Coronation Street General News Thread

[Perdita]

Coronation Street helped a 17-year-old boy come forward about a rape attack years ago.

The boy explained that watching a storyline involving the rape of Carla (Alison King) by Frank (Andrew Lancel) gave him the courage to tell police about the incident.

Daniel Bird, 24, from Sale Moor, was convicted of four counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. The victim was 8 at the time of the incident in 2004, while Bird was 15.

A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: "Having worked closely with the St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester on this storyline, we are pleased that the portrayal and subsequent aftermath of Carla's rape on Coronation Street has helped this victim to seek the appropriate help and guidance needed.

"We never seek to highlight an issue - just tell the best story for every character. When we do touch on issues we obviously strive to make sure our research is flawless and the depiction an accurate and truthful one."

Dr Catherine White, Clinical Director of the St Mary's Centre, added: "St Mary's provided advice to script writers and producers on how to portray the actual rape as well as advising on what the character might expect in terms of services at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

"St Mary's was also on the set during filming providing advice so that the portrayal of SARC services was as accurate as possible.

"It is encouraging that our work with Coronation Street has resulted in people coming forward and reporting their experience and ensuring they get the ongoing support they need."

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson defended the rape storyline back in February.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street helped a 17-year-old boy come forward about a rape attack years ago.

The boy explained that watching a storyline involving the rape of Carla (Alison King) by Frank (Andrew Lancel) gave him the courage to tell police about the incident.

Daniel Bird, 24, from Sale Moor, was convicted of four counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. The victim was 8 at the time of the incident in 2004, while Bird was 15.

A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: "Having worked closely with the St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester on this storyline, we are pleased that the portrayal and subsequent aftermath of Carla's rape on Coronation Street has helped this victim to seek the appropriate help and guidance needed.

"We never seek to highlight an issue - just tell the best story for every character. When we do touch on issues we obviously strive to make sure our research is flawless and the depiction an accurate and truthful one."

Dr Catherine White, Clinical Director of the St Mary's Centre, added: "St Mary's provided advice to script writers and producers on how to portray the actual rape as well as advising on what the character might expect in terms of services at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

"St Mary's was also on the set during filming providing advice so that the portrayal of SARC services was as accurate as possible.

"It is encouraging that our work with Coronation Street has resulted in people coming forward and reporting their experience and ensuring they get the ongoing support they need."

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson defended the rape storyline back in February.

[Perdita]

Coronation Street star Anne *Kirkbride has quit Twitter after being targeted by online trolls.

The actress, who plays Deirdre Barlow, was the victim of a long-running campaign of abuse by Twitter users who mocked her neck.

Kirkbride, who beat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in her neck after being *diagnosed in 1993, has since *deleted her *account on the social networking site.

She wrote: "Been nice knowing you twitter. Apologies to all the lovely people I've met on here. But in all honesty, i've had enough. (sic)"

Kirkbride had previously told her followers that her neck was a "sensitive subject" after receiving jibes.

Kirkbride's Corrie co-star Shobna Gulati (Sunita Alahan) left Twitter in June after receiving "violent, vitriolic" racist abuse.

Olympics presenter Helen Skelton also closed her Twitter account recently, claiming that she doesn't have the "thick skin" to handle negative comments directed at her.

[Perdita]

double post

[Perdita]

Coronation Street's Ryan Thomas has opened up about his experience filming ITV special Corrie Goes To Kenya.

The Jason Grimshaw actor admitted that his partaking in killing a goat left him "totally traumatised" and on the verge of vomiting.

"There was a ritual where they wanted to feed us goat, so we had to kill one," he told The Sun.

"I had to hold its legs while they slaughtered it. I was nearly being sick. I was totally traumatised - until we skinned and ate it."

However, Thomas added that his terror was short lived, praising the Kenyan tribe for the ritual.

The 28-year-old added: "We put loads of garlic and lemon and herbs on it and threw it on the barbecue and it was pretty damn tasty!

"I realised that it was actually an honour for us to be given the goat by the tribe. This is their tradition and I respected that."

Corrie Goes To Kenya's first episode of a two-part special will be broadcast on Friday, August 17 at 9pm on ITV1.

Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster), Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) and Ben Price (Nick Tilsley) also took part in the programme.

[Dennis tanner]

Coronation Street's Ryan Thomas has opened up about his experience filming ITV special Corrie Goes To Kenya.

The Jason Grimshaw actor admitted that his partaking in killing a goat left him "totally traumatised" and on the verge of vomiting.

"There was a ritual where they wanted to feed us goat, so we had to kill one," he told The Sun.

"I had to hold its legs while they slaughtered it. I was nearly being sick. I was totally traumatised - until we skinned and ate it."

However, Thomas added that his terror was short lived, praising the Kenyan tribe for the ritual.

The 28-year-old added: "We put loads of garlic and lemon and herbs on it and threw it on the barbecue and it was pretty damn tasty!

"I realised that it was actually an honour for us to be given the goat by the tribe. This is their tradition and I respected that."

Corrie Goes To Kenya's first episode of a two-part special will be broadcast on Friday, August 17 at 9pm on ITV1.

Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster), Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) and Ben Price (Nick Tilsley) also took part in the programme.

It sounds like everybody had a good time apart from the goat

[Perdita]

It sounds like everybody had a good time apart from the goat

[flappinfanny]

if reports are true mr collinson will be departing at the end of the year. im sure some of you on soapboard will be getting the bunting out and having a street party.

[Perdita]

Corrie's boss is set to quit by the end of the year… and he wants to go out with a bang that will rock Street fans.

Controversial executive producer Phil Collinson is considering plans to blow up the Rovers in a dramatic swansong to his time on the ITV1 soap, said an insider.

And it’s left many cast members fearful they may be killed off in his final sensational plotline.

“Blowing up the Rovers would be the most dramatic thing to happen on the Street,” a source said yesterday. “Phil thinks millions of extra viewers would tune in. But it means everyone on in the show is looking over their shoulder wondering if they’ll be inside when the pub goes up in smoke.”

Collinson revealed in February that he planned to quit by “the middle of next year”. But Corrie sources have told the Sunday Mirror he will move on earlier than planned as part of a shake-up by ITV bosses. “A lot of the cast are wondering what the future holds,” said our insider.

Collinson, 43, has been renowned for explosive storylines since arriving on the cobbles in 2009. He wrote a live 50th anniversary episode in December 2010 which featured a tram crash that killed off two characters.

Viewers have also been enthralled by the John Snape murders and Frank Foster’s controversial rape of fiancée Carla Connor.

And in May Corrie beat *EastEnders to win a Best Drama Bafta. But the cast have been worried by the amount of gay plotlines introduced by Collinson, who is gay himself.

A Street spokesman yesterday declined to comment on when *Collinson would go.

[Perdita]

Corrie's boss is set to quit by the end of the year… and he wants to go out with a bang that will rock Street fans.

Controversial executive producer Phil Collinson is considering plans to blow up the Rovers in a dramatic swansong to his time on the ITV1 soap, said an insider.

And it’s left many cast members fearful they may be killed off in his final sensational plotline.

“Blowing up the Rovers would be the most dramatic thing to happen on the Street,” a source said yesterday. “Phil thinks millions of extra viewers would tune in. But it means everyone on in the show is looking over their shoulder wondering if they’ll be inside when the pub goes up in smoke.”

Collinson revealed in February that he planned to quit by “the middle of next year”. But Corrie sources have told the Sunday Mirror he will move on earlier than planned as part of a shake-up by ITV bosses. “A lot of the cast are wondering what the future holds,” said our insider.

Collinson, 43, has been renowned for explosive storylines since arriving on the cobbles in 2009. He wrote a live 50th anniversary episode in December 2010 which featured a tram crash that killed off two characters.

Viewers have also been enthralled by the John Snape murders and Frank Foster’s controversial rape of fiancée Carla Connor.

And in May Corrie beat *EastEnders to win a Best Drama Bafta. But the cast have been worried by the amount of gay plotlines introduced by Collinson, who is gay himself.

A Street spokesman yesterday declined to comment on when *Collinson would go.

Sunday Mirror