-
Cricketer Andrew Flintoff has expressed his desire to make a guest appearance on Coronation Street.
According to The People, Flintoff also revealed that his favourite characters on the ITV1 serial are Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden), Deirdre Barlow and Emily Bishop.
He explained: "Corrie's got everything. I could easily fit it in and I'd love to have a go. I could be in The Kabin, marking up the papers with Norris and Rita.
"I heard Snoop Dogg is also interested in making an appearance. If he's a fan I'm in good company."
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old admitted that - due to living in Dubai - he watches the show on delay: "They're a few weeks behind, so at the moment Tina is still in her flat and not coming out!"
Flintoff said of his favourite characters: "I know all the characters. I think Anne Kirkbride and Eileen Derbyshire, who play Deirdre and Emily, are two of the best on TV."
Speaking about his affection for shop owner Norris, he added: "He's a nosy parker. Every scene he's in makes me laugh."
-
CORRIE'S Gail McIntyre and step-daughter Tina lay flowers at Joe's grave together.
The pair made up after widow Gail (Helen Worth) was cleared of her hubby's murder.
Star Michelle Keegan wore a headscarf after filming in the rain.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0v1U4QkKm
-
Big Brother housemate Ben Duncan has revealed that he would love to appear on Coronation Street.
Duncan, who became the sixth housemate to be evicted on Friday, was often seen talking about the ITV1 show while in the house and has admitted that he would like to be offered a role, according to Holy Soap.
Asked whether he would accept a part, he said: "Is the Pope Catholic?
"I think the humour is fantastic and if I ever had the option of going in, not so much as Ken but as Ben, I'd jump at the chance, of course. Maybe I could be Stephanie Beacham's adopted son or something. I would love that, undoubtedly."
Duncan added that he and fellow housemate Corin would love to visit the set of the soap, saying: "The first thing we're going to do is a tour of the Granada studios. We want a drink in the Rovers."
-
Coronation Street star Michelle Keegan has pulled in more votes than Cheryl Cole in Zoo magazine's annual 'Hot List' of celebrity females.
The 23-year-old actress secured second place in the popularity poll, while X Factor judge Cole took fourth spot.
Keegan - best known for her role as Tina McIntyre - is the only soap star to feature in this year's top ten. However, Hollyoaks cast members Gemma Merna (Carmel Valentine) and Jennifer Metcalfe (Mercedes Fisher) came in at 12th and 20th respectively, while Keegan's Weatherfield colleague Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster) took 23rd place.
Glamour girl Sammy Braddy topped the poll. The top ten also features Real Hustle star Jessica-Jane Clement and models Melissa D and Alice Goodwin.
Zoo's list was determined by over 10,000 votes from the magazine's readers.
The top ten in full:
1. Sammy Braddy
2. Michelle Keegan
3. Jessica Jane Clement
4. Cheryl Cole
5. Melissa D
6. Alice Goodwin
7. Tulisa Contostavlos
8. Pixie Lott
9. Una Healy
10. Frankie Sandford
-
TELLY legend Geoffrey Hughes - Corrie's Eddie Yeats - was gravely ill battling cancer last night.
His wife Sue was keeping a bedside vigil in hospital as he underwent intense radiotherapy.
Early days ... Geoffrey as Eddie Yeats
Rex
The actor, 66, who played binman Eddie in the 1970s and 1980s, thought he had beaten prostate cancer a year ago, but he collapsed with back pains at home on the Isle of Wight last Friday.
Doctors at Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital gave him the shock news that the disease was back.
A source said: "Geoffrey is not in a very good way. He is undergoing heavy radiotherapy and is in terrible discomfort.
"He thought he was over the worst after his treatment last year so it was a massive shock to find out it had returned.
"He's a fighter and he is doing his damnedest to try to beat it again. Sue is showering him with love but it is an awful situation."
Wirral-born Geoffrey first appeared in 1960s classics such as Z-Cars and The Saint.
After landing his Corrie role he starred in top shows including Keeping Up Appearances, Heartbeat and teen drama Skins.
One of his most fondly-remembered roles was as Twiggy, Jim Royle's slob mate in The Royle Family.
Geoffrey has never spoken about his cancer fight but has publicly supported cancer charities.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0vanuPO95
-
Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey's son Carl Piddington has been stabbed in an attack outside his pub in Ashton under Lyne.
The incident happened last Sunday at 1.30am outside the March Hare pub which he runs. Piddington was taken to nearby Tameside Hospital where he was treated for stab wounds to both arms. He was later discharged, according to the Daily Star Sunday.
Tarmey, who plays Jack Duckworth in the ITV1 soap, was said to be “very upset” about the attack. A source said: "It’s hit him hard, as it has everyone round here.
"Carl’s a lovely fella who does a great job running his pub with his wife and sons. Thank God the attack didn’t end up any worse than it was and he’s still with us."
Piddington reportedly spent this week recovering on holiday with his wife Sandra.
-
Brian Capron, who formerly starred as 'Coronation Street' baddie Richard Hillman, is due to come back to the soap later this year, reports The Sun.
Capron will allegedly play Richard's brother in a Christmas DVD spin-off of the ITV1 show. He will be joined by other soap legends to celebrate 'Coronation Street's 50th anniversary.
Viewers last saw the actor in the soap back in 2003 when Richard – also known as Tricky Dicky – drove to his death in a Weatherfield canal, as he failed to kill the Platt family.
A source told The Sun: "Capron back from the dead will shock millions of fans.
"He's back playing his brother and, with his distinctive looks, he must be a twin.
They added: "The plot lines are absolutely top secret and only a handful of people know about the project."
-
CORRIE bosses have splashed out on a float for a gay pride march - featuring a dozen men camping it up as Hilda Ogden.
The performers will appear in their best drag outfits with rollers in their hair to play Jean Alexander's famous character.
And a host of the soap's stars - including Antony Cotton, who plays gay Sean Tully - will also be on the float for Manchester Pride during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Sacha Parkinson and Brooke Vincent, who play Street lesbians Sian Powers and Sophie Webster, will also support the event.
Bosses have spent thousands of pounds on the float, which has the theme "Corrie past and present".
A show insider said last night: "Hilda was a massive gay icon - so it's a tribute to her enduring appeal that 'she' will be centre stage on the float.
And of course, having a dozen Hildas just adds to the camp feel of it all.
The idea is to celebrate the show with its gay audience at Britain's leading gay event."
Hilda, who was last on screens in 1987, became an unlikely gay icon in the 80s and was credited with starting a fashion movement for 1960s-style working-class clobber.
Gay singer Freddie Mercury was a Hilda fan and her look inspired Queen's video to I Want to Break Free, with guitarist Brian May playing her role.
Coronation Street also has a gay pedigree.
Its creator Tony Warren is gay and once joked that he used to give Elsie Tanner script lines he picked up in Manchester's gay village back in the early 1960s - when being gay was still illegal.
Jackie Crozier, festival director of Manchester Pride, praised Corrie for helping to raise awareness of issues facing the gay community.
She added: "We're delighted they're teaming up with Manchester Pride in this, their 50th anniversary year.
"Through characters like Sean Tully, Hayley Cropper, Todd Grimshaw and, most recently, Sophie Webster, they have helped to raise awareness of the issues facing the LGBT community to millions of loyal viewers."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0w9mYLWa5
-
Coronation Street writer Jonathan Harvey has revealed details of the scriptwriting process on the show.
The 42-year-old playwright, who has also penned upcoming anniversary theatre production Corrie!, told Metro that different writers on the ITV soap have different favourite characters.
Harvey said: "There are 18 writers and we meet every three weeks for two days. Together, we plan 15 episodes of the show. We each write an episode each.
"People tend to pitch ideas for their favourite characters. I liked Blanche, who died earlier this year, which was a real loss to the show, and I like Norris and Mary. They're fantastic."
Quizzed about which stories he came up with, he replied: "I joined in 2004 and I co-created the character of Tony Gordon, who came in to run the factory, then started killing people.
"I've done lots of incidental camp comedy storylines along the way, such as Jason Grimshaw winning Mr Gay Weatherfield. It's been six years and you have to come up with stories every three weeks so I'm hard-pushed to remember what's mine."
Asked how new characters are conceived, Harvey said: "With Tony Gordon, it was because Carla's husband had died and it was a question of doing something with her. I suggested giving her a new man who turns out to be a psychopath, which led to bigger stories."
-
CORONATION Street fans will not have to pay to watch their favourite soap, ITV's boss pledged yesterday.
Chief executive Adam Crozier said that while the company was "developing a pay strategy" - including charging for high-definition versions of ITV2, 3 and 4 - it was likely that ITV1 would remain free.
He added: "I can't envisage a situation where ITV1 is behind a pay wall."
The former Royal Mail and Football Association boss joined ITV in January, vowing to make it "fit for purpose".
He added: "We are developing a pay strategy. We made our first move on to pay by launching HD versions for ITV2, 3 and 4 which will launch during the autumn on Sky.
"We need to start competing in these new markets."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0wX5P1HRx
