This page is produced for the benefit of those living around the world who may be unable to receive this information by any other means. All copyrights and sources are acknowledged; all material remains the property of the copyright holder; no deliberate copyright violation is intended.
Newspaper webmasters: Although some of this information may be available on your website, it is often inaccessible to the casual reader - especially if you do not archive issues. It would also help if you respond to reprint requests !

Denise's terror during Corrie's live episode
29 December 2000
Denise Welch says she was terrified while filming Coronation Street's live episode. She admits the episode was the scariest work she has ever done.

Denise plays landlady Natalie Barnes for four years, and is expecting a baby in March. Viewers will see her departure from Coronation Street on New Year's Eve.

"Anybody who did the show and said they weren't nervous must be a liar," she says. "It was one of those things that when it was over I realised I had thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't have wished for a better night to leave. "

Corrie stars in West End play
28 December 2000
Charlie Lawson and James Gaddas are taking over roles in the West End play Art next month. The Coronation Street actors will appear in the comedy at the Wydham's Theatre from January 23 alongside former Spandau Ballet member Gary Kemp brother of EastEnders star Martin.

Lawson is best known for playing Jim McDonald in Granada's long-running soap, and Gaddas for his role as Vinny Sorrell.

This is the 17th cast for the award-winning play, which currently stars Warren Mitchell, John Fortune and Ken Campbell.

Corrie helps ITV Christmas night victory
26 December 2000 by TV Plus Reporters

ITV is claiming victory over the BBC in the Christmas night ratings battle for the second year running. The nation's favourite soap Coronation Street, which has just chalked up 40 years on air, was peak-time winner, with 13.7m viewers, beating the 8.50pm EastEnders, which pulled in 12.1m. Last year was the first time in 15 years that ITV beat BBC on Christmas night. Overall, BBC kept its usual lead for the entire day's viewing this year, with 36.5% to ITV's 33.7%.

ITV says its a peak-time audience share was 40.2% or 9.8m, while the BBC attracted 39.8% - 9.6m. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and the ITV News slotted in at third and fourth. Top BBC film Titanic was at sixth, with 9.9m.

Viewing figures for the Queen's speech at 3pm on BBC1 and ITV were 9.8m, down from 10.5m in 1999. In 1995, the total was 13.9m.

While ITV said it had won the Christmas night war, the BBC claimed victory in the day's viewing overall. Christmas Day was also hailed as a triumph for cable and satellite, with their channels attracting 15% compared with 10.5% last year. "It's certainly been the strongest performance ever by cable and satellite," said a BBC spokeswoman. The BBC said viewing figures may change when videotaped shows were included.

Geena to call time?
23 December 2000 by Tony Leonard
SEXY Corrie star Jennifer James is likely to quit next year. Jennifer, who plays Rovers Return barmaid Geena Gregory, is getting married and pals reckon she'll then leave the Street.

Curvy Jennifer, whose character is currently having a fling with corner shop owner Dev Alahan, is getting hitched to fellow star Lee Boardman, alias drugdealer Jez Quigley. They are hoping to base themselves in London, not Manchester. And that puts her long-term soap career in Weatherfield in doubt.

Last night a Street source said: "Jennifer is a very popular and talented actress, and producers would not want to lose her. "But she is deeply in love with Lee, and has made it clear that this marriage will be her top priority. "Commuting from London to Manchester is soul-destroying. We can't think she'd like to be a part-time wife."

The production team member added: "Lee is not interested in another role in a soap opera. He won't pop up in Emmerdale, for instance. "His best chance of building on his current fame is to stay in London where most of the work is, and to try his luck in sitcoms, thrillers, and mainstream cinema films."

But Street producers aren't thinking the unthinkable until it happens. The insider said: "Every-one here is hoping Jennifer will juggle her commitments to stay on."

Hospital attack scene provokes rap for Corry
21 December 2000
Jez Quigley's hospital bed attack on Steve McDonald in Coronation Street has earned the programme a rap from a TV watchdog. The Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld complaints about the scenes - in which Quigley finally got his comeuppance - which they found to be "unacceptably menacing" for screening at 7.30pm.

The episode rounded off a week in which McDonald was hospitalised by Quigley's henchmen, although complaints about other editions that week were dismissed. The villain was seen trying to smother McDonald but was overcome by an injury of his own and collapsed with blood dripping from his mouth. The BSC felt viewers would have been "troubled by the setting of the scene in a perceived place of safety". And the commission said his collapse and the appearance of the blood appeared "unnecessarily graphic".

TV regulator the Independent Television Commission upheld complaints about the images in a report last month. A Corrie spokeswoman said: "It was never our intention to upset our viewers but we felt that Jez's death was fitting to his character."

Sarah is Scrooge
20 December 2000 by Peter Dyke

EX-CORRIE star Sarah Lancashire has decided to be a real-life Scrooge this Christmas. The blonde beauty - Britain's highest paid actress - isn't sending any Christmas cards to pals. And she refuses to spend more than a tenner on presents.

The star, who has signed a two-year deal with ITV worth £1.3m after quitting her Street role as Raquel, said: "I absolutely hate the commercial aspect of Christmas today. "I love the news bulletins three weeks before the big day when shops say takings are 15 per cent down on last year. "I think - yes! I don't even send Christmas cards any more. I just refuse to line people's pockets." Sarah, 36, added: "Last Christmas my family and I decided to spend a maximum of £10 on everybody except the children."

The star, who has two sons Thomas, 13, and Matthew, 11, from a previous marriage and is now dating BBC executive Peter Salmon, says the season of goodwill is often one of heartbreak. She said: "Christmas can be enormously sad."

Corrie ex pens Crossroads episode
19 December 2000 by Derek Robins
Ex-Corrie star Tracy Brabin is writing an episode of ITV's new version of Crossroads. Tracy, 39, who played single mum Tricia Armstrong until 1997, has since gained an MA in screen writing. She said: "It's really fantastic and exciting working on Crossroads. "I've just started writing episode 51 which will be screened next year when it begins. It's great writing for Sherrie Hewson, who I worked with on Corrie when she was Maureen."

Tracy hopes to go on to write further episodes of the motel saga, which originally ran from 1964-88, and which is being revived by ITV next year to replace Home And Away. She said: "I never really saw the original as I wasn't a fan, but I think the new Crossroads will be tops as it's got beautiful young people in it and some very good actors."

Tracy is also working on two other scripts for major screen projects. She said: "BBC executive Mal Young has commissioned me to write a comedy drama Dream On. It's about a woman reaching 40 and it's partly based on me, as I'm 40 in May. It's American Beauty meets Butterflies! "I've also been optioned to write a film script for a multi-cultural romantic comedy."

She quit the Street three years ago to have her younger daughter Nancy, but has not ruled out going back. In February, Tracy - whose partner, Richard Platt, is an EastEnders director - is on stage in Confusions with ex-EastEnder Louise Jameson.  She's also in the BBC1 children's drama The Ghost Hunter coming soon.

Soldier Soldier star in iron bar attack
19 December 2000

Soldier Soldier star Danny Cunningham has fractured his skull, after being attacked on holiday. The actor, who played Fusilier Andy Butcher in the TV series, was hit with an iron bar as he confronted a burglar in Tenerife, according to Bradford's Telegraph & Argus.

Mr Cunningham, 31, has spent several days in intensive care.He will undergo a scan tomorrow to decide if he is well enough to fly home.

The actor recently appeared as Linda Baldwin's brother in Coronation Street.

Coronation streak
17 December 2000

HERE'S an eye-opener for the Street's Mike Baldwin - his two sexiest machinists have done a Coronation STREAK.

Instead of sewing knickers, Bobbi and Karen dropped 'em - along with everything else. Actresses Naomi Russell and Suranne Jones, who play Mike's glamorous factory girls, bared all in an exclusive series of photos by Beatle Paul McCartney's daughter Mary to show their disgust at the renewed use of fur in fashion.

Naomi, 23, who plays Bobbi, said: "I'd rather wear my own skin, thank you. No animal should suffer for fashion." Suranne added: "No matter how beautiful someone is, once they're wearing fur they're ugly." The girls' bold front would have shocked Street original Ena Sharples, who never even took off her hairnet. But it proves that on its 40th birthday, Corrie is streaks ahead.

Corrie doc to wed
16 December 2000 by Jerry Lawton

TWO of Britain's top telly pinups from rival soaps will break millions of fans' hearts - by tying the knot in real life. Emmerdale beauty Anna Brecon - who plays tasty toff Lady Tara Thornfield - is smitten with strapping Stephen Beckett, who has just landed the role of hunky Coronation Street doctor Matt Ramsden. And their astonishing secret real-life romance is a match for any soap plotline.

They fell in love after enjoying steamy naked romps in front of 400 people every night for a MONTH! Then a fatal train crash which nearly killed Anna made their minds up on a joint future . The pair met when they were cast together in the saucy stage play The Blue Room - in which Tom Cruise's stunning movie star missus Nicole Kidman famously bared all.

This week Anna - who took over from Aussie actress Nicole in the daring drama - landed a top theatre award for the raunchy role But while the critics were admiring her eye-popping performance at Bolton's Octagon Theatre, she was just as impressed by co-star Stephen's. Soon they were seeing each other off-stage too. After the play's run ended Anna, 29, went back to Emmerdale.

Lovestruck Stephen, 33, who played Pc Jarvis in The Bill, was desperate to land a job in the north so the couple could spend as much time together as possible. But disaster loomed two months ago when Anna cheated death in the Hatfield rail crash. She was showered in dust and dirt as the train came off the rails, and, with her mum, had to crawl through a smashed window to safety.

The near-tragedy brought she and Stephen even closer. And pals say the couple will tie the knot next year. One said: "They are totally and utterly devoted to each other. "Stephen was delighted to land the part in Coronation Street because it means he can be nearer Anna. "But even now their hectic filming schedules mean they struggle to see as much of each other as they'd like. "They spend most of their time criss-crossing the Pennines so they can be together. At least they're both in the north. "When Anna was involved in the train crash it really sealed their deep feelings for each other. "At times like that you tend to realise just how precious life is. "They've told each other it's the real thing, and talked of marriage. We'll be hearing wedding bells next year."

The play which brought them together stunned the theatre world when it premiered in London's West End two years ago. Directed by Oscar-winner Sam "American Beauty" Mendes, thousands queued for tickets after it was revealed Nicole's role included nude scenes. Anna was delighted to land a part when the production moved north, and took a break from Emmerdale. She and Stephen played all 10 roles in the show, ranging from a teenage prostitute to a middle-aged aristocrat.

At the time she said: "We've had a wonderful reception. Nobody's had any illusions about the content, and people who come tend to know what they're getting. "There is a lot of stuff that is more controversial than the nudity. The play explores the nature of relationships. It's about trust and intimacy. "The sex is an element - a very important element - but it isn't just a play about sex." Stephen added: "It's about people's search for happiness and people lying to each other, pretending to be something they're not."

Ironically Stephen and Anna pretended they weren't an item. They deliberately kept their seven-month relationship secret in case it didn't work out. But now he's admitted: "We are very much in love. "When we first met everyone predicted that we'd get together and, of course, we did. "We both tried very hard to stay professional for as long as we could, but it soon became clear that was impossible. "It is fair to say we love each other very much and we are not afraid of the "L" word. "Obviously with Emmerdale Anna has a hectic schedule, so we really have to make time to be together."

The soap rivals' blossoming romance will disappoint legions of Corrie's female viewers goggle-eyed by the arrival of Weatherfield's handsome new doctor. It's also a heartbreaker for the army of lusty lads who tune into Emmerdale five-nights-a-week for a glimspe of Anna - who has just been voted Best Actress in the North West Theatre Awards. But it isn't the first time the telly babe from Salisbury, Wilts, has fallen for her leading man. Her last boyfriend played her on-screen lover in a low budget soap for a cable TV company.

Anna was busy filming yesterday, but a pal said: "She's is very much in love with Stephen, and doesn't care who knows. "No-one can predict the future, but as far as Anna is concerned he's certainly part of her's."

Vandals make bid to save Corrie cobles
15 December 2000
A Manchester tarmac contractor found that some people took Coronation Street's recent "Save the Cobbles" campaign too far when his £60,000 ashphalt-laying machine was vandalised. Road mender Paul Shaw wasn't amused when he found that rogue soap fans had made their own protest on the same night that the soap's stars forced the road gang to retreat from tarmacing the famous cobbles.

The incident happened in Hope Street Salford, not far from the show's Granada's studio, when Paul's one-year-old white machine was daubed with "Save our Street" and "Keep the cobbles, Ken", in red paint. The machine had been used to lay a new car park and left at the site to be picked up the next for its next job.

Paul, boss of Middleton Surfacing Ltd, at Chadderton, near Oldham, was told of the damage by the driver of a lorry, who arrived to take it away, reports the Manchester Evening News.

He said: "I'm amazed that people get so involved. Personally, I am not that bothered about Coronation Street. I can take it or leave it. "But this is an expensive machine. I am going to have to get it re-painted and that will cost me £500 to take it off the road for a day."

Street star's 'disappointment' at missing live show
13 December 2000

Coronation Street actor John Savident has been telling of his disappointment at missing the soap's 40th birthday celebration after being wounded in an alleged knife attack. Mr Savident, who plays Fred Elliott, was welcomed back to the Granada studios in Manchester by screen son and daughter-in-law Maxine and Ashley, played by Tracy Shaw and Steven Arnold.

As he arrived on set to film a night scene, the 62-year-old actor said he was relieved to be back at work but was disappointed that he had to make do watching his colleagues on television instead of starring in the historic live episode last Friday. "Obviously I am disappointed not to be in the live episode, I would loved to have been part of TV history but it was not to be," he said. "Even after the attack I had hoped that I would be well enough to take part but it soon became apparent that I wasn't going to be fit. In the end I had to be content to watch the show on the television with the other millions of fans."

He added that he was not able to attend the 40th anniversary celebrations at Manchester Town Hall either but that he and his wife Rona were just glad he was well. "Now my main priority is getting back to normal and returning to work is a big part of that. It could have been much, much worse. My wounds are healing well and I am starting to feel a lot stronger in myself."

Mr Savident also thanked colleagues, friends and the hundreds of people who sent him flowers, gifts and get-well messages. He said: "It has helped me and my family enormously to know that there are so many people out there who care about me. I have been absolutely blown away by all the cards, flowers and messages of support. And I obviously couldn't have got through any of this without the love and care of Rona and the rest of my wonderful family."

Michael Smith, 28, of Elgin Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, has been charged with wounding with intend to cause grievous bodily harm and robbery. The case against him has been adjourned until January 5.

Live Corrie pulls in 15 million viewers
12 December 2000

Coronation Street's live anniversary special proved a ratings winner after it was watched by the majority of Friday night viewers. The hour-long ITV show, which featured a walk-on from Prince Charles, averaged 15.6 million viewers - more than 60 per cent of the available audience. BBC1's Ground Force repeat and Castaway Diaries, shown at the same time, attracted just 7.5 million in total.

Earlier, 10.4 million viewers tuned in to ITV to watch the first-ever episode of Coronation Street, leaving Anne Robinson's Watchdog trailing behind.

Corrie cast's great figures
11 December 2000

CORONATION Street stars turned out in force last night to celebrate a couple of great figures - four decades on the box and and a record 20million viewers. Fans across the country stayed in for Friday night's special one-hour live episode which had cameo appearances by Prince Charles and Noddy Holder. And the 50-strong cast marked the end of their toughest week ever by partying the night away at a gala dinner at Manchester Town Hall.

A fleet of black limos ferried them to the building where they were greeted by hundreds of fans. Only John Savident - butcher Fred Elliot - and Barbara Knox, alias Rita Sullivan, were unable to attend. Barbara was ill and John was still recovering after being stabbed in the neck at his flat.

As cast and crew - including famous names from the past - whooped it up, a spokeswoman for Granada Television said: "The show was a resounding success. "Early indications reveal we secured 70 per cent of the night's audience which is 19 or 20million."

The figures smashed the year's previous highest, when 15.8 million watched Mike Baldwin marry girlfriend Linda in September. The National Grid reported a 650 megawatt surge during breaks as viewers turned on their kettles.

Prince Charles videotaped his role which featured him meeting Weatherfield councillor Audrey Roberts, actress Sue Nicholls, in a pre-recorded news broadcast.

Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the show began, said cast members were running on "pure adrenaline" during the live episode. He said: "All I can remember from 40 years ago was absolute fear. It was like that again."

Extra removed from Street set in sabotage alert
10 December 2000
An extra was escorted off the set of Coronation Street amid fears that he could have been about to try to sabotage Friday night's live episode. Security guards at Manchester's Granada Studios are understood to have been called in to remove the actor only minutes before the hour-long 40th birthday broadcast went out live on air. A Coronation Street spokeswoman confirmed: "Someone was removed because we were concerned there was a potential security risk."

Security was tight around the set all day due to a visit by the Prince of Wales, who gave the programme the Royal seal of approval by accepting a cameo role in the live episode.

Official viewing figures for the anniversary show, which also starred veteran rocker Noddy Holder and newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald, are not being revealed until Monday. But a Granada Television spokeswoman said early indications suggested the show had secured "70% of the night's audience - which is 19 or 20 million viewers".

Coronation Street cast and crew, including past favourties such as Julie Goodyear, who played Bet Lynch, and dizzy barmaid Raquel, better known as actress Sarah Lancashire, celebrated the anniversary of the award-winning soap with a gala dinner at Manchester Town Hall. Present cast members cracked open the champagne after pulling off an almost flawless performance in the live show, which it is believed was videotaped by the Prince of Wales.

Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the show began, said: "It was absolutely fantastic. All I can remember from 40 years ago was absolute fear. It was like that again. "But we were running on pure adrenaline and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."

Case of Corrie wobbles
10 December 2000

CORONATION Street's live episode with a guest appearance by Prince Charles was almost ruined when the scenery became more jittery than the cast. Two key scenes could have turned to farce, but were saved by the intervention of actresses Denise Welch and Barbara Knox.

The show's first live episode since February 1961 was going smoothly until the props started to act up. In one emotional scene where Jack Duckworth visited wife Vera in hospital (right), a coat rack in the adjoining Rovers Return set came loose and threatened to clatter to the floor. As the rest of the cast watched in horror - the noise would have been clearly heard in the "hospital" - actress Denise, who plays landlady Natalie Barnes, dived forward to catch it. And she held on to it throughout the scene.

Minutes later the till in the Street's newsagents, the Kabin, started to beep because the drawer had been left open. But Barbara Knox, who plays Rita, quickly switched it off.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said: "It could have been disastrous. Denise got to the coat rack before it fell, otherwise the quiet hospital scene would have been ruined. "And Barbara reacted very quickly when she realised the till was beeping."

There was only one other slight glitch in the live episode Sue Nicholls, who plays councillor Audrey Roberts, stuttered just once as she warned: "They'll come and cart you away" to would-be protesters angry that the Street's cobbles might be covered in tarmac. Another possible embarrassment was averted when an extra was ejected from the set shortly before transmission amid fears he was planning to sabotage the show. The man had told friends he wanted to "do something" while the show was on air.

The episode was watched by an estimated 18 million viewers, including Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. They stayed at the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's stately home at Chatsworth in Derbyshire after the Prince spent the day in fictitious Weatherfield, playing a cameo role as himself on an official visit to the town.

Last night Street stars past and present celebrated the 40th anniversary of the soap with a banquet at Manchester Town Hall. Pregnant Denise Welch looked radiant in a scarlet corset and blonde hair extensions, while Jacqueline Pirie, who plays man-eater Linda Baldwin, made a big impression in a revealing purple and gold dress.

Street siren Tracy Shaw, in red heels and a silk skirt slashed to the thigh, kissed fiance Robert Ashworth on the town hall steps. And the Street's youngest beauty, Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah-Louise Platt, made her grown-up debut in a figure- hugging blue gown.

Corrie stars celebrate after near-flawless live show
9 December 2000
The cast of Coronation Street is celebrating its 40th birthday having pulled off a near-flawless live performance in a special hour-long episode. Cameo appearances by the Prince of Wales, 70s rocker Noddy Holder and Sir Trevor McDonald were the highlights of the historic broadcast, the day before its official birthday. The Prince was seen meeting Councillor Audrey Roberts - actress Sue Nicholls - opening Weatherfield Council's new offices in a television news broadcast presented by Sir Trevor filmed earlier at Granada studios in Manchester.

After 40 hours of rehearsals, the 36-strong cast betrayed little sign of nerves and there were only two or three hiccups during the first episode not to be pre-recorded since 1961. Minutes after viewers watched Weatherfield residents crack open the champagne after a victory for the Save Our Street campaign - to save the famous cobbles from being Tarmacked - the cast celebrated for real.

Bosses expected millions of viewers to tune in to watch Vera Duckworth, played by Liz Dawn, make a miraculous recovery after rumours spread that she had died.

Earlier, the Prince visited the set and laughed and joked with actors and production staff as they prepared for the live broadcast. He sipped a whisky in the Rovers Return and toasted a "Happy Birthday" to the cast after landlady Natalie Barnes, played by Denise Welch, interrupted the rehearsal of a dramatic scene to offer him the large Scotch. He laughingly told actors Bill Roache (Ken Barlow), Anne Kirkbride (Deirdre Rachid) and Maggie Jones (Blanche Hunt) - who have to be served non-alcoholic drinks in the show: "I am a bit embarrassed drinking this with you lot standing there."

After the live broadcast, Granada said early indications showed the episode took 70% of the night's available audience.

Noddy's Merry Christmas for 40 years of the Street
8 December 2000
Millions of viewers tuned in to see the 40th anniversary live episode of Coronation Street - which appeared to go without any major hitches. Prince Charles featured in the landmark programme when he was shown meeting local councillor Audrey Roberts. And in another special guest appearance '70s glam singer Noddy Holder rounded off the episode with a festive Merry Christmas everybody, straight from the lines of the ever popular Slade hit.

Bookmakers had been taking bets on members of the cast making major gaffes during the episode, but their money looked safe thanks as the actors' extensive rehearsals appeared to have paid off. Major storylines played out during the special one hour edition saw the return of Ken Barlow's son - who was busy chatting up Linda, the wife of Ken's arch-rival Mike Baldwin, until Deirdre let him know he was putting his foot in it. The campaign to save the famed Coronation Street cobbles also reached a dramatic conclusion, with Ken and builder Dougie mocking up a preservation order on Ken's home computer to stop contractors digging up the historic street.

Vera Duckworth also won her fight for life after rumours swept the Street that she had died in hospital after donating a kidney to her long-lost grandchild. Vera had left husband Jack a note in case she did not pull through, telling him of an affair she had years earlier. Jack had opened the letter, but told Curly Watts he already knew about the affair - and had given the other man a beating.

Transsexual Hayley, meanwhile, made a low-key exit after husband Roy Cropper told her he didn't see her as a woman.

The programme's makers Granada Television were hoping for a record audience of up to 20 million for the anniversary episode.

Prince to star in TV Street party
8 December 2000

The Prince of Wales has agreed to play a starring role in the 40th anniversary Coronation Street special. The prince has been filmed in a storyline about a campaign to save the street's legendary cobbles from the threat of modernisers who want them covered in Tarmac.

The prince was meeting cast members and stepped straight into the storyline as he chatted to street stars manning the barricades to save the cobbles. The prince lined-up for a photograph with the longest-serving member of the cast William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, and Jacqueline Pirie, who plays Linda Baldwin.

Programme chiefs confirmed that the prince will have a role in the live show. Film of him meeting Councillor Audrey Roberts, played by Sue Nicholls, at the opening of the new Weatherfield Council offices will feature on a news bulletin to be shown in the Rovers Return. Newscaster Trevor McDonald stepped in to record the special clip showing the prince and Audrey. A photograph will also be printed on a special Weatherfield Gazette which will be seen being read by one of the regulars.

The Prince also unveiled a plaque outside the Rovers Return which says: "To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Coronation Street, HRH the Prince of Wales visited Granada TV on Friday, December 8". This plaque will be moved to the green room where cast members relax between scenes.

Cast members are busy rehearsing for the live episode which will have three storylines running through it. Fans will see the residents battling to save the Street's cobbles, Vera battling for life after falling into a coma following a kidney transplant operation and Hayley and Roy Cropper's marriage will also break down.

Charles helps Street celebrate
8 December 2000

The Prince of Wales has unveiled a plaque on the set of Coronation Street as part of the programme's 40th anniversary celebrations. The plaque was unveiled on a wall next to the famous Rovers Return pub, but it will eventually be moved to a green room where cast members relax between scenes. He took time out to enjoy a scotch at the bar of the Rovers Return pub, where he joked with actress Denise Welch, who plays Natalie Barnes.

The prince met Street star Jacqueline Pirie, who plays Linda Baldwin, and was due to meet Liz Dawn - who recently received an MBE from the Queen - and Bill Tarmey, who play married couple Vera and Jack Duckworth. The prince is due to watch final rehearsals for a special hour-long live episode to be broadcast on Friday evening as the culmination of the anniversary, which falls on Saturday.

Eighteen years ago the Queen paid a similar visit to the Street, which broadcast its first episode on 9 December 1960.

There have been more than 3,500 characters in the ITV soap since it began, as well as 25 births, 82 deaths and 51 weddings. The soap began life as a live series but this was replaced in favour of recordings a year later.

Prince Charles is due to meet the show's creator, Tony Warren, and will sign a copy of the script for the live episode which will then be auctioned next week to raise money for the Manchester Christie cancer hospital. Writers had to make last-minute changes to the script following the stabbing of actor John Savident last week.

Alison Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the soap, said that the cast, who normally film scenes without rehearsal, had welcomed the challenge of the live episode. She said: "Morale is really high. Everyone has a real sense of being involved in television history."

The cast of its BBC rival, EastEnders, have sent a bouquet to the cast of the Street, wishing them luck for the live transmission.

The storylines for Friday's episode have been kept under wraps, but popular character Vera Duckworth is seen fighting for her life after donating a kidney to her sick grandson. Residents of the famous street are also battling to save its cobbles from being covered with tarmac.

Charles drops in as 'Street' celebrates 40 years
8 December 2000
The Prince of Wales is to tread the famous Weatherfield cobbles of Coronation Street as the show reaches the climax of its 40th anniversary celebrations. He will be watching cast members as they go into final rehearsals for a special hour-long live episode to be broadcast to mark the milestone in the soap's history.

The Prince - whose mother the Queen paid the first royal visit to the Street 18 years ago - will meet members of the cast outside the Rovers Return pub before unveiling a plaque to mark the anniversary, which falls on Saturday. He then goes on to the sets at Granada TV's Manchester studios to watch rehearsals for tonight's programme - the first live episode since 1961. The Prince will sign a copy of the script for the live show, which is to be auctioned on the This Morning television show next week to raise money for the centenary appeal at Manchester's Christie cancer hospital, which he visits later.

The cast have put in 40 hours of rehearsal for the special episode - which will cover Vera Duckworth's fight for life after donating a kidney to her ailing grandson, the Street residents' battle to stop the cobbles being Tarmaced, and the marriage difficulties of "odd couple" Roy and Hayley Cropper. Programme chiefs ruled out plans for a cameo role for the Prince in the programme - but he will still feature in the storyline, carrying out the off-screen opening of Weatherfield Council's new offices.

Scriptwriters have had to make last-minute changes following the stabbing last weekend of actor John Savident, 62, who plays butcher Fred Elliott, who has now been written out of the episode.

Street spokeswoman Alison Sinclair said that the cast - who normally film scenes without rehearsal - had welcomed the challenge of the live show, adding that "everyone has a real sense of being involved in television history". The cast have even received a bouquet from rival soap EastEnders, wishing them luck for the live transmission.

Prince off the Street
8 December 2000

PLANS for Prince Charles to appear on Coronation Street tonight to mark its 40th anniversary have been scrapped. The prince will visit the set in Manchester today, meet the cast and unveil a plaque. But a proposed cameo role for him has been dropped.

Charles wanted to take part, but his scene would have to be recorded and slotted into tonight's hour-long special live broadcast. A Granada source said: "There were simply too many things that could go wrong."

Bah humbug says Sarah
8 December 2000 by Derek Robins

Actress Sarah Lancashire reckons we've all forgotten the meaning of Christmas. The former Corrie favourite says the festivities are too commercial. "I hate that side of it. I love it when you hear on the news before Christmas that shops are down on their takings from last year. I think yes!"

"I don't even send Christmas cards any more. I just refuse to line people's pockets," she said. "What upsets me is the people who can't afford it and get into debt."

Sarah, who has carved out a name for herself in top dramas such as Fragile Heart, says, "My family and I agree to spend £10 max on everybody except the kids as their gifts are automatically bigger. "It's not about getting a posh set of pans as it's just as nice getting a pot of pot pourri. It's a gesture."

And Sarah felt the same way about last year's Millennium celebrations. "I couldn't be doing with it at all. I just thought well, we've still got illiteracy at 11 years old, we've got poverty on our doorsteps and the NHS has gone down the pan," she said. "I was actually disgusted by the celebrations because I thought we've got nothing to celebrate in this country. We should be absolutely ashamed of ourselves."

Lynne's heart hell
7 December 2000 by Graham Boon

EX-CORRIE star Lynne Perrie is to miss the Street's 40th anniversary party after suffering a heart attack. Lynne, 69 - who played "poison" Ivy Brennan - collapsed at her home after the attack. She is now waiting to have a brain scan to try and pinpoint the exact cause of her illness. Since her character was axed in 1994 Lynne has suffered a series of health problems and has spent time in a psychiatric ward. And she is also worried about husband Derrick, a former lorry driver, who is recovery at their detached bungalow home in Maltby, near Rotherham, South Yorks, after being taken to the town's district general hospital following an angina attack.

Lynne, who played Ivy for 20 years, revealed yesterday: "I know it is the 40th anniversary of the Street this week and I have had lots of invitations from people asking me to go to parties in honour of the occasion. "But I am not interested in going. I don't really like talking about the Street any more, it's all in the past. I keep getting calls from news-papers asking me about things like the cobbles in the street being taken up but I am not interested. "It has been a hard few years for me and Derrick and it has been difficult. I spent a lot of time in hospital with depression and I have also suffered a heart attack. "Depression is horrible and the blackest thing in the world. I have fallen down eight times and cracked my head. A bruise came up the size of an egg and I have also suffered a broken front tooth. "I have now got to have a brain scan to see what is wrong with me.

"We had our golden wedding anniversary in October but there is not much to celebrate really. "Derrick suffers from angina and has fainted before. He also has stomach problems - but I don't want any home help, we are coping together. "Next April is my 70th birthday and I do have something planned for the occasion but I can't say any more at the moment."

Rotherham-born Lynne became one of the Street's central characters and top earners as the loud mouthed shop-steward Ivy Tilsley in Mike Baldwin's clothes factory. She later became the wife of taxi-driver Don Brennan, but was controversially axed soon after she had cosmetic surgery to give her fuller lips. She became a regular on TV talk shows boasting about a string of toyboy lovers during her time on the Street.

Corrie crime spree
7 December 2000
BAFFLED police got a 999 call reporting a burglary taking place in ... Coronation Street. The caller wanted to know from the Dorset force who the culprit was. A spokesman said: "Investigations revealed the burglary was happening in Albert Square on EastEnders and nasty Nick Cotton was the villain. The caller was a pensioner who'd muddled his soaps up with reality."

Street's Ivy snubs anniversary
6 December 2000

Former Coronation Street star Lynne Perrie has spoken out about health problems that have ruined her life. The actress who played Ivy Tilsley has spent time in a psychiatric ward, suffered a heart attack and now faces a brain scan.

The 69-year-old told the Sheffield Star she doesn't like talking about the Street anymore and won't be attending the anniversary celebrations. "I have had a lot of people asking me to go, but I don't want to," said Lynne. The actress now faces a brain scan for an unknown complaint which has caused her to fall down stairs eight times. She played "Poison" Ivy Tinsley for over 20 years before the character was axed by producers in 1994.

Vera's coma is a sickener
6 December 2000

MEDICS have blasted Coronation Street for the storyline of Vera Duckworth falling into a coma after donating a kidney.

St James's Hospital in Leeds - TV's "Jimmy's" - say it could stop living people donating organs and scare those waiting for ops. The hospital, where Liz Dawn - who plays Vera - is a cancer appeal patron, say the coma plot is "ill-conceived and irresponsible". But bosses of the soap say it was well researched and Vera falls sick from the antibiotics.

Corrie strain shows
6 December 2000 by Ian Trueman and John Mahoney

CORRIE stars are like a cast on a hot tin roof as they prepare for the soap's historic hourlong LIVE episode on Friday to celebrate the 40th anniversary. The stress and strain was there for all to see when the actors turned up for work yesterday looking pale and drawn.

Extra pressure has been put on the already-nervous cast because the word on the Street is that Prince Charles will make a cameo appearance. And glam rock idol Noddy Holder will leave Corrie locals slayed by popping into the Rovers for a pint.

Bookies have got in on the act by offering odds on off-the-wall bets such as whether an actor will swear or who will be the first to fluff their lines. The knife attack on actor John Savident, who plays butcher Fred Elliott, has also rocked the close-knit cast and forced sriptwriters to hastily re-work storylines.

Every face tells a story . . . and none more so than that of actress Eileen Derbyshire, alias Emily Bishop. She strode into the studios with a look of despair. Vicky Entwistle - who plays battleaxe Janice Battersby - was making sure none of the punters cashed in on her dropping a clanger by burying herself in a script. Actor David Neilson, who plays cafe owner Roy Cropper, looked a little more relaxed but was still clutching his script under his arm ready for another glance. Johnny Briggs, alias factory boss Mike Baldwin, nervously bit his lip, Georgina Taylor (Leanne Battersby) walked in to work with John Bowe (Duggie Ferguson) and there wasn't a smile or relaxed look to spare between them. Normally-bubbly Bev Callard, who is Mrs Liz McDonald for the second time round after re-marrying Jim behind bars, looked pale and tired. Sexy Jacqueline Pirie (Mike Baldwin's wife Linda) was all on edge and looking over her shoulder. Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays sex change Hayley Cropper, probably doesn't have many lines because she was the only one with a face full of fun as she chatted on her mobile while arriving at Granada's Manchester studios.

Viewers will see former Slade frontman Noddy backing the Daily Star's crusade to stop an outrageous bid to Tarmac over the most famous cobblestones on telly. Noddy, 54, will be seen taking on Audrey Roberts, who wants the cobbles bulldozed, head-on. He sides with Ken Barlow and café boss Roy, who are spearheading the campaign to win a preservation order for the road.

Noddy will play a character called Stan - named after one of Slade's biggest hits, My Friend Stan. "He was at Granada working on The Grimleys, and we thought it would be brilliant to include him in the anniversary special," said an insider. "The whole issue surrounding the cobblestones comes to a head, and we wanted someone to have one last go at trying to keep them."

Meanwhile Britain was going betting bonkers yesterday after we revealed that even Corrie cast members were having wagers on who would fluff their lines first during the live broadcast. The internet firm www.sportingodds.com was besieged with barmy bets after offering a string of odds. And they even offer a generous 50-1 that Prince Charles - who visits the Street set on Friday as part of the show's anniversary celebrations - will make a special appearance.

Tonight viewers will see an excited Audrey Roberts and her chums discuss the Royal visit to Weatherfield . . . but producers are keeping tight-lipped over whether the Prince of Wales makes his soap debut. Millions of viewers are expected to tune in on Friday. They'll want to find out if Street favourite Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) pulls through a kidney donor operation, if transsexual Haley and partner Roy's "marriage" survives . . . and if the cobbles are to be lost for ever.

Noddy is prince for a day on the Street
5 December 2000 by Jonathan Donald

Former Slade frontman Noddy Holder is to star in the Corrie live episode - filling the gap left by Prince Charles. His Majesty will tour the Manchester set on Friday as part of the soap's 40th birthday celebrations.

It was hoped he might appear in the 60-minute live special to be shot in the evening. But Street spokeswoman Janice Troup told TV Plus: "Logistically, it's just not possible. Noddy Holder will now be the fun element."

Holder, 50, used to be the singer with '70s glam rock group Slade, but today stars in ITV's The Grimleys. Street spokeswoman Janice Troup said: "He's playing a character called Stan and that's all we can say. "He was approached because of his connection with Granada (which makes the soap) through The Grimleys. He was delighted to play a part."

Rehearsals have begun for the live episode. The absence of stabbed actor John Savident, who plays butcher Fred Elliot, has caused problems. Street spokeswoman Janice Troup said: "There has been some rewriting going on but viewers can still expect some great storylines. "The whole thing is meant to be enjoyable and there is a real buzz about the studio at the moment."

Duckworth - the bad penny
5 December 2000 by Jonathan Donald

Actor Nigel Pivaro quit Coronation Street in 1986 - but it's like he's never been away. He's reprised his character, the despicable Terry Duckworth, up to nine times since attempting to build a career beyond Weatherfield.

Playing such a well-known villain may have closed doors to him, but he has nothing but admiration for the show. Nigel tells TV Plus why he thinks Corrie has lasted 40 years. "The fact Corrie is still going after 40 years is phenomenal," says Nigel. "To have kept up the consistency and to have remained number one in the heart of the nation - that is just a fantastic achievement. "Think of all the social changes that have occurred since it began, yet Corrie is still going strong."

Nigel has firm ideas about why the soap's lasted 40 years: "I'd say it's down to the strength and depth of the characters. "Being a show that's character-led, rather than storyline-led, it can be immune from the events that are happening around us. "The audience tunes in because they care and believe in the characters, even if nothing much is happening."

Corrie has long been part of Nigel's life. "I remember from the age of three going to watch it at my grandmother's as a treat," says the actor, now 39. Some scenes were shot near where Nigel grew up in Salford, Manchester, including character Jerry Booth's wedding in 1963. "The crowds were incredible," he recalls, "We felt it was our show. We were very partisan about it."

Corrie's success is down to capturing the essence of working class Britain, he says. "Weatherfield has mirrored working class communities all over the country. "Work-a-day streets and work-a-day characters from Liverpool to Glasgow have been given a stage in the world. "I think that's why it's so beloved of the British people."

Favourite storylines are many. "One has to be when I had a fling with one of my father Jack's fancy bits and her husband comes back unexpectedly. "He sees Terry running away but think's it's Jack and goes round and thumps him. "I also liked the one when I sold my son Tommy."

His first day on Corrie is ingrained in Nigel's memory. "I remember being in the rehearsal room and seeing people like Hilda (Jean Alexander) and Stan Ogden (Bernard Youens)," says Nigel, who arrived as Terry Duckworth in 1983. "Seeing these people who, for 23 years, had been personal and national icons was mind-blowing. "I tried not to let anyone see it but I was incredibly phased."

New Year's Eve showdown for Corrie landlady
5 December 2000 by Tina Lofthouse
Coronation Street star Denise Welch is to quit the show on New Year's Eve - and has said she won't miss the part. "I won't miss Natalie's traumas or constant crying. Let's face it, she's been through the mill," she said. "I never intended to stay for ever," added Natalie, 42. "Four years in one job is a long time for me and I just felt it was time to leave." Welch's future projects include a fitness video.

The actress has said she fears suffering another bout of post-natal depression with the birth of her baby. Denise suffered from the condition 11 years ago after her first child, Matthew, was born. "I didn't know what it was and I was scared I was never going to get better," said Natalie. "I've been trying to think positively. It can't possibly be as bad as last time."

Telly soap Suggs
5 December 2000

BRITAIN'S best-loved telly soap stars have been busy raiding the dressing-up box to recreate their glamorous heroes from the Eighties. Telly favourites from Coronation Street, Brookside and Eastenders all took a step back in time to pay tribute to their icons.

The Coronation Street boys joined forces to pose as pop funsters Madness. EastEnders star Lucy Speed stepped into Madonna's shoes, while Brookside's Steven Pinder and Mickey Poppins chose life as supergroup Wham! The Eighties makeover comes courtesy of this month's She magazine - and the small-screen stars couldn't wait to dress up as their heroes.

The Street's market trader-turned-shopkeeper Danny Hargreaves, played by Richard Standing, says he was a huge Madness fan. He said: "I was attracted by the group's anti-Thatcher attitude. Everyone in my town was affected by the 1984 miners' strike. "But then you'd turn on the TV and Joan Collins would be prancing around in her power suit on Dynasty."

Simon Gregson, who plays Corrie's wide boy Steve McDonald said: "My mum used to send me to school in towelling shorts and a big velvet bow tie back then. "I used to tell her I'd get beaten up looking like that, but she never took any notice."

Another Weatherfield favourite, Kevin Kennedy, who plays Curly Watts, spent most of the Eighties in a van touring with a country rock band. He revealed: "Two of my fellow band members went on to be in The Smiths. Music was better then, less manufactured."

Former Bill star, Steven Beckett, moved into the Street this week as dishy Dr Matt Ramsden. He said: "Everyone says I look like Suggs from Madness. In fact at one stage I even used to practise being him. "But a dreadful thing happened when I was 17 - I became a Wham! fan and began wearing espadrilles and hoop earrings. The sexiest Eighties person was Debbie Harry. A poster on my bedroom wall of her in a see-through dress helped speed up my puberty."

Long-term Coronation Street star Michael Le Vel, who plays Kevin Webster, also revealed he had a bit of a dark secret. He said: "I remember going to see Gary Numan with my mates and putting on mascara and blusher in the car park because I was too embarrassed to put it on at home."

The Corrie stars recreated the classic Madness album cover for the magazine.

Brookside's Steven Pinder, who plays the Scouse soap's very own yuppie, Max Farnham, and Mickey Poppins, who stars alongside him as Lance Powell, teamed up to recreate supergroup Wham! Steven poses as George Michael to Mickey's Andrew Ridgeley. And he said: "The worst thing about the Eighties was Margaret Thatcher. "She launched the yuppie and that is how Max was introduced to the Brookside, as a filofax and mobile phone user. "But I think we would have been better off with Bob Geldof as prime minister instead of Thatcher. Let's face it, Bob certainly organised a good Live Aid." However Mickey then added: "I actually love Margaret Thatcher, because we got so enraged by her and it made us determined to change things. So I am glad she happened."

Another Brookside star, Louis Emerick, dons a super afro for his role as soul crooner Lionel Richie. Louis, who plays Mick Johnson, said: "The Eighties injected some style back into fashion. In the Seventies, scruffy was the hip look, but in the Eighties, it was cool to look sharp. "I copied Don Johnson, who wore slip-ons without socks - but I was very wary of the white-sock trend."

Lucy Speed, who plays Eastenders' Natalie Evans, revealed she was a massive Madonna fan when the Material Girl first made her mark. She said: "Like one or two other girls at the time, I also wore leather bracelets, lace fingerless gloves, pixie boots and leg warmers."

She magazine is on sale now.

Fluff competition
5 December 2000 by John Mahoney

CORONATION STREET stars rehearsing for Friday's hourlong live episode are betting on who'll be first to fluff their lines. There's already £120 - at £5 a head - in the winner-takes-all kitty. One cast member said last night: "There's sure to be first-night nerves and some of us have loads of lines while others have only a few. "Still, it could easily be one of the characters who just says, 'Good morning' who gets it wrong. Anyway, it's a bit of harmless fun for all of us who reckon we've learned our parts." Another star added: "This is the most ambitious episode any of us have ever done in our careers. Everyone is on edge. So we don't see what's wrong with having a bit of a giggle. And, hopefully, nobody will win the jackpot and we can give it away to charity."

The special, on the eve of the Street's 40th birthday, echoes the very first episode which went out live. Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, is the only actor present from that historic broadcast on December 9, 1960 . And another veteran - 80-year-old Betty Driver - was the first to head the betting to make the crucial blunder. Now, though, the odds have swung towards one of the show's newcomers bottling it on the night. Tina O'Brien, who plays gymslip mum Sarah-Louise Platt, has not even taken part in the bet. A senior Street insider admitted: "It is the young ones who are more on edge than the oldies."

Instead of focusing on just one storyline, there will be no less than FOUR switches of plot. Four directors will be in charge of four separate locations, with four camera and production teams involved. And they don't want it to go wrong.

Producer Jane Macnaught reckons it will be a memorable TV occasion savoured for decades. She said: "This is a wonderful tribute to the Street which will mean a lot of hard work for the cast and production team. But I know it will be enjoyable."

Actor John Savident, who plays butcher Fred Elliott, will miss the show as he is still recovering from being stabbed in the neck. His alleged attacker is in custody.

A promise to gran comes true for Bruce
5 December 2000 by Jonathan Donald

Corrie's 40th birthday celebrations have brought an unexpected and much cherished accolade to star Bruce Jones. His character, Les Battersby, figures in an oil painting featuring the 40 most popular characters in the soap as voted for by viewers.

Choked with emotion, Bruce, 47, tells TV Plus: "It's such an honour to be up there with those stars from today and yesteryear. People voted for me. "I just can't believe it."

Working on Corrie has always been an ambition for Bruce. "I can remember watching the first episode and getting hooked," he says. "I was sat with my grandmother and said to her, 'I'm going to be on that show one day'. "She said: 'Of course you are'. It's a pity that she's not alive to see that I am in it."

The show struck an instant chord with Bruce, who grew up in the Collyhurst district of Manchester. Bruce, who left school at 16 and used to work as a boilerman, says: "Corrie was very true to life. "It showed people in the rest of Britain how the North really looked - and it's been doing that ever since. "It's that simpleness, the humour in the people. They get away with saying things never heard elsewhere on TV."

Having watched Coronation Street from the first episode, Bruce regards himself as an expert.

I'm all cried out, says Street's Natalie
4 December 2000

The actress who plays Coronation Street landlady Natalie Barnes says she will not miss her character's constant crying when she leaves the soap. Denise Welch is expecting her second child. She decided to quit Corrie in September and her final appearance will be in the New Year's Eve episode.

Welch is married to actor Tim Healy and has appeared in some of the Street's most explosive storylines of recent years. She admits her on-screen character has "been through the mill". In an interview with Woman magazine, the 42-year-old said: "I never intended to stay forever. Four years in one job is a long time for me and I just felt like it was time to leave. "I won't miss Natalie's traumas or the constant crying. Let's face it, she has been through the mill."

The actress suffered terrible post natal depression after the birth of her first child 11 years ago, and said she was worried it could happen again. "I've been trying to think positively," she said. "If I do suffer again I can't possibly have it as bad as I did the first time. I didn't know what it was and I was scared that I was never going to get better. Now I know you do." Welch has a number of projects planned for the future including a fitness video called You Can Do It.

Life after Jim McDonald
4 December 2000 by TV Plus Reporters
Corrie star Charlie Lawson believes he will return to the Street - despite being jailed for eight years.

Viewers last night saw his volatile character Jim McDonald begin a prison stretch after admitting manslaughter. But Lawson, 41, said: "I have a sneaking suspicion I may put an appearance in. There will have to be some poetic licence with the eight years, but as long as Simon Gregson (who plays his son Stephen) is there, there will always be an opening."

Lawson is upset he's missing the live episode on Dec 8 to mark 40 years of the soap. He told GMTV: "I'd have paid to have done a scene with Bruce Jones (Les Battersby) as he's just a quality actor. We have great laughs." The Irishman has been written out after 11 years as Jim McDonald. "I'm looking forward to getting back into the real world," he said.

Lawson is kicking off his career beyond Weatherfield with a part in new movie Puckoon. He joins Hollywood actor Elliot Gould and funnyman Sean Hughes in the film based on a novel by comedy hero Spike Milligan. It has meant an image change. Lawson said: "I've shaved off Jim's moustache - it was spooky for my wife Ellie as she hadn't seen me without one since 1989. She said we must marry again as I was a new man."

He now must go under the surgeon's knife to remove a benign cyst on his spine. Lawson told GMTV: "You assume the worst. There were weeks when I convinced myself it was cancer." The actor has also been getting fit after years of hard-living - so he can ride race horses. "There were five years when I'd too much of everything. I've lost two stone through exercise and riding - but I wouldn't recommend it."

Christmas cancelled
4 December 2000 by Peter Dyke

SCROOGE Corrie bosses have axed slap-up turkey treats for the cast at Christmas. The soap stars used to love filming the festive edition of The Street because they could feast on turkey dinners for real. There were usually scenes involving families like The Platts, The Websters and The Duckworths sitting at home and tucking into the traditional festive scoff. But now the Corrie Chrimble treats have been binned. This year the characters are filmed washing up AFTER the meal.

The cost-cutting measures have not gone down well with some of the cast. Actress Sue Nicholls - who plays Audrey Roberts - is one star who misses her annual TV turkey dinner. The 56-year-old soap favourite said: "The best time was always Christmas - especially when Alf was around. "In past years the family would sit down to roast turkey and all the trimmings. We'd actually get to eat the slap-up meal. "Those were the days when the prop boys did us proud. "But since the budget's been cut it never happens any more. "They'll have us scraping the plates clean afterwards with not even a parsnip in sight. It's a sign of the times, I suppose."

Last night Street bosses denied they were being mean and claimed times had changed. A spokeswoman said: "We did film Street characters sitting down and eating a turkey meal some years ago. But now the pace of the soap is quicker and storylines more exciting. "I don't think seeing 50 actors from The Street tucking into their turkey meals on Christmas Day would make great viewing. "These days we focus on dramatic plots mixed in with everyday activities. "I think Sue's comments were a bit tongue-in-cheek. We do still feed and water the cast."

Coronation bleep
3 December 2000
Stars warned to mind their language on live TV special

CORONATION Street stars have been given a "watch-your- language" warning by the show's producers, terrified they could turn the air blue during the soap's special live episode. Street chiefs fear that if someone fluffs a line they could forget it's live and say something that will land the show in trouble with TV watchdogs. To try to avoid any slip-ups, the show's stars have been given a list of 20 swear words that are banned and warned they will be in trouble if they blurt them out. But the idea was branded a joke by one source on the show last night. "It's crazy to think an actor will remember to say darn instead of something nearer the knuckle in the heat of the moment" he said.

The show goes out live on Friday to celebrate 40 years on TV. But it is the first time since the 1960s it has not been pre-recorded. Episodes are usually shot six weeks ahead so it does not matter if anyone fluffs their lines. "Some of the stars would make a sailor wince with the language they use when they make a mistake during a recording," said the insider on the show. "Now bosses fear someone will inadvertently curse out loud during the live episode. "The actors are all professionals but things do go wrong. But it could be disastrous if it happened live, especially as The Street has so many young fans."

Programme-makers are given strict instructions about what words can and can't be used before the official 9pm watershed. A Street spokesman said: "This is a first for us in recent years and we're hoping everything will go smoothly."

Corrie Fred's gay bar madness
3 December 2000

CORRIE star John Savident was stabbed after taking home a total stranger he met in a gay bar, the Sunday People can reveal. John, butcher Fred Elliott in the TV soap, had known the young man for just an hour when he invited him back to his flat at 2am. Pals said last night: "It was madness to take such a risk."

SHATTERED John Savident will miss Corrie's live 40th anniversary show on Friday as he struggles to recover from the vicious attack. The actor, being comforted at home by wife Rona, 62, will be written out of the special episode. A programme source said: "John will be taking at least a week off to help heal his wounds, both physical and emotional. "It is a big disappointment for him and has put a dampener on the celebrations but his health must come first. "His doctors have told him to take it easy. It would be too much of a strain to learn lines and rehearse." The source added: "John is concentrating on getting well. It was a terrible experience and he needs to come to terms with it all."

It was the SECOND time John has been stabbed. He was a policeman from 1957 until 1963 and once had a brush with death while struggling with a knife-wielding thug. He has revealed: "I thought I'd had it. There was a lot of gang trouble in those days and they carried knives and chains sharpened to cut you to bits if they hit you "They also sewed razor-blades into jacket lapels so if you grabbed them your fingers would be cut to ribbons." John said: "Britain is becoming more like the mean streets of the Bronx than the cobbled streets of Weatherfield."

MICHAEL James Smith, 28, was yesterday charged with unlawfully wounding John with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Smith, of Ashton-under-Lyne, was also charged with robbing the actor of his Coronation Street 40th birthday party invite, four credit cards, a watch, a silver money clip and keys. He was remanded in custody until Friday.

NAPOLEONS bar - open almost 30 years - is one of the oldest gay clubs in Europe and attracts all ages. The once derelict area where it stands is now the heart of Manchester's gay nightlife. The two-storey black-painted bar on the corner of Sackville Street has settees downstairs for those wanting a cosy chat. But upstairs there is a dance floor and a DJ playing all the latest chart hits.

Although not as trendy as other Gay Village bars like Via Fossa, one Napoleons regular said: "It has a friendly, discreet atmosphere where you can chill out. "There's never any trouble and so it is never brought to the attention of the local police. That's why it has been going so long. It's also one of the best places in Manchester to meet someone."

John Savident
3 December 2000

John Savident, who plays Coronation Street's Fred Elliott, has been attacked at his Manchester flat. He sustained wounds to his neck and is currently recovering in hospital. A man has been arrested in connection with the attack.

It has been decided that John Savident will not be taking part in this Friday's live episode. This has been a mutual decision between John and the production team to allow him time off to recover from his recent ordeal.

John Savident has asked us to pass on his thanks for all of your kind thoughts and messages. He is currently being looked after by family and friends and hopes to make a speedy recovery.

Half inch from death
2 December 2000 by John Mahoney

CORONATION STREET star John Savident was stabbed in the neck in a frenzied attack. Surgeons said last night that the 62-year-old actor who plays butcher Fred Elliott was lucky to be alive. The knife wound was just half an inch from John's jugular vein - and if that had been severed, he would have bled to death.

Last night a neighbour who witnessed the scene told how he thought married dad-of-two John was a goner. He said the actor stumbled naked and bloodstained out of his flat, just a stone's throw from the Corrie studios, at 3.40am yesterday. The actor was heard screaming: "Why did he do that? I don't know why he did it." And designer David Przepiora, 56, who lives on the first floor directly above John, said: "I couldn't believe my eyes. I honestly thought he would fall over and die."

Earlier in the evening the Shakespearean actor - who used to be a policeman - had attended an Aids charity fundraiser at Via Fossa bar in the heart of Manchester's Gay Village. Detectives called by neighbours to the £150,000 apartments - near the Quay Street HQ for telly's top soap - are investigating one line of inquiry that the attacker may not have been a complete stranger. They are quizzing a 28-year old man from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, who was arrested after John was rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The Corrie favourite was detained for 12 hours after his neck wound was patched up and then given the all-clear at 4pm. A hospital source said: "He's very lucky. The consequences of this attack could have been fatal." And as he went home looking tired and frail - but vowing to try to be fit for next Friday's live Street episode - John said: "It's been gruelling but everyone has been wonderful. "I thank the staff for taking good care of me but don't want to say anything about what happened."

Mr Przepiora, though, said after the attack he saw a man trying to wrench open John's garage, where his £25,000 black vintage Morgan sports car is kept. "John is a really nice bloke," he said. "I've had dinner with him and can testify he is the most generous, kind person you could wish to meet. How all this mayhem happened God only knows."

Mr Przepiora went on: "I heard someone making a real noise downstairs, got up and saw a man opening the garage next to John's flat. He had a remote control which makes the door go up and down. "He did this two or three times and it was making a proper din. He seemed very agitated and then ran back into the flat. It was terrifying because I knew something was very wrong. "I came out of my flat and saw John naked, covered in blood and shouting, 'I don't know why he did it'. "He looked dreadful. I feared he was going to just keel over and go. There was blood pouring from the back of his neck. "I went back to get my mobile. But when I got to my window, I saw the police were already there. "An ambulance turned up as well almost immediately and they put a blanket over him and took him away."

Mr Przepiora said: "I've lived here for the past 10 years and John's been here for about two. "I've had him round for a meal. He's really polite and friendly and he's the sort of bloke who trusts anyone. "That's perhaps what's gone wrong. "I certainly did not recognise the man involved as one of John's circle of friends. We don't ever have any trouble here so this is a real shock to us all. "In this day and age, you just cannot trust anybody."

John's wife Rhona, a grandma who lives in London's Muswell Hill district, was last night heading for Manchester. And the Guernsey-born star's mum Karoline said at her Manchester home: "All I know is that he's been mugged. That is what the police have told me."

Last night Corrie stars sent good luck messages to John. Steven Arnold, who plays his screen son Ashley Peacock, said: "We are very close and I am horrified by what's happened. I want to see him and make sure he's OK." Tracy Shaw, who plays Ashley's wife Maxine, added: "We're all very shaken that something like this could happen to someone so gentle as John. We're all desperately worried for him." Johnny Briggs (factory boss Mike Baldwin) was one of the first to hear about the attack listening to a local radio station's breakfast newsflash. He said: "I am still terribly shocked that anyone could lift a finger to John. He's one of life's genuine decent folk." And Sean Wilson (nurse Martin Platt) said: "I hope he makes a speedy recovery. He's a great bloke."

But John himself has long feared that playing buffoon Fred could bring him to harm in real life. He recently confided to the Daily Star about how he suffers "Victor Meldrew syndrome" and how he battles to have a life away from his Weatherfield role. John said he is forever being besieged by fans who come up to him yelling his Corrie catchphrase, "Scotch and threat, I say Scotch and threat." He said: "I compare it to the Meldrew syndrome - which can get quite scary" "Richard Wilson has a way of dealing with people coming up to him shouting, 'I don't believe it.' He firmly but politely tells them he is not Victor Meldrew, he is an actor, and he won't say his catchphrase for them. "It has got to the point where I am following suit. But people do not always like such rejection."

John said: "I do genuinely worry that one day someone will get very wound up and agitated with me simply because I won't rattle off something like 'Scotch and threat'. "It could get very dicey indeed one day."

• John introduced his Scotch and threat phrase to the show himself. It means - as the Daily Star revealed exclusively - whisky with NO water.

Show goes on for live Corrie episode
1 December 2000

The stabbing of Coronation Street star John Savident - who plays Fred Elliot - has shocked the rest of the cast, but hasn't affected programme-makers' plans to broadcast a live episode next week. A spokeswoman told Ananova that the studios had been innundated with calls from the show's stars, who were deeply shocked by the news. She confirmed that John was due to appear in the live show but says the makers will be able to make the necessary changes to the scripts - if he's unable to appear. She said: "Everyone on the show is really, really shocked. John's suffered a terrible ordeal."

The actor left Manchester Royal Infirmary 12 hours after being admitted. He was stabbed in the neck during an attack at his flat in the city.

Stabbed Street star leaves hospital
1 December 2000

Coronation Street star John Savident has left hospital after being stabbed in the neck during an attack at his flat. The actor left Manchester Royal Infirmary 12 hours after being admitted following the incident in the city. Savident looked pale and frail and had a large square bandage covering the front of his throat.

Speaking with obvious difficulty, he told reporters outside the hospital: "I don't feel at all well but thanks go to the great staff at the hospital. "They made a few tortuous hours very comfortable and very warming and welcoming." He has been deluged with get well messages, flowers and cards during his brief stay from members of the public and charitable organisations with which he has links. He said: "I want to say thank you to all the people who sent me flowers. I mean, I am quite overwhelmed. I really can't thank you enough. I am really gobsmacked."

Savident left the hospital with Coronation Street's head of production Trina Fraser, who was carrying a giant bouquet of flowers sent to the actor by wellwishers. A spokeswoman for the show says it is too early to say when Savident will be able to return to work. "It will be up to John. We will listen to him and see how he feels," she said.

Corrie's Fred Elliott actor 'stabbed' at flat
1 December 2000
Coronation Street actor John Savident is said to be comfortable in hospital with neck wounds after he was apparently stabbed at his flat. The 62-year-old actor, who plays butcher Fred Elliott, was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary where his condition was described as comfortable and stable.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. A police spokesman said a man was arrested in a nearby street and was being questioned. The three-storey flat is only 100 yards away from the near the Granada studios in Manchester where the soap is filmed. Savident has played the role of Fred Elliott since 1994.

Take me Tyrone !
1 December 2000 by Tony Leonard

A SEXY girl-power storyline is set to shock strait-laced Corrie fans. Senior insiders fear that some older viewers will reach for the off button when luscious kennel-maid Maria Sutherland offers boyfriend Tyrone Dobbs an 18th birthday present with a difference...herself.

Maria, played by stunning young actress Samia Ghadie, wants to give him nookie on the actual day that he officially becomes a man. But last night a Coronation Street source revealed: "It's the sort of storyline you'd never have seen in Corrie until recently. "But we've moved with the times, and we are just as successful as ever. "We know some older fans will be tut-tutting over Maria's plans to have her wicked way with Tyrone, but there's nothing wrong with showing that young women can be as upfront about wanting sex as young men. "Maria's no slapper. She's in love with Tyrone and wants to give him a very precious gift."

The near-the-knuckle plotline will unfold as grease monkey Tyrone, played by Alan Halsall, reaches his significant birthday. But what he doesn't know is that mucky Maria, who gives him a flashy watch as a birthday present, has raunchier thoughts on her mind. For she has secretly booked a luxury hotel room where the couple can enjoy a memorable night of lust together.

The Street production team member added: "It's very risque, but in the best possible taste. "Viewers will be dying to find out whether Maria makes a man of Tyrone."

Terry goes back to college
1 December 2000

Part-time Corrie bad boy Nigel Pivaro has gone back to college. Nigel, 40, has played Terry Duckworth in eight spells in Weatherfield. But in real life he is fascinated by war and battles. "I'm studying contemporary military history at Salford University," he said. "I've always been fascinated by current affairs and the past. For the next three years I'll have to fit TV work around my studies."

Corrie doc gets pulses racing
1 December 2000 by Jonathan Donald

Pulses have been set racing in Coronation Street this week in the imposing form of Dr Matt Ramsden. Six-foot-plus actor Stephen Beckett, 33, has traded in his uniform in The Bill to be the much-lusted-after GP. But to the disappointment of many, his character has a wife, Charlie. She's played by Claire McGlinn, 32, another former police show star. Even so, both are raring to get stuck into some serious sexual shenanigans.

Dr Matt Ramsden, is Corrie's first resident medical man. "I've been a fan all my life, you just can't miss it," beams Stephen, who in real life dates Emmerdale's Anna Brecon. "I'm in charge of the new Rosamund Street Health Centre. It's the first time a doctor has lived in the Street. They're going to make it a big storyline - I hope so anyway or it will be very boring. "He's a working-class boy made good who wants to give something back to the community that paid for his education," says Stephen, who played PC Jarvis in The Bill. "He really believes in the NHS. But he's also a slob. He gives everything to his work and, by the time he gets home, all he wants to do is watch sport and eat kebabs. "I believe there will be a lot of spice in my vindaloo," laughs Stephen. "I think there's going to be all sorts of shenanigans going on with the couples of Corrie."

Street stars spin on to game show
30 November 2000
Tracy Shaw has been lined up as a guest hostess on ITV quiz show Wheel Of Fortune as part of celebrations for Coronation Street's 40th birthday. Shaw plays Weatherfield hairdresser Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap. She will step in for pregnant Jenny Powell for a week from Monday to spin the letters.

To round off her five days on the show on Friday December 8, she will be joined by a trio of contestants from Corrie. Nigel Pivaro who plays the Street's bad boy Terry Duckworth, Bobbi Lewis actress Naomi Russell, and Chris Bisson who plays Vikram Desai will be pitting their wits on the show hosted by John Leslie.

It is the first time Shaw has appeared on a game show. She said: "I was delighted to be asked to be hostess for a week. It's going to be so much fun, especially on Friday when the other guys from Corrie join in."

Granada gains ground in TV adverts war
30 November 2000 By George Trefgarne, Financial Correspondent

ITV has been recording its biggest audiences for three years, Charles Allen, chairman of Granada Media said yesterday, helped by hit shows such as Coronation Street, Cold Feet and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

In October, ITV had 39pc of the audience for peak time, against 36pc over the summer. On an average evening, ITV is watched by 10m people. There have been fears that the ITV audience is on a long-term downward trend, in the face of competition from BSkyB, but Mr Allen said: "The big losers have not been us or even BBC1, but the smaller channels like Channel 5 and Channel 4."

In the 5m homes with Sky Digital, ITV viewing is under pressure, falling to 30pc at peak time. But Mr Allen is now opening negotiations to make sure ITV can be received through the Sky box. At first, the resilience of the ITV audience cheered Granada Media's shares yesterday which gained 23p to 405p on hopes that advertising revenue at ITV will also pick up. Analysts have recently halved their advertising growth forecasts to 3.5pc for next year, causing a collapse in Granada Media shares from the 515p summer float-price.

Mr Allen said there was good news for December, with bookings from advertisers up 7pc. He also pointed out that the average growth was 4pc to 6pc and "I see no reason to change that". However, at a meeting with analysts he expressly stopped short of advising them to increase their forecasts. He said afterwards: "I am not encouraging any of them to change their figures. It is too early to do so as we are still negotiating the contracts for next year."

With Mr Allen being circumspect, the shares gyrated and soon gave back their gains to close at 383p, up just 1p. Nick Bell, of Bear Stearns, said: "For me the interesting thing is that Granada are essentially sticking with the 3.5pc forecast for next year, yet there are so many positives such as the the 2.5 minute increase in evening advertising time as part of the deal to bring back News At Ten. Are they trying to manage expectations by being deliberately cautious, or is there something nasty they are expecting? You just can't tell."

Results - Granada Media's first as an independent listed company - were broadly in line with expectations. Turnover in the year to September was up 9pc at £1.1 billion and pre-tax profits up 7pc at £301m, before exceptional items. A dividend of 3.5pc will be paid on April 2 next year.

Christmas on The Street
29 November 2000

MIKE Baldwin's scheming wife Linda - played by Jacqueline Pirie, who stars on our cover - sets her sights on pulling pints rather than crackers this Christmas. As Mike, Duggie and Fred launch plans to take over the Rovers, Linda sees herself as the next Bet Lynch.

Meanwhile, the big event on Christmas Eve is Curly and Emma's wedding when all is calm, all is bright, thanks partly to a surprise arrival - a little angel from France. Would-be parents Roy and Hayley share their turkey and trimmings with an older angel, but there are heartbreaking hurdles ahead. Vera returns from hospital, happy and healthy, and can't believe her mince pies - her old kitchen is now a wonderland.

But, in a special Christmas Day episode, boys behave badly elsewhere in Weatherfield. Martin plays the good father - and then sneaks off to a party to play the carefree single man. At least he doesn't get sloshed and confess earlier crimes of passion to exactly the wrong person, as another foolish male resident does.

There's trouble from Ken Barlow's long-lost son Peter, who needs no mistletoe to act like a drunken lech and a complete fool. By the 31st, Ken may be ruing the day he welcomed him home.

Not many cups of kindness look like being drunk this New Year's Eve. A party turns into a nightmare for Rita. And Natalie, pregnant and alone, prepares to quit the Rovers. But with Mike, Fred and Duggie in charge, the pub's probably in safe hands.

And red-nosed reindeer might fly...

Corrie actress wants a better sex life for Toyah
29 November 2000

Georgia Taylor says she'd love to see her Coronation Street character Toyah Battersby become more of a man-eater. The 20-year-old actress said she doesn't want her to be seen as a tart, but to have a few flings because that's what 18-year-olds do.

And Georgia cringes at how her character first looked three years ago. "I remember being given the outfit I had to wear as Toyah. I had these hot pants which looked like huge camouflage granny knickers - they were awful," she said.

ITV show the 40th anniversary of Coronation Street on December 8.

Getting personal with... Hayley Cropper
28 November 2000 Interview by Samantha Gillings

• Full name: Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh
  
• Have you ever adopted a pseudonym and if so, why?
  No, but I was known as "Hesy" throughout school.
• Have you ever lied about your age and if so, why?
  When I was 19, I replied to a lonely hearts ad saying I was 27 as he was much older.
• How would you describe yourself in a lonely hearts ad?
  Big-arsed leftie with unlimited access to showbiz parties.
• What was the last illegal thing you did?
  I stole a strawberry Chubba Chup from Rita's cabin.
• What was the last kind-hearted thing you did?
  Gave a lift on a rainy day for two Man U fans and I don't even support them.
• Who's the nicest person you've ever worked with?
  Sue Nichols, who plays Audrey - always a nice word to say about everybody.
• What are the initials of the most unpleasant person you've worked with?
  NL. When I was a cleaner in Knightsbridge.
• Has a critic ever made you cry?
  Garry Bushell, he hates me and Hayley.
• What would you advertise without a fee?
  Amnesty International and Cadbury's.
• What would you never advertise?
  McDonalds, banks and Stage Coach.
• What wakes you up screaming at four in the morning?
  Garry Bushell, guilt and random drunken memories from the evening before.
• What takes you to a "happy place"?
  Driving my camper van down country lanes singing to Billy Bragg's The Internationale at the top of my voice.

Clumsy Alma banned from special
28 November 2000 by Jonathan Donald
Corrie star Amanda Barrie has been barred from a special live episode of the soap - because she's too clumsy. Rehearsals begin next week for the one-off to mirror the first ever night of the show on Dec 9, 1960.

Barrie, 65, who plays Alma Halliwell, said: "They don't trust me to walk on which is very silly because I've spent most of my life on the stage. "But I'm the one who can't open doors or trips up walking into the Rovers."

Getting the giggles - or what actors refer to as corpsing - is another reason for her exclusion from the special on Dec 8. She said: "I'm the worst corpse on the show, especially with Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) and Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop). "We just have to look at each other to crack up. If we were together in the episode, they'd never finish it."

Amanda is in fact relieved she won't be in the live episode: "I'm not disappointed in the slightest." Amanda, whose large doe eyes have earned her legions of admirers since starring in Carry On Cleo, suffers from central retinal vein occlusion. She has lost the sight in one eye and could eventually go blind.

Hilda Ogden crowned Queen of The Street
28 November 2000
Hilda Ogden, whose rollers and scarf were loved by millions for three decades, has been hailed as Britain's favourite Coronation Street character. She tops a list of veterans who have proved more popular than more recent Corrie recruits in a poll of TV Times readers.

Actress Jean Alexander who played the Street legend, said: "It's amazing, there have been so many outstanding characters, but the Oggies were a great double act." She appeared in the show from 1964 to 1987, 20 years of that opposite alongside the late Bernard Youens who played her husband Stan. Alexander became a television legend in her housecoat and apron, while the flying ducks nailed to her "muriel" on the living room wall of 13 Coronation Street became a national institution.

Hilda left Coronation Street - which next month celebrates its 40th anniversary - to become a housekeeper for Dr Lowther in Derbyshire.

Runner-up in the poll was Elsie Tanner, the siren of the street throughout the 1960s, played by the late Pat Phoenix. Jack and Vera Duckworth are the only couple to figure in the top ten with Jack - played by Bill Tarmey - finishing in third place, his wife (Liz Dawn) four places behind. Ken Barlow, the show's longest serving star played by William Roache, is eighth.

Editor Pete Genower said: "The really strong, memorable characters date back to the Sixties and Seventies with people like Hilda, Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, Stan Ogden, Bet Gilroy and Eddie Yeats still living on in the memory. With few exceptions, today's cast don't have the same pulling power as the characters of the past."

The top ten is as follows:

1. Hilda Ogden
2. Elsie Tanner
3. Jack Duckworth
4. Rita Sullivan
5. Bet Gilroy
6. Ena Sharples
7. Vera Duckworth
8. Ken Barlow
9. Raquel Watts
10. Les Battersby

Corrie at 7.30 on ITV2 during football
17 November 2000 by Colin Robertson

ITV2 is set to screen a number of editions of peaktime soap Coronation Street before they appear on the main ITV channel for the duration of the Uefa Champion´s League tournament. With a sympathetic nod towards the hordes of ITV soap fans forced to wait until almost 22.00 on Champion´s League nights to watch Coronation Street, ITV2 will screen the goings on from Weatherfield at the regular time of 19.30 on match nights, starting from next Wednesday (22 November).

While the move will only provide ITV2 with around three "exclusives" in the next few months, it is a significant first for the two-year old channel. ITV2 regularly screens both Emmerdale and Coronation Street several hours after they are shown on ITV. The move is part of a concerted effort by ITV chiefs to raise the profile of the channel which is expected to announce a number of major changes to its output at the ITV winter launch on Tuesday (21 November). The Coronation Street scoop will be flagged up by on-air promotion.

Bruce Jones: I was cracking up
27 November 2000
IT IS his most vivid childhood memory - strong enough almost to blot out all the bad ones. Nearly every day, Bruce Jones would walk round the corner from his home, and saunter 10 minutes down the road to the studios that had become home to Coronation Street. They would never let him in, of course. So he'd grab hold of the railings, pull himself up and peer through them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars. Pat Phoenix was his favourite. If he was lucky, they would wave his way, or even come over to sign his makeshift autograph book.

It all seemed so glamorous. "One day, I'm going to be in Coronation Street," he would rush home to tell his grandmother. She would just smile, and tell him that daydreams never put food on the table. Nearly four decades on, Bruce is on the other side of the railings, and chuffed beyond words to be there. He tells me about a recent survey, tied to the forthcoming 40th anniversary of the nation's favourite soap, in which viewers were asked to vote for their 40 favourite Coronation Street stars. His character, the loutish Les Battersby, was featured. He can't quite believe his luck. Every day, he thanks God that he got the job. Without it, he could still be digging gardens, or hoping to get enough welding work to pay the rent.

But he is also grateful to still be here. Grateful that the job didn't kill him. Bruce didn't see his problems coming. For the first few years in his Corrie role, he was blissfully happy. After a controversial start, when the Battersby clan were described as the most hated family in Britain, his popularity soared. The fan mail started pouring in. "It was brilliant," he says. "We'd been brought in as this really hard, mean family, but gradually we mellowed a little, and viewers got to see a softer side to Les. They started to like him."

They started to like Bruce, too. Suddenly, he was hot property - wanted at charity bashes, celebrity parties, premieres, supermarket openings. He realised, stunned, that he could make thousands of pounds for a personal appearance. Before long, he was doing four or five a week.

WHILE HIS career went from strength to strength, his personal life suffered. But he didn't see that he was exhausted. People started talking about his "problem". Bruce was baffled. Friends, colleagues, bosses tried to have a quiet word. Some said he was drinking too much; others insisted he was stressed out. His wife, Sandra, begged him to get help. But it wasn't until a stranger accosted him in a pub, insinuating that he was making easy money, that Bruce realised he was going off the rails. "My wife had bought me this leather jacket with a fur collar, and this bloke decided to give me grief about it, he recalls. "He saw Les Battersby sitting in the bar and just had to have a go. "But he had picked the wrong night. I just lashed out at him. "I wanted to take on everyone in that pub. I wanted to fight the world. I even ended up having a go at my best friend. After that, I knew I needed help. I couldn't go on."

Within days, Bruce was in The Priory rehab clinic. "It all happened so quickly," he says. "Suddenly I was in this place and the papers were saying I had a drink problem. I didn't. I've never had a drink problem. I don't even like the taste of spirits. "But there was something wrong. I think I was having a breakdown. I spoke to the counsellors, and I was desperate for them to tell me what was wrong. They said I was a workaholic. I was making myself ill because I just couldn't stop."

For six weeks he, submitted to counselling sessions, group therapy and painful soul-searching. He was forced to remember unhappy times, and to analyse why he seemed unable to cope with life in the spotlight when others thrived on it. He forced himself to confront childhood traumas and his fears of rejection. When he re-emerged, determined to make things different, he was terrified. "Those first weeks out were bloody hard," admits Bruce who returned to the show last spring. "Everyone knew I had been in The Priory, and they had formed their own opinions about why. "I had to ignore all that and concentrate on getting well myself. I knew that I had to completely change my life. "I had been pushing myself just too hard. I had been warned that success in Coronation Street would change my life - but there is no guide book to follow. No one tells you how to do it. Suddenly people were paying me to open supermarkets and crack a few gags. I took everything I could. I always hated to say no. So I was out practically every night. I'd go straight from filming to some nightclub or other. "Yes, I was drinking - not because I had an alcohol problem, but because that's what you do in these places.

AFTER a year of it, I fell over. Your body can only take so much. On the odd nights I did have off, I'd go back and argue with my wife. "It was getting out of control. My life was no longer my own. I didn't trust anyone. No one would listen. "I was cracking up. I thought I was going mad. "I wasn't even together enough to get myself into somewhere like The Priory. Looking back, it is all a blur. The Granada people sorted it all out, and before I knew it I was there, being told I must talk about my problems. That doesn't come easy to someone like me."

Friendly and affable he may be, but Bruce finds it difficult to talk about the flip side of his fame. He stumbles over his sentences. But it isn't until he starts talking about his childhood that the tears actually start to fall. He was always a sickly boy. A bout of arthritis put him in hospital when he was nine. He was 15 before he was clear of the disease. "I was only a kid, and I was in and out of hospital so much that I was more used to it than to my own home," he says. "At one point, I was in for two years solid. In an isolation ward. I still can't think of those days without breaking my heart. I knew the other kids were all outside, playing football. I thought I was going to die. The doctors thought I wasn't going to make it. "And at times I wanted to die. The pain was so bad that I couldn't see any way out. I told them to give me an injection to kill the pain, and to kill me with it. "Every night, my mother would sit, rubbing my legs. She wanted to make the pain go away. It never did. I still remember it."

His illness put a strain on the family. At first, his father visited faithfully every week. Then the visits dwindled. Eventually, he stopped coming. When Bruce came out of hospital, he discovered that his parents had split up. "I blamed myself," he admits, shoulders heaving. "I thought that if they hadn't had me to worry about, to visit, things might have been different. As it was, things were never the same again. "Things got so bad at home that I went to live with my aunt and uncle. I suppose I went a bit wild after that. Hospital hardened me up.

I DIDN'T feel pain any more - so I'd get into fights, force myself into situations where I'd be hurt. I didn't care. "Maybe it's been the same all my life. I used to work as a fireman and I'd always be the one taking the risks, going that little bit further because I just didn't feel the pain."

Because he wasn't allowed to play football, Bruce went to drama classes and found an escape through making people laugh. His Uncle John encouraged him to think about an acting career. But it wasn't an easy route. Before landing the role of Les, he did all manner of jobs. Once, he had four on the go at the same time. He also found time to go to evening classes in drama, never really imagining that anything would come of them.

With two children from his first marriage and two from his second, the only important thing was putting food on the table. "I had watched my mother struggle to raise a family, and I remembered the days of queuing up, begging for food parcels," he says. "I vowed I would never allow my children to see anything like that. "I gave the acting classes a go to prove something to myself. Deep down, I wasn't convinced people like me could actually be actors." But others were impressed with his talent. While still at night school, Bruce landed a role in the Ken Loach film Raining Stones. It brought him enormous critical acclaim and a best-actor nomination.

SUDDENLY, he was in Cannes, being feted as a hot new British talent. A role in The Full Monty followed. "Was I out of my depth? Of course I was," he says. "What was all that Cannes stuff about? There was Michael Douglas coming up to talk to me - Bruce Jones from Manchester. I didn't know what I was doing. "Things just went mad. I made 2407 with Bob Hoskins and was lined up to be in his next production when the Street job came up and I knew I had to take it. I had to call Bob and say I couldn't take up his offer. "I was petrified. I was saying no to one of the greatest actors ever. "Luckily, he understood. He told me I had to go with my heart. I've never regretted the decision for a minute."

Bruce little thought he would ever be regarded as a linchpin in the Corrie cast. But as the 40th anniversary celebrations approach, he is tickled pink to be part of them. "I remember watching the very first episodes," he recalls. "When Ena Sharples walked into the snug in the Rovers, it was like a revelation to me. My street had an Ena. Everyone's did. "I'd watch Hilda and Stan and marvel at their ability to make people laugh. Bernard Youens was just brilliant. His body language was next to none. "I wanted to be just like him. I'd sit in a pub and watch how people moved. There would always be a Les Battersby. "I'd pick little things up, make the character more my own, and I'd be thrilled when the writers started incorporating traits in the scripts. But I'm still learning. I've got a long way to go. "I can't tell you what a thrill it still gives me to walk into work in the morning, and say Hello to the fans waiting. "This job has brought me grief, but that's my problem. It's all about how I handle the pressure. And I am learning. "The important thing is that, every day, it takes me back to when I was a kid. It reminds me that this is what I daydreamed of becoming."I am living my dream. How many people can say that?"

Corrie's Maureen lands first role in Corssroads
27 November 2000
FORMER Coronation Street star Sherrie Hewson has landed the first role in the new TV version of Crossroads. The actress, best known as Reg Holdsworth's dippy wife Maureen in the Street, will play Virginia, a stern receptionist at the now upmarket Crossroads Hotel.

Sherrie, 49, quit Corrie in 1997. She said last night: "I'm absolutely thrilled. Crossroads was a cult show and it's going to be again. "My character Virginia is wonderful - both funny and spiky. Viewers will love this series."

Sherrie is currently starring in hit ITV comedy Barbara with Gwen Taylor. A spokesman for Crossroads makers Carlton Productions said: "Sherrie is a talented and much-loved actress. She's going to be a marvellous addition to the Crossroads cast."

Old Crossroads favourites such as Jill Harvey, actress Jane Rossington, will return but there is no role for Paul Henry as odd-job man Benny. The spokesman said: "It will be a mix of old favourites, household names and exciting new talent."

The show will air five days a week at lunchtimes.

Corrie's Vera contemplated a new Dawn
26 November 2000
Liz Dawn has revealed she thought about quitting as Coronation Street's well-loved Vera Duckworth - because she was bored of being stuck in the Rovers Return. She became tired of the repetitive storylines when she and screen husband Jack - Bill Tarmey - were running the best-known pub in Britain. But the star, who recently received her MBE from the Queen, admits to the TV Times magazine: "I don't know what I'd do if I left Corrie."

The actress, a regular in the show for 20 years after joining as a machinist in Mike Baldwin's factory, said: "I mean many a time I've wanted to leave, but I couldn't cope. "I thought I might end up in Marks and Spencer looking at knickers and saying to people 'remember me, I used to be Vera Duckworth'."

Continual storylines based around the pub prompted her most serious thoughts of retiring, Dawn says. "I did think about leaving when we had the Rovers because then a lot of the stories were actually set in the pub and I just thought, it's so repetitive. "You're stood behind the bar and sometimes you're just padding for other people."

Happily for fans she decided against it and went on to work at Roy's Rolls and moved back into their old home. And she is now happy to stay in the Street for years to come. "I'll probably end up in the Rovers with Big Bloomers - another Ena Sharples," she added.

Linda v Liz
25 November 2000 by John Mahoney

CORRIE bosses are lining up a catfight behind the bar of the Rovers . . . while they decide who is to become the new landlady. Fans will see the claws come out as scheming Linda Baldwin and brassy Liz McDonald are both installed as temporary managers. Friendship goes out of the window as they clash head-on, each trying to outdo the other.

Stubborn Linda - played by Jacqui Pirie - believes she should be crowned only the fifth landlady in Coronation Street's 40-year history because her husband Mike has bought into the Rovers. But that cuts no ice with Liz, alias actress Bev Callard, who believes she should rule the roost at Britain's best-known boozer, because she is senior and has worked in the licensed trade before. The joint-running of the pub will give St