spinoff Corrie.
"Let me tell you that she's in neither of those glamorous locations anymore - that's all I'll tell you. She comes back from somewhere slightly less glamorous."
She continued: "First of all she just turns up. We've not heard from her, she's never met her grandchildren, we weren't expecting her, we don't know why she's turned up. She's very loving - or appears to be very loving. She wants to meet the grandkids and wants to spend time with them."
Asked whether the mystery of Cilla's behaviour gets explained, McAlpine replied: "Yes it does. It's been lovely because we've had some really nice, sensitive scenes.
"There are rows. I can tell you that there's definitely rows with Chesney. In fact, in a scene we did last week, Chesney went quite crazy at her! I love it - we don't see that very often from Chesney, but when he's cross, he gets cross! He gets very angry.
"But we've got some lovely sensitive scenes and I can tell you that it does facilitate me going for a little bit."
In real life, McAlpine is taking maternity leave as she is expecting her first child with her partner Chris Farr.
Discussing Peters's decision to return, she added: "I think there's been talks for years and I think they've always asked her and she's always been dead busy, but it kind of worked.
"It was a few weeks and I'm going off to have the baby, so it worked. It's the first time that she's probably had time to do it!"
Coronation Street airs Cilla's return scenes next month on ITV.
TaintedLove
01-10-2014, 00:33
I wonder if Cilla has cancer, and Fiz leaves to look after her? That would explain Jennies maternity leave.
Maybe Cilla dies off screen then we get months of Chesney full of angst?
:hmm:
that is what i posted a while back too
tammyy2j
01-10-2014, 14:39
I wonder if Cilla has cancer, and Fiz leaves to look after her? That would explain Jennies maternity leave.
Maybe Cilla dies off screen then we get months of Chesney full of angst?
:hmm:
I hope she don't die be nice to see her be a proper mum to Fiz and Ches
Over on Coronation Street, Fiz Stape and Chesney Brown get a big surprise when their mum Cilla arrives back in Weatherfield.
When it becomes apparent that Roy Cropper doesn't like being alone in his flat following a shock break-in, Tyrone (Alan Halsall) and Fiz (Jennie McAlpine) invite him for dinner with Chesney and Sinead.
However, their evening is interrupted by a knock at the door and everyone is stunned when Cilla enters.
http://i1.cdnds.net/14/41/618x327/22_10_coro_cilla_arrive_02.jpg
Cilla returns to Weatherfield.
© ITV
Cilla returns to Weatherfield.
http://i1.cdnds.net/14/41/618x352/22_10_coro_cilla_arrive_03.jpg
Fiz and Chesney are shocked to see Cilla.
© ITV
Fiz and Chesney are shocked to see Cilla.
Clutching an overnight bag with her wrist in plaster, Cilla's arrival takes everyone by surprise, but Fiz and Tyrone reluctantly agree that she can stay on their sofa for the night.
The next morning, Cilla's behaviour baffles everyone as she plays the doting granny to Hope and Joseph and is utterly charming towards her family.
Fiz and Chesney are both convinced that she is up to something, but Sinead later discovers that there could be another reason for Cilla's return when she spots her convulsing in pain…
It was previously announced that Wendi Peters would be returning to the show for a six-week guest stint as Cilla.
Peters portrayed the role of Cilla between 2003 and 2007. Cilla's arrival will pave the way for Fiz's temporary departure from the show due Jennie McAlpine's maternity leave.
Coronation Street airs Cilla's return on Wednesday, October 22 at 7.30pm on ITV.
Have they not got a three bed house. Why the sofa?
Coronation Street welcomes back one of its most memorable characters next week as Cilla Battersby-Brown makes a shock return to the cobbles.
Cilla turns up in Weatherfield unexpectedly and displays a whole new attitude as she tries to play the doting mum and grandmother, leaving Fiz and Chesney deeply suspicious.
Here, Wendi Peters - who plays Cilla - reveals why she was lured back for a short guest stint and what fans can expect from the storyline.
What was your reaction when you first heard that Corrie wanted to bring Cilla back?
"It was a bit of a shock, really! I was driving in the car when my phone went off on the hands-free. When I answered my agent said, 'I've just had Granada on the phone'. It was a complete shock because I'd put Cilla to bed. I'd moved on, done lots of theatre, lots of TV and also had a bit more time at home with the family.
"Coming back to the show was something that I hadn't really considered, so it was a pleasant shock. It's lovely just to come back for a short time to find out where Cilla has been and what she's up to. Then we'll just leave it open again."
Had there never been a point where you thought you might like a return?
"There really never was a point where I thought, 'I'd quite like to come back'. It's not that I'm not thrilled to be back, but I suppose I have been very lucky - I haven't stopped since I left. I've done a lot of theatre and lots of different things, so I never really had that point where I'd been out of work for a couple of months and was wondering what I was going to do.
"This return stint was just the perfect opportunity. It fitted in perfectly with other stuff that I'm doing. It's also lovely coming back with the purpose of getting Jennie out for her maternity leave. I feel like I'm really going to be a granny! (Laughs.)
"It's so lovely to come back and see Jennie out, but I have no idea how they're going to turn that one around and have Cilla and Fiz end up liking each other! Fiz is not liking her at all at first, and Chesney especially isn't liking her."
Were you nervous about coming back?
"So nervous! At first I came back like a little schoolgirl. I think it's partly because the show is now filmed in a new building as well. I'd seen people over the last seven years outside of work, but it was a bit like the first day back at school. It wasn't until I got two or three scenes under my belt that I relaxed and thought, 'This is going to be okay now'.
"Up until coming up to the set, I really wasn't certain that I'd done the right thing by agreeing to come back. It was scary to come back and just being expected to get straight back into it because the turnaround is so quick here. It could have been awful, but I hope it isn't!"
How did you prepare to play Cilla again?
"I didn't speak out loud as Cilla until I got back on set. I obviously learned my lines at home, but I didn't read them out to anybody. I just thought I'd keep it to myself, so the first time Cilla actually spoke again was when I stepped on set and said, 'Well aren't you pleased to see me?'
"Cilla just came out then and it gradually just came back. It's really weird because after that I felt like I was back in full swing. It's like riding a bike. We also went shopping just before I started filming again. Not many people have the same wardrobe seven years on, so we had to go and get some new stuff! That was fun too."
Have her clothing tastes changed?
"Cilla has gone a bit more upmarket! There's still lots of gold and clothes that are a little bit too tight for her, but it was fun picking things out and thinking about what we could and couldn't do.
"Of course we still have the essence of Cilla and she's never going to change, but we just wanted to bring her a little bit more down to earth. I hope she isn't quite as brash in the wardrobe department. She's still got the gold jewellery, which I got from my loft. I'd taken some of her things as keepsakes. I have a 'Cilla box' at home with a few scripts and my last continuity photos, her jewellery and the hat from her last scene. It's all been up in the loft for the last six years."
Did you watch any old Cilla episodes?
"I did, and I shouldn't have done it! I watched Cilla's last week of episodes before she went to Vegas and I hated her! I watched them with my husband and I thought, 'What am I doing? Why am I going back to this?'
"But before I'd even watched that, I wanted to tone Cilla down a bit. She is seven years older now - she's nearly 50. I loved playing her and really had a great time, but I just felt that we needed to find a little bit more reality in her.
"Over the four years, Cilla got a little bit too much at certain times. In the last week of episodes, they did pull it back a little bit and we did see a bit of a nicer side to her, but I just felt that I wanted to try and bring her back a little bit and do something a little bit more real."
Where has Cilla been?
"Cilla has been in Wolverhampton! I thought it was going to be somewhere exotic! (Laughs.) Obviously she went to Vegas and she went to South Africa too, which we saw in a spinoff DVD, but she ended up 100 miles down the road. That did make me giggle - she's no better off than she was before!"
How is Cilla when she comes back?
"Initially Cilla is the same is ever. She just says, 'I'm here! I'm back! You don't look very pleased to see me!' - as if they were all going to run towards her with joy! Just for the first day, Cilla is chirpy and full of joy, but underlying behind that is something else. She's Cilla - she's not back just to say hello, she's back for a reason. There always has to be a reason with Cilla and it's one that involves herself rather than anyone else."
Do Fiz and Chesney suspect that could be the case?
"Straight away they do! They're both grown up now and they're completely aware of what Cilla is like. They just assume she's there for a reason and anything she says will be a lie. They think she's there for her own gain - not just to see her children and her grandchildren."
Does Cilla give them a reason?
"Cilla just says, 'Do I need a reason to see my children and my grandchildren?' She insists she doesn't need a reason - she's just popped up the road to see them."
What kind of grandmother does Cilla turn out to be?
"On the front, Cilla is very pleased to see the kids. She's thrilled with Joseph. She thinks he's very bonny and takes after his nana, so she loves him and thinks he's great! Chesney was always Cilla's blue-eyed boy and I think when she did leave, she was quite upset at leaving him. She sees Joseph as the new Chesney and he's the apple of her eye!"
What are the other reactions to Cilla's return?
"Tyrone is Tyrone - he's fine about it, because he doesn't really know Cilla to a great extent. He says, 'We'll cope - she's better than my mother!' The only person who really takes to Cilla but doesn't really know her of old is Sinead. She's the only one who likes her, because she doesn't really know anything about Cilla. Sinead thinks that Chesney should give his mother a chance."
What do you think of people making comparisons between Cilla and Beth?
"It's an odd one, this! I think you have to say that we're both the typical strong Corrie woman. I suppose there's also a slight resemblance! When Lisa started in the role of Beth, I got so many people phoning and texting me saying, 'You're back in Corrie!' I had to say, 'No it's not me!'
"We are similar in that respect, but I think that might also have a bit of a twist on what people are expecting. That's fun, because all I've been getting on Twitter is people saying, 'We can't wait to see the arguments and fights with Beth!'"
Is Cilla crushed when it becomes clear that Fiz and Chesney want her to leave?
"A little bit. They can't wait to get rid of her and I think that is a huge shock to Cilla, but she tries to buy her way back in a little bit. She's not as surprised by Fiz's reaction because they always had that arguing streak between them, but I think Chesney is the one who really knocks her for six because he is so hostile towards her. Cilla can't take the fact that her little boy, who she used to be in complete control of, has now cottoned on to her."
Do you think Cilla has redeeming features?
"I do. I think she's had a sad life. She's probably never been loved herself by parents or certainly relationship-wise. She's just gone for any fellas who have given her a second look. She's just gone off with them without thinking of the consequences of it. She's probably never had a proper relationship."
Do people still recognise you as Cilla?
"They do and I'm always really surprised by that. Every time it happens, I can't believe it. They say, 'It is you, isn't it? Chesney's mum?' It's obviously not to the extent of when you're in the show, but I'd always thought that you'd walk away and in a couple of years you'd be fine. I don't think there's ever anything that will give you the exposure that a soap will."
Did you ever find that you were typecast after Corrie?
"Yes, completely. In a way, that's why I went back to theatre - it's where I came from and what I love doing. I'm also going back to theatre after Corrie. That was my way of moving away from Cilla and getting back to what I do. I'd never want to shift away from her completely because she's part of my life, and if it wasn't for her, chances are that I wouldn't have been doing half of my theatre stuff. You can't say that you want to get rid of her, but it's lovely to move on and do all kinds of different things.
"It's funny that just now in this last year, I've started doing a few different bits of TV. I've just done a CBBC thing called Hetty Feather. I've been doing bits of things and now I'm back, I wonder is it going to stop again next year?! It was also great to do MasterChef as myself because even now you get people who say, 'Oh, you're nothing like her!' I say, 'I know!'"
Are you anything like her?
"Oh yeah, I think there always has to be a bit of you in any character that you play. I'm very impatient and a bit of a control freak. I'd like to think I'm a much, much nicer version of Cilla, but who knows! (Laughs.)"
After Corrie, were you offered TV roles that were too similar to Cilla?
"Yeah, I went for auditions after Corrie and I had one piece sent to me which said, 'Mother's character name, son's character name and a dog'. The scene was the mother running across a playground in a short skirt screaming at the child and the dog getting scared. I thought, 'I can't even go and meet them for this, it's ridiculous, it's so similar!' (Laughs.) So there were certain things and the stuff I have chosen to do have hopefully been completely different from Cilla."
What were your favourite Cilla storylines?
"I always remember when I'd been there for three months and was told that I was going to put Rita in the cells for the night! I couldn't believe it, but it was lovely. I really liked Cilla when she was like that - proper evil! There were so many other storylines. Cilla falling through the ceiling is always the one that people mention! We also had Status Quo at the wedding. Cilla dragging Chesney off and him trying to hang onto the postbox was great but heartbreaking!"
What are you doing next?
"I'm doing the White Christmas musical at the Dominion Theatre in the West End. I play the general's housekeeper. I've done it the past two Christmases, so I must love it! It's lovely to be in the West End for Christmas."
Could you see Cilla ever returning again after this stint?
"I have no idea! Never say never. If they phoned up with an idea for a storyline, who knows? For me, it's always been dependent on what the story is and the way Cilla is going to be. When I left the first time round I always said 'Never say never'. You can never say never, because you never know how your life is going to pan out in the future."
As first announced in June, Cilla will be returning to the cobbles next week for a short guest stint, shocking her daughter Fiz (Jennie McAlpine) and son Chesney (Sam Aston).
Cilla's diagnosis is the reason for her return, but she only feels brave enough to confide in Chesney's girlfriend as she fears that her children won't believe she is genuinely ill.
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens the bones, making them fragile and more likely to break.
Discussing her return storyline, Wendi Peters - who plays Cilla - commented: "The first thing I did was check whether larger ladies can have osteoporosis. I learned that it often affects people who are slightly larger because it's due to bad diet, excess alcohol and all kinds of things like that - probably everything that you would associate Cilla with!
"That's quite interesting as well because you might get people saying, 'Oh that's ridiculous', but hopefully they'll start Googling it as well. It could raise awareness of osteoporosis. I've learned more about it myself because I always thought that it was just an old ladies' thing, but it turns out it's from menopause through to any age upwards."
Cilla's condition is also the reason why she displays a change in attitude as she settles back into Weatherfield, attempting to play the doting mum and grandmother.
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Will Cilla admit the real reason for her return to Sinead?
© ITV
Cilla confides in Sinead
Peter continued: "For the first time, Cilla is having to face something for real. We have no idea if she's facing that alone or not, or whether she has a fella. She could be sat in a bedsit with absolutely nothing, realising she needs to think about her life.
"I don't know exactly what Cilla wants from her return to Weatherfield, but I think she knows that if she suddenly said she's not very well, Fiz and Chesney would tell her to go away. She's hoping to ease her way in before that happens, and she's not going to tell anybody about this until Sinead gets it out of her.
"Sinead says, 'That's terrible - you must tell them', but Cilla says there's no point because they're not going to believe her, or they'll think she's getting what she deserves.
"I'm not sure whether Cilla is expecting to move back in or have someone come to look after her, but she has faked stuff before and she's certain that she's not going to be believed."
Coronation Street airs Cilla's return on Wednesday, October 22 at 7.30pm on ITV.
Ok its a long term condition but not as fatal as I thought although I have not googled it yet!
chartreuse
14-10-2014, 23:50
I have a friend who was anorexic during her teenage years and was diagnosed in her mid-twenties with osteoporosis - so it can happen at any time if you eat badly etc.
Yes, people who suffer, or have suffered, from anorexia are very prone to osteoporosis.
However, I don't think it's true that larger people get it much. In fact, a close relative's GP recently told her that she wasn't at risk of osteoporosis as she's a larger lady. He told her that it was small, bird-like women that tend to get it, something I've since noticed to be true.
Would not call Cilla a small, bird-like woman ...
Would not call Cilla a small, bird-like woman ...
No lol...which was my point as Wendi Peters calls herself a larger lady in your post (# 44).
Former Corornation Street star Wendi Peters has teased a possible return to Weatherfield for her gobby character Cilla Battersby-Brown.
Wendi, who first hit the soap in 2003, appeared on ITV's Lorraine earlier today (October 26) and revealed all to Helen Skelton, who was standing in for Lorraine Kelly.
She told Helen "never say never" regarding a return to the cobbles, explaining: "She brings back such happy memories, but she just looked a bugger didn't she – she was awful. But she was fun."
"The thing is, it's lucky that the door is open. Fiz and Ches are still there," Wendi added. "I'm a firm believer in never say never... you never know what is around the corner.
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© ITV
"I went back a couple of years ago for a few weeks and I had a lovely time."
"I love doing what I do now, to be honest," she continued.
Talking of Cilla being "awful" – why not take a look at her hot tub horror with Les in our nauseating list of soap sexytime scenes that we just can't unsee.
Digital Spy
http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/17/coronation-street-spoilers-cilla-brown-returns-pregnant-fizs-exit-storyline-7473844/
Could she come back for Fiz's exit as Jenny is pregnant in real life .....?
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a32247016/coronation-street-cilla-battersby-brown-wendi-peters-return/
Maybe she is coming back for a while?
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