Corrie legend slams soap

[kayla05]

The modern-day Coronation Street has too much sex in it and is promoting underage promiscuity, a former Street legend has claimed.

Jean Alexander, who will forever be synonymous with the hairnetted Hilda Ogden, slammed ITV bosses for some of their recent sexy storylines and insisted that she would never return to the soap.

"I don't like so much emphasis on sex and I also wish there was more fun in Coronation Street," she told the Manchester Evening News.

"There used to be so much more comedy. Whereas a storyline would usually be played out within three weeks, today certain storylines seem to drag on forever."

Her comments come after fans were gripped by the underage sex scandal that saw Sarah Louise Platt, played by Tina O'Brien, become a schoolgirl mum, while 15-year-olds Rosie Webster and Craig Harris are set to get it on later this year.

But ITV bosses have hit back at the 78-year-old's comments, claiming that the show is designed to entertain a modern audience.

"We don't subscribe to Jean's opinions. Every week 12 million people across the country tune in to be entertained by the drama in Coronation Street," an ITV spokeswoman said.

Hilda was recently voted by readers of the TV Times as the soap's most popular character, but her agent Joan Reddin confirmed that she has no intention of returning to Weatherfield.

"It wouldn't work if [Hilda] came back," she said.

[alan45]

Good and all as Jean Alexander was in her day. Corrie has moved on since then

[Keating's babe]

Corrie needed to move with the times, which is what it has done. If it stayed the same then it wouldn't be on our screens today.

I love the character of Hilda and don't see why she couldn't make a one-off special appearance.

[Richie_lecturer]

I saw her on an interview a few years ago, and she was very much a Mary Whitehouse model. Jean seem|ed/s very touchy-feely about the slightest element of sex etc on Corrie/soaps in general.

Great as Hilda was (I'll never forget the episode with Stan Ogden's glasses), it wouldn't work with her coming back - remember Bet Lynch? Anyway, as much as she is entitled to her opinions, I don't think she is spot on on this occasion.

Like her I slightly preferred Corrie back then, but, like Emmerdale, it had to move with the times to survive and compete with EastEnders and Brookside and to shift away from its traditional image. That said, I still feel Coronation Street is still a great soap - you only have to have watched episodes last year to underline that fact.

The difference here though between Jean and Patsy Palmer (and other former EE stars) is Jean hasn't directly slagged off the show which made her famous, whilst PP and co have publicly said on TV they no longer watch the show due to its terrible quality these days.

[hazey]

Good and all as Jean Alexander was in her day. Corrie has moved on since then

I agree hilda and stan and co were good in their time and yes we have to move on, but to me moving on shouldn't involve showing under age sex, and at the end of the day it is illegal to have sex before the age of 16 and I think it is a shame that, they are by showing this, encouraging it. what happened to enjoying being a child, and thats what you are at 13, you become adult soon enough.

[alan45]

I agree hilda and stan and co were good in their time and yes we have to move on, but to me moving on shouldn't involve showing under age sex, and at the end of the day it is illegal to have sex before the age of 16 and I think it is a shame that, they are by showing this, encouraging it. what happened to enjoying being a child, and thats what you are at 13, you become adult soon enough.

All of the soaps are guilty of it. Does EE encourage murder when so many people kill and seem to get off with it, Do they encourage shoplifting when the Millers in EE and the Dingles in Emmerdale and the Battersbys in Corrie all seem to get off with it.

The sad fact of life is that underage sex is occurring the length and breadth of Britain as well as other things that are portayed in the soaps. Thje soaps have a responsibility not to trivialise ar glamourise it but should show the consequences of it

[Jade]

But also they are not showing all these things in a positive light, ie Sarah in Corrie and also Soina in EE (not sure if she was underage) but thats a hell of a price to pay for a drunken one night stand. So although they are are making people aware of things they are not necessarily encouraging it.

[dddMac1]

Corrie had to move on otherwise it would not be on tv today

[hazey]

But also they are not showing all these things in a positive light, ie Sarah in Corrie and also Soina in EE (not sure if she was underage) but thats a hell of a price to pay for a drunken one night stand. So although they are are making people aware of things they are not necessarily encouraging it.

fair comment Jade, its just me I know we have to move with the times, but children seem to want to be grown up at 12 these days.....oh dear sound like my gran

[Jade]

No I know exactly what you mean Hazey, and I'm 25!