Ex-Coronation Street star Andrew Lancel has claimed that his former show suffered a dip after he left.

However, the actor - who played the evil Frank Foster until March - believes that the ITV soap has since improved.

Revealing that he watches Corrie "religiously", he told The Sun: "I think it had a dip but it feels in very good shape right now."

Meanwhile, the 42-year-old praised writers for the recent return of Ken Barlow's ex Wendy Crozier.

"I really enjoyed the Wendy Crozier storyline. It wasn't obviously done," he gushed.

"There was a three-handed episode the other day between Wendy, Rita and Deirdre which I thought was just classic Corrie."

Deirdre finally realised Wendy's deceit last week when she and Rita visited Ken's former mistress at her home.

Of the soap's departing producer, Lancel added: "I was very pleased to be there during Phil Collinson's reign."

The star, who is starring in a Beatles play in Liverpool as manager Brian Epstein, revealed that "a few of the cast" will attend the first show tonight (November 15).