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According to today's Sunday Mirror, Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully, has signed a six-figure golden handcuffs deal to keep him on the cobbles until 2013.
Antony, the paper says, has been inundated with offers for stage and screen jobs over the past few weeks and show bosses feared he would follow co-star Katherine Kelly to the West End. So they quickly drew up a new 12-month contract and offered him a huge pay rise.
Antony said: “I have signed a new deal and I’m really pleased. I love working on Coronation Street, it’s the best job in the world.” He has also been promised a string of top storylines. A Corrie source added: “He is one of the best-loved characters on the Street and it would be a duller place without him.”
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Sacha Parkinson, who plays Sian Powers, told BANG Showbiz that there's going to be a wedding for Sophie and Sian on Corrie after Sophie proposes to Sian out of guilty feelings she has for Amber.
Sacha said: "We've been told it's going to be a nice glamorous proper wedding. Me and Brooke match all the time so maybe they should [have matching dresses]. You know what Brooke's like she'll want something absolutely massive like off My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding!"
Sacha is leaving the Street in early 2012 so WTF
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I thought it was going to be Sean and Marcus.
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What is the point of them getting married if she is leaving the street.
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Everyone loves a wedding, viewers will watch just to see the dresses :)
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maybe they won't actually get married, it's just the idea that an engagement is the sticking-plaster for the problems in their relationship
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Coronation Street star Antony Cotton has promised that there will be drama in store when his character Sean Tully returns to the cobbles.
Sean is currently absent from Weatherfield as he is looking after his young son Dylan in London. His break from screens reflects the time that Cotton spent away from the UK for his stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here and a subsequent holiday.
Cotton has now told Radio Times that Sean will be in for a shock when he returns home - as Eileen Grimshaw's new love interest Paul Kershaw (Tony Hirst) and his wife Lesley (Judy Holt), who suffers from dementia, will be living at Number 7.
"[I'm back on screen] in about six weeks," Cotton explained. "I go straight back into the house, where there's somebody else living there. Paul the fireman [and] his wife have moved into the house.
"There's a bit of an explosion when I go back into the house, because I don't know who she is, and she doesn't know who I am. So I go straight back into the thick of things, and I can't wait."
He continued: "Initially, I go back into the house and it all kicks off - because there's lots of people in the house. And there's nothing better on Coronation Street than a house full of people."
Cotton also hinted that Dylan could feature on the show again in a new storyline for Sean and Marcus.
Asked about the youngster, he replied: "There might be something. But I don't know what I can say!"
Coronation Street continues tonight at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV1.
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Coronation Street star Charlie Condou has promised that his alter ego Marcus Dent will become a more prominent character on the show this year.
The actor returned to the role of Marcus last year and recently signed a new contract which will keep him on the cobbles until at least March 2013.
Condou appeared on Lorraine this morning and revealed that Coronation Street bosses have big plans for Marcus.
Asked whether fans will see more of him, he replied: "Yes, I think so. Obviously I can't say too much, but I think I've got a big year coming up. That's what I've been promised - so a lot of big storylines for Marcus."
Discussing Marcus's personality, he continued: "I think he's one of life's carers really, isn't he? That's his job obviously, but he's somebody who likes to make sure that everyone's alright - and I really like that about him."
Condou also expressed his delight over Coronation Street's recent triumph in the 'Serial Drama' category at the National Television Awards.
"It was really good, and we were actually genuinely surprised," he said. "It got to the point where we thought, 'Oh, EastEnders will probably get it again' - I was so over the moon for [the producers], because they deserve it so much."
Condou's original stint in Weatherfield ran for a year from September 2007 to September 2008.
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Coronation Street star Charlie Condou has hinted that jealousy could drive Marcus Dent and Sean Tully apart in a forthcoming storyline.
The Weatherfield couple will hit the rocks in the coming weeks as Sean begins to feel that Marcus is not spending enough time on their relationship.
Speaking on Daybreak this morning (June 13), Condou revealed that Sean's "self-centred" behaviour will begin to grate on Marcus - leading to a huge showdown between the pair.
Condou explained: "I think Marcus and Sean definitely love each other very much, but they are very different types of men. Marcus is quite a responsible, very caring type of person and he likes looking after Sean, I think.
"I think that's part of their relationship, and Sean's not really very grown-up and he gets jealous easily. He can be self-centred and a bit selfish at times, and I think ultimately that's going to be the thing that causes problems for them in the end."
The actor also appeared on Lorraine today and confirmed that Marcus's work colleague Aiden, who has a crush on him, will be back on screen later this month. Viewers recently saw a brief appearance for Aiden (Toby Sawyer) as an oblivious Marcus tried to set him up on a date with Maria Connor.
Condou said: "The lovely and very handsome Toby Sawyer is coming back. He's started filming already and he's back for a little while. So Marcus's love life is definitely going to get very complicated over the next few months!"
Coronation Street continues tonight (June 13) at 7.30pm on ITV1.
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Antony Cotton has spoken out against the Church of England's condemnation of gay marriage.
The Coronation Street star slammed Church leaders who insist that same-sex unions will ruin society and the institution of marriage, saying that the Church should "move with the times".
Government leaders in the UK are currently considering plans to legalise gay marriage by 2015, which has sparked complaints from Church of England leaders.
Cotton told the Manchester Evening News: "I've heard many comments - from the craziest, most out of touch, lunatic clerics to the most sensible of Church representatives. Nothing surprises me any more. My view is simple - equality is equality is equality."
The 36-year-old actor went on to accuse the Church of being out of step with modern views.
He added: "If the Church is going to move forward and remain relevant, it has to move with the times. Young people, generally, couldn't give a damn if people are gay - they are resilient and accept it. It's not enough any more to say that the Church is set in its ways."
Cotton, who plays Sean Tully on Coronation Street, concluded by criticising the Church for weighing in on the subject at all, insisting it is a government matter.
"They can't have an appendix where there are stipulations on equality," he said. "What's illegal is determined by the state - not the Church."
Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu have written to home secretary Theresa May in protest at the plans, saying that the decisions on gay marriage "have not been thought through and are not legally sound".
