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Torn off a stripper
29 June 2000 by Robert Aust

NEW Coronation Street hunk Scott Wright has revealed how he was scarred for life when a prank went wrong. Scott, 25, who plays male stripper Sam, had his arm shredded by a glass in a club.

He recalls: "I was with friends and one of them was playing around, throwing water at me. "I put up my hand to stop him and the glass smashed into my lower arm. "My skin was ripped back and it cut straight through every tendon in my wrist and hand, apart from my thumb. Blood was gushing out and I was in agony. It was so badly cut it was impossible for doctors so sew it back together." He was unable to work for six months, and six years on still bears an eight inch scar on his arm and has no flexion in his hand.

Despite this small flaw in his dishy appearance, Scott is single and says he actually feels "slimy" chatting up women. A string of disasters have left him very wary. He explains: "I had a habit of seeing a girl I liked in a club and just ploughing in to talk to her. But I'd always get it totally wrong. I gave one girl £2 to buy some flowers and not surprisingly she told me to keep my money and walked off with another guy."

Scott has decided to remain single while he concentrates on his work, and adds with a laugh: "I let women approach me now, but that isn't working too well either." The Lancashire-born hunk, who landed the role of Sam after 10 years trying to break into the big time, isn't fazed by stripping. "I'm getting used to getting my kit off for the cameras," he laughs.

Alma bites back
28 June 2000 by Emily Rose

WHAT goes around is about to come around for Corrie's maneating minx, Linda Sykes. The woman she replaced in Mike Baldwin's life is about to get the whip hand over her. Baldwin's ex-missus Alma - played by Amanda Barrie - will earwig a steamy conversation between Mike's fiancee Linda and her illicit lover, his son Mark.

Last night a Street insider revealed: "It's the latest sensational twist in a storyline that will run and run. Although Mark will soon be leaving Weatherfield for a new life, Linda's sexual secret is far from safe. "Alma will be in a position to wreak revenge upon her much younger rival. But things are never as simple as they seem."

The ex-wife, who lost her man, marriage and home to her micro-skirted rival, must decide whether to spill the beans and risk Mike having another heart attack - or leave him to have his heart broken.

Denise paints picture of mental illness
28 June 2000 by Peter Simmonds

Coronation Street star Denise Welch has had her portrait painted to highlight mental illness. Denise, 42, who plays Rovers Return landlady Natalie Barnes, suffered post-natal depression and has campaigned for more awareness about the problem that afflicts thousands of women. She is one of six stars who posed for acclaimed artist Jolie Goodman, whose exhibition, Madly Famous, is touring the UK.

The six celebrities who have taken part have all sought psychiatric help in the past. "I took part to show celebrities can have problems too. Other stars may have refused to participate because they fear it may hurt their career," said Corrie star Denise Welch. Award-winning Goodman contacted 30 celebrities for her portrait work Madly Famous.

Chatshow host and former victim of depression Trisha Goddard also had her portrait painted by the artist Jolie Goodman. Trisha took an overdose in 1994 after her husband had an affair with a researcher on her TV programe. The mother of two has since found a new partner and is very happy. "I was surprised by how few celebs came forward. But I was delighted that Trisha and Denise were so committed," said Goodman.

Street star's anguish as best mate is killed in triad gang revenge
25 June 2000

THE hottest new star of Coronation Street has revealed his terrible secret - his school pal was murdered by Chinese gangsters. Hunky Scott Wright, 25, who is about to send the women of Weatherfield wild when he strips off at a hen night, is haunted by the brutal killing of Eddie Hui. Chinese takeaway worker Eddie was blasted in the back of the head with a sawn-off shotgun just yards from Scott's home.

The handsome young actor, speaking exclusively to the Sunday People after making his debut in the Street last week, said: "If I'm a success, then I want to dedicate my role to the memory of Eddie. "We had been at school together and his death really shook me up."He was only 20 and he was a great friend. "It was terrible, absolutely terrible to hear about the way he was murdered. "Eddie was working in his uncle's chip shop near my home in Derbyshire and a guy just walked in, pulled out a gun and shot him in the head. "We had met by chance in the street a few weeks before he was killed and now I'm so glad we did. I would have hated to have just read about it in the papers without having seen him one last time."

Eddie's death was a revenge attack ordered by a Triad gangleader after he beat up one of the kung fu-fighting mobsters outside a snooker club in Manchester. Scott, who lives with his parents in New Mills in the beautiful Peak District, walked past the chip shop on the night of the murder and saw police cars - but thought nothing of it. Next morning he went to see Eddie - and was told by a policeman that his friend was dead. Scott says: "Finding out what had happened made me go cold."

He was relieved when the killers were arrested in London a few weeks later. Kung Fu master Keith Li, 28, who ordered the killing, a 20-year-old gang member and two others aged 18 and 17 were caged for life after being found guilty of murder at Manchester Crown Court. But now, five years later, Scott is still haunted by his friend's savage death. He says: "I still think of Eddie all the time. It's terrible what happened to him. I look at my life and then I look at what happened to Eddie. "That was a really awful time in my life for me but I tried to take something positive from it. "And the one thing I could do was use the tragedy to make sure I achieved my dreams. His death made me realise how short life is. "The only thing positive I could take from it was to take stock of my life. It gave me the kick that I needed. "Now I want to work as hard as I can and do whatever it takes to achieve everything." And Scott, who made his debut last Monday as lovable but dim building worker Sam Kingston, IS working incredibly hard to make that role a success.

Corrie casting chiefs spotted his potential to impress female viewers when they saw him on stage in a theatre in Derbyshire. But after offering him the role they gave the 14-stone hunk just three weeks to lose half a stone and get in good enough shape for a raunchy strip routine in the Rovers this Friday.

Scott says: "I did it but it hurt. Every morning I was up at 6am for a five-mile run. "That was before breakfast - a bit of muesli. Then each afternoon I'd go to the gym in New Mills. "I was in there for two hours every day working desperately trying to lift weights. After a couple of days every bone ached but I didn't dare stop. "I was going to be naked in front of millions of people and I desperately wanted a six-pack stomach and some pecs."

But Scott's dedication doesn't stop there - he has turned his back on love until his TV career takes off. He split with a girlfriend last December after three years together and has no plans at present to find another. He says: "I don't want to name her and I'm reluctant to talk about it. The relationship was a serious one but just didn't work out. "I haven't seen or spoken to her since. "I really think I wouldn't be in Coronation Street now if that relationship hadn't ended. "You have to be so single-minded in this business."

Scott's body will have female viewers lusting when he peels down to a G-string as "Python the stripper" at a ladies' night in the Rovers. He had last-minute nerves about filming the scene in front of nearly all the Street's actresses. But his famous co-stars reassured him. He says: "I could feel 30 sets of women's eyes on me - not easy. But they were all really good to me. At the end Denise Welch who plays Natalie Barnes came up and told me, 'Well done love' and Naomi Russell who plays Bobbi Lewis gave me a hug. Betty Driver was laughing away behind the bar because I danced with her behind the bar for one scene. "She was loving it - there's a lot of life in Betty I can tell you."

If Scott's character is a hit with viewers the reward will be a regular role in the Street. But his thoughts will still be with murder-victim Eddie. Scott says: "Appearing in Coronation Street is the biggest chance of my career. If I make it I'll be thinking of Eddie - I'd like to think that I've done this for him."

FAST FACT: UP to three million illegal guns are feared to be in circulation in Britain.

FAST FACT: EIGHT people have been murdered in Manchester since last summer.

A Corrie insider said: "Ever since Linda started her steamy fling with Mark, viewers have been wondering whether Mike will find out about them. "It was obvious Mark was falling for her in a big way but everyone thought Linda was just using him for a bit of fun. "But when he finally lays his cards on the table, she realises just how much he means to her and tells him she loves him."The insider added: "This love triangle has been a thrilling storyline - and there's still more to come. "Let's face it, even if Linda and Mike do wed, there will always be the possibility that her cheating will come back to haunt her."

The Betty Driver Story: Betty
25 June 2000

From the age of 7 her cruel, ambitious mother forced her to work twice a night, six days a week as she squandered the fortune her daughter earned on drink, clothes and cars...

FOR more than 30 years, Betty Driver has dispensed pints, hotpot and maternal wisdom at the Rovers Return. Long before she joined Coronation Street as barmaid Betty Turpin, Betty was a major film and stage star. But fame came at a price. Her young life was made miserable by a spiteful and domineering mother. Here, in the first part of her painfully frank autobiography, Betty reveals her rise to stardom, how she was abused and exploited as a child, how her mother drove away the love of her life, and how salvation came in the form of her loyal sister Freda...

MOTHER and I were standing at the side of the stage and the compere had just announced: "Betty Driver, the dynamic singing star!" The orchestra had started my introduction. The conversation went like this: "Mam, do I have to go on?" "Give over Betty!" "Mam, I mean it. I'm so nervous..." SLAP! "Get on that stage! And don't forget to smile!"

And I went on, a great red five-fingered hand-mark across my cheek, and started to sing my first number with tears rolling down my face. I glanced to the side and my mother was there in the wings, where she always stood, watching me, her mouth moving as she sang along with me, her hands mirroring my gestures, her legs moving to my steps.

I ought to introduce my mother properly. Her name was Nellie Driver, and she was a small woman with a strident voice. She was shrewd, ambitious, outgoing and gregarious, and overshadowed my father Frederick. I made my first appearance on May 20, 1920, weighing 12lb, at the Prebend Nursing Home in Leicester. I was born after a 16-hour labour. My mother lay back in bed and vowed: "Never again, I don't want one like her." I wish my father had stood up to my mother. If he had I'm certain she would not have been as domineering as she became, but he never did.

From the moment I was born, until 19 years later - when my younger sister Freda dared to stand up to her - my mother was the driving force in my life. My father was a quiet soul. He fought in the trenches in the First World War and later became a policeman in West Didsbury, south of Manchester, where we lived in a semi alongside other police families. It was my mother's first proper home of her own, and before she moved in the police warned her a kennel wouldn't be allowed and our collie dog Bess would have to live in the house. She wasn't having that and sold her. I was heartbroken as my dog was dragged away while mother held me back to stop me running after her.

Mother was stage-struck and the only way I can explain her behaviour is that she wanted to live out her ambitions through me. School was at Wilbraham Road. I loved it. I was a dreadful tomboy and used to fight the lads. After a while my sister Freda joined me there and ended up in the same class as Patricia Pilkington, who changed her name one day to Phoenix and became Elsie Tanner. My parents didn't believe in celebrating birthdays or Christmas. When I was growing up I could never work out how old I was because May 20 was just like any other day - it had no special meaning for me. When I was six, my father's parents gave Freda and me a pair of skates to share. They were our only bought toys. Toys were like signs of affection: absent from our lives. We were never hugged or kissed, and while dad never laid a finger on us, mother often lashed out. The house had three bedrooms but I insisted on sharing mine with Freda. It was the start of an intense relationship that has grown stronger every day.

Mother never wanted children and neglected us until she found I could sing. Then everything changed for me. I was 71/2 when we set off to see a touring company called the Quaintesques, a group of men dressed as women. The show was going on when the star Billy Manders asked the audience to join in with a chorus. I got carried away, booming away in the back row, and at the end of the song Billy asked me to come forward and sing with him. We brought the house down and I was presented with a jar of toffees - my first fee!

My mother started to take me to all the talent contests around Manchester and the North West. And I won them all. I imitated hits by Gracie Fields such as Sing As We Go, and The Biggest Aspidistra In the World, corny little numbers that I detested but mother adored. At 12 I was touring all over the country with my first revue. Freda came too, and every week we went to a different school. I remember one school I went to while playing the Sunderland Empire. Mother left us at the gates and all the children were staring at us. THE headmaster got hold of me, put me on his knee and started to fondle me, saying: "You're a nice little girl. How much money do you make at the theatre?" I said: "I'm not telling you because I don't know how much money I make." My mother never told me. He was annoyed and made me stand on a chair in the middle of the hall then told all the children to march around me and stare at me. Dreadful man. I told my mother he had been touching me, but it didn't bother her. I had an awful lot of that: men seemed to think that if you were on stage you were used to it - and I was still only 12.

I was performing in London when I was spotted by the agent Bert Aza, who was in partnership with his brother Archie Pitt, Gracie Fields's husband. He told me he wanted to book me for a revival of Mr Tower Of London, which Gracie had made famous 19 years before. Archie and Bert said they wanted me for the lead. Mother pointed out that I was only 14 but they said it didn't matter. They were confident I could carry it off.

Before I started in Mr Tower Of London, I appeared in Manchester and George Formby came to see me with his wife Beryl. George's wife said they had enjoyed my performance and asked if I'd appear in a film George was making called Boots! Boots! I was to play a cabaret singer but when Beryl, who was also in the film, saw me rehearsing she decided she wouldn't have me outshining her and mother and I were bundled out of town on the next train. The producers felt bad about how I'd been treated and refused to take my name off the credits. Every now and again the film is on TV and my name rolls up even though I didn't appear in it at all. I only ever spoke to Gracie Fields once, but she left me in no doubt as to what she thought of me.

My agent, Lillian, asked me to call at the Azas' house in Maida Vale. It was huge and I was shown into the drawing room. A woman was in there, wearing a plastic raincoat and a headscarf with a pair of black horn-rimmed glasses on her nose. Lillian came in and asked if I'd met Gracie. I said: "No, I've never had the pleasure." She looked me up and down and said, cuttingly: "Likewise." Then she turned her back.

At 16 I was in a West End show called Home and Beauty. For years mother had stood guard over my virtue in theatres, seeing off the attentions of amorous comics and theatre managers. Now I was receiving even more attention. In Home and Beauty there was a huge musician called the Bull, who took a fancy to me. After one performance when I went to my dressing room to get my bag I heard somebody shuffle in behind. I froze. Suddenly this huge man grabbed me, and started to maul me, trying to kiss me. I thought he was going to rape me but I kept my head. Dad had taught me how to take care of myself. The Bull turned me round to face him. I brought my knee up hard and he hit the floor like a stone. I thought I'd killed him. I flew out of the room screaming "I've killed the balalaika player because he was being rude!" Everyone thought it was so funny. The poor chap never spoke to me again.

In 1938 I was starring at ATP studios in Ealing in a film called Penny Paradise. When I turned 18 the studio's publicity department made a tremendous fuss. My dressing room was filled with flowers and even mother got in on the act, giving me a little white Hillman car with red leather inside. A chauffeur was hired to drive me round in it. Penny Paradise premiered in London and Manchester. AFTER a few months of variety and radio work, I returned to the studio to make my second film, Let's Be Famous. We'd finished filming when war was declared and the studios closed down. I was 19 and forced back to doing what I knew best...variety, touring the country with a couple of suitcases.

There weren't many ventriloquists on the circuits but the best was a young man called Arthur Worsley - and I fellmadly in love with him. He was a handsome boy, and we went out together for a while. I would have liked to marry him but our mothers were at each other all the time. They were two of a kind, both desperate to hang on to their meal tickets and terrified we'd fall in love, marry, and they'd lose control of us. They made our lives a misery. If we went for lunch our mothers came. If we walked in the park they walked with us. The idea of traipsing around with mother filled Freda, who was now 16, and myself with dread. Mother, though, was happy. Penny Paradise had been released and I could be billed as a film star. This meant she could demand a higher fee for my act.

At night, tucked up in our shared bed in a rented room near whichever theatre I was playing, Freda and I would plan our future. Freda would hold me tight and, as I cried into the pillow, she'd swear that one day we'd get rid of the songs - and mother. That moment came after I had started to do some work for the BBC in the fashionable new medium called television. As soon as we arrived at our digs in London, mother opened her case and out tumbled all the old band parts I loathed. Freda didn't say anything, then, quick as a flash, she leapt forward, grabbed the music and threw it on the fire. Mother screamed and tried to rescue the music, but it was too late. Mother flew at Freda, lashing out at her with her hands and fingernails. In her anger Freda hit back at mother. But Freda still hadn't finished. Mother always dressed me in these little girlie frocks with nipped waists, high straps and collars. Freda demanded I have something smart and modern. I fully expected mother to kill her and was amazed when she threw her hands in the air and said: "On your head be it." I couldn't believe she'd backed down.

The next morning Freda and I walked all over London looking in shop windows. It was as if a weight had been lifted from myshoulders as I looked at all the dresses in these grand stores. I bought a beautiful dinner gown and wore it on TV, starting a trend. After that everyone wore dinner gowns. Overnight my act had changed. Gone were the immature songs, imitations of Gracie Fields and frilly dresses. Now I was a ballad singer, and the songs Freda chose for me to sing were brand new.

It was during a six-month run in a revue called Twice In A Blue Moon that Freda and I finally parted company with mother. She had cardiac asthma and could hardly walk. At first she refused to leave us alone and return to Manchester. Eventually Freda sent for Dad. He took her home and she was admitted to hospital, where she stayed for six weeks. I finally started to have fun, all thanks to Freda.

When Twice In A Blue Moon came to an end I returned to variety. We opened in Coventry Hippodrome and sharing the bill with us that week were the Andrews family - father Bob, mother Barbara and little Julie. I continued to make regular trips to Bristol to sing on a radio show called Ack Ack Beer Beer. While I was there I met Jack Watson. He was five years older than me and as soon as I saw him I fell head over heels in love. He would drive me out to the Mendip Hills and we'd sit there playing records on a wind-up gramophone on the back seat.

IN May 1941 I turned 21 and for the first time took responsibility for my own money. Up to then my wages had been paid to my mother, and she gave me pocket money. Originally five shillings (25p) a week, then 10, and then, when I was 19, a pound. Mother paid Freda half a crown for being my companion. During all that time my average weekly pay was £50 a week, sometimes £150. I gave the books my parents had been keeping to an accountant. I didn't have a penny - my parents had spent all the money on drink, cars and clothes. That summer I made my third and last film, Facing the Music, and was paid the handsome sum of £1,000.

While making it things came to a head with Jack. I was hoping he would propose. However, mother, during a visit, put a stop to the romance once and for all. Jack came to see me at the studios but mother wouldn't let him in, so Freda slipped out and booked him into the Elstree country club where we were staying. After filming we went back to the club and there he was, with a spray of roses and his gorgeous smile. Mother was furious. So long as I remained single, I continued to be her meal ticket. She shouted at Jack, then grabbed the roses out of his hand and threw them in his face. Jack and I had to admit it was no good. I was under mother's thumb and didn't have the guts tostand up for myself or Jack. So we broke up. Shortly afterwards Jack met and later married a BBC engineer called Betty Edwards.

A year after joining Coronation Street I was reunited with Jack. He came into the show to play chief petty officer Bill Gregory, who proposed to Elsie Tanner. He looked sensational, and I felt like a giggling schoolgirl. But having him there upset me deeply. I couldn't stop thinking of what might have been instead of what had been. He'd have made a wonderful husband.

Adapted by David Rowe from Betty: The Autobiography by Betty Driver with Daran Little, published by Granada Media, £14.99. To order a copy (p+p inc) phone 0870 900 2050 quoting reference AD07.

I'm showing my python down the Rovers
25 June 2000 by Alan Hart

THEY haven't seen anything bulge like this in the Rovers since Bet Gilroy's top shrank in the wash. Coronation Street labourer Sam Kingston whips off his overalls to reveal his secret sideline as a stripper called The Python in this Fridayís episode. He is the first male stripper in the Street's 40-year history.

Sam, played by Scott Wright, made his Weatherfield debut as the nephew of builder Pat Hegarty last Monday. Sam lands in trouble when he promises his workmates heíll put on their racing bets, then takes Jack Duckworthís advice and pockets the money. Of course, the horses romp home and Sam has to find £240 winnings. But this week barmaid Geena Gregory recognises a golden eagle tattoo on Sam's bicep and realises he's a masked male stripper. Quicker than you can say "Careful, that's a python", landlady Natalie Barnes hires Sam for a night of fantasy at the Rovers.

Days before his Street strip, Scott had an undress rehearsal at London's Pineapple dance studios where he started off with an outfit like Richard Gere's in the movie An Officer And A Gentleman. Scott was trained by Neil Buschman, one of the UK Fantasy Boys strip troupe, as he posed for photos for Now magazine. Scott, 25, said: "I just hope that everybody who watches Coronation Street will be laughing along with me rather than at me."

Corrie Tina's crusade for gymslip mums
24 June 2000 by Tania Branigan

IT was the day fact and fiction merged as Coronation Street's Sarah Louise Platt met real-life gymslip mums. Actress Tina O'Brien visited a Manchester school for under-age mothers to thank them for being her inspiration in the TV soap. The girls had invited Tina to open new facilities at the school and told her how they were hooked on her dramatic storyline as a 13-year-old mum.

Tina, who is 16, chatted with the mums - and was told that her fictional role mirrored the truth. The young actress was guest of honour at the Leo Kelly Centre part of the Hospital School - which provides education for young mums and helps them learn how to look after their new babies. Street scriptwriters joined Tina at the school and spoke to the girls to ensure Sarah-Lou's experiences rang true. Tina said she was honoured that the girls had invited her to open the refurbished centre, near Manchester University.

She told the M.E.N.: ''I'm pleased that people can identify with Sarah-Lou's experiences and if it stops any underage pregnancies that's brilliant.  I've heard that the storyline has made the subject easier to talk about in homes instead of being pushed under the carpet. It isn't just a storyline about Sarah-Lou on Corrie - it really does happen.'' She added: ''It's good to let people know that the centre exists and that there's somewhere for them to go. Instead of being isolated, girls can come here and have friends in the same situation that they can talk to. It would be awful if they were on their own worrying about things.''

She also gave out records of achievement to the many youngsters who have just finished their schooling at the centre. The centre's new facilities include a new library, IT and information centre, home education room and performance area. There is also a new nursery with changing area and kitchen area.

Hung over Gary fined
24 June 2000 Exclusive by John Mahoney

CORRIE star Ian Mercer has paid to have some of his scenes reshot - after admitting they were rubbish because he had a hangover. Actor Ian, 37, who plays widowed window cleaner Gary Mallett, coughed up £3,200 after he was hauled before producer Jane Macnaught. She made him watch the embarrassing footage. Jane bluntly told him it was "garbage". And Ian, who'd been celebrating the birth of his third daughter Ruby Mae the night before, had to agree.

Hatchet woman Jane asked him if he was aware how expensive it was to film Britain's best-loved show. So Ian instantly offered to fork out for cameramen to be brought back in to re-shoot the unusable action. Ian, who leaves Corrie in August after claiming he is bored with his role, said the hefty fee should be deducted from next month's pay. But the £85,000-a-year star told senior Granada TV staff it was only the joy of wetting his baby's head that led to his disastrous performance.

Last night a close friend of Ian's said: "What more could he do? He knew the scenes weren't that good but Jane Macnaught hit the roof and made him really uncomfortable. "Ian, to be fair, was profusely apologetic. He is a decent bloke and agreed to pay for the scenes to be re-shot. That was accepted. "Ian is an extremely professional actor who would not want to be remembered for such scenes anyway. "He was simply overcome by the elation of fathering a lovely little girl."

In April, Ian shocked his TV bosses by vowing to quit because he was fed up that he'd had no juicy story lines since the death of his screen wife Judy. Last week he filmed his final scenes in Blackpool, where he falls in love with a mum after rescuing her toddler from drowning. Last night Granada said: "It would be inappropriate to discuss confidential matters relating to our artists."

Street's Gary pays high price for hangover
24 June 2000
Coronation Street star Ian Mercer is paying the price for a below par performance after offering to foot the bill for his scenes to be refilmed. The actor, better known as widowed window cleaner Gary Mallet, is understood to have been summoned before the soap's producer and told his scenes were unacceptable. When Jane Macnaught insisted on a reshoot, the 37-year-old actor offered to pay the £3,000 cost himself, according to a Street insider.

The £85,000-a-year star reportedly blamed his poor performance on a hangover - the result of celebrating the birth of his third child Ruby Mae. The source described Ian as "mortified" and added: "He was profusely apologetic to the production people and offered to pay up."

A spokeswoman for the hit show has declined to comment on the claims. "It would be inappropriate to discuss matters relating to our confidential contractual relationships with artists," she added. Mercer is due to quit the soap this summer following reports that he had become bored with his character's mundane storylines.

Corrie stripper has his eye on big parts
23 June 2000 by Jonathan Donald

Unknown actor Scott Wright hopes playing a stripper in Coronation Street will be his ticket to the big time. Scott, 25, sheds his clothes on Monday in a girls' night episode. He plays Python, who sends Weatherfield's women wild in the Rovers.

His revealing TV break comes after seven years working as a draughtsman in his dad's engineering company. He said: "Let's hope it's the start of something big. I'm still going round my supermarket hoping to be noticed."

Scott, from Derbyshire, said: "I must say I enjoyed being screamed at by 30 women. But I've done it before. "I was naked in the show City Central and took my top off at the audition for this, so I was ready for it." But his appearance in the soap is short-lived - he has only a three-week contract.

Street's Chris escapes to the country
22 June 2000

Fun-loving Coronation Street star Chris Bisson has bought a rustic converted barn in the Cheshire countryside. The 26-year-old actor, who plays Street mini-cab boss Vikram Desai, said: "It's a two-bedroom job, nothing too flashy. I am a townie at heart but I want to escape to the fields. "Maybe I am getting old before my days but I want to read my newspaper and sit there with my feet up. Slippers? Pipe? Er, no. I think that's going too far."

Though he's earning £80,000 a year in his role he realises he could be 'terminated' at any time. But he's philosophical over his future and career. He said: "Look, if it all goes wrong tomorrow...I'll just hand the house and the car back. It's no big deal. I had nothing before."

Bisson also struck gold in the movie comedy East is East. "It was a fantastic experience and we will have to wait and see what effect it has on my career. It can only be good," he says.

Before the job came up in the Street he was just another unemployed young actor filling in time by working in Moss Bros men's outfitters in the West End. He said: "It was only a couple of years back. I was very good. I could look at somebody and pick their size. I won an award one week. The manager told me Michael Caine used to work for them....so there had to be hope for me!"

Street stars set "to marry"
22 June 2000

Coronation Street stars Jennifer James and Lee Boardman are understood to be planning to marry. The couple, who play Rovers Return barmaid Geena Gregory and tough guy Jez Quigley in the long-running ITV soap, met earlier this year on the set. A spokesman for the programme said: "It is a private matter but we would all like to wish them well."

Corrie foray
21 June 2000 'Peterborough' column

The happy chime of wedding bells will be ringing out over the dull chimney pots of Coronation Street. Lee Boardman, who plays the murderous Jez Quigley, has becone secretly engaged to his co-star, Jennifer James. Jennifer plays Geena, the comely, pint-pulling barmaid of the Rovers Return. "I proposed to het three weeks ago, and we are getting married in May 2001", he confided to Peterborough, at Monday's opening night of BBC Film's A Busy Day. "I have met the person I want to spend my life with. It's as simple as that."

A Corrie spokesman said yesterday: "We're all very suprised. Lee only called us this morning to tell us. Unfortunately they'll never be able to have an on-screen romance as Lee is a drug-dealing villain and she is the lovable local barmaid."

Corrie star's Manchester troubles
20 June 2000 Exclusive by John Earls

Coronation Street actor Lee Boardman is afraid to go out in Manchester because soap fans won't leave him in peace. Lee, 27, who plays drug dealer Jez Quigley, told TV Plus: "I have no life in Manchester, I don't go out any more up there. Every time I did I was stopped in the street by everyone from children to OAPs. It was just relentless. "I had some idea what it would be like but it has been more intense than I expected."

Lee, whose character Jez goes on trial for murder soon, talked to TV Plus at a BBC film launch with Ewan McGregor. He said: "Even Ewan wouldn't get as much aggro in Manchester as I do but I suppose it shows the power of the character and the programme." Lee will be in the soap until late summer, having first appeared three years ago.

Mike's family fury
20 June 2000

CORRIE factory boss Mike Baldwin is left raging when fiancee Linda Sykes weds his SON instead of him. Although Street fans have seen the scheming sexpot lure Mark Redwood into bed under his dad's nose, Mike is devastated when their lusty secret is finally rumbled. But the family feud that erupts when the young couple tie the knot also leads to Mark's exit from Weatherfield.

Paul Fox, who plays Baldwin's lovethief lad, wants out of the soap and has told producer Jane Macnaught he will quit when his contract expires in three months. But viewers with their claws out for Linda - who's got Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) so wrapped round her little finger that he hasn't suspected her illicit liaisons - won't be seeing the back of her. Sultry Jacqui Pirie is so highly rated among Street top brass she's just been signed up for another year to keep the temperature, and the ratings, soaring in Britain's top telly show.

Mike's marriage bombshell was leaked yesterday by none other than producer Macnaught. Eager to promote the show's official website, she let slip one of the blockbuster plots being drawn up between now and Christmas. Also lined up are two murder trials. Fans are already awaiting the case of The Crown versus drug dealer Jez Quigley, who is accused of murdering Rovers land-lady Natalie's son Tony. She's keeping the second trial a close secret. Viewers, though, are already wondering if fiery Jim McDonald (played by soon-to-be-axed Charlie Lawson) might find himself in the dock as well for doing away with spendthrift girlfriend Gwen.

Macnaught, who is dubbed the Tyrant Queen at Corrie after ditching a string of stars during her first year in charge, also revealed that there is an upcoming late-night episode, after the 9pm watershed, in which the lives of several favourites come under threat. And, in the show's 40th year, there's another wedding in the wings which will out-sparkle even that of Posh and Becks. "There's going to be something very big coming at you every month from now until Christmas," said Macnaught. "The first trial - the one that everyone knows about - will take place when Jez is tried for the murder of Tony Horrocks. "But there is going to be a twist to that court case. "Then there will be a surprise death, which will be truly shocking for many of the Street's characters, and will ultimately lead to another murder trial."

The full website interview can be found at www.coronationstreet.com from tomorrow.

My anorexia torment
20 June 2000 by John Mahoney

CORRIE beauty Tracy Shaw yesterday told of her hell in the grip of the killer eating disorder anorexia. And she revealed it was a throw-away quip from a friend's mum who said "Haven't you got a big bum" which sent her on a horrifying downward spiral. She ended up skeletal and gaunt weighing just five and a half stone.

Tracy, 26, thought food was the enemy. After eating one orange segment she felt so bloated and ashamed that she wanted to run 10 miles to burn it off. As her weight plummeted, she found herself alone in a psychiatric unit refusing to take painkillers and having nightmares about bingeing out on junk food. She battled through the torment and emerged healthy once more - but those harrowing years are still vivid in the mind of the soap stunner who plays Street hairdresser Maxine Peacock.

Blonde Tracy, whose illness was fuelled by low self-esteem, a disastrous private life and a fear of getting fat, has now launched the Tracy Shaw Foundation to warn youngsters about the horrors of anorexia and bulimia. She recalled being bed-bound in a psychiatric ward and said: "It was like a prison sentence. I hadn't got a life because the anorexia takes over the whole of your life. "I was petrified and lonely. I didn't put any weight on at first so I was bed-bound and made to wear thermal socks, gloves and a hat. "I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere and had to eat every meal in bed. "My bed was by the window and I remember just looking out crying, thinking this is like jail. I was the only person not on medication as I refused to go on anti-depressants."

Tracy admitted it broke her parents' hearts when they were told she needed psychiatric treatment. Her fight with anorexia began when she left home at 19 for drama school. She said: "I was fine until then - it was quite hard and I was going back home at weekends and still doing dance competitions on top of my degree. "Then someone's mum made a flippant comment, saying 'Gosh, haven't you put on weight? Haven't you got a big bum now?' "I moved in with a couple of girls and watched what they ate, thinking maybe I should be dieting too."

Tracy began missing meals and boycotting chocolate. She admitted: "I was completely obsessed - I worried every minute of the day about food. I used to have bad dreams about eating fish and chips. "The thought of eating was petrifying . . . it'd be like jumping off a cliff."

Tracy was at her lowest ebb, hospital treatment hadn't worked, her love life was a mess and soon after joining Coronation Street, she had a relapse. "There was all this media attention about how skinny I looked. There was one photocall on a warm day, but I put several layers on and wore baggy trousers. I just wanted to hide beneath all the clothes. "I knew I looked awful but just didn't know how I could help myself. It became a nightmare."

Tracy's depression was not helped by doomed affairs with drugs-shame footballer Shane Nicholson, who was kicked out of West Brom, and TV presenter Glenn Williams. She is now bursting with good health and happy with TV producer Robert Ashworth, 28.

Medical research shows there are up to a million eating disorder sufferers in Britain - with as many as 10 in 100 dying. Tomorrow the minister for women Tessa Jowell, who has sent a message of support to Tracy, holds a summit for fashion industry bosses to warn of the dangers of using "unrealistic images" of women and young people.

Corrie storylines hot up
19 June 2000 by TV Plus reporters

Corrie lovers Linda Sykes and Mike Baldwin are to wed in one of several sensational storylines to mark the ITV soap's 40th anniversary. Linda (Jaqueline Pirie) is currently cheating on Mike with his son Mark Redman. But producer Jane Macnaught said they'll tie the knot later this year despite her infidelity. She added: "There's going to be something big coming at viewers every month until Christmas."

The "truly shocking" death of a Corrie favourite has been promised by Macnaught to mark the anniversary in December.

Speaking on Corrie's Web site, she said: "There'll be two murder trials, one after a surprise death which'll be truly shocking for many Corrie characters and for lots of fans. "The first which is already known will be Jez's trial for the murder of Tony Horrocks. There'll be a twist in that court case."

Macnaught is planning a special late-night episode of the soap to be screened after the watershed for the first time. A Corrie spoksewoman said: "Corrie has been on after the watershed because of soccer before but this is an unprecedented move. It'll be shown in two or three months and will be a night of high drama."

The soap is returning to its lighter side next month with two weeks of episodes filmed on location in Blackpool. It follows criticism of recent doom and gloom storylines, notably when Alison and her baby died in the same week. A Corrie spokeswoman said: "We're going back to Corrie's comedy roots. The episodes follow Jack and Vera and Tyrone and Maria on holiday in Blackpool. They are very funny."

I'll meet t'Queen
17 June 2000
CORRIE loudmouth Vera Duckworth is off to meet the Queen . . . along with dowdy East End mum Pauline Fowler. The soap pair - alias Liz Dawn and Wendy Richard - both get MBEs in today's Queen's birthday honours. And yesterday thrilled Liz, 60, filming a lighthearted Coronation Street story set in Blackpool, declared: "I'm over the moon".

The actress, who only last month became Mayoress of Leeds, has been honoured for her charity and fundraising work, including the formation of the Liz Dawn Breast Cancer Appeal. She added: "It's such an honour. I've been involved in charity work for 30 years, but it never crossed my mind that I'd get an MBE. "I have four wonderful children and four gorgeous grandchildren, all of whom are healthy, so I am blessed." Liz, whose charity has so far raised £500,000, has received royal recognition before. Prince Charles sent her flowers for her 60th birthday, the Queen sent a message of congratulations and Tony Blair sent a good luck telegram.

Liz has been in the Street for 26 years, while EastEnders star Wendy, 53, has played Pauline since the very first episode 15 years ago. Her off-screen life has been as turbulent as her character's. She endured three failed marriages, including one to a man who beat her up. Her father committed suicide and her mum died of cancer. Then four years ago, Wendy was told she had breast cancer. She had an operation to remove the tumour, followed by a course of radiotherapy, but within two weeks she was back at work. Now Wendy tours the country giving talks on cancer-awareness.

As predicted, there is a CBE for veteran chat host Michael Parkinson and a knighthood for Michael Caine. Other awards went to singer Lulu, Countdown star Carol Vorderman, and veteran actress Sian Phillips. Brainbox Carol, 39, the highest paid woman on British TV, is involved with the Government's Maths 2000 initiative. She said: "I know it says this is for services to broadcasting, but I think it's really because I've always tried to popularise maths "It's fantastic. These are two consonants and a vowel I'm very proud of." Paddy Ashdown, the former Lib-Dem leader, becomes a KBE. Bank of England Governor Eddie George becomes a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire. And bestselling Harry Potter author Joanne Rowling collects an OBE.

But the list is not without controversy. Michael Ashcroft, treasurer of the Conservative Party, gets a KCMG for "public service to the community and country" in the Commonwealth Honours List. The honour is given "on the advice of Her Majesty's Belize Ministers" - meaning the Government had no say in the matter. Even so, the award will inflame many Labour MPs who opposed the peerage recently given to him.

Awards also went to people who made their names some time ago. They include one-time King of Skiffle Lonnie Donegan, MBE, and one of Britain's greatest milers Sydney Wooderson, MBE. he is now 86 and was winning honours as long ago as 1934. Former footballer Jimmy Armfield, capped 43 times for England between 1952 and 1971, gets an OBE. There's also a CBE for Oscar-winning American Beauty film director, Sam Mendes.

A CBE goes to Dick Francis, the former champion jockey, who has been writing bestselling racing thrillers since he quit the saddle. There's also a knighthood for British clothes designer Paul Smith, who boasts Tony Blair and actor Hugh Grant among his clients. An OBE goes to Colin Dexter, creator of telly character Inspector Morse, who has now been killed off by his author. In sport, there were MBEs for former England rugby star Jeremy Guscott and golfer Paul Lawrie, who came from nowhere to win the Open at Carnoustie last year.

There is also a Damehood for Northern Ireland's Olympic gold medallist Mary Peters and an OBE for Jim Fox, another pentathlete and Olympic gold winner.

Bill's dope shocker
16 June 2000 by John Mahoney

CORRIE Mr Sensible Bill Roache has told how he once became a giggling wreck after smoking dope. Bill, who plays Ken Barlow, was tricked into taking a joint which he thought was a rollup ciggie during his Army days. But he felt so light-headed and wasted after getting high that he's not touched any sort of drug since.

Bill's confession came after he was chosen to front a campaign by Prince Charles to make children aware of the danger of drugs. Yesterday his wife, Sarah, said: "At first he felt light-headed and couldn't stop laughing. But soon afterwards he started being ill. "He's never touched a thing since that day. He always says: 'That was enough for me.'"

Weatherfield yesterday: The Cartwright Murders
15 June 2000

Ken Barlow is the longest running character on Coronation Street. Resident on the street for nearly 40 years he has had a variety of careers, from journalist to Freshco's trollyman, with some teaching and shop-keeping along the way! Fans of the show will know that, more recently, Ken has turned author and his first book Weatherfield Yesterday will be published on-screen in July. Weatherfield Yesterday: The Cartwright Murders is a paperback extract, and the first of a potential series from a new literary talent on the Street

Viewers will have seen recently that, whilst researching the general history of the area for his new book, Ken stumbled upon the tragic story of the Cartwright murders which had taken place in Weatherfield over a hundred years ago. A chill was sent to the spine of many of the current day residents as Ken revealed the notoriety of the double murder, how the bodies were never found and the secret lives of the 'dark satanic mills'. Delving further into the mystery, Ken found himself in a sticky web of scandal and deceit after appeals for information about the historic case revealed that the bloodline of Bernard Cartwright, Victorian arch-villain and alleged double murderer, still survives and was flowing through the veins of one Fred Elliot!

Weatherfield Yesterday: The Cartwright Murders is the book that both Fred Elliot and Curly Watts didn't want published. It is the full, unseen story of Ken's controversial investigations. Using contemporary records, newspaper reports and diaries to illuminate his murky tale, Ken sets out to solve the famous Cartwright mystery and finally reveal whether Bernard Cartwright was really guilty of such a horrific crime.

About the Author
Stephen Bennett was born in Oldham and now lives in Cambridge. He has written for a number of successful TV soaps and dramas including Coronation Street (20 episodes), Where The Heart Is and Holby City.

Ken Barlow's associate, Bill Roache, will publicise.

Weatherfield Yesterday: The Cartwright Murders by Ken Barlow and Stephen Bennett is published by Granada Media in association with Andre Deutsch priced £7.99 paperback and is available from all good bookshops from 17 July 2000.

Sam the Stripper set to wow Weatherfield women
15 June 2000

Meet Corrie new boy, sexy Sam Kingston - the builder who will set female pulses racing on Britain's top soap. For Sam is hiding a ssssizzling secret from the women folk of Weatherfield - by day he might be a burly builder, but by night he's Python the stripper!

Sam, played by newcomer Scott Wright, makes his debut in Coronation Street on Monday 19 June. He's been given a job on the health centre building project by his uncle, site foreman Pat Hegarty (played by Tony Barton) He's immediately a hit with the ladies, even with his clothes on, but it soon becomes clear that he is hiding something from everyone - and it isn't just his rippling biceps and gorgeous pecs.

Barmaid Geena Gregory cottons on to the fact that she recognises him from somewhere and it isn't long before the penny drops. For Sam's alter ego is Python the masked Stripper - a six foot hunk who wows the ladies with his raunchy routines. And it isn't long before he's entertaining the local ladies and Corrie fans with a special show in the Rovers Return.

Scott, 25, from Derbyshire, is thrilled to get the part of Sam. He said: 'He is a fun character to play. 'He is an amiable bloke who is a bit embarrassed about what he does so he wears a mask for his act. He can't believe Geena recognises him and he does his best to put her off the scent but she's determined to book him for ladies' night at the Rovers. 'We've filmed the ladies night and it was hilarious. I was a bit unsure about stripping off in front of 18 million viewers but it is all done in the best possible taste!'

A Coronation Street spokesperson said: 'This is a real fun storyline - Corrie comedy at it's best. Sam is with us for three weeks initially, but who knows - if the female fans like what they see we may be seeing more of him!'

It's Les Batter-sea
15 June 2000
CORONATION Street star Bruce Jones has helped win a prize in one of the world's top sea races. Twelve thousand competitors on 1,587 yachts took part in the Hoya Round The Island Race at the Isle of Wight. But the soap actor - who plays layabout Les Battersby - and his buddies aboard The Hoya Fling, took the trophy for the first monohull to cross the finishing line in the 50 mile challenge.

Bruce, who crewed for leading yachtsman Eddie Owen, said: "Les would have been well out of his depth. If he ever got on a yacht there would be a scam involved. And if he got his hands on the trophy he'd probably run off with it." The 47-year-old actor, who bought his own boat a year ago, added: "Racing against the world's best yachtsman was a dream come true. It was exhilarating."

Heartwarming role for ex-Corrie star
14 June 2000 by Derek Robins

Corrie legend Jean Alexander is joining the hit ITV drama Where the Heart is. Jean, 74, who played Hilda Ogden in the soap for 23 years, stars as a widow with a sentimental secret in the series later this summer. An ITV spokeswoman said: "Jean plays Joan Cotter who's reluctant to sell a piece of land which villagers want to turn into a playground. The reason is she conceived her daughter in the field back in 1944, so it's got happy memories for her."

Co-star Phil Middlemiss says Jean was treated like a VIP while filming the episode. Phil, 37, who was Corrie's Des Barnes, said: "She was great, she's a lovely, very funny woman. A lot of people on the set were in awe of her. They treated her like visiting royalty. "Sadly I didn't do any scenes with her as she's only in one episode. That was a shame as I joined Corrie after she left."

While Jean was fawned over on the set another famous recruit to the Sunday night drama, Frank Finlay, went around virtually unrecognised. Frank, 73, an acclaimed actor for 50 years, plays a widower ostracised for helping his wife to die. Phil Middlemisss said: "Frank was mistaken for an extra in the canteen and told to go to the back of the queue! Then I pointed out he'd played the definitive Iago from Othello!" Other newcomers to the show are Keith Barron and Kate Robbins.

Phil yer boots
14 June 2000

ACTOR Phil Middlemiss is on the prowl for women again - but this time it's not as Dirty Des Barnes the Corrie bookie. Phil, 36, has been told by his mum to put it about Casanova-style just like his killed-off Street character. The star, who has split with actress girlfriend Alison King after four years, said: "My mum is always telling me 'Just play the field, son'. She says to have a good time . . . and I wouldn't dare disobey my mother."

Phil is returning to our screens as a mild-mannered family man alongside gorgeous Men Behaving Badly star Leslie Ash in ITV's Yorkshire-based drama Where The Heart Is. And he says he's delighted to be foot-loose and fancy-free again - although he also hinted he may already have found a new woman, winking: "If only you knew!" "It's tremendous being single again, absolutely tremendous," he said. "Alison and I were together for a while but she was down in London and I was in Manchester and it became a telephone relationship. "The grass is always greener when you are in a relationship. I'm enjoying myself now.

Ironically, viewers will see Phil playing the supportive husband of glamorous nurse Karen Buckley in Where The Heart Is. Unlike dirty Des - and Phil - he can cook gourmet food, do DIY and support his teenage daughter. Phil, who accepted the role because his mum's WI pals loved the show, said: "It was a shock playing a dad. I had to think about six times before taking the part. "I'd like to settle down one day because I love kids and get on well with them. "But I'm very happy just being myself and doing what I want to do. "I've never been married or engaged and I'm in no rush whatsoever."

Phil has just bought a bachelor pad after sharing a flat with best pal Gary Webster, the former Minder star who recently wed TV presenter Wendy Turner. A friend said: "Phil was gutted over the split with Alison. He's been through a bad time but is now loving his single life. He is a real bachelor boy."

Phil says Corrie has lost the plot
13 June 2000 by Derek Robins

Ex-Corrie star Phil Middlemiss has branded the soap "death alley" after the recent run of tragic storylines. Phil, 37, whose character Des Barnes was killed off two years ago, hit out following the deaths of Alison and her baby last week.

He told TV Plus: "It is like death alley, there are people dying all over the place. It was too soon to let Alison die, after what happened to Judy Mallett last year and then Natalie Barnes's son." "There is no comedy in the street now. The humour that Bet and Alec Gilroy did so well isn't there. "They are not getting the best out of Liz Dawn as Vera and Bill Tarmey as Jack. They've been sidelined by tragic plots."

Phil said Corrie has become as gloomy as EastEnders, adding: "Albert Square is a place I'd have hated to live in a few years ago as it had muggers and Aids victims running around. Now the Street is getting that way too." Phil, who spent eight years with Corrie, is now happier to be part of ITV's feelgood drama Where the Heart is. He joins the cast as Leslie Ash's screen husband David Buckley from July 23.

Quiet for bad boy Si
13 June 2000 by Tony Brookes

CORONATION STREET bad boy Simon Gregson looks like settling down at last after taking a fancy to a country cottage. The £100,000-a-year star - who plays tearaway Steve McDonald - has led an equally wild life off screen.

Now he's set his heart on a £135,000 semi-detached,two-bedroom, 17th century pad. It has exposed beams, neat gardens, conservatory, patio - and septic tank. Currently in a bachelor flat in Manchester, Gregson, 25, hopes to move to Styal, Cheshire, by the end of the summer. 'Simon is really excited,' said a pal last night. 'This place hardly fits in with his hairy lifestyle and flash cars so it looks like he is growing up at last.'

Gregson has had brushes with the law over driving offences and has admitted he once had a £300-a-week cocaine habit.

Male stripper to spice up the Street
12 June 2000

Coronation Street officials are hoping to stay ahead in the ratings war with a sexy new storyline featuring a male stripper. Sam Kingston, played by newcomer Scott Wright, will show a lighter side to the soap after it attracted more than 16 million viewers with a tragic baby snatch plot.

The comic tale features Wright, from Glossop, Derbyshire, as a builder who is recognised by barmaid Geena Gregory as Python the masked stripper. The six-footer is an instant hit with Weatherfield women and it is not long before he is entertaining regulars in the Rovers. Wright, who was spotted by the casting director in a local play, said: "We've filmed the ladies night and it was hilarious. I was a bit unsure about stripping off in front of 18 million viewers - but it is all done in the best possible taste."

A Granada TV spokesman said Wright's character, who was given a job on the health centre building site by his uncle, Pat Hegarty, played by Tony Barton, will be in the show for three weeks from next Monday. But he added that if the female fans like what they see we could be seeing more of him.

Corrie girls get crush on Python
12 June 2000 by Caroline Barrett

Temperatures look set to rise among the Weatherfield women with the arrival of a sexy male stripper on the Street. Sam Kingston, played by newcomer Scott Wright, 25, will make his debut in the soap next Monday.

The comic tale features Scott, from Derbyshire, as a builder who is recognised by barmaid Geena Gregory as Python the masked stripper. He becomes an instant hit and it's not long before he's revealing all in the Rovers. Six-foot actor Scott admits he was nervous about peeling off for the soap's 15 million viewers when he filmed the ladies' night episode. "It was hilarious," he says. "I was a bit unsure about stripping off, but it was all done in the best possible taste." His character will be in the soap for three weeks.

Coronation Street bosses are out to prove they're still top for comedy with the new fun storyline. After attracting 16 million viewers with the recent tragic baby-snatch plot, the soap wants to appeal to the lighter side. Corrie spokeswoman Zoe Cartell tells TV Plus: "This is a really funny storyline, which is bound to appeal to all our viewers. And if fans like him, he could be sticking around."

Sorrow nation street
12 June 2000 by Dave Newman

CORRIE star Naomi Radcliffe broke down in tears over Alison Webster's harrowing TV death. Anguished Naomi said she wept as she filmed the scenes where Alison saw her newborn baby Jake die, snatched Sarah-Louise Platt's daughter and finally threw herself under the wheels of a juggernaut. Naomi, 28, said even she wasn't prepared for the full horror of her character's dramatic exit from the Street which was watched by a massive 17m soap fans. Naomi said: "Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley, got on the phone to me and she was in tears. She'd just watched Alison's final moments. "Then I watched my last episode and I was crying too."

Naomi revealed her decision to quit the Street was one of the hardest of her life but she didn't expect her departure would be so dramatic. "I told the bosses I was going to leave and I was hoping they'd write me out with a bang, instead of just leaving quietly in a taxi . . . and then I got the script. "The first time I read it, I was in tears. "It was strange because I'm really bad at crying. I'm always fascinated by these actors who can produce tears at a moment's notice. "But this was completely different - filming the scenes, I was in a mess. We all were, it was really intense."

Naomi revealed how TV bosses decided that the harrowing scenes should be shot away from the Corrie studio. She said: "We filmed all the scenes with Alison having the baby and the baby dying at a disused hospital. "Usually on Coronation Street, you have a laugh with the other actors between takes. "But there was none of that, because they were all back at the studios and we were out on our own - just the people actually involved in the scenes. "It didn't feel like working on Coronation Street at all. "When you're doing take after take of these really tragic, intense scenes you need to find a way to keep up your energy. "So in between takes, we deliberately tried to talk about things in quite a light way. I know that if I hadn't done that, I would have just collapsed."

Naomi said shooting troubled Alison's baby-death heartbreak and the dramatic scenes where she snatched Sarah-Lou's tot left her totally drained. "Between the hospital scenes and the last scenes where Alison went off with Sarah-Lou's baby, there were two full weeks of filming all the intense stuff. "We did eight episodes in a week, which included the final one. I was exhausted afterwards."

EastEnglanders
9 June 2000

THE BBC will screen a special episode of EastEnders just before England's Euro 2000 clash with Germany. The cast of the soap will be seen glued to the TV in the Queen Vic waiting for the big match to come on. But Italian brothers Gianni and Beppe look set to become the nation's most hated men as they root for Germany in the June 17 game. The 45-minute special will go out immediately before the match at 7.45pm.

BBC bosses hope viewers will then stay with the channel for the soccer instead of switching to ITV. An EastEnders spokeswoman said last night: "Euro 2000 is going to affect the whole country so it is very fitting that Walford is getting involved in it. "Most of Queen Vic regulars think that Gianni and Beppe's decision to back the Germans is outrageous. This should really get everyone in the football mood. "The Queen Vic has never heard so much screaming - there were crisps, nuts and beer flying all over the place!" During the episode Robbie (Dean Gaffney) fumes when Frank bars him from the pub - because he has no money to buy a drink.

Dot, played by June Brown, is less than pleased when she finally agrees to go on a date to the cinema with Jim and he blows her out to watch the football.

MORE than 16million viewers saw Alison Webster (Naomi Radcliffe) die under a lorry in Coronation Street on Wednesday. One in seven of all UK TV viewers watched the dramatic episode.

Alison's tragedy
9 June 2000

A WHOPPING 16.2m soap addicts tuned in to Coronation Street to witness Alison Webster's death under the wheels of a juggernaut. Three million more viewers than the previous week were gripped by the tragic end of the character, played by Naomi Radcliffe.

The latest ratings boost follows big audience increases generated by dramatic story lines. On Sunday, Corrie drew 13.9m - two million up on the week before. Then on Monday, when Alison's baby died, it had 14.8m, an increase on the week of 4.3m. Wednesday night's episode saw distraught Alison abducting SarahLouise Platt's newborn child, handing the baby over to husband Kevin, then meeting her doom.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said: "We're absolutely thrilled. We were inundated with calls praising the show. "Normally if people are happy with a show they don't bother to call, but we had grown men in tears. "Callers were praising the performances, saying how sensitively it was handled and how enjoyable it was as a piece of television."

Corrie's latest viewing figures put it well ahead in the battle with EastEnders which drew 11.6m viewers on Tuesday night.

Battle of the babies
8 June 2000 Exclusive by Nigel Pauley

EASTENDERS plans to hit back in the ratings war with a teenage mum mystery of its own. Coronation Street grabbed a 68 per cent audience share - 16m viewers - on Monday with its saga about 13-year-old Sarah Louise Platt's baby. Now its BBC rival plans to follow suit with a pregnancy storyline involving 15-year-old Sonia Jackson - and the show's bosses are keeping mum about who's the dad.

Sonia, played by 17-year-old Natalie Cassidy, has already endured one scare after losing her virginity to Martin Fowler. After taking a pregnancy test, her fears that she was in the family way proved unfounded. But EastEnders chiefs have decided not to let her off the hook so easily. Sources say they are developing several ideas involving Sonia for later this year.

In the show the unlucky-in-love teenager seems to have met her dream fella - Jamie Mitchell, played by heart-throb Jack Ryder. Insiders reveal that the pair will become an item during a sizzling summer of love. But their bliss will be shattered later in the year when Sonia discovers she's pregnant. And poor old Sonia doesn't know whether the father is new lover Jamie or Martin.

The source said: "It's going to be a real tear-jerker, it could be that she's messed-up the pregnancy test and months later finds she is having a baby. "She will be plunged into turmoil because she is happy with Jamie but may be carrying Martin's baby. "The poor girl just won't know what to do."

Insiders denied that they were cashing in on Sarah Louise's baby drama, saying the plot has been in development for a long time. A spokeswoman said: "We don't discuss future storylines but it's true that Sonia will be featuring in a major plot over the next few months."

Meanwhile, Corrie star Denise Welch, 42, has rejected a storyline in which pub landlady Natalie Barnes has a miscarriage. Denise turned the idea down because she reckons the Rovers boss already has too many dead relatives.

Sad Gail forgives
7 June 2000 by Nigel Pauley

FORGIVING Gail Platt looks set to give cheating husband Martin a second chance when he admits everything. Gail is sent reeling when Martin confesses that colleague Rebecca Hopkins is the love of his life. In some sizzling episodes over the next few weeks Rebecca (Jill Halfpenny) finally dumps him to start a new life in Dubai. Then heartbroken Martin, played by Sean Wilson, admits the sixmonth fling.

Many wives would tell him to sling his hook, but Gail (Helen Worth), is still in shock from 13-year-old daughter Sarah Louise's pregnancy. Gail seems ready to patch things up - even though Martin also had a one-night stand five years ago.

Helen, who has played mum-of-three Gail for 26 years, admits that she perfectly understands why. She tells Inside Soap magazine: "Even though Gail is in total, total shock, she can see that Martin is devastated Rebecca has left him. "He's suffering and is taking out his pain on the person he is closest to - Gail."

Gail has been through some tough times. First husband Brian Tilsley was murdered and she also became a granny at the age of 42. Helen adds: "She obviously thinks there's room to make the marriage work. But the main factor behind her action is that she loves him."

While Gail makes ends meet by working in a cafe, gourmet Helen jets round the world for a meal. She said: "I've been known to go to Paris for lunch and New York for dinner. I think I did seven restaurants in three days, which is pretty good going."

Street baby death highlights disease
6 June 2000
The death of a baby in Coronation Street has drawn attention to a little-known disease which affects hundreds of newborns every year. In a tragic episode, the Street's Alison Webster, played by Naomi Radcliffe, lost her baby Jake to Group B Streptococcus.

The bacterial infection is as common as other medical conditions such as spina bifida and muscular dystrophy, which pregnant women are routinely told about, yet few people have ever heard of it. It can cause septicaemia, pneumonia and meningitis in new-born babies, sometimes leaving survivors with permanent mental or physical handicaps, and proves fatal in 15% of babies infected.

Sadly, most of the deaths could be prevented. Dr Robert Feldman, a leading researcher in GBS prevention, said: "Each year 700 babies develop serious GBS infections, most of which could be avoided if women in high risk categories were identified and treated appropriately. "Effective prevention is simply doses of antibiotics which could prevent three out of four babies dying."

About a third of the population carry GBS in their intestines without symptoms and, like many other bacteria, it is a normal part of our systems but cannot be eradicated. It is most prevalent in new-born babies as their immune system is not developed sufficiently to fight the bacteria - becoming uncommon after the baby is one month old and extremely rare after three months. The infection is also an acknowledged cause of preterm delivery, stillbirth and late miscarriage and a rare cause of infection in adults - particularly pregnant women - the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

Street actress rejects tragic storyline
5 June 2000
Coronation Street star Denise Welch says the soap's writers wanted her character to become pregnant and lose the child. But Welch, who plays Natalie Barnes, rejected the idea, coming so soon after the deaths of her on-screen husband Des and son Tony. She also hit out at the number of deaths in the show on an interview with Monday night's That's Esther.

In Monday's episode of the Street Alison Webster (played by Naomi Radcliffe) loses her child Jake. And there is more tragedy to come as the programme serves up some of its most shocking storylines in the next few days.

But Welch said of the reliance on death: "How many more dead relatives can a person have? "I've made a request that there are no more dead relatives at all. I mean, yeah, it's great from an actor's point of view to play those sort of scenes, but it was only two years since the husband died and then the son died. "Then one of the writers suggested that I got pregnant and lost the baby and I screamed 'no'." The actress would rather concentrate on a few more light-hearted stories. "I just want to have a bit of fun. I think it's about time Natalie and her sister painted the town red," she added.

Nipples
4 June 2000 by Carole Malone

CORONATION Street's Sally Webster has upset viewers who've complained that her nipples have been too much on display. I'd imagine it's a deliberate ploy by Corrie bosses to steer attention away from her hair, which looks like it's been cut by a blind man wielding a pick axe.

Corrie's Annie ges a belly button ring
4 June 2000

DON'T tell Ken Barlow but his former missus Deirdre has gained a bit of extra Street cred...by sporting a belly button ring. Anne Kirkbride, known to millions as Coronation Street's sexy-specs Deirdre Rashid, stunned co-stars by having her navel pierced and a silver ring put in. Anne, 45, took the plunge after Corrie colleague Jacqueline Pirie, 24, who plays maneater Linda Sykes, boasted about her own tummy job.

Jacqui told the Sunday People: "Before I had mine done Annie said to me 'I'd love to get my belly button done but don't you think I'm a bit too old?' and I told her not to be so daft. "Then I phoned her on the way back from the salon and said: 'Guess what I've just had done?" "And as soon as she saw it she said: 'Right, I've got to have mine pierced too'. "So I went and held her hand, because she was a bit worried that it might hurt but she wasn't upset at all when it was done. "Now wherever she goes she shows everybody. She's got a silver one with a small ball at the top and a big silver ball at the bottom." Jacqui showed off her own piercing at last month's BAFTA awards under an elegant white suit.

So far Anne, who spent £50 on the pierce, hasn't given hers an airing for the cameras. But a Coronation Street spokesman said: "She is very proud of it."

Jacqui admitted that at first she wasn't sure she wanted to go through with her pierce. She said: "I was getting my nails done in a salon where they did navel piercing. "One minute I was saying, 'It's disgusting, you'd never catch me having it done'. Then five minutes later I'd agreed to it."

That now makes four Corrie girls who have had the piercing - the other two are Tracy Shaw (Maxine) and Denise Welch (licensee Natalie).

Twins set for Sarah-Lou
4 June 2000

THE pregnancy that caused a national outcry ends tonight when Coronation Street's schoolgirl mum Sarah-Louise Platt gives birth to a girl...and becomes a mother-of-two. For identical month-old twins Emily and Amy Walton - pictured with real mother Shirley Walton and their soap mum, actress Tina O'Brien - will be sharing the part of baby Bethany Platt.

Last night Shirley, 34, of Swinton, Manchester, said she was thrilled, but added: "I'm really a Brookside fan."

Street baby war boosts ratings
3 June 2000

CORRIE'S teenage mum Sarah Louise Platt gave the soap a ratings boost. An estimated 20m tuned in to see the 13-year-old, played by Tina O'Brien, go into labour. But Street bosses, pushing to overtake EastEnders in the ratings battle, are confident that even more will tune in tomorrow Sunday to see her give birth to a girl. They hoped the nation will be gripped as the saga unfolds and Sarah Louise's joy is cut short next Wednesday.

Alison Webster (Naomi Radcliffe) has her baby on Sunday but loses the new-born child and, in a fit of desperation, kidnaps Sarah Louise's. And the teenager's mum, Gail Platt (Helen Worth), has yet another nightmare to confront as husband Martin reveals his affair with Rebecca Hopkins (Jill Halfpenny) a week on Monday.

Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson) is set for a shock when he learns live-in lover Gwen Loveday (Annie Hulley) has taken £1,000 from their account to pay off their debts.

Nappy event for ex-Street star
3 June 2000

Actor Ian Mercer, who plays Coronation Street's Gary Mallett, is celebrating the birth of a baby girl. Gary Mallett has been left bringing up twins on his own on the Street after wife Judy tragically died following a road accident. But in real life, Mercer's partner Susan gave birth to their third child, Ruby Mae, at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester. The couple also have a son Dylan and a daughter, Scarlett Mae.

Mercer, 37, who joined the Street five years ago, said he was delighted at the birth of 8lbs 1oz Ruby. He said: "Susan and Ruby are doing brilliantly. "Dylan and Scarlett and are absolutely delighted with the new addition to the family."

Mercer quit the show in April saying he felt he had spent long enough in the role. He will be written out in August although a Coronation Street spokeswoman said they had not yet decided how he would exit the show.

Kevin Kennedy launches 'Bulldog Nation'
1 June 2000 BMG Press Release

Kevin Kennedy aka Curly Watts from the nation's favourite soap, Coronation Street is about to surprise our ears with a new single that will amaze even his soap fans....

Kevin Kennedy is set to be this summer's surprise pop sensation with his new single 'Bulldog Nation'. Kevin displays his Bryan Adams-esque vocals and his catchy guitar riffs along with an anthemic chorus which will truly take over your senses throughout the summer months...

It may also surprise you to learn that acting was not Kevin's first love. His musical career stretches way back to when he was growing up in Manchester. Together with his childhood friends, guitar ace Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke he formed a local band called The Paris Valentinos who eventually became the legendary group The Smiths.

At the time, though, Kevin's acting career was beginning to blossom and so he made the momentous decision to focus on that. Not long after that- he became famous nationally in our fav soap 'Coronation Street'. But he never gave up on the music and has toured extensively with his band Kevin Kennedy and The Bunch of Thieves. They even played major venues and gigs such as the Reading festival and the NEC. He also famously guested with the Saw Doctors.

Watch out for a special documentary of Kevin's return to music called "Kevin Kennedy's Bulldog Nation' which will go out on the ITV Network in the UK immediately before the single release. Look out for him on TV and Press (see calender for dates)And we will have a special preview for you guys... Please take a look at the website for more on Kevin....

BMG BackStage www.click2music.co.uk

Mark in three soaps
31 May 2000 by Nigel Pauley

CORRIE Street love-rat Paul Fox plans to make TV history...by becoming the first actor to appear in Britain's three favourite soaps! The dark-haired hunk is quitting his role as romeo Mark Redmond, who is bedding dad Mike Baldwin's girlfriend Linda Sykes. Now he wants to go one better than his screen lover, played by Jacqueline Pirie, who previously starred in Emmerdale.

Prior to landing his Weatherfield part, the 21-year-old was also in Emmerdale, as schoolboy Will Cairns. Now he's heading to do theatre work in London and has set his sights on EastEnders. He revealed: "I'm a soap actor, and I'll be in London, so I wouldn't say no to EastEnders."

Paul is scheduled to film his last Street scenes in August - and it all looks set to end in tears. Insiders say his character Mark will confess to his dad, played by Johnny Briggs, that he's been romping with his bride-to-be.

Corrie bosses, who didn't want to lose one of their brightest young stars, offered him a big-money contract to stay. But Paul added: "In a way I'm going to be sad to leave but I felt it was time to move on. I'm having a brilliant time."

Doris Hare dies
31 May 2000

The actress who played the long-suffering mother to Reg Varney's character in On the Buses, Doris Hare, has died at the age of 95. Her leading role in the popular 1970s sitcom helped make her a household name. She also counted numerous West End and Broadway appearances among her credits, in an acting career which spanned 84 years.

The actress died on Wednesday at Denville Hall, the actors' retirement home in Northwood, Middlesex. She was much loved by audiences for her part in the popular TV show On the Buses, which ran from 1970 to 1975 and spawned three feature film spin-offs.

Ms Hare's co-star in the series, Anna Karen, paid tribute to the actress, who she said had remarkable energy and panache. "She was an absolutely amazing lady. I've never met a woman who was so full of life," said Miss Karen, who played Miss Hare's daughter Olive in the bus garage sitcom.

Ms Hare was born in Bargoed, South Wales, in March 1905, and made her stage debut at the age of three at the Alexander Portable Theatre, Bargoed. Her first West End hit came at the Adelphi Theatre in 1932, when she was 27, with John Mills in Noel Coward's revue Words and Music. After her Broadway debut in 1936, she kept London audiences laughing during the war with her comedy role in the revue Lights Up! at the Savoy Theatre.

She was a familiar voice throughout the war on the radio series Shipmates Ashore, eventually receiving an MBE for her work as a wartime entertainer. The actress was a leading player with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1963, but it was her role in On the Buses which brought her widest fame. "She was always tremendously popular because she was just so down-to-earth, not one of those grand leading ladies with airs and graces," said the author and critic Michael Thornton.

Her other TV roles included appearances in She'll Have To Go and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? in 1980. Her final West End appearance was at the grand age of 87 at the London Palladium when she received a standing ovation alongside Sir John Mills at a tribute to Evelyn Lane.

Ms Hare, who was a widow, leaves two daughters.

EastEnders tops Corrie at soap awards
28 May 2000 by Simon Holden

EastEnders thrashed Coronation Street at the second British Soap Awards last night, scooping seven of the 14 titles. The stars from Weatherfield claimed a mere three prizes, just one more than Brookside. One winner, Tamzin Outhwaite (Mel Healy from Enders), told TV Plus: "Corrie won best soap last year and if we hadn't have got it this year we would have been robbed." Tamzin, who had her hair in curls, won Sexiest Actress for the second year running.

Cheeky Cockney Patsy Palmer gave a serious warning to the young stars of EastEnders not to let fame go to their heads. Collecting the Best Actress title, she said: "I've had my ups and downs, as everyone knows. "I'd just say to all the youngsters: Be careful, because it does change your life." Patsy, who played Bianca, was married for just five months to first husband Nick Love.

One of the few Corrie successes at the Awards was Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), with Best Comedy Performance of the year. Sue, 57, joked: "I'm thrilled to be getting this. The only thing is that for the last year I've been giving my best dramatic acting!"

• Best Comedy Performance: Sue Nicholls as Audrey Roberts, Coronation Street.
• Best Dramatic Performance: Lindsey Coulson as Carol Jackson, EastEnders.
• Spectacular Scene of the Year: Claire Sweeney as Lindsey Corkhill, for the Brookside Millennium Club explosion.
• Best Storyline: Helen Worth, Tina O'Brien and Sean Wilson from Coronation Street for Sarah Louise's schoolgirl pregnancy.
• Best On-screen Partnership: Dean Sullivan and Sue Jenkins, as Jimmy Corkhill and Jackie Corkhill from Brookside.
• Sexiest Female and Sexiest Male: Tamzin Outhwaite (Melanie Healy) and Michael Greco (Beppe Di Marco) from EastEnders.
• Villain of the Year: Martin Kemp for Steve Owen from EastEnders.
• Best Newcomer: Gary Lucy from Hollyoaks.
• Best Screen Exit: Paul Loughran (Butch Dingle) Emmerdale
• Best Foreign soap: Home & Away.
• Special Achievement Award: Tony Warren, who created Coronation Street 40 years ago.
• Best Actor: Joe Absolom, Matthew Rose from EastEnders.
• Best Actress: Patsy Palmer, Bianca Butcher from EastEnders.
• Best British Soap: EastEnders.

Street warfare
27 May 2000

CORONATION Street bosses will screen a "fantastic fortnight" of shocking storylines next month, which they predict will "blast EastEnders out of the water" in the soap ratings war. Eight gripping episodes will include births, broken marriages - and deaths. In the most chilling moment, a baby is delivered safely - only to be struck by tragedy. Viewers will be reaching for the tissues from Sunday June 4 as two tots are born and instantly plagued with problems. Terrified 13-year-old Sarah Louise Platt, played by Tina O'Brien, has her baby girl first, but cannot bond with the screaming infant.

In a one-hour soap special on June 7, Alison - Naomi Radcliffe - gives birth after suffering from high blood pressure. Initially her baby boy Jake seems fine, but then breathing difficulties set in. Despite frantic attempts by doctors to save him, the child dies. Mad with grief, Alison turns her attention to helping gymslip mum Sarah Louise with her child. Then she snatches the baby, dresses her in Jake's clothes and rushes from the hospital.

A manhunt follows but it is husband Kevin, played by Michael Le Vell, who finally catches up with Alison. As soon as he finds his wife he loses her again. Corrie fans will be gripped by the scenes which lead to actress Naomi's exit.

And other long-running storylines will climax during the two-week spectacular. For months, fans have wondered how long it will be before Gail Platt rumbles hubby Martin's affair with nurse Rebecca. Already Sally Webster has found out about their illicit love. In a sensational twist Martin finally decides to confess all to Gail - but only after his mistress has left him to go and work in Dubai. Last night an insider said: "Gail is stunned and has to work out whether she should try and rebuild her marriage or send Martin packing."

At the same time Mike Baldwin's son Mark, played by Paul Fox, is discovered in yet another steamy clinch with his dad's fiancee Linda. Theirs is not the only relationship heading for the rocks. Gwen is given short shrift by Jim McDonald after he foils her plan to rob him and run away to London.

A Street source said: "We really want to give viewers a treat and these eight episodes are going to go bang, bang, bang. "Each instalment brings a roller coaster of emotion - packed with drama, tension, tragedy and joy."

For the past month, Britain's two top soaps have both been pulling in around 14 million viewers. Now ITV chiefs are hoping that June will see Coronation Street steam ahead. Their source said: "EastEnders storylines about Steve taking drugs and the never-ending car scam have really dragged on. This should really blow them out of the water."

That's my Dad !
26 May 2000 Exclusive by John Mahoney

THE two-year-old son of Corrie Street Star Sean Wilson has been banned from watching the soap... in case he catches dad cheating on his screen wife. Sean plays Martin Platt, who's up to no good at the moment. The naughty male nurse is gripping viewers with a steamy fling behind missus Gail's back.

Until the torrid romance hit screens, little Callum Wilson was Sean's biggest fan and wouldn't miss a single episode of Britain's favourite soap. Every time the famous opening bars of the Corrie theme tune came on, the toddler would dash into the living room hoping to clock his 33-year-old father on the telly. But that's all changed since love rat Martin started spending extra hospital shifts with saucy nurse Rebecca - actress Jill Halfpenny. Sean's wife Gaynor won't let Callum anywhere near the show in case he thinks his dad really is playing away from home.

"The minute Callum hears the theme music from the Street, he knows that Daddy's on," said hairdresser Gaynor. "But since he saw one episode where Martin kisses Rebecca, I haven't let him watch it again."

MegaStar can reveal that gormless Gail - actress Helen Worth - finally rumbles her husband's illicit affair in two weeks' time. When she does, all hell breaks loose. A Corrie insider said: "It's really funny about Sean's lad not watching the show but I suppose kids at that age can so easily get the wrong impression. "Sally Whittaker, who plays Sally Webster, does the same with her children because over the past few years she's had her fair share of on-screen kisses too. "Martin Platt has got a real problem, though, when Gail discovers what he's been up to. It's payback time and he might live to regret ever crossing the woman."

Take Platt, Becky
25 May 2000 by Tony Leonard

CORRIE wildcat Sally Webster is heading for a furious bust-up with naughty nurse Rebecca Hopkins. Sally, whose marriage to mechanic Kevin was wrecked by affairs, flies into a rage when she discovers Martin Platt is cheating on her best friend Gail.

The one-time bed-hopper, who had sex romps with Chris Collins and evil smoothie Greg Kelly while she was wed, confronts temptress Rebecca in a hospital ward.

A Street insider revealed: "Sally knows how painful it is to find out that your husband has been cheating on you and she sees Rebecca as a young, carefree girl who has no idea that she's breaking up a family. "Sally is very angry and tries to tell Martin that he doesn't know what he's doing. She wants her friends to stay together."

Sally - played by Sally Whittaker - discovers Martin's secret after her live-in boyfriend Danny, alias actor Richard Standing, is forced to admit he's covering up for his cheating pal. The insider added: "It starts to get very nasty. Martin is furious that Sally has attacked Rebecca."

Last night, actress Sally admitted: "Confrontational scenes are great to do. I always look forward to shooting the scenes that have a bit of substance. "It's certainly better than just going into the Rovers and asking for an orange juice."

But time is running out for Street romeo Martin, played by Sean Wilson. Insiders claim his missus Gail will soon uncover the truth about his cheating secret. The insider added: "He has strayed before and heartbroken Gail will not be willing to forgive him a second time."

Corrie actress to be Mayoress of Leeds
22 May 2000 by Derek Robbins

Corrie star Liz Dawn is to become mayoress of her home city Leeds this evening. Liz, 60, who plays Vera Duckworth in the ITV soap will join new Lord Mayor Bernard Altha at an inaugural ceremony at the city's Civic Hall. She said: "I'm thrilled and honoured to be asked to become Lady Mayoress. I'll have to get some tips from Audrey Roberts about the job. Audrey has been the Lady Mayoress of Weatherfield and knows the job."

Liz Dawn has been chosen as the new mayoress because of her charity work. She raised more than £500,000 for a breast cancer appeal. Liz said her new civic role won't affect her long running part in the ITV soap which she'll combine with attending official functions wearing her chain of office.

TV's Nita never looked sweeta
21 May 2000

The sultry beauty draped on a Caribbean beach is a far cry from Corrie's frosty store boss. Nita - actress Rebecca Sarker - dumped her dowdy business suit for a skimpy bikini to reveal her sexy 32-23-32 figure. Rebecca, who quit Coronation Street on Friday after 18 months as Fresco's no-nonsense Nita, is soaking up the sun in Antigua with hunky boyfriend Rico Calleja. Speaking of their romance for the first time, Rebecca told the Sunday People: "He's my soulmate and we love each other very much. " In an exclusive interview, Rebecca, 25, spoke of her JOY at meeting Rico, 39, her TEARS at leaving Corrie pals and her HOPES for more acting success.

Lawyer Rico chatted up Rebecca when she was a struggling graduate working in the lighting department at top London store Liberty's. She had yet to soar to soap fame giving Curly Watts the cold shoulder. Rebecca said: "Rico bought a light and I wrapped it. He was witty, charming and looked great." Rico visited the store for five months, buying countless lamps before daring to ask Rebecca out.

She said: "I'm glad he did. I left a few weeks later because I got the Coronation Street role. I might never have seen him again. We were lucky to meet when I was still unknown. I know Rico wanted me for me, not because I was a soap star. "We are so happy. It's the most important relationship in my life. The 14-year age gap means he has a maturity that's appealing to me." Cuddling Rico at Antigua's swish Jolly Beach Resort, Rebecca added: "He knows how to have fun but I know he's taking me seriously."

Rebecca has now moved in with Rico, who is half English and half Maltese, at his home in Surrey. The actress, a hit as a member of Corrie's first Asian family, laughed as she recalled taking Rico home to her real-life family for the first time. She said: "He was left speechless by mum's ultra-hot curry. Now she makes him a special mild one."

Rebecca cried when she said goodbye to the Corrie cast and crew, particularly Curly - her pal Kevin Kennedy. She said: "He is a real prankster and often had me in stitches.Now I want to use everything I've learned from the show to do more work in theatre, TV and musicals."

And Rebecca, who owes her figure to dance lessons and workouts, is certain of Rico's support. He said: "On TV her figure was hidden in her Fresco's outfit but I was struck with her the moment I laid eyes on her. "She's intelligent, funny, talented and the sexiest woman I've met. I want to share my life with her."

Bev: I never got £26,000 tax bill
21 May 2000

ACTRESS Bev Callard told yesterday how a house move left her being pursued by the taxman for more than £26,000. The ex-Coronation Street star, who now lives in Spain, said that post was re-directed from her former home in Bolton, Lancs, but a tax demand never reached her Costa Del Sol villa.

Bev's lawyer, John Hewison, said: "The Revenue took action because the letters were being returned or left unanswered. "As soon as the mail problem was sorted out, Bev became aware of what was going on and contacted her accountants."

The Revenue obtained county court orders against Bev and her husband Steve after they failed to respond to demands. Her accountants are now in talks with tax officials and she will pay up as soon as a figure is agreed. Bev, 41, who played Rovers Return barmaid Liz McDonald and made keep-fit videos, settled a £100,000 tax bill last year.

Mr Hewison also revealed that her move to Spain - to avoid the pressures of fame and spend more time with her family - may not be permanent. "She couldn't walk down the road without being recognised and it got too much," he said. "Both she and Steve needed a break from it all but they have not ruled out a return."

Steet Bev fled to Spain owing taxman £26,000
13 May 2000

CORONATION Street star Bev Callard fled Britain for a new life in Spain owing the taxman more than £26,000. And as long as she stays there investigators are powerless to get their money back. But Revenue bosses warned yesterday that they could start bankruptcy proceedings if she returns from the Costa del Sol.

They have won four county court orders against her and her husband Steve for £26,483 in unpaid bills. Tax officers checked 41-year-old Liz's income back to 1996, when she was still playing Corrie's sexy Liz McDonald. Concern grew when she failed to reply to their letters. Then they discovered late last year that she had sold her luxury home in Bolton and slipped away for a new life in the sun.

Bev and Steve, 34, decided on the switch after she became tired of the pressure of being in the public eye. Only their closest friends were in on the secret. The first neighbours knew was the day the couple packed their goods into a lorry and a van and waved goodbye. Flame-haired Bev, who earned around £100,000 a year before she left the soap in 1998, later told pals in England: "I'm happier now than I have ever been. "Some people might think it is crazy to uproot from a comfortable home and come out to Spain.  "But for several reasons, we all knew it was right for us."

Taxmen in Bolton went to court in January and successfully applied for the judgement orders. It means that Bev and Steve cannot obtain credit in Britain.

A Street source said: "We always had the impression Bev had pots of money. It seems a bit strange not to have paid all this tax. There must be some explanation." Apart from wanting to quit the limelight, Bev also thought Spain would be good for her son Josh, 10, who suffers from dyslexia. She felt she wasn't spending enough time with him and saw the new laid-back lifestyle as the perfect way to become a proper mum.

Bev and Steve found a remote villa with five en-suite bedrooms and a pool. The home had been empty for years and Steve got it for a snip. Josh has settled into an English-speaking school and Bev has told friends that they are "very happy" with the set-up. One said: "Before they decided to leave, Bev and Steve were trying to juggle all kinds of balls up in the air - careers, parenthood and business ventures. "When it all got too hard they were blaming one another. Now they've made a fresh start and have put all their difficulties behind them ... apart from the little matter of the taxman, it appears."

Race is on for Bobbi's affections
12 May 2000

Corrie beauty Bobbi Lewis may be set for a love tangle with Vikram Desai and Steve McDonald - but actress Naomi Russell says she'd never want such a complicated love life. Reports claim Steve and Vikram are set to have an on-screen bet over who will be first to bed Bobbi. But Naomi, 22, told TV Plus: "I'm dead boring in real life. I've never been one for clubbing and partying, not even when I was at college. Bobbi is much, much wilder than I am."

Former model Naomi Russell, who plays factory girl Bobbi Lewis in Corrie, refuses to reveal if she's dating anyone. "You can say Jude Law is my dream man," Naomi told TV Plus. Despite saying she's nothing like her screen character, ex-hairdresser Naomi insists she admires Bobbi. "Bobbi has a wicked sense of humour," says Naomi, from Preston. "I love playing her. It's Corrie's 40th anniversary at the end of the year. I hope Bobbi's around to celebrate it."

Tyrone's pet helps him find a mate
12 May 2000 by TV Plus reporters

Coronation Street tearaway Tyrone Dobbs is to find new love while trying to play matchmaker to his dog. Tyrone, played by Alan Halsall, has been suffering from a broken heart since being rejected by cruel Toyah Battersby. But he will finally find love with newcomer Samia Ghadie, who debuts this Friday as kennel maid Maria. They meet when he takes his adopted greyhound Monica to the kennels to find a mate.

Tyrone has been in a series of scrapes, including marooning Les Battersby on an island. Samia, 17, said: "I've known Alan for years. We first met on Children's Ward five years ago. "It's great to work with Jack and Vera Duckworth because they're the king and queen of the Street."

Corrie 'old guard' safe from chop
11 May 2000 by Simon Holden

Stars of Coronation Street in the soap for more than 20 years have been told their jobs are safe, according to one of the show's longest-serving actors. Speculation has been rife that many cast members face the chop, after the recent axing of Charlie Lawson, who played Jim MacDonald for 11 years.

But Bill Roache, 68, who's been Ken Barlow for 40 years, told TV Plus he belongs to an old guard beyond sacking by the new, feared producer Jane Macnaught. Bill said: "Yes, there are people leaving. But as far as I understand the good old regulars are staying. "That's anyone who's been in the show for over 20 years. "You are made to feel as long as you are doing a good job and your character is useful, you have some security."

He claims spirits are high among the Coronation Street cast despite the recent spate of departures. He said: "It has not affected the atmosphere. These are things we have known about for a long time." Bill is looking forward to the Street's 40th anniversary on Dec 9. He said: "It's an incredible achievement. I've been with the show since the first episode. It makes me feel very old."

Spider as film villain
10 May 2000 Mark Evans

CORRIE star Martin Hancock has already won his first major film role - two months before leaving the Street. Martin - Weatherfield's ecowarrior Spider - will star alongside real-life ex-villain Dave Courtney in Rumour-Fuelled Society. He plays a knife-wielding carjacker with a Mohican haircut who is chased for most of the film by a vicious gangster, played by Courtney. The film is being made by the same team who cast Eric Cantona and Kate Blanchett together in Elizabeth.

Martin, 27, was desperate for the part after hearing the book had been written with him in mind. He said: "I couldn't put the book down when I read it. I've been playing the good guy for so long now that I'm really looking forward to being a nasty piece of work." Courtney - the original of Vinnie Jones's character in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - said: "It won't be difficult to outdress that scruffy scarecrow Spider."

Jim's killer fury
9 May 2000 Exclusive by David Paul

CORRIE star Charlie Lawson is furious at plans for Jim McDonald to exit as the murderer of lover Gwen Loveday. He fears a backlash from fans in the places he meets most of them - racecourses.

Charlie, a keen racing fan, was hounded when his screen character Jim was in a wheelchair and he turned up at courses walking normally. The celebrity punter also found himself distracted from his oncourse pleasures by female fans quizzing him about the relationship with micro-skirted ex-wife Liz and whether Jim would ever regain the use of his legs.

A Street insider revealed: "Charlie's perturbed about Jim ending up as a murderer, especially after what happened when he was in a wheelchair. "He'd be peacefully picking his horses in a racecourse champagne bar when he'd be barracked by drunken fans, most of them women. "Places would come to a halt. Silly bimbos would start screaming, 'We'll tell Liz you've been faking,' or 'It's a miracle - Jim's walking again.' "As a result, he's dreading Jim being turned into a murderer. Imagine how much worse that would be."

But it's just one of a number of endings. He's equally likely to leave with a huge lottery win.

Long-lost secret brother of Street star Helen
7 May 2000

THIS is the secret brother Coronation Street star Helen Worth has kept hidden from the world for 35 years. Helen - the soap's Gail Platt - has never spoken about Ghanaian-born Wilson Kpikpitse who was fostered by her parents. But close friends say they formed an extraordinary bond and were inseparable for eight years as children, enjoying picnics and donkey rides together on the beaches at Morecambe, Lancs, where Helen was brought up. She came to rely on Wilson as a big brother who looked after and protected her.

"I was very, very happy with Helen and her family," said 52-year-old Wilson last night as he spoke for the first time of their relationship, from when he was aged 11 to 19. "They were very nice people. They took me into their home as a son. I would not want to upset Helen. "But we do still keep in touch and send each other Christmas and birthday cards. We had some very happy times together." The pair did not see each other for 18 years after drifting apart following the death of Helen's mother in a hit-and-run road accident while she was on a visit to Brighton. Then they had a chance reunion in a supermarket.

Wilson, who now lives with his doctor wife Johan in Maidenhead, Berks, was sent to Britain at the age of 11 as an overseas student and went to school in Lancaster, just a few miles from where Helen's parents ran a small seafront hotel in Morecambe. The 49-year-old actress - real name Cathryn Wigglesworth - was just eight when her mum and dad, Alfred and Gladys, fostered Wilson. Family friend Virginia Ruca