Shayne Ward (Aidan Connor)

[swmc66]

Was her ex a bad guy though?

[maidmarian]

Was her ex a bad guy though?

Not really-from what I.remember

[maidmarian]

Was her ex a bad guy though?

Not really-from what I.remember

[Perdita]

It's official - Coronation Street bosses have confirmed that X Factor winner Shayne Ward is joining the soap's cast as a new regular.

The singer and actor will be playing the role of Aidan Connor, a distant cousin of established character Michelle (Kym Marsh).

Aidan grew up on the same estate as Michelle and Carla when they were younger. He arrives in Weatherfield in August after hearing that Carla is having some problems at Underworld.

Ward has signed a one-year contract with Coronation Street and show producers have big plans for his character, as they will also be introducing Aidan's father and sister in the coming months.

The arrival of Aidan has been tipped to "set female hearts fluttering" on the cobbles, but he doesn't get a warm welcome from everyone as he quickly makes an enemy of Tracy Barlow's ex-husband Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill).

Speaking of his casting, Ward commented: "On hearing the news I had been offered the part on the show, I was in total disbelief. It still hasn't sunk in. Shayne Ward the lad from Manchester, given such a role on such an iconic show - it is an absolute dream come true. I'm excited to walk down those famous cobbles.

"My family and friends know just how much this means to me and I cannot wait to do them all proud. 2015 has been a great year for me so far and I look forward to joining the Coronation Street family."

Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn added: "When Shayne came in and auditioned, we knew he was up against some very stiff competition. But he blew us away from the very get-go, delivering a charm and a swagger that is perfect for the character. I can't wait to see him in action!"

Ward won The X Factor in 2005. Along with his music career, he has enjoyed stage roles in Rock of Ages and War of the Worlds.

The 30-year-old first confirmed that he had auditioned for Corrie early last month.

[Perdita]

Women of Weatherfield watch out - there is a new Connor in town and he means business.
Aidan Connor is a distant cousin of Michelle and grew up on the same estate as her and Carla. He turns up in Coronation Street in August after hearing that Carla is having problems at the factory.
Aidan will be played by singer turned actor Shayne Ward who starts filming in the role next month.
Good looking and charming, Aidan’s arrival will set female hearts fluttering - but he’s no pushover and quickly makes an enemy of Tracy Barlow’s ex hubbie Robert Preston, played by Tristan Gemmill.
Manchester born Shayne received a nomination at the 2012 What's On Stage Awards for his role in Rock of Ages in the West End, and appeared in Jeff Wayne’s Stage version of War of the Worlds. He has signed a one year contract with Coronation Street.
Aidan is just the first of the new Connor clan to arrive in Weatherfield and will be followed in the coming months by his dad and sister.
Like Shayne, Aidan is from Manchester and has an extended family over in Ireland.
Stuart Blackburn said:
"When Shayne came in and auditioned we knew he was up against some very stiff competition. But he blew us away from the very get go delivering a charm and a swagger that is perfect for the character. I can't wait to see him in action!"
Shayne Ward said:
"On hearing the news I had been offered the part on the show I was in total disbelief. It still hasn't sunk it. Shayne Ward the lad from Manchester, given such a role on such an iconic show - it is an absolute dream come true. I'm excited to walk down those famous cobbles.
"My family and friends know just how much this means to me and I cannot wait to do them all proud. 2015 has been a great year for me so far and I look forward to joining the Coronation Street family."

[tammyy2j]

Shayne Ward has revealed that his role on the cobbles is bigger than he expected.

The singer and actor was announced as new regular character Aidan Connor, a distant cousin of established character Michelle (Kym Marsh), back in May.

Ward told the Manchester Evening News: "I am looking forward to August when my first scene is aired.

"I'm going to focus on this role and bring Aidan to life."

He added: "I didn't realise how large this role was, storyline-wise. There is a lot going on without a doubt.

"I am going to work hard, especially with the role I have been given and the storylines, which are much bigger than I expected."

Away from Weatherfield, Ward premiered the music video for his new single 'The Way You Were' last month.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street newcomer Aidan Connor will reveal that he plans to invest in the Underworld business upon his arrival in Weatherfield.

Carla (Alison King) will be forced to sell the factory after she loses all her money in a Las Vegas casino as her gambling problems escalate.

Shayne Ward's first day on the Coronation Street set
© Instagram / coronationstreet
Shayne Ward will play Aidan Connor

Show boss Stuart Blackburn has already hinted that Carla's troubles will pave the way for Aidan's arrival, but more details have now been revealed.

Viewers have recently seen Carla (Alison King) turn to gambling to ease her guilt over the fire in her flat that killed Kal Nazir and Maddie Heath.

The Daily Star reports that Carla's worrying habit will increase over the coming weeks as she heads out of the country and blows all her money, leaving her with no alternative other than selling up.

As Carla considers leaving Weatherfield, word about the factory being up for sale starts to spread, prompting a bidding war among the locals. However, they are all trumped when Aidan arrives and announces that he plans to invest in the business.

Speaking about the plot, Blackburn said recently: "Carla wrongly believes that she is responsible for the deaths of Kal and Maddie and that takes her into a really dark place - she is very troubled. She starts gambling and ends up spending not only her money, but the factory's as well.

"Carla's troubles pave the way for Shayne Ward's character Aidan Connor to arrive. He will come in and, we hope, rescue the factory, which really is on its last legs."

[Perdita]

Former X Factor champ Shayne Ward makes his debut in the soap world next week, taking on the role of Coronation Street newcomer Aidan Connor.

Aidan is a distant relative of established regular Michelle, who is called to Weatherfield to help Carla as her personal and business problems go from bad to worse.

When Aidan arrives on the Street, he offers to invest in the factory and goes all-out to convince Carla to do a deal with him. Will she be tempted to go into business with him?

Here, Shayne reveals what Corrie fans can expect from his character and how he feels about moving into soapland.

What can you tell us about Aidan?
"Aidan Connor is a distant relative of Michelle Connor. He's Mancunian-Irish, which just fits like a glove for me because I am too! Aidan was brought up on the same estate as all of the Connors.

"Carla is having a few problems with her personal life and the factory at the minute, so Aidan receives a secret phone call from Michelle to come back and see what's going on."

How did your involvement in the show come about?
"When rumours first came out that I was joining Coronation Street, I didn't have a bloody clue. I even asked my management and they didn't know anything about it either. A couple of hours later I twigged that maybe it was something to do with Corrie having Sean Ward in the show playing Callum. I was just quite happy to be associated with it, to be honest!

"A couple of days later, I received an email saying that Corrie wanted to see me for a casting. I thought, 'Oh God, okay!' So now they've got Sean Ward and Shayne Ward! It was absolutely crazy how it just came about, but thank God it did."

What was your first day on set like?
"I think the first day in anything is always really nerve-wracking, but I always manage to hide it very well! I didn't know how I was going to be, but what I liked about it was that it was really relaxed and everyone was really chilled. There was no pressure.

"I'd done acting work before in Rock of Ages and War of the Worlds. Those were live stage shows, where you only get one pass at it and you can't go back after messing up a line, so that's one big difference from Corrie."

Were you a fan of the show anyway?
"I'm a massive soap fan in general to be honest - but definitely Corrie without a doubt. It's an absolute dream come true. I never thought I'd ever be in Coronation Street. To now be here in quite a big part is just mind-boggling!"

Is Aidan a good guy or a bad guy?
"Aidan is a nice guy - he's got charisma and he's got charm. At the same time, if you cross a Connor, they'll come together as a family unit and fight back. You don't want to cross them! So Aidan is that type of character and it's going to be fun to see if I do become a little bit nasty."

What kind of a response does Aidan get when he arrives?
"Aidan is somebody that the other characters haven't seen for quite some time, but they know that when he arrives, he'll provide a fresh approach to get Carla out of everything she's going through. I think his arrival will be a good thing. It's been a while since you've had a Connor boy come in, so I think it's about time they had some fresh meat.

"When Aidan was growing up, he saw Carla as someone who could always look after herself. It's not nice for him to now see her losing everything right in front of his eyes, so he's willing to help in any way that he can. That will include having some dealings with the factory and he's very ambitious."

Will there be a love interest for Aidan?
"I hope so! It'd be nice to have a love interest but I think it would have to be somebody new. When you think about it, Carla's in the family, Michelle's in the family and Maria was married into the family. When you put all of them aside, who else have we got? Let's get someone new in!"

Can you see your character having run-ins with other characters?
"Definitely. He's the new guy on the block, so everyone's probably going to be thinking, 'Who does he think he is?' I'm looking forward to having run-ins with some familiar faces. I think everyone will feel my wrath in that factory! Carla is also a powerful and hard woman, so there's no doubt about it that I'll be having back and forth arguments with her. It'll be a case of finding out who the dominant one is."

Is there anybody who you've really clicked with on the Street so far?
"Definitely Ali King who plays Carla. We've already clicked and we're going to be doing a lot of scenes together, which will be great. I've already known Kym Marsh for a couple of years and she's fantastic too. She's been in Corrie for 9 years and has just signed for another year. It just shows that it is possible to do well in the show when you're known for something else. You can be instantly pigeon-holed - and I know I will be as well - when you're a singer going into the acting world.

"But I love the challenge and it just shows that Kym has done an incredible job after being here for so long."

Are you hoping to carry on your music as well as acting?
"Of course! I'm 30 and I feel I can do both, but I know at the weekend I'll be absolutely knackered! My latest album is out, so it's just striking the right balance. It's been over four years since I had my last album out before this. I would hate to just close the door on it, because then there was no point in me even making that album. I'm very proud of it."

How have your fans reacted to the Corrie news? Are they surprised?
"Fans find out stuff before I do, so they were messaging me about it before it had even been announced! They've responded to it brilliantly. I had to keep it so tight-lipped for quite a while, which was one of the hardest things. But obviously I told my mum and other members of my immediate family."

How do you think Corrie will affect things for you in terms of recognition?
"I think it'll be different from anything else that I've experienced before, because I'm going to be on screen four or five times a week. I don't know how I'm going to feel about that. I'm ready for it, I just have to brace myself I guess!

"Before joining, I already knew people like Hayley Tamaddon and Samia Ghadie. It's quite funny when you hear stories from them about how people have believed certain storylines that go on. Sometimes people even shout abuse at them or say 'How could you do this?!' Bloody hell, I can't wait for that!"

Have you joined for a definite period of time?
"I've signed for a year and I guess it's down to general public as to whether I stay after that. If they fall in love with the character, if it's going well and the storylines work, then I would absolutely love to stay. I'd be a fool to say that I want to leave - I'd jump at the chance to stay."

Are you nervous that there's sometimes a stigma when you go from singing into acting?
"No, I've had years to deal with that. I am nervous about joining the show in general, but I think it's always good to have a few nerves to add into your performance. In terms of being pigeon-holed and then doing something different, it would have been perceived the same way when I went from winning The X Factor to playing an American rock star in Rock of Ages and then going to play the Artilleryman in War of the Worlds.

"It's one of those things where I can use it as my strength and say, 'Well do you know what? I'll prove you wrong'. It helps in that sense."

What was more nerve-wracking - performing in front of Simon Cowell or your first day on Corrie?
"God, both were different kinds of nerves. I was 21 on the very first X Factor live show. I was singing in front of Sharon, Louis and Simon with millions at home watching. I remember thinking, 'Don't mess up, don't mess up. Just sing the song as best you can'.

"It's a really hard one to answer because they're both really different, but Corrie feels really chilled. I'm probably going to jinx myself, but I'm surprised I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be!"

When did your interest in acting develop?
"It was always there, to be honest. Even when I was doing music videos and had people giving me direction, I could take it very well and I often said that I'd love to do proper acting. Doing Rock of Ages got the bug in me, but it was always there. I believe everything happens for a reason so I guess I was waiting for this moment to happen."

Will you be keeping an eye on Twitter to see the reaction when you make your debut?
"It's my Twitter and it's not run by management, so I'll always be on it and I'll spend as much time as possible with the fans. Not everyone's going to like what you do, but that's the minority. It'll be nice to see nice messages from the majority of people."

So you won't be drawn into any Twitter spats?
"Oh God, no! I love the power of the block button. If I don't say something, the fans do on my behalf, so I just leave them to it to be honest! If I do say something bad, Corrie will tell me off, so I'm going to be a good boy and just rely on the power of block! (Laughs.) 9 times out of 10, it's best to bite your tongue."

[inkyskin]

Fair play I thought he did really well on his 1st episode, I don't really rate ' celebs ' when they do a stint in a soap, but he impressed me.

[lizann]

he reminded me of todd