Michelle Collins and John Michie join as Stella and Karl

[alan45]

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins believes that her character Stella will be devastated when she discovers the truth about her fiancé Karl.

Stella is currently engaged to Karl, unaware that he was responsible for torching the Rovers Return and killing Sunita Alahan and Toni Griffiths.


Speaking at a Coronation Street press day yesterday, Collins said: "Finding out... will be devastating for Stella and will completely and utterly change her life.

"It is going to be sad. What is she going to do? Is she going to go over the edge? I don't know, I haven't seen any scripts. I know we do get married as I have been wedding dress shopping, but I don't know if we go through with it."

Collins also said that Stella feels torn between her daughter Leanne and Karl. Leanne has tried to warn her mum that Karl is bad news, after seeing his dark side during a confrontation.


Collins said: "Love is blind. Even Leanne is telling her. She feels really split between her daughter and her partner, and in real life I think that happens a lot.

"Stella has always loved Karl. Even when she went off with Jason, deep down I think she always loved Karl. And then the fire happened and she had a near-death experience and her hero saved her. She is absolutely devoted to him."

[tammyy2j]

However, Michie defended his alter ego's actions, insisting that Karl isn't evil, just desperately in love.

The actor said: "Karl will do whatever he can to be with Stella. He's not a monster. He is just obsessed with her. He's in love with her. He will do anything to be with her. It's all out of love."

So in love he cheated with Sunita

[alan45]

So in love he cheated with Sunita

The only person he loves is himself

[alan45]

So in love he cheated with Sunita

The only person he loves is himself

[Kim]

I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.

[tammyy2j]

Michelle Collins has confessed she can't wait to plan a big fat soap wedding for her Coronation Street character Stella Price.

Rover's landlady Stella is set to marry love rat and killer Karl Munro (John Michie), still unaware that it was him who burned down the pub.

Michelle, 50, who has never been married herself, told The Sun: "I'd want Stella to have a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding with the dress. It's really weird because I've never been married but I've been married so many times on screen. What does that say about me? But I do love a wedding - and especially my own.

"Stella's not been married before either so I think she will go for it big time.

"This is her first marriage and they've been together for a long time. I'm hoping she'll go for it."

She added: "We know there is going to be a wedding but all I've had is a call from the costume department asking me if I want to go wedding dress shopping.

"I haven't seen a script yet. There is going to be a wedding and that's all we know at the moment."

Michelle thinks she will never have a big wedding of her own, so she is looking forward to her Corrie do.

She said: "I suppose I've got a bit too old to have that big white wedding thing, to be honest. I do love weddings.

"I did something where I was a bigamist and I got married eight times and that was a bit tiring. But I'm looking forward to getting married to Karl on screen."

[parkerman]

I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.

Yes and then Leanne can go off with Karl...er....perhaps not.....

[parkerman]

I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.

Yes and then Leanne can go off with Karl...er....perhaps not.....

[alan45]

Coronation Street villain Karl Munro considers killing again next week as he knows that he needs to silence Dev Alahan for good.

Karl is left in a panic as Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) continues to play detective over the Rovers Return fire and edges dangerously close to the terrible truth.

Realising that it's time to take action, Karl heads over to Dev's house and grabs a golf trophy, ready to strike. Can he really go through with taking another life?

Here, John Michie - who plays Karl - teases the dark scenes ahead as his character has murder in mind.

How confident is Karl that he's in the clear after starting the Rovers fire and killing Sunita?
"Karl is feeling confident that he's gotten away with starting the Rovers fire. He feels as though he has that in the bag. But he's very nervous about Sunita's death. Karl isn't really a killer and he never meant to kill Sunita, so he's completely freaked out by the series of events."

How guilty does Karl feel about what he's done? Is he still consumed by the guilt he felt at Sunita's funeral?
"Yes, definitely. Karl feels terrible guilt, especially whenever he sees Dev or the kids. But then he's also caught up by the fact that Dev could potentially ruin it all for him and destroy his chances of having the one thing he's always wanted, which is his partnership with Stella."

Did Karl ever expect Dev to be so determined to prove Sunita's innocence?
"I don't think Karl ever thinks ahead, so everything that happens takes him by surprise! He always has to deal with things as and when they happen. He's never prepared, so he certainly didn't foresee Dev's persistence."

Is Karl happy with where things are heading with Stella at the moment?
"Well, he's with her at the moment so he's happy in that sense. He's also happy that she seems to have bought everything he's told her and all of his lies. But there's one thing missing for Karl and that's Stella's hand in marriage. He just wants to tie the knot, so he can draw a line under all that has happened once and for all. But other than that, he is as happy as he can be without being married."

Dev has gone to the police to ask them to reopen the case. Does Karl think that they are likely to take Dev seriously?
"Karl is doing everything in his power to make it seem as though Dev is completely unhinged. The way in which Dev is going about this whole operation is so irritating to Karl. So the fact that he's starting to dislike Dev even more because of his behaviour is helping Karl's motive. He thinks that by encouraging people to see Dev's behaviour as worrying, it will discredit Dev's campaign to the police."

Karl is spending more and more time with Dev. Is this part of his plan?
"Yes. On the one hand, he's trying to pacify Dev by being his confidant and friend and helping him through his trauma, even though this makes Karl feel sick to the stomach. On the other hand, Karl is trying to make the world believe that Dev has gone mad in his over-thinking, so that the neighbours and the police won't take him seriously."

Karl's efforts to get Dev to see that his actions are pointless don't seem to work. How else does Karl try to stop Dev from pursuing his aim to clear Sunita's name?
"He tries to make Dev feel bad about the fact that the kids are being affected by their father's behaviour. He tries to emotionally blackmail him by telling Dev that he really ought to be focusing his attentions on his children, as they're the ones who are still alive."

What makes Karl think that he may need to start silencing people for good?
"When Dev appears to be getting close to some sort of truth through his investigations, Karl begins to think that he's going to have to take action. He has already threatened Leanne to keep her mouth shut, but he would never ever consider getting rid of her. Leanne is the whole reason for Stella being in Weatherfield in the first place.

"Karl wants to outplay Leanne in a game of chess, whereas Dev is potentially dispensable. But then again Karl has a soft spot for those two kids. He's a very confused man."

What is going through Karl's mind when he picks up the golf trophy, ready to strike Dev?
"Karl's emotions are flying all over the place at this point. He knows he has to stop Dev from going to the police, but he's running out of ways to do this. He's starting to think that the only option left is to kill him.

"But then I think Karl is so caught up in the madness of the world in which he's living in at the minute that he can't seem to think straight, but then he does suddenly get this moment of clarity where he realises that he cannot go through with this.

"Then again, Karl also has a moment where he does actually want to go through with it, because of the frustrating way in which Dev is talking and behaving."

Is Leanne's interference still bothering Karl at this stage?
"Karl is always weary of Leanne, because he just senses that there is something about her that will cause him problems along the way!"

Does Karl ever come close to confessing to Stella again, as he did at Sunita's funeral?
"In a way that was a very cathartic moment for Karl because he did confess, but Stella didn't believe him and ultimately it was this that gave Karl the strength to carry on. The fact that Stella couldn't believe that Karl would ever do such a thing gave him the fight to carry on."

Is Karl losing the plot at this stage?
"Yes, I think he's in utter turmoil, but he's quite good at covering his feelings. Every time you see him on screen, something is bubbling underneath the surface. He's constantly covering something up and sometimes he does this better than others.

"The fact is that Stella has become more than someone Karl wants to marry, he's completely obsessed with her. His obsession with her will take him to God only knows where. He's just counting his blessings that he has the chance to be with her."


What kind of a reaction have you had from the viewers?
"Surprisingly, a lot of people seem to be feeling sorry for Karl! A lot of people seem to think that he's gotten into a lot of trouble and that it hasn't all been his own doing. Some viewers don't want to see Karl go, but he kind of has to."

With news of Karl's departure, what can we expect from his exit?
"Well he's a villain, he's committed crimes and so he has to go, but I've no idea how he'll go yet. That's up to the writers!"

What will you miss the most about being at Corrie?
"Definitely being on the shop floor as it were. The way in which the actors and the crew all work together is really great here. We're like a big family."

Are you looking forward taking a break from being a baddie?
"It will be nice to have a break from it, but then it's great fun playing the bad guy. As an actor it's really interesting. You're always having to think one thing but convey something else and that's really challenging."

[alan45]

Coronation Street villain Karl Munro considers killing again next week as he knows that he needs to silence Dev Alahan for good.

Karl is left in a panic as Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) continues to play detective over the Rovers Return fire and edges dangerously close to the terrible truth.

Realising that it's time to take action, Karl heads over to Dev's house and grabs a golf trophy, ready to strike. Can he really go through with taking another life?

Here, John Michie - who plays Karl - teases the dark scenes ahead as his character has murder in mind.

How confident is Karl that he's in the clear after starting the Rovers fire and killing Sunita?
"Karl is feeling confident that he's gotten away with starting the Rovers fire. He feels as though he has that in the bag. But he's very nervous about Sunita's death. Karl isn't really a killer and he never meant to kill Sunita, so he's completely freaked out by the series of events."

How guilty does Karl feel about what he's done? Is he still consumed by the guilt he felt at Sunita's funeral?
"Yes, definitely. Karl feels terrible guilt, especially whenever he sees Dev or the kids. But then he's also caught up by the fact that Dev could potentially ruin it all for him and destroy his chances of having the one thing he's always wanted, which is his partnership with Stella."

Did Karl ever expect Dev to be so determined to prove Sunita's innocence?
"I don't think Karl ever thinks ahead, so everything that happens takes him by surprise! He always has to deal with things as and when they happen. He's never prepared, so he certainly didn't foresee Dev's persistence."

Is Karl happy with where things are heading with Stella at the moment?
"Well, he's with her at the moment so he's happy in that sense. He's also happy that she seems to have bought everything he's told her and all of his lies. But there's one thing missing for Karl and that's Stella's hand in marriage. He just wants to tie the knot, so he can draw a line under all that has happened once and for all. But other than that, he is as happy as he can be without being married."

Dev has gone to the police to ask them to reopen the case. Does Karl think that they are likely to take Dev seriously?
"Karl is doing everything in his power to make it seem as though Dev is completely unhinged. The way in which Dev is going about this whole operation is so irritating to Karl. So the fact that he's starting to dislike Dev even more because of his behaviour is helping Karl's motive. He thinks that by encouraging people to see Dev's behaviour as worrying, it will discredit Dev's campaign to the police."

Karl is spending more and more time with Dev. Is this part of his plan?
"Yes. On the one hand, he's trying to pacify Dev by being his confidant and friend and helping him through his trauma, even though this makes Karl feel sick to the stomach. On the other hand, Karl is trying to make the world believe that Dev has gone mad in his over-thinking, so that the neighbours and the police won't take him seriously."

Karl's efforts to get Dev to see that his actions are pointless don't seem to work. How else does Karl try to stop Dev from pursuing his aim to clear Sunita's name?
"He tries to make Dev feel bad about the fact that the kids are being affected by their father's behaviour. He tries to emotionally blackmail him by telling Dev that he really ought to be focusing his attentions on his children, as they're the ones who are still alive."

What makes Karl think that he may need to start silencing people for good?
"When Dev appears to be getting close to some sort of truth through his investigations, Karl begins to think that he's going to have to take action. He has already threatened Leanne to keep her mouth shut, but he would never ever consider getting rid of her. Leanne is the whole reason for Stella being in Weatherfield in the first place.

"Karl wants to outplay Leanne in a game of chess, whereas Dev is potentially dispensable. But then again Karl has a soft spot for those two kids. He's a very confused man."

What is going through Karl's mind when he picks up the golf trophy, ready to strike Dev?
"Karl's emotions are flying all over the place at this point. He knows he has to stop Dev from going to the police, but he's running out of ways to do this. He's starting to think that the only option left is to kill him.

"But then I think Karl is so caught up in the madness of the world in which he's living in at the minute that he can't seem to think straight, but then he does suddenly get this moment of clarity where he realises that he cannot go through with this.

"Then again, Karl also has a moment where he does actually want to go through with it, because of the frustrating way in which Dev is talking and behaving."

Is Leanne's interference still bothering Karl at this stage?
"Karl is always weary of Leanne, because he just senses that there is something about her that will cause him problems along the way!"

Does Karl ever come close to confessing to Stella again, as he did at Sunita's funeral?
"In a way that was a very cathartic moment for Karl because he did confess, but Stella didn't believe him and ultimately it was this that gave Karl the strength to carry on. The fact that Stella couldn't believe that Karl would ever do such a thing gave him the fight to carry on."

Is Karl losing the plot at this stage?
"Yes, I think he's in utter turmoil, but he's quite good at covering his feelings. Every time you see him on screen, something is bubbling underneath the surface. He's constantly covering something up and sometimes he does this better than others.

"The fact is that Stella has become more than someone Karl wants to marry, he's completely obsessed with her. His obsession with her will take him to God only knows where. He's just counting his blessings that he has the chance to be with her."


What kind of a reaction have you had from the viewers?
"Surprisingly, a lot of people seem to be feeling sorry for Karl! A lot of people seem to think that he's gotten into a lot of trouble and that it hasn't all been his own doing. Some viewers don't want to see Karl go, but he kind of has to."

With news of Karl's departure, what can we expect from his exit?
"Well he's a villain, he's committed crimes and so he has to go, but I've no idea how he'll go yet. That's up to the writers!"

What will you miss the most about being at Corrie?
"Definitely being on the shop floor as it were. The way in which the actors and the crew all work together is really great here. We're like a big family."

Are you looking forward taking a break from being a baddie?
"It will be nice to have a break from it, but then it's great fun playing the bad guy. As an actor it's really interesting. You're always having to think one thing but convey something else and that's really challenging."