Telly
soap lovers split
13 November 2002 by Charles Yates
CORONATION Street
star Angela Lonsdale has split from her EastEnders boyfriend Perry Fenwick after
four years together. The actors blamed the rift on their hectic work schedules
playing Emma Watts and Billy Mitchell — and their long-distance romance.
For years they have only spent weekends together — living 200 miles apart
so they could work on the rival soaps. Angela, 32, has a home in Didsbury, Manchester,
and Perry lives in Muswell Hill, North London.
The pair first met as unknown actors and were mates for years before they began dating. Their romance only kicked off after Angela cheered up Perry when he was out of work by saying: “None of this matters, because one day you’ll be in EastEnders and I’ll be in Coronation Street.” Amazingly her prediction came true within a couple of years.
Perry, 40, landed his role in EastEnders in 1999 — and Angela joined the Street a year later. Angela once said: “People might think it’s strange that we’re both in two of the top soaps in the country, but it’s not to me.”
On-screen the pair’s characters have been building for the future with
their respective partners Curly Watts and Little Mo. But a Street source said:
“The pressure of high-profile storylines pushed the pair further apart
in real life.” The couple said last night: “Sadly we confirm that
we are no longer in a relationship. “However, we remain the best of friends.
There are no other parties involved. “It’s partly down to distance
and our hectic work schedule.”
Soap plots "make viewers
sick"
13 November 2002
GP surgeries up and down the country are being swamped by patients with illnesses
picked up from the TV, a survey shows. Doctors say media health stories and
even soap storylines have left Joe Public with a bad case of "telly belly".
Anything from Alma Halliwell's cancer battle to Tom Banks' brain tumour in soapland
have left patients thinking they have symptoms. More than 90% of GPs questioned
in the Norwich Union Healthcare study say media coverage of health issues affect
their patients.
The spread of the small screen ailment has led to members of the public becoming more interested in their own health and stepping up efforts to prevent illness. However, doctors believe only about a quarter of patients who self-diagnose are right most of the time, two thirds occasionally, and one in ten hardly ever.
Tim Baker, commercial director of Norwich Union Healthcare, said: "TV health scares clearly put added pressure on GPs. "But overall I'm sure doctors welcome the population's growing interest in its own well-being. "It's much better than having patients who wait to get ill and then expect the doctor to do everything for them."
Health issues are regularly covered in the nation's favourite soaps, including former Coronation Street character Alma, played by Amanda Barrie, and former EastEnders' character Tom, played by Colm O'Maonlai.
New dawn for Street's Tracy
13 November 2002
Tracy
Barlow is returning to Coronation Street - but she won't be played by Dawn Acton,
the actress who portrayed her for more than 10 years. Acton last appeared as
the sulky schoolkid in March 1999 when she turned her back on Weatherfield and
married Robert Preston. The 25-year-old actress then left the soap to look after
her baby son, Thomas.
Last week, Acton auditioned for the part which made her famous as an 11-year-old - and was said to be "devastated" when she failed to win the part. Instead, up-and-coming actress Kate Ford was to set heads turning when she turns up on the Street on Christmas Day. But whereas Tracy Barlow was a glum-faced teenager, Tracy Preston - as she is now called - is a sexy, sassy and opinionated man-eater.
And before the turkey has even cooled, Tracy, the daughter of Ray Langton and Deirdre, adopted by Ken Barlow in 1986, is between the sheets with Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin). Exactly a year since he bedded Tracy's mother, fans will be left guessing just how long he can keep his fling with Deirdre a secret.
A Coronation Street spokeswoman said Ford, fresh from London's Webber Douglas
Academy but originally from north Lancashire, was "thrilled" to have
landed the role. "She is very excited to have got the part. The character
has changed substantially in the past four years and really hits the ground
running. Kate is thrilled."
New Corrie family set to get tongues wagging
13 November 2002
A new family
will set tongues wagging on Coronation Street after moving into Weatherfield
hiding a dark secret. No sooner have the Nelsons first set foot on Corrie's
cobbles than nosy neighbours are suspicious about what they have got to hide.
A spokeswoman for the show says it will be evident as soon as the family - parents Angela and Tommy, 16-year-old Katy and Craig, 12 - arrive that there is "more to them than meets the eye". "Everyone is going to be very suspicious straight away, their story does not add up," she said. The rumour mill will be fuelled by the family's hostility towards the police, Tommy's reluctance to sup a pint in the Rovers and a family feud.
The Nelsons - Weatherfield's first new family since the rowdy Battersbys hit
TV screens with a bang five years ago - are moving into Matt Ramsden's old house,
next door to the Platts and the Peacocks. Angela, played by Kathryn Hunt - who
recently starred in ITV drama Fat Friends - will get a job in the factory while
Tommy (Thomas Craig) will start working in the garage.
Vicky's maid plans
10 November 2002
PLANS
for Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle's wedding to prop man Andy Chapman
are going hilariously awry. As the big day on December 15 nears, Vicky, who
plays Janice Battersby, is already on her third chief bridesmaid.
The first, an unknown actress, pulled out because she'd at last landed an acting job on the said date. Step forward former co-star Denise Welch, aka Natalie, who was recruited to be chief yucky frock wearer. But the pair soon had a huge falling-out, culminating in Vicky firing her from the role.
Now the post has gone to former Corrie girl Gaynor Faye, who is even-tempered enough not to spark a World War Three explosion from the bride-to-be. "Vicky has a right temper and felt Denise wasn't up for the job so has got Gaynor to do it instead," said a source. "It's hard to keep up with all this chopping and changing."
Vicky has also asked each guest to donate £15 to charity instead of wedding
gifts. Generous from someone getting £50,000 from OK! magazine for rights
to the nuptials.
Emily set for chop
8 November 2002
Veteran Corrie actress Eileen Derbyshire, who plays Emily Bishop in the long-running
ITV soap, is set to become murderer Richard Hillman's next victim.
According to a report in the News of the World, Trick Dicky will kill the character at Christmas as he becomes increasingly desperate to raise cash for his ailing business.
Actress Eileen, 72 - one of the soap's longest-serving stars - has indicated to Granada bosses that she is finding their four-day week schedule gruelling. Now insiders say she's looking forward to her exit and a rest. The details of how she dies are yet to be finalised, according to the paper's source.
Street star targets joyriders
8 November 2002
A Coronation Street star has thrown her weight behind a campaign against joyriding
in Northern Ireland. Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah Platt in the ITV1 soap opera,
spoke out against car theft and reckless driving after being contacted by the
Families Bereaved Through Car Crime group.
In the show, her character was seriously injured when a stolen car driven by her boyfriend Aidan was involved in a crash. In a statement issued by Granada Television in support of the anti-joyriding campaign, the star said stealing cars and driving dangerously "wrecks people's lives". "We hope the programme conveyed this important message," she said. "As viewers will see, the repercussions of Aidan's actions will continue to affect all involved for months to come."
Tommy Holland, a spokesman for the Belfast-based group for people who have lost relatives through joyriding incidents, thanked Coronation Street producers for their speedy response and Ms O'Brien for her support. "We commend the researchers, who we feel have done a tremendous job portraying a joyriding incident and its after-effects involving many characters and families in Coronation Street," he said. "We feel the storyline will give viewers a small taste of what it has been like for us in the reality of joyriding incidents and the potential pain and sorrow it can bring to any family." Mr Holland said he believed the storyline could create awareness of the dangers of this form of car crime.
Corrie has soap's biggest
hero
8 November 2002
Coronation Street legend Vera Duckworth has been named as soap's biggest hero
in a new poll. The character, played by Elizabeth Dawn, was given the distinction
after donating a kidney to save her secret grandson. Giving Vera a five-heart
rating, the survey by Soaplife magazine remarked: "When Andrea Clayton
turned up at Vera's saying her and Terry's son Paul needed a kidney transplant
you knew terrible Terry was not going to be the hero. Saving the day was left
to brave Vera."
Emmerdale's Jack Sugden, played by Clive Hornby, and EastEnders fireman Tom Banks (Colm O'Maonlai) shared the number two slot. Jack was nominated for taking the rap after his estranged wife Sarah was killed in a fire started by adopted son Andy as part of an insurance scam.
And Tom plucked Little Mo Morgan from the jaws of death after Trevor set the house on fire.
Denise goes belly up!
8 November 2002
Former Corrie barmaid Denise Welch, who played Natalie Horrocks in the top ITV
soap, is set to make a TV comeback - as a bellydancer. The actress donned a
sequined outfit and trained for hours to prepare for her role in a BBC special
called Turkish Delight, according to a report in the Daily Star.
And in one sizzling scene, the paper reckons, her bra top breaks. However, she manages to preserve her modesty as she performs in front of 10 rugby players for the one-hour show.
The
Corrie street walker
7 November 2002 by Thomas Whitaker
CURVY Clare McGlinn
goes from Coronation Street to walking the street in her new telly role. Clare,
33, — who played GP’s wife Charlie Ramsden in Corrie — stars
as a hooker in ITV1’s The Bill next Thursday. And to prove her all-round
talents, she revealed her curves in an exclusive photoshoot for The Sun.
Clare said: “I want to show there is more to me than Charlie Ramsden.
I also want to prove that someone who is 5ft 7in and size 10 has as much to
offer as girls with size six figures.” Points taken, Clare.
Soap stars pose for new
calendar
6 November 2002
A host of soap stars have clubbed together to pose for a revealing new year
calendar. EastEnders Lucy Speed, who plays Natalie Evans, and Charlie Brooks
(Janine Butcher) both appear in the publication which recreates classic movie
scenes.
Lucy pays tribute to Albert Square co-star Barbara Windsor, mimicking the famous pose in Carry on Camping where she clutches her boobs. And Charlie features twice: first as Tarzan's Jane swinging from a vine and then painted gold in homage to the Bond character Goldfinger.
According to the Daily Star Nikki Sanderson, Coronation Street's Candice Stowe, also appears in the famous Ursula Andress pose made legendary in the shore scene from Bond movie Dr No.
The calendar was created for lad's magazine Loaded and is available in shops.
Stars release fitness videos
5 November 2002
Two former soap stars have gone straight to video to release their own fitness
workouts and help fans lose weight this coming new year. Tracy Shaw, who stars
as dizzy hairdresser Maxine Peacock in Coronation Street, and Patsy Palmer,
who played Bianca Butcher in EastEnders, have each recorded exercise routines
to help fans beat the bulge.
Tracy's Salsacise for Hips and Thighs hits the shelves on Boxing Day just as viewers are likely to be recovering from Christmas over-indulgence and is a combination of salsa and aerobics. "It's brilliant for tightening your bum," Tracy tells Inside Soap magazine, "everyone tells me that mine's looking firmer."
Patsy's workout is a dance routine set to Ibiza's most popular tunes.
Bride Sally's
web of lies
4 November 2002
SALLY Webster's Coronation Street marriage looks set to hit the skids for the
second time. But this time, it's before she leaves the register office. She
confesses to her fling with decorator Alex Jordan before ex-husband Kevin can
say "I do" once again. And Alex turns up at the ceremony to let everyone
know what has happened as Sally considers running off.
Sally Whittaker, who plays Sally, added: "The timing's awful for Sally - she's met her soulmate just as she's about to get re- married for the sake of her children. "She cares for Kevin but romance doesn't come into it at all. Alex is all the things Kevin's not."
Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin, said: "It has taken Kevin a long time to get Sally back. He doesn't want to lose her again." The couple married for the first time in 1986.
Sal's
wedding bombshell
4 November 2002
CORRIE’S
Sally Webster smiles as she prepares to remarry ex-hubby Kevin— just before
her SECRET LOVER gatecrashes the ceremony. Mechanic Kev, played by Michael LeVell,
is stunned as Sally, actress Sally Whittaker, admits romping with decorator
Alex Jordan . . . and has to decide between the two.
Her fling with Alex (Simon Lenagan) began after Kev hired him to paint their
house. The scenes, filmed yesterday, are screened on December 9.
Corrie murder plot with
fiery start
4 November 2002
Coronation Street hitman Richard Hillman is to attempt murder to solve his financial
worries. The lethal financial adviser, played by Brian Capron, braves an arson
attack on his forgetful mother-in-law Audrey (Sue Nicholls) in order to get
his hands on the £250,000 she has left to his doting wife Gail (Helen
Worth).
"Richard doesn't dislike Audrey, but he's desperate to get his finances back on track," Brian tells Soaplife magazine. He adds: "Richard's an opportunist and completely ruthless. He'll go as far as he needs to."
But the plan fails when Archie (Roy Hudd) and Steve (Simon Gregson) spot the fire and rush to Audrey's rescue. Viewers are left wondering whether Richard will get away with murder.
Teed off Denise
3 November 2002
FORMER Corrie star DENISE WELCH looks in an El of a mood after becoming a golf
widow during a family holiday in Spain. Denise, 44, who played Rovers landlady
Natalie Barnes, appeared to be in a world of her own as she carried 18-month-old
son Louis across a street in the Costa del Sol.
Things appeared tense after her Auf Widersehen Pet star hubby TIM HEALY, 50, spent most of his time on the greens. Denise did manage to soak up some sun on their hotel balcony. But even then she clearly wasn't in a holiday mood. The couple, who wed in 1988, have admitted marriage problems in the past. Perhaps they need a golf-free break!
Sally Lindsey
SALLY LINDSEY, wonderful as Corrie's bubbly barmaid Shelley Unwin, tells me:
"I could have a body like Posh Spice, but I don't want to do 200 press-ups
before I go to bed and 300 sit-ups when I wake up. I've chosen my shape...it's
square."
Ken the Avenger
3 November 2002 by Ian Hyland
OVER at Coronation Street and Ken Barlow has dispensed with more than 40 years
of principles in the time it takes Deirdre to say "why don't you be a man
for once?" Thing is, I reckon Deirdre may have unleashed a monster. Following
his smiting of Ade Critchley, how long before Ken turns into a fully fledged
vigilante? Especially if he watched Death Wish on Friday night. God help Weatherfield's
punk-ass kids and no-good hoods if Dev's plans for an amusement arcade go ahead.
I mean, if Ken can break Ade's nose with the slightest backhand flick who knows
what he's capable of once he's fully tooled up?
Elsewhere, other questions. How come brain surgery turned Sarah Lou's hair orange? How come the street was suddenly heaving when Roy began picketing Dev's shop? And what does the fact that I thought the funniest thing on telly all week was Kirk asking Archie "is it true that dead people fart?" say about me?
Corrie
Tracy to pose nude
31 October 2002 by Thomas Walker and Charles Yates
CORRIE’S Tracy Shaw is to appear nude in a stage play — in the role made famous by Nicole Kidman. Tracy, 29 — the soap’s crimper Maxine Peacock — will strip off every night for 16 weeks for a steamy romp in a kitchen in raunchy play The Blue Room. And the production will tour the country, so fellas nationwide can appreciate her outstanding talents.
Tracy, who leaves The Street in the New Year, told The Sun: “Everybody knows the play for its nudity but it is much more than that. “I have no problem with any of the scenes. I’ve chosen to do it rather than panto.”
The big-money contract is Tracy’s first after deciding to quit Corrie. The beauty plays 15 different women who all lust after the same man, played by Jason Connery, son of 007 legend Sean. The tour starts at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in February. Producer Julius Green plans eventually to take it to London’s West End.
Tracy’s agent Peter Charlesworth said last night: “She’s
very excited. “She’s a very good actress, vivacious and physically
perfect for the role. She has no apprehension about the naked scene —
it’s very tasteful.” Tracy hopes to be as big a hit as Nicole, 35,
who starred at London’s Donmar Theatre in 1998. One critic called her
“theatrical viagra”.
Corrie barmaid
pours a mean pint
31 October 2002
ROVERS barmaid Sally Lindsay made a splash when radio DJ Joel Ross heckled her
at a kids' charity bash - by tipping a pint of water over him. The 27-year-old
star, who plays Corrie's Shelley Unwin, was doing an impromptu stand- up routine
when Joel started spraying water at her and shouting: "Get back to the
Rovers, chuck."
So Sally - who used to do stand-up before Corrie - behaved just like her feisty character. She stormed over to Joel and drenched him with the water.
One onlooker said: "He got a bit too much into the spirit of things."
Soaps to go to blazes in
November
31 October 2002 by Derek Robbins
Is an arsonist on the loose in the land of soaps? That's the burning question
to be answered, with all five main soaps featuring blazes in November. The first
hot storyline comes this Friday in EastEnders when baddie Trevor Morgan (Alex
Ferns) and sick fireman Tom (Colm O'Maonlai) go up in smoke at the Slater house.
Fires also feature heavily in Corrie, Emmerdale, Brookie and Hollyoaks.
There's a firestarter's feast on November 11 with a blaze in Emmerdale and then a Corrie fire. First Cafe Hope nearly burns down because of a faulty deep-fat fryer while Viv and Steph are boozing. Then in Corrie, killer Richard spikes mother-in-law Audrey's drinks and torches her home.
Soap bosses insist that it's an accident that fires figure in them. An Emmerdale spokeswoman said: "It's just a coincidence." A Corrie spokeswoman added: "It must be because of Bonfire Night."
Flames also dominate in Brookie where there's a huge explosion when a police
helicopter crashes on November 30 and a bonfire party gets out of hand in Hollyoaks
on November 5.
TV
Samia: Sex scenes were too hot
30 October 2002 by Giovanna Iozzi
STUNNING Corrie star Samia Ghadie has had one of the soap’s most remarkable makeovers. As Maria Sutherland she has gone from scruffy kennelmaid to maneating Rovers barmaid. Now she has revealed that some of her scenes with screen boyfriend Nick Tilsley were so sexy that they had to be censored.
Maria’s transformation began with her fling with Nick — played by Adam Rickett — after Corrie’s writers realised the potential of the half-Lebanese beauty. Samia, 20, recalls: “In one scene, Adam had this idea to lift me up on the stairs of the flat and get me to wrap my legs round his waist. “He also hoisted me on to a worktop for us to kiss but we stopped when I ended up with buttery toast all over my bum. “The producer said they had to edit the scene because it was a bit too much for viewers at 7.30pm. “There was a real spark between Adam and I — quite a few scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.”
Samia is chuffed by her image change. She says: “It only takes five minutes to get my costume on now because it’s about this big,” holding up her thumb and finger. “Hair and make-up is different though. It used to take me 20 minutes because Maria was such a tomboy — this little boring girl who wore poloneck tops. Now it takes an hour. She’s become a real heartbreaker. She’s been treated badly by her old boyfriends Tyrone and Nick and now it’s her turn.”
Maria is set to have a fling with Vikram Desai (Chris Bisson) but their relationship will end in tears. She laughs: “I’m the kiss of death for any actor who’s leaving — Adam, Chris, they all get their exit storylines with me! But the affair with Vik isn’t as passionate as the one I had with Nick.”
In fact Nick and Maria’s raunchy scenes sparked an off-screen romance for Samia and Adam. But Samia is quick to put a stop to rumours she cheated on ex-boyfriend Ciaran Griffith, who plays The Bill’s PC Gary Best. She recalls: “We’d been split up for a month before anything happened. “Ciaran was working in London and we went from seeing each other every day in Manchester to every six weeks in London. It just wasn’t working. “And Adam had already split up with his girlfriend Jane Doyle. “Adam is one of those guys you can’t help but like. We were comfortable together, we spent hours talking, realised we liked each other, so gave it a go. I used to tease him about being famous for his six-pack.” Their fling finished when Adam returned to the US in September to work.
Away from the screen, Samia throws herself into her job. She says: “I’m not enjoying myself as much as Maria is — I always end up going home on my own. I’m quite boring at the moment, knuckling down to work. “I kiss all the boys at work so I don’t need to outside. “You’ve got to be careful who you trust — some women find it hard to trust men and I’m one of them.”
Samia blames her attitude on her parents’ stormy marriage, which ended when she was 15. Her English mum Patsy met her Lebanese-French dad Joseph, a deep sea oil diver, in Abu Dhabi in 1970. Patsy was touring as a cabaret singer. The couple moved to Salford to run a shop and had Samia’s older brother Tariq, now 25. Samia admits: “Seeing my parents break up has made me wary of relationships.” Joseph now lives in Rochdale and still runs a store. Samia says: “Dad is quite strict. He’s like Robert De Niro’s character in Meet The Parents, he’s such a nightmare. He wants me to meet a nice Lebanese boy. But I can’t speak any Lebanese apart from ‘Your mother is a donkey!’ ”
Joseph hated seeing his daughter snog and cavort on screen with Adam. Patsy, on the other hand, loves her daughter’s new image. Samia started in showbiz as a child model for catalogues then went to stage school, leaving at 16 to study A-level drama in Manchester. Her first speaking part was in Cracker when she played Robbie Coltrane’s daughter’s best friend. After that acting work rolled in, including parts in Children’s Ward with Alan Halsall who plays Tyrone.
When she auditioned for the part of Maria she was up against Hear’Say’s Suzanne Shaw and Popstars: The Rivals finalist Kimberley Walsh. She recalls: “I didn’t think I had it because the other girls were blonde and I thought that was the look they wanted. I was really depressed. “But when I got home I got a call and my mum ran out into the street screaming, ‘My daughter’s in Corrie.’ ”
Now Samia is all set to replace Corrie’s blonde bombshell
Tracy Shaw as the show’s top babe. Samia says: “Tracy calls me ‘Mini
Max’. She says now she’s leaving I’ve got to keep the spirit
of Maxine alive."
Streets ahead
30 October 2002
Ken Barlow's attack on teen tearaway Ade Critchley won 14.8 million viewers
for ITV1 soap Coronation Street on Monday - three times the audience watching
BBC1
Star pleads for alternative
ending
30 October 2002
Tracy
Shaw is devastated to learn that her Coronation Street character is to be killed
off. Soap insiders claim that the star, who plays dizzy hairdresser Maxine Peacock,
is asking bosses to reconsider her ending. She hopes they will leave the door
open for the odd special appearance, according to reports in Now magazine.
Tracy announced her retirement from the show last month after seven years on
set. She said she wanted to "spread [her] wings and move on" and was
"relishing the prospect of new challenges".
Street star shaken by quakes
28 October 2002
Coronation
Street actress Tracy Shaw admits she was frightened by the 40 earthquakes that
rocked Manchester in five days. Tracy, who lives near the area, felt the latest
tremor which measured 3.1 on the Richter Scale.
The star, who plays dizzy hairdresser Maxine Peacock, told the Daily Star: "It was quite scary really but at least our chimney pot didn't fall off."
Tracy is due to leave the Coronation Street set after seven years in order
to "spread her wings and move on".
Sex bomb Sally's new man
27 October 2002
THIS is the moment when Corrie mum Sally Webster becomes smitten with dishy
new decorator Alex Jordan. And it happens just days after she agrees to remarry
her ex Kevin. Fans will be shocked as mum-of-two Sally (SALLY WHITTAKER) puts
the wedding in doubt by seducing Alex, played by SIMON LENNIGAN. A Street insider
said: "Sally is totally bowled over and fans will be left wondering how
it all pans out."
So Sarah Platt... Splatt! by Gary
Bushell
Poor Sarah.They say she might end up a vegetable now. Just like Kirk.
I was more troubled by her neuro-surgeon, Robert. He had a huge head and no shoulders so he looked like a walking Pez dispenser. It was as if someone had transplanted his bonce on to the wrong body. He probably has Made in Royston Vasey stamped across his buttocks.
Great crash, mind. And that joy-ride was thrilling. Going downhill and with a stiff tailwind Ade must have got Ken Barlow's J-reg Citroen up to nigh on 35mph.
Angela Lonsdale
CORRIE cop ANGELA LONSDALE is rated by real-life WPCs. Angela, who plays Emma
Watts, says: "Just after I joined the show I met a few policewomen who
said they'd check every episode and would be in touch if I got it wrong. I've
heard nothing so I must be doing OK."
Lucy's a bloomin' beauty by Gary Bushell
WHAT is up with Peter Barlow? The Corrie bookie keeps sneaking off from live-in
lover Shelley to enjoy a spot of heavy betting with fruity florist Lucy (Katy
Carmichael, pictured with him left). Is he nuts? Shelley looks like Les Dawson
in drag, Lucy is a blooming beauty. Why not just sack Shelley and let Lucy fiddle
with your greenfly to her heart's content?
Gaynor Faye
GAYNOR FAYE claps every time she gets into a car because of an electric shocks
phobia.
Corrie fights fire with fire
27 October 2002
Coronation Street is to hit-back in its ratings war with EastEnders by staging
a house fire. Fans of the BBC1 soap will see the Slaters house go up in flames
later this week.
Now Coronation Street has decided to feature a similar storyline involving Audrey Roberts. Richard Hillman will set fire to her home in an attempt to kill Audrey. But she will survive when Steve McDonald breaks into the house and saves her.
According to the News Of The World, Richard will make another attempt on Audrey's
life when he laces her tea with drugs.
Crazy Gail is such a silly goose
27 October 2002
OVER at Coronation Street and Sarah Lou is lying in her hospital bed surrounded
by drips... Gail, Richard, Todd.
Seriously though, that death bed drew some great performances. Gail almost took the honours but a wonderful display of moodswinging from Helen Worth was spoilt by a decision to chase up a back alley after Ade Critchley. She ran like a duck with its legs tied together. That left the way clear for Jack P. Shepherd to clean up as Sarah's little brother David. Even I cried when he told her he loved her. Todd missed the plot with "you'll have lost weight when you come round, that'll please yer," while Ken Barlow declared "I feel so useless". Sorry Ken, I'm gonna need more clues.
Elsewhere Dev won the award for services to selective memory by telling Curly: "I conduct my business in the correct manner. What I don't do is argue the toss in pubs." That's Dev, who just two weeks ago was brawling in the Rovers with Joe Carter. Then Shell's Angel Maria discovered life can be harsh when Deirdre told her: "You remind me of me when I was your age." That's just cruel. Not to mention impossible.
Romeo Barlow heads for love
trouble
25 October 2002
Coronation
Street's latest Romeo, Peter Barlow, is heading for trouble as he two-times
Rover's Return landlady Shelley Unwin.
Barlow, played by Chris Gascoyne, is having an illicit relationship with beautiful florist Lucy Richards, played by Katy Carmichael. But their shenanigans will be exposed after Peter tells Shelley (Sally Lindsay) he is going to the Chepstow races for the weekend - but neighbour Sally Webster innocently passes Shelley a message from the hotel he and Lucy are staying in.
"Peter is renowned for his quick wits and gift of the gab," an ITV1
source tells the Daily Star. "But he will have to be at the top of his
game to wriggle out of this one. Shelley has always believed she is the love
of his life."
Corrie's
Tina finds a place to wake up with Bruno
24 October 2002 by Jan Disley
CORRIE actress Tina O'Brien may be fighting for her life as Sarah Platt in the
soap but things are all sweetness and light off-screen. Tina has moved in with
co-star - and real-life boyfriend - Bruno Langley. The couple, both 19, were
spotted leaving the terrace house they are renting in Salford, Greater Manchester.
And they couldn't hide their happiness as they climbed into Tina's sporty Peugeot.
It's all far cry from Tina's on-screen predicament as gymslip mum Sarah. In her scariest storyline ever she lies in a coma after her badboy lover Ade Critchley (Dean Ashton) leaves her trapped unconscious in a stolen car.
Tina and Bruno's affair is going strong - even if they don't like to talk about it. "I like to keep things to myself about my relationship," Tina has said. "We're under the spotlight more than most people anyway and I'd hate us to spill the beans about absolutely everything. "It's no secret - everybody at work knows we are a couple."
Corrie return for Tracy Barlow
23 October 2002
Coronation
Street's Tracy Barlow is making a return to the street as a serial man-eater.
A show spokesman says the new Tracy will be sexy, sassy and opinionated. She
will make a beeline for womanising bookie Peter Barlow, her own stepbrother,
before moving on to former sailor Ciaran McCarthy and knicker factory boss Joe
Carter.
Tracy returns home to Weatherfield at Christmas after turning to mum Deirdre when her marriage breaks down. The daughter of Ray Langton and Deirdre, Tracy was adopted by Ken Barlow in 1986. She last appeared in the soap in March 1999 - when she left the Street after marrying Robert Preston at Weatherfield Register Office.
The character was last played by Dawn Acton, 25, who left the soap to look
after her baby son Thomas. A Coronation Street spokesman said: "We are
looking at other actresses because the character has changed so much - she's
going to be explosive." The actress comes to the street just as its most
famous current man-eater, Tracy Shaw, who plays hairdresser, Maxine Peacock,
leaves the soap.
The road to ruin
22 October 2002 by Nancy Banks-Smith
There's a lot of sorrow in the world. Bit of luck, then, that it's confined
to one street.
Last night in Coronation Street (ITV1), Sarah Platt was critically injured while joyriding with her boyfriend. In the great pie chart of life's misery, Sarah has already had a double helping of apple tart with extra custard. Her father was murdered, her mother is married to a murderer, and she is the 15-year-old mother of a baby who, judging from her expression, would rather be in Indonesia. Being kidnapped when only hours old probably unsettled the child.
To bring you up to speed, Sarah is strangely attracted to Aid, a gangling lad who has recently taken to joyriding in Ken Barlow's car. Which, as he cruelly pointed out, had two air fresheners and a plastic-covered atlas. Ken was astounded to receive the speeding tickets ("I've never broken the speed limit in my life"). Deirdre said acidly that he might be more exciting if he had. Now read on.
It's a small world, as well as full of sorrow, and who should turn up at the scene of the crash but Emma, the Coronation Street copper ("Hang on, I know this car, it belongs to my neighbour! And I know this girl, she lives across the road"). I was surprised, as Sarah was rushed into neurosurgery, not to see Martin Platt, her stepfather, standing by with his clipboard. Martin is the only nurse at Weatherfield General who is trained to speak. He was there with the encouraging word when Samir gave a kidney to his stepdaughter and Vera gave a kidney to her grandson. (There are hardly enough kidneys left in Coronation Street for a decent Ulster fry.)
Sarah is now in the customary coma. "Could she have brain damage, doctor?" "We haven't ruled that out." Look here, anyone I catch sniggering will be kept in after class.
We're
all shook oop
22 October 2002 by Lyndsey Weatherall and Jill Mowat
FOUR earthquakes
rocked MANCHESTER yesterday — and rumbled on the cobbles of Coronation
Street. Experts were shocked by the tremors that damaged houses and hit the
‘oop north’ TV soap during filming at city centre studios.
Chimneys throughout the area tumbled and goods were hurled off shop shelves when the first quake struck at 8.45am — the height of the morning rush-hour. Workers were evacuated as fire alarms were set off by the quake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale.A slightly smaller one followed 19 minutes later measuring 2.3.
But nearly four hours later, at 12.42, the city was rocked AGAIN by a tremor even larger than the first. This hit 3.9 on the Richter scale and was immediately followed by another hitting 3.5. There were no reports of serious injuries in the quakes. The epicentre of the first two was Beswick, one mile east of the city centre and home of the sports stadium built for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The wave of tremors which rumbled up from a fault known as the “Red Rock” came just a month after Dudley, West Midlands, was hit by a terrifying freak 5.0 quake. Baffled experts were last night investigating the “highly unusual” string of quakes. They believe the Atlantic ocean could be expanding and “squeezing” England, exerting incredible pressure on underground fissures. David Booth, senior seismolgist at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, said: “It was unusual for the afternoon tremors to be bigger. But there’s no evidence that there’s an even bigger shock on the way. The odds against getting one are extremely high. I’d think you’re more likely to win the lottery jackpot.”
Many office workers feared the quake was a terrorist blitz. Alan Birchall, senior security officer at the Royal Exchange, said he feared a bomb had gone off in the same area as the IRA attack on Manchester in 1996. He said: “I was on the roof carrying out an inspection and heard a bang.” Emergency services were bombarded with thousands of 999 calls from terrified householders.Desks and computers rocked at Manchester Police HQ. And shoppers were showered in glass in one supermarket as bottles went flying off the shelves. Manchester’s Victorian Town Hall was evacuated as well as The Royal Exchange theatre.
A Corrie spokeswoman said: “Cast and crew, including Brian Capron, who
plays Richard Hillman, and Helen Worth, who plays Gail, were out on the cobbles
when we felt the rumbling. They were certainly big tremors.” Office worker
Dave Moncrieffe, 52, said: “There was a huge bang.”
Ken loses temper with bad-boy Aidan
21 October 2002
Ken Barlow
is set to finally lose his temper with teenage tear-away Aidan Critchley in
Coronation Street. He punches the school bad-boy in the classroom in front of
other pupils, leaving him with a bloody nose and himself in a state of shock
over his actions.
The punch comes after joyrider Aidan stole his teacher's car and crashed it leaving his girlfriend, Sarah Louise Platt, fighting for her life in hospital. The usually quiet Ken confesses his actions to the head teacher and is immediately suspended from his job. Police officers later turn up at his house in Coronation Street and he's taken to the police station and charged with assault.
Viewers can expect a courtroom drama to follow when Ken faces the consequences
of his actions. The scenes feature in next Monday's episode of the ITV1 show.
Ken clouts lout
21 October 2002 by Charles Yates
THIS is the sensational
moment Corrie teacher Ken Barlow punches bad boy pupil Aidan Critchley in the
classroom. Ken wallops the young joyrider after he stole his car and crashed
it, leaving Sarah Louise Platt fighting for life.
The yob, played by 16-year-old Dean Ashton, is left nursing a bloody nose in next Monday’s episode of the ITV1 soap. But Ken is so shocked at his own actions he confesses to the school head — and is immediately suspended.
The normally-placid teacher — actor Bill Roache, 70 — is later
arrested and charged with assault. And that will lead to a ratings-grabbing
courtroom drama. An insider said: “Everyone wants Ade to get smacked.
“When the inevitable happens, Ken’s so upset he won’t fight
the charges. It’s absolute dynamite.”
Bully for Barlow
21 October 2002
CORONATION Street star William Roache has claimed his character's attack on
a pupil is a blow against bullies. Teacher Ken Barlow breaks tearaway Ade Critchley's
nose after the teenager steals and crashes his car, leaving classmate Sarah
in a coma.
Soap veteran Roache, 70, said: "Ninety per cent of the UK population are
going to say, `Brilliant, well done for smacking him'."
Tracy to be murdered
20 October 2002
EVIL Corrie killer
Richard Hillman's next murder victim is ...hairdresser Maxine, the News of the
World can reveal. Soap babe Tracy Shaw's character will be bumped off in a sinister
canal-side killing which is expected to smash Coronation Street's ratings records
on ITV1.
Hillman, played by Brian Capron, 55, explodes into a rage after realising Maxine warned his mum-in-law Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) that he's conning her out of her money. So he kills Maxine in revenge for wrecking his plan. The desperately hard-up financial adviser has been trying to make Audrey think she is mad and force her to change her will so that he and wife Gail end up with her £250,000 fortune. Maxine confronts Hillman in a scene said by soap insiders to be one of the best performances produced by Tracy, 29, in her seven years in the Street.
The stunning actress is quitting after a battle to double her pay from £95,000-a-year to £180,000. The killing comes despite Corrie bosses saying Maxine would NOT die—and virtually ends any chance of her returning to Corrie. An insider told the News of the World: "It's a great twist. And the way it all ends up will have viewers glued to their screens."
Since her first appearance in 1995 Maxine has thrown herself at many of the Street's men, including Des Barnes, Steve McDonald and even Curly Watts. After marrying Ashley Peacock (Stephen Arnold) she fell pregnant after a one-night stand with Dr Matt Ramsden (Stephen Beckett).
Several alternative endings have been filmed for Tracy's departure in December
but an insider last night confirmed murder by Hillman is the final choice. The
plot will turn him into Britain's first TV soap serial killer. He has already
killed ex-wife Patricia and left ex-business partner Duggie Ferguson to die
after an accident. A Coronation Street spokeswoman said last night: "It's
common knowledge that Tracy is leaving but I can't comment about her departure."
End of the road for Maxine?
20 October 2002
SOAP siren Tracy Shaw could be written out of Coronation Street for ever. Tracy's
dizzy blonde hairdresser character Maxine could be the next target of evil killer
Richard Hillman, played by Brian Capron.
Bumping her off by a canal is one of four possible endings devised for Maxine after Tracy fell out with Street bosses when they refused to double her £90,000-a-year salary. Until now, it was assumed that Maxine would leave the Street in a plot-line that would leave the way open for Tracy's eventual return.
Last night a Street spokeswoman would not confirm or deny that Maxine may be
murdered. "There are all sorts of rumours flying around about exactly who
Richard Hillman kills," she said. "All I can say is that the person
playing the character who is killed already knows about it... and it is not
necessarily someone who is leaving the Street."
Smoker Tracy's pin cure for baby
20 October 2002
CORRIE star Tracy Shaw leaves an acupunture clinic in her bid to quit smoking
- so she can have a baby. Tracy, 29, is desperate to start a family with hubby
Robert Ashworth. And she has turned to the alternative treatment after trying
THREE TIMES this year to kick her 10-a-day habit, without success.
A pal said: "Tracy wants to be fit and healthy so that she stands a better chance of conceiving. "The odds are already stacked against her because of the damage she has done to her body from years of anorexia. "Now she knows the only way she'll have a family is if she quits smoking and eats well."
Tracy - who is quitting her role as hairdresser Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap next year - visits the AcuMedic clinic near the Manchester studios in her lunch hours. She has been smoking since her teens. Tracy's first bid to quit was in last January - and she got so desperate for a cig on a flight, she ended up FIGHTING with TV producer Robert, 29.
Her friend said: "We all know how much she wants to have a baby, so hope it'll be a big enough incentive for her to give up smoking forever."
Ken's car by Gary Bushell
ADE keeps nicking Ken's car on Corrie. I'd just like to know where he parks
it.
Woo's that girl, Tracy?
20 October 2002 by Ian Hyland
MILD panic when I tuned into Coronation Street on Monday to see Emily and Norris
settling down for a night in. "Would you like to let Mr Woo out for five
minutes or shall I?" said Emily. I can't tell you how relieved I was to
discover Mr Woo was actually a pet dog, not a pet name for Norris's trouser
monster.
But someone should have warned Tracy Shaw that wearing her hair down in the same week a shitzu turned up in Weatherfield was perhaps not the best way to avoid lookalike hunters.
Elsewhere the highlight of the week was almost Peter Barlow's marvellous manoeuvring out of a tight spot when Shelley quizzed him about that florist who looks like Esther McVey. But he was beaten by an even more splendid sight: Shell's angel Maria behind the bar at the Rovers. Fred reckoned that the takings would be up as soon as Maria flashed that smile of hers. And the ratings, Fred.
Rovers Return
COMEBACK Of The Week - Mark Eden. Excellent in BBC1's wasted-in-daytime soap
Doctors on Thursday. Alan Bradley lives.
Sun Hill cops lesbian PC
19 October 2002 by Derek Robbins
New
Bill recruit Jane Danson, who plays lesbian cop PC Gemma Osbourne, says it was
"nerve-racking" filming gay kissing scenes for the ITV1 police drama.
Ex-Corrie star Jane, 23, who joins the cast on October 23, had to pucker up
passionately with another actress on her debut. She says: "It was just
as nerve-racking as kissing a guy. But I was very nervous as I didn't know the
other woman at all."
However, her gay kissing scenes "aren't explicit", she says. Jane says: "It couldn't be too graphic as it's shown before the 9pm watershed and that's why you won't see my character in any bedroom scenes either. "She is very upfront about her sexuality and tells everyone at Sun Hill that she's gay. But first and foremost she wants to be a good cop. She just happens to be gay."
Jane doesn't know what viewers' reaction will be to the lesbian kiss. There were a flood of complaints when another gay kiss between Sgt Gilmore and PC Luke Ashton was shown in the summer. She says: "It's hard to gauge but I think it will generate a lot of interest. It reflects the fact that there are lesbians who are in the police. But we don't ram the issue down people's throats."
Jane's character arrives at The Bill this week in dramatic circumstances. Supt Tom Chandler (Steven Hartley) has killed himself and his pregnant wife DS Debbie McAllister has been rushed to hospital. Gemma is quickly out on the beat and finds an abandoned baby. Later, hard man PC Des Taviner (Paul Usher) takes a shine to the sexy new PC but is taken aback when she reveals that she is a lesbian.
Car chases have formed a large part of Jane's filming in The Bill. She enthuses: "I joined the show in May and I have done a lot of driving and chucking the car around at quite high speeds. A stunt double has been doing the more dangerous stuff. "My character Gemma is a traffic cop so I've been out on the motorway with real police drivers to build up my confidence. It's taken a lot of concentration because of the cameras all over the car."
Jane's boyfriend Robert Beck has recently joined her on The Bill to film three episodes to be screened in 2003. She's been dating Robert, 32, who played Peter Harrison in Brookie and Gavin Ferris in Emmerdale, since they met at an awards bash three and a half years ago. She says: "I'm not in any of his episodes so we haven't done any filming together. It's nice to have him around. He's a man at a house where there has been a disturbance."
The role of PC Osbourne isn't the first time Jane has appeared in The Bill.
She says: "It was about 10 years ago and I was a runaway who was gang-raped.
It was a sensitive story." Jane first shot to fame as Leanne Battersby
in Corrie in 1997 and she left in 2000 to join hospital drama A&E as nurse
Samantha Docherty. She says: "Leanne went travelling to get over her drug
habit so I guess she could always return one day."
Sinister new Corrie family
18 October 2002 by Chris Riches
MEET the Nelsons
— the sinister new Coronation Street family who hide a terrible secret.
The mysterious foursome set tongues wagging when they sneak into love rat Dr
Matt Ramsden’s old house at No6.
And last night a Corrie insider admitted the family are on the run. She said: “Never has the Street been so shrouded in mystery. The Nelsons arrive out of the blue and nobody knows anything about them. All the gossips are caught out. Viewers will be glued to it all.”
The Nelsons, who arrive on November 13, are mechanic dad Tommy — ex-Soldier, Soldier star Thomas Craig — and wife Angela, Fat Friends’ Kathryn Hunt.
Their kids are Katy, 16, played by Lucy-Jo Hudson, and Craig, 12 — actor
Richard Fleeshman.
Richard is no
stranger to Corrie. Dad David Fleeshman played Supt Jevons and mum Sue Jenkins
was Rovers barmaid Gloria Todd.
TV soaps 'help family harmony'
17 October 2002
Soap operas
help parents broach difficult issues with their children and help families support
each other, a survey has suggested. Dramatic storylines about family crises
can help young people understand family life, according to the National Family
and Parenting Institute (NFPI). But most parents also believe that families
on shows like EastEnders and Coronation Street bear little resemblance to those
in real life. And 80% of parents surveyed said too much sex, violence, infidelity
and alcohol abuse meant soaps did not portray the family in a positive light.
Coronation Street contained the most broken families and single people, according to the survey. EastEnders was filled with scenes of "serious" conflict, which often led to physical violence. The two soaps are the most popular shows on UK television, pulling combined audiences of 25 million - almost half the UK population.
"Parents do not bring up their children in isolation, and the media has a huge effect on what they feel, believe and fear," NFPI chief executive Mary MacLeod said. "This is the first time that British soaps have been looked at from the perspective of the family and asking what the portrayal of family life is saying to parents and children." Two out of three parents said soaps helped children understand family life, while 60% said they helped families support each other.
The NFPI study looked at four soap operas - EastEnders, Coronation Street,
Brookside and The Archers. It found that children were usually in the background
or referred to as burdens or worries. It also said no show gave a sense of cultural
diversity despite the presence of characters from ethnic minorities. People
with disabilities and gay men were under-represented and lesbians and bisexuals
were ignored, it found. The findings came six months after another survey raised
concerns about the effects of storylines on vulnerable viewers.
Dark secret for new Corrie family
17 October 2002
A family-of-four
with a dark secret are set to move into television's most famous street next
month. The Nelsons will be the first new family to move into Coronation Street
since the rowdy Battersbys hit screens with a bang five years ago. Producers
promise the "working-class family shrouded in mystery" will set Street
tongues wagging when they appear for the first time on November 13.
Angela and Tommy Nelson and their two children, 16-year-old Katy and 12-year-old Craig, will be moving into Dr Matt Ramsden's old house at number six, becoming the new neighbours of the Platts and the Peacocks. Mother Angela (played by Kathryn Hunt who recently starred in ITV drama Fat Friends) will get a job in the factory while her on-screen partner Tommy (played by Thomas Craig) will start working in the garage. Hunt said: "It's a surreal experience to be working on the show. I've been a huge fan since I was 18. It will be interesting to see what viewers make of the Nelsons and their dark secret."
Nosy neighbours will be annoyed at not being able to crack the family's secret and their curiosity will be fuelled by their hostility towards the police, a family feud and Tommy's reluctance to go for a pint in the Rovers, producers said.
Lucy-Jo Hudson, 18, who plays Katy, agreed with her co-star Richard Fleeshman, 14, who plays her on-screen brother Craig, that they have landed their dream role. "I still can't believe I'm here on Coronation Street, I'm a bit star-struck really. But everyone's lovely here and so down to earth, I'm loving it. Katy's a great character to play, she's a bit of a cow actually. She knows how to get her own way and she twists her dad round her little finger," she added.
Producer Kieran Roberts said: "We are very excited about the arrival of
the Nelsons on Coronation Street, not just because of their intriguing and dramatic
family history but also because the four superb actors who play the Nelsons
are going to be a tremendous addition to the cast."
Granada staff threaten strike action
17 October 2002
Granada
TV staff are voting on whether to strike over pay - but bosses at the company
say programmes will not be affected. Members of broadcast union, Bectu, are
balloting on industrial action after rejecting a 2% pay offer made by Granada.
According to the union, Granada Manchester and Liverpool, LWT, Yorkshire TV, Tyne Tees TV, Border and Meridian will be affected if action is approved when the ballot closes on 25 November. But Granada bosses say the move is "nothing new" and that it is "par for the course" whenever a new pay deal is proposed.
A spokesman said the £2.6bn ($4bn) merger agreed last week between television giants Granada and Carlton would also be unaffected. "Staff are not unhappy about anything," said the spokesman. "This kind of ballot happens all the time." Under the terms of the merger, Granada will own just over two-thirds of the combined business.
Bectu members are concerned that Granada's regional offices could suffer as part of the deal. They are also unhappy at changes proposed as part of the pay offer, including an end to final salary pension schemes for new employees and cuts in sick pay for staff with fewer than eight years' service. Union members say full pension entitlements will still be on offer to senior executives who might be hired in the future.
ITV unions have written to Granada and Carlton, demanding guarantees on jobs and regional programming. "Without assurances we will be opposing the consolidation," said Bectu's assistant general secretary Gerry Morrissey. "Staff feel they are not being listened to."
Granada and Carlton's finances have been hit by the costs of propping up their
loss-making digital terrestrial service ITV Digital, which collapsed in May
this year. The companies said the merger would eventually lead to savings of
£55m a year.
Granada and Carlton agree merger
16 October 2002
The two big independent television companies Granada and Carlton have agreed
to merge. Under the terms of the deal, thrashed out last week, Granada will
own two thirds of the combined business.
Granada's boss Charles Allen will become chief executive of the new company. And Carlton's founder Michael Green will become chairman. "One ITV has been a vision long in the making," said Mr Green. "One company, with one management and one focus can now set its sights firmly on beating the opposition and giving viewers and advertisers what they want."
But advertisers have yet to be convinced. When Granada and Carlton announced last week that they were in advanced merger talks, advertisers said they were worried that the new company would be able to force up prices for TV airtime. Channel 4, which is reported to be considering sweeping staff cuts, is also opposed to the merger because it would create too big a rival.
Granada and Carlton have suffered from a downturn in advertising revenue during
the economic slowdown, and their television ratings have been under pressure.
The two broadcasters' finances have also been hit by the costs of propping up
their loss-making digital terrestrial service ITV Digital, which collapsed in
May this year. A combination of the two broadcasters would have to be approved
by the UK competition authorities.
Corrie's crash shocker
16 October 2002
YOUNG Sarah Platt
lies fighting for life in hospital in shocking Coronation Street scenes after
a crash involving a stolen car. Soap fans will see callous boyfriend Ade Critchley,
played by Dean Ashton, flee the wreckage leaving unconscious Sarah (Tina O’Brien)
for dead. Mum Gail, brother David and gran Audrey keep a vigil at her bedside.
The crash will be shown next Monday. A Street insider said: “There will
be tension, tears and drama.”
Corrie's Sarah fights for life
16 October 2002
Coronation
Street fans will see single mother Sarah Platt lapse into a coma following a
car smash. The teenager, battered and bruised from a joyriding experience, will
be fighting for her life in hospital. Viewers will see the crash on October
21 in a Corrie double-bill. A spokeswoman for the show said: "Her life
will be hanging in the balance."
Sarah (Tina O'Brien) is left in a coma after taking a ride with street rebel Ade Critchley - played by Dean Ashton - in teacher Ken Barlow's car. But after the accident, Ade flees the scene leaving Sarah critically ill in the wreckage. Gail Hillman will be seen keeping a vigil by her daughter's hospital bedside.
The spokeswoman added: "As time goes by, Gail becomes acutely aware there's
no certainty that Sarah will come round and is forced to contemplate the possibility
of losing her daughter." Ade is also forced to make a desperate plea to
Sarah's friend Candice (Nikki Sanderson) not to contact police to say he was
the driver of the stolen car.
Kiss reveals gay lover Alma hid for 15 years
13 October 2002
EX-CORONATION
Street star Amanda Barrie shares a tender kiss with the lesbian lover she had
to keep secret for 15 years. But today the News of the World can reveal this
photograph, taken in 1991, which shows the actress lovingly kissing and hugging
wealthy property developer Maria Jose Pascual. It was clear they were more than
just friends, but Amanda had to deny a gay relationship, terrified the revelation
would get her sacked from her role as Alma in the Street.
Now the actress, who left the soap last year, has spoken openly about her bisexuality in her biography, It's Not A Rehearsal, and we can publish the photos for the first time. A friend of the star said: "Maria and Amanda were desperately in love and this photograph shows perfectly the love they shared."
The strain of their secret romance took its toll. Amanda and Maria split a
year ago. But even now the actress still refuses to name Maria—instead
referring to her as Helena in the book. Talking about her Spanish lover, she
writes: "Helena was always worried about it coming out. She didn't tell
most of her family about me, which was hurtful, but it was my fault it ended.
You shouldn't stay when it's going wrong and you know you're never going to
be able to mend it." She adds: "I knew instantly that if any hint
of my sexual leanings came out, I was finished. I would almost certainly have
been sacked on the spot."
Maria, a former
tennis player who belongs to one of Spain's richest families, is married to
a Spanish doctor and has two sons. Despite this she enjoyed a 15-year affair
with Amanda. The pair would snatch whatever time they could together, often
meeting at Amanda's homes in London or Manchester—and always trying to
hide the true real nature of their relationship. But the couple were spotted
during one of Maria's visits to Amanda's one-bedroom flat in Manchester. They
embraced as they said their farewells before Amanda jumped into a taxi.
One onlooker said: "They were clearly very much in love. Neither one of
them wanted to part and they clung on to each other before, finally, Amanda
had to leave in a taxi." Despite what the News of the World knew at the
time Amanda vehemently denied the relationship and insisted: "We are just
good friends." Sadly, she and Maria split before they felt able to declare
their true feelings to the world.
Maria called to the Bar
13 October 2002
STUNNING
actress SAMIA GHADIE is all set to become a new barmaid in Corrie's Rovers Return.
As sexy Maria Sutherland, she's been a crimper in Audrey's salon. But from November she'll be pulling pints. She'll be the 34th barmaid in the Street and replaces Geena (JENNIFER JAMES).
Simon Gregson
CORRIE star SIMON GREGSON has been telling me about his morning-after cure.
Simon, who plays bad boy Steve McDonald, says: "For a really bad hangover
I always have a sausage and mustard toasted sandwich, washed down with a pint
of Bovril." I think I'd prefer the hangover, Steve.
Duffy back to get his leg-Rover!
GOOD news, girls, Boyzone hunk KEITH DUFFY is coming back to Coronation Street.
And this time, I can reveal, his character Ciaran WILL bed Rovers barmaid Shelley
Unwin.
When he first appeared in the summer he tried and failed to seduce Shelley (SALLY LINDSAY), the girlfriend of his best friend Peter Barlow. But when the ex-sailor returns to Weatherfield next month, busty Shelley is easier pickings. For she is set to find out about Peter's steamy affair with foxy florist Lucy - and dumps him for good. My Corrie insider tells me: "Shelley was outraged when Ciaran tried it on with her before because she really loved Peter. But when she's a single girl again she finds the hunky seaman a much sexier proposition."
Ironically, it was Peter (CHRIS GASCOYNE) who accused innocent Shelley of having an affair when Ciaran was first in the soap. Now it's his infidelity which wrecks their love. Peter met Lucy after popping into the local flower shop to buy a bouquet for long-suffering Shelley, who has had to put up with his mood swings, drinking, gambling and jealousy. The affair comes to light when Shelley catches them snogging outside their flat.
Ex-Boyzone star Keith, back on a three-month contract, says: "I had a
fantastic time on the show earlier this year and always hoped Ciaran would return
and sweep Shelley off her feet." But the insider adds: "Ciaran will
have the women of Weatherfield eating out of his hand - so don't expect him
to stay faithful for long."
So, Diddy or didn't he then Julie?
13 October 2002 by Ian Hyland
MOST
staggering revelation in The Truth About Julie Goodyear (C5, Sunday) was that
she once offered to perform a back seat sex act on David "Diddy" Hamilton.
Sadly David was too much of a gent to say whether he accepted. Or if that's
how he got his nickname.
Almost as staggering was the news that Julie was pretty tasty when she was younger. I wouldn't go as far as to say she was a cracker but, er, you would have. But this show threw up more mysteries than truths. Biggest of these was how the hell GMTV's soap expert Richard Arnold could possibly remember watching Julie's first appearance in Coronation Street in 1966. That would make him at least 40 now - anything you want to tell us Dickie?
Elsewhere Julie was at her best performing to the crowd. I for one am not going
to criticise a woman who can go into her local butcher's and tell him she likes
her meat well hung. Reminded me of the time I popped into my local haberdasher's
to see whether I could get felt there. But my favourite story was that Julie's
boobs were christened Newton & Ridley. Sadly, rather like Newton, they appear
to have since discovered gravity.
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