# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > Coronation Street > Spoilers >  Michelle Collins and John Michie join as Stella and Karl

## Perdita

EASTENDERS superbitch Cindy Beale is heading for a comeback – on Coronation Street.

Michelle Collins looks set to move north after a secret meeting with Corrie’s top boss.

The actress, 49, who played schemer Cindy on and off for ten years, has admitted she would love to return to the soap world. 

But since Cindy died in prison in 1998, she was always going to have to wait for another soap.

Her close friend Phil Collinson is now in charge at Corrie and she has finally got the call.

The actress met up with Phil, 40, earlier this month to discuss joining the Street.

But the news is bound to come as a bitter blow to EastEnders as Cindy was one of soap’s most famous bitches.

A Corrie insider said: “Michelle would be a great signing for Corrie.

“She’s known Phil for a number of years so it was only a matter of time before he got her in for a meeting to discuss the possibility of joining the cast.

“The Street has a lot of strong female characters and she’d certainly mix it up a bit.

“Phil is a huge fan of her work and has been trying to get her up to Manchester for a meeting for months.

“He had to get the 50th anniversary out of the way before he looked at bringing her in. But now he’s started the ball rolling he’s very excited.

“Cindy was one of the best soap characters that ever appeared in Albert Square but enough time has now passed for her to turn up in Corrie as someone completely different.

“But of course it will be a bit of a blow to EastEnders. A lot of fans felt they should never have killed Cindy off but it’s great for everyone up at Corrie that they did.”

Michelle met Phil for a lengthy meeting over lunch at a trendy Manchester restaurant.

A pal said: “He seemed very keen to get her on board.

“The meeting seemed to go really well. There was lots of laughing and joking.” 

Last year Michelle said: “I wouldn’t turn my back on doing a soap again. I’d like a stint in Coronation Street.”

Daily Star Sunday

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tammyy2j (24-01-2011)

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## tammyy2j

Who could she play?

Claudia's daughter perhaps

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## alan45

Â© ITV
Coronation Street bosses have revealed that they plan to share some big news with the soap's online fans.

An "exciting" announcement about the Weatherfield show will be posted up exclusively on Corrie's official Facebook page, giving the programme's internet fanbase the chance to get the inside scoop first.

A Corrie spokesperson told DS today: "We're going to be making a big Corrie announcement exclusively on the official Corrie Facebook page soon, so fans of the show should go to www.facebook.com/coronationstreet to get the news first - as and when it breaks."

Details of the announcement and exactly when it will be made are currently being kept tightly under wraps.

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Dazzle (13-04-2011), lizann (13-04-2011), Pussycat1one (10-12-2012)

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## lizann

They have offered me the role of new landlady of the Rovers that is the big announcement  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## alan45

> They have offered me the role of new landlady of the Rovers that is the big announcement


They have replaced all the cast with chickens and in future it will be known as Coronation Chicken



Seriously tough. I wonder if its anything to do with the announcement of a new landlady for T'Rovers

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Pussycat1one (10-12-2012)

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## samandkai

> They have replaced all the cast with chickens and in future it will be known as Coronation Chicken
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously tough. I wonder if its anything to do with the announcement of a new landlady for T'Rovers


coronation chicken lol.....maybe they all get turned into chocolates and it gets called quality streets !!

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## Perdita

> coronation chicken lol.....maybe they all get turned into chocolates and it gets called quality streets !!


They need to improve the scriptwriting before you can call it Quality Streets just lately

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alan45 (14-04-2011)

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## tammyy2j

What is it?

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## alan45

> What is it?


No news yet.  It will probably be a damp squib.

Hopefully it wont be to say that Kate Plank has her contract extended. Then I really would quit watching it

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Pussycat1one (10-12-2012)

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## Chloe O'brien

New landlady is Peggy Mitchell  :Lol:

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## tammyy2j

> No news yet.  It will probably be a damp squib.
> 
> Hopefully it wont be to say that Kate Plank has her contract extended. Then I really would quit watching it


Probably that Bet Gilroy is coming back to the pub as the new landlady or it is going to be showing another episode per week

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## Chloe O'brien

Eddie Windass is coming back and him and Anna will be the new bosses of the Rover's thanks to a compensation payout to Gary by the Army.

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tammyy2j (14-04-2011)

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## parkerman

Big Jim gets off on a technicality and he and Liz take over the Rovers. 

Also Xin turns out to be an undercover Chinese spy and is arrested by MI5, but then it turns out she is actually a double agent and was actually trying to trap Graeme as he is in fact a Russian spy. 

In the meantime, Steve and Lloyd put in a bid to take over Eddie Stobart's business now that the latter is dead, which is successful and they decide to have all their lorries serviced by Kevin and Tyrone who have to take on extra staff to cope, turning to Phil and Ricky from the Arches to outsource some work to. 

Finally in a sensational episode, set to rock the cobbles, Tina takes all her clothes off and becomes the first full frontal nude to appear on a British soap. (Sorry, I think that last bit is just wishful thinking on my part.....)

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## Perdita

> Finally in a sensational episode, set to rock the cobbles, Tina takes all her clothes off and becomes the first full frontal nude to appear on a British soap. (Sorry, I think that last bit is just wishful thinking on my part.....)


  :EEK!:   :EEK!:   :EEK!:   :Big Grin:

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## Siobhan

> Big Jim gets off on a technicality and he and Liz take over the Rovers. 
> 
> Also Xin turns out to be an undercover Chinese spy and is arrested by MI5, but then it turns out she is actually a double agent and was actually trying to trap Graeme as he is in fact a Russian spy. 
> 
> In the meantime, Steve and Lloyd put in a bid to take over Eddie Stobart's business now that the latter is dead, which is successful and they decide to have all their lorries serviced by Kevin and Tyrone who have to take on extra staff to cope, turning to Phil and Ricky from the Arches to outsource some work to. 
> 
> Finally in a sensational episode, set to rock the cobbles, Tina takes all her clothes off and becomes the first full frontal nude to appear on a British soap. (Sorry, I think that last bit is just wishful thinking on my part.....)


I think you will be given them idea for the next few months... maybe that is the big news... they search all the forums and took other peoples idea

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## alan45

With that vision of Tina in my head I won't be able to concentrate on my work all day now. 

Cheers Parkerman  :Big Grin:

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## moonstorm

Stop having these impure thoughts Parkerman!!

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## moonstorm

> With that vision of Tina in my head I won't be able to concentrate on my work all day now. 
> 
> Cheers Parkerman


See - you've set Alan off now!!!!

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## tammyy2j

> Eddie Windass is coming back and him and Anna will be the new bosses of the Rover's thanks to a compensation payout to Gary by the Army.


Great idea

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## TaintedLove

I have a feeling it`s to do with Sophie and Sian....a gay wedding perhaps?

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## alan45

From the facebook page


Come back after 9.30am tomorrow (Friday 15th April) to hear our exclusive Corrie announcement! Spread the word and get your friends to 'like' the page. Thanks for your patience everyone.

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## Siobhan

> From the facebook page
> 
> 
> Come back after 9.30am tomorrow (Friday 15th April) to hear our exclusive Corrie announcement! Spread the word and get your friends to 'like' the page. Thanks for your patience everyone.


Pure publicity stunt.. get everyone to follow Corrie on Facebook and will probably come out with some stupid announcement

8 out of 10 cats prefer Tracey luv to Liz mcD

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## alan45

With all the leaks and spoilers that are already out in the Public Domain its hard to believe that it will be anything spectacular. If it was a publicity stunt it has suceedd as their facebook page has almost 1 million followers

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## alan45

We can now exclusively reveal former EastEnders star Michelle Collins and Taggart star John Michie have been cast to play a brand new Rovers Return couple; Stella and Karl! Stella holds a dark secret and life is about to get a whole lot more complicated in the Rovers! Sparks will fly!

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tammyy2j (15-04-2011)

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## Siobhan

> We can now exclusively reveal former EastEnders star Michelle Collins and Taggart star John Michie have been cast to play a brand new Rovers Return couple; Stella and Karl! Stella holds a dark secret and life is about to get a whole lot more complicated in the Rovers! Sparks will fly!


WAS that it??

wasn't collins already a rumour??

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## alan45

> WAS that it??
> 
> wasn't collins already a rumour??


Yes rumoured by me 

http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...hlight=collins

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Siobhan (15-04-2011)

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## Siobhan

> Yes rumoured by me 
> 
> http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...hlight=collins


Maybe you should write their BIG announcements for them

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alan45 (15-04-2011)

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## Perdita

* After I broke the news in January * 


Michelle Collins to join Corrie? 
EASTENDERS superbitch Cindy Beale is heading for a comeback â on Coronation Street.

Michelle Collins looks set to move north after a secret meeting with Corrieâs top boss.

The actress, 49, who played schemer Cindy on and off for ten years, has admitted she would love to return to the soap world. 

But since Cindy died in prison in 1998, she was always going to have to wait for another soap.

Her close friend Phil Collinson is now in charge at Corrie and she has finally got the call.

The actress met up with Phil, 40, earlier this month to discuss joining the Street.

But the news is bound to come as a bitter blow to EastEnders as Cindy was one of soapâs most famous bitches.

A Corrie insider said: âMichelle would be a great signing for Corrie.

âSheâs known Phil for a number of years so it was only a matter of time before he got her in for a meeting to discuss the possibility of joining the cast.

âThe Street has a lot of strong female characters and sheâd certainly mix it up a bit.

âPhil is a huge fan of her work and has been trying to get her up to Manchester for a meeting for months.

âHe had to get the 50th anniversary out of the way before he looked at bringing her in. But now heâs started the ball rolling heâs very excited.

âCindy was one of the best soap characters that ever appeared in Albert Square but enough time has now passed for her to turn up in Corrie as someone completely different.

âBut of course it will be a bit of a blow to EastEnders. A lot of fans felt they should never have killed Cindy off but itâs great for everyone up at Corrie that they did.â

Michelle met Phil for a lengthy meeting over lunch at a trendy Manchester restaurant.

A pal said: âHe seemed very keen to get her on board.

âThe meeting seemed to go really well. There was lots of laughing and joking.â 

Last year Michelle said: âI wouldnât turn my back on doing a soap again. Iâd like a stint in Coronation Street.â

Daily Star Sunday 
Last edited by Perdita; 23-01-2011 at 05:59.

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alan45 (15-04-2011)

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## Perdita

Former EastEnders actress Michelle Collins and Taggart star John Michie have joined the cast of Coronation Street.

The pair are to appear in the roles of Stella and Karl, a brand new couple who will take control at the Rovers Return in the summer.

Corrie bosses made the announcement exclusively on Facebook this morning following their recent promise to share big news with the soap's online fanbase.

Speaking of her casting, Collins commented: "I am honoured to be joining the cast of Coronation Street, the show has been part of my life since I was a child so become a part of it is extremely exciting."

Michie added: "My mum is from Rochdale, my wife is from Grimethorpe - they are both northerners and huge fans. I am from even further north so it is the only soap for me." 

A new era for The Rovers will begin when Steve McDonald brings Stella into the business as bar manager after a string of rows with his wife Becky leave the pub's future in jeopardy. Steve is hoping for a quieter life with Stella in charge, but he later gets more than he bargained for when she promptly moves in Karl and her feisty daughter Eva, who has not yet been cast.

Sparks are expected to fly between Stella and Becky as she makes her mark at the pub with a warm but no-nonsense attitude. However, her personality soon starts to go down well with the punters.

In a further twist, Stella is hiding a dark secret and news of her past has been tipped to have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.

Corrie's executive producer Kieran Roberts said: "I'm thrilled to be welcoming John and Michelle to the cast of Coronation Street. As Robbie Ross in Taggart, John has kept viewers on the edge of their seats for the last ten years. Karl is a very different character for him, though, and the ladies of Weatherfield need to watch themselves as this sexy charmer will quickly make his presence felt. 

"Michelle's acting credentials are first class with more than a decade leading some brilliant and memorable drama series. Of course Michelle's soap credentials are superb and in the same way she made Cindy Beale one of EastEnders' most memorable bitches, I am certain she is going to be fantastic as the warm, funny, steely, flawed and larger-than-life northern matriarch Stella."

He added: "Karl and Stella's fiery marriage is sure to keep viewers hooked through 2011 and beyond." 

Collins and Michie will begin filming at Coronation Street next month and appear on screens for the first time in June.

DS

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tammyy2j (15-04-2011)

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## alan45

Looks like the Sunday Star got something right for a change then

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## Siobhan

> Looks like the Sunday Star got something right for a change then


Well law of averages and all that.. bound to get something right eventually

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## tammyy2j

> In a further twist, Stella is hiding a dark secret and news of her past has been tipped to have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.


Murderer like Tracey maybe

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## alan45

> Murderer like Tracey maybe


 Something Corrie really needs is another murderer. Phil Collinson seems to be wanting to make Corrie a Northern Clone of Deadenders with the daft storylines he has introduced recently.

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## tammyy2j

Lets see what Corrie has currently 

Murderers - yes
Transexuals - yes
Lesbians - yes 
Serial Killers - yes
Bank Robbers - yes 
Adulterers - yes loads 
Cross Dressers - yes

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Siobhan (15-04-2011)

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## tammyy2j

So could be pedophile or child killer

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## Siobhan

> So could be pedophile or child killer


Tammy.. the announcement was that Michelle collins is joining corrie and has a dodgy past <shifty eyes>

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## tammyy2j

> Tammy.. the announcement was that Michelle collins is joining corrie and has a dodgy past <shifty eyes>





> In a further twist, Stella is hiding a dark secret and news of her past has been tipped to have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.


I am guessing from what Corrie dont have  :Stick Out Tongue:

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Siobhan (15-04-2011)

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## alan45

> Lets see what Corrie has currently 
> 
> Murderers - yes
> Transexuals - yes
> Lesbians - yes 
> Serial Killers - yes
> Bank Robbers - yes 
> Adulterers - yes loads 
> Cross Dressers - yes


EE Rejects = yes
Emmerdale rejects  - yes
The Bill Rejects - yes

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## alan45

> Big Jim gets off on a technicality and he and Liz take over the Rovers. 
> 
> Also Xin turns out to be an undercover Chinese spy and is arrested by MI5, but then it turns out she is actually a double agent and was actually trying to trap Graeme as he is in fact a Russian spy. 
> 
> In the meantime, Steve and Lloyd put in a bid to take over Eddie Stobart's business now that the latter is dead, which is successful and they decide to have all their lorries serviced by Kevin and Tyrone who have to take on extra staff to cope, turning to Phil and Ricky from the Arches to outsource some work to. 
> 
> Finally in a sensational episode, set to rock the cobbles, Tina takes all her clothes off and becomes the first full frontal nude to appear on a British soap. (Sorry, I think that last bit is just wishful thinking on my part.....)




I've found the very job for you


*Script Secretary - Coronation Street

Location          Manchester

Salary              Competitive + benefits

12 Month Fixed Term Contract*

_From tram crashes to love triangles, Coronation Street brings explosive storylines to the homes of millions, and the Script Department is where this drama begins.

As our Script Secretary you will hold full responsibility for the production, distribution, amending and filing of scripts. Liaising with all appropriate departments, you will play a focal part in ensuring deadlines are met and continuity issues resolved.  You will receive and format draft scripts using our in-house system, and as our ‘superuser’ you will ensure that this database is continually updated and monitored.I_

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parkerman (16-04-2011)

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## lizann

Mary and Norris should take over the pub

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## parkerman

> I've found the very job for you
> 
> 
> *Script Secretary - Coronation Street
> 
> Location          Manchester
> 
> Salary              Competitive + benefits
> 
> ...


Thanks, alan, my application is in...

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## alan45

> Thanks, alan, my application is in...


Excellent news. I think your scripts would be much more realistic that the dross they are churning out at the minute

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## tammyy2j

Stella will probably turn out to be the secret child of one of the Street's reisdents

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## alan45

Michelle Collins's opening storyline on Coronation Street has reportedly been revealed.

According to the Daily Star, the former EastEnders actress's new fiery alter ego Stella will lock horns with superbitch Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) when she arrives at the Rovers Return in June.

Dressed provocatively, Tracy is shot down by Stella, who tells her: "I'm sorry, Tracy, but you'll have to change that dress before you come bar-side. We don't want customers thinking they've walked into a brothel, do we?" 

Meanwhile, an insider claimed: "Tracy is spitting blood. She can't believe she's been so stupid. And to add to the insult, she's now got a new enemy in Stella."

The situation arises after Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) cons Tracy, who thinks she is taking over the pub, into signing a document giving him near full custody of their daughter Amy.

Steve is quoted as saying: "Oh, I'm really sorry for any misunderstanding but I've decided to give the job to someone else."

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tammyy2j (26-04-2011)

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## layla

Maybe there is some good news then, If Stella is to come to Corrie, to give Tracyluv some aggro.
Who know's maybe people will warm to Stella after all.
 :Clap:  :Cheer:

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## alan45

Michelle Collins has teased her upcoming role in Coronation Street, promising a "strong" and "feisty" character.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that former EastEnders star Collins would be joining the cast on the cobbles as new Rovers Return barmaid Stella.

The actress told ITV that she will begin filming on Monday (May 1), adding: "I'm very excited."

Asked if she would be channelling the spirit of former Walford character, superbitch Cindy Beale, Collins said: "No, [she won't be nasty].

"She's strong, she's feisty, she's funny. I don't think there'll be any murders for a while, put it this way!"

Collins also revealed that she is already friends with a number of Coronation Street cast members from her time on the rival soap.

"Helen Worth (Gail Platt) I know. In fact, I made the terrible mistake of calling her 'Gail' in make-up the other day, which was very embarrassing and I won't be doing that again!" she added.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Collins's character Stella will clash with Tracy Barlow when she arrives in Weatherfield in June.

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## alan45

http://www.itv.com/granada/from-albe...o-corrie02891/

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## Perdita

CORRIE new girl Michelle Collins is set to be one of Weatherfield's toughest women ever - taking on armed thugs.

The Rovers Return landlady, 49, saves Leanne Barlow from robbers in one of her first scenes.

Two yobs are about to smash Leanne (Jane Danson) with a baseball bat as they rob the betting shop.

But Michelle's character Stella grabs it and pushes one lout to the ground.

She is then hailed a heroine by grateful locals, in scenes to air soon after she joins the ITV1 soap in June.

A source told TV Biz: "Stella will be a landlady with nerves of steel.

"She is going to be great for Corrie and these scenes show just how much bosses are expecting from Michelle."

The actress played scheming Cindy Beale on BBC1's EastEnders for ten years.

The Sun

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## alan45

Corrie really is becoming the Deadenders of T'North

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## tammyy2j

Michelle Collins's Coronation Street character Stella will be revealed as Leanne Barlow's real mother in a forthcoming storyline, a report has claimed.

According to The Mirror, the soap's bosses have been planning the shock twist for the past few months and the plot will be the biggest Corrie story of the year.

As announced last month, Stella arrives on the street in June with partner Karl (John Michie) and feisty daughter Eva, taking control at The Rovers after Steve McDonald decides to bring in new blood.

However, insiders say that the surprise Leanne twist is what drew former EastEnders star Collins to Corrie as she was "gobsmacked" when she heard the plot details.

A Weatherfield source told the newspaper: "This was genius by the bosses. And it makes for a massive future for Michelle in the show. There has been a lot of cloak and dagger involved in the arrival of Stella."

Although the plot rumours remain unconfirmed, the Corrie team have previously teased that Stella is "hiding a dark secret" which will have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.

Jane Danson, who plays Leanne, has also promised that there are "exciting" developments ahead for her character in the summer months.

Stella was previously tipped to save Leanne from armed robbers during some of her first scenes on the cobbles.

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alan45 (04-05-2011)

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## layla

This may be interesting to watch if the rumours are true. Corrie is a bit on the dull side a the moment, same old things.  Have they brought in new writers for this, hope so.

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## Chloe O'brien

What no way Stella dosen't look old enough to be Leanne's mother, she must have been about 10 when she fell pregnant to Les.

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## Perdita

Michelle Collins has admitted that she has been "working hard" to perfect a Northern accent for her new Coronation Street role.

The 50-year-old filmed her first scenes as the Rovers Return's new landlady Stella Price last month. However, Collins has confessed to finding it tough to develop the right accent for the character.

"I've been working hard with a dialect coach to get the right accent but it's tough," she told Closer magazine. "At least I'm very good at pulling pints - I did that when I was an out-of-work actress."

On landing her new role, the former EastEnders star remarked: "I have to keep pinching myself that I'm actually in Corrie."

Collins previously confessed that she signed up for another soap role in order to have the financial security to ensure that her daughter Maia Rose can go to university.

"It is quite nice to have a bit of security in my life because my daughter is 14 and will be off to uni - so she will be able to go now," she said at the time. 

Collins will be joined by Taggart star John Michie, who will play her on-screen husband Carl, and Catherine Tyldesley, who will portray their daughter Eva.

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## alan45

These are the first pictures showing Coronation Street newcomers Michelle Collins, John Michie and Catherine Tyldesley outside the Rovers Return.

Fans of the ITV1 soap now have just over a week to wait until they see the trio move into the iconic pub, taking on the roles of Stella Price, Karl Munro and Eva Price.

The new recruits filmed their first scenes five weeks ago and their characters have been tipped to wreak havoc in Weatherfield as they get settled in at The Rovers.



As announced earlier this year, Stella is hired as the pub's new bar manager after fresh bust-ups between the warring McDonalds prompt Steve to seek help for the business, hoping for an easier life.

However, Steve later gets more than he bargained for when Stella moves in partner Karl and her feisty daughter Eva.

In a further twist, Stella is hiding a dark secret which has been tipped to have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.

Stella's first episode airs on Thursday, June 16, while Karl and Eva arrive on Friday, June 17







> have "shocking consequences" for some of the street's most-loved residents.


Now where have I heard that before. What next ''an explosive storyline to rock the cobbles''

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## alan45

Coronation Street launches a new era next week as former EastEnders actress Michelle Collins and Taggart star John Michie make their first appearances as Stella Price and Karl Munro, a new couple who move into The Rovers. With his marriage to Becky at crisis point, Steve McDonald decides to make his life a little easier and launches a search for a new bar manager for the pub. 

Steve's hunt leads him to Stella, who appears to be perfect for the job, but he soon learns that she has some tricks up her sleeve as she moves boyfriend Karl and daughter Eva into The Rovers unexpectedly. As show bosses have confirmed that Stella is also hiding a big secret, it seems that it won't be the last time that she causes a stir on the cobbles… Here, Michelle and John chat about their new roles.


What can you tell us about Stella and Karl?
Michelle: "Stella comes into the street because she's answered an ad that was put out by Steve, who wants to find a new landlady for The Rovers. She has her partner Karl, who she's been with for quite a long time, and she also has a daughter called Eva. She's strong, but she's not scarily strong! She has a good sense of fun and a good sense of humour. She's a confident sort of woman, and she also comes in with a secret! But that's all I can say."
John: "Karl is a bit of a ne'er-do-well. He could have had a career as a footballer - that was his skill at school. But he's a bit too keen on the wine, women and song! He had a very strong mother, and I think he kind of clings on to Stella in a way, because she's very reliable and very organised. He also fancies her quite a lot, and he does love her."

Is it true that Karl is a bit of a womaniser?
John: "Well, in the backstory, Stella has had a cancer scare, and that's made John think like a man for the first time in his life. It's made him be responsible and it's made him fall in love with a woman for the first time, rather than just having brief affairs. Stella is the perfect woman for him." 

What kind of background do Stella and Karl have?
Michelle: "Stella goes in to help pubs that are having a few problems, and she's very good at her job."
John: "Stella used to run a pub in Rochdale called The Sundial, and it was all really good there. Karl used to play for the local pub football team there and he also had a part-time job in the bar. He had his girlfriend and everything was great. But coming to Weatherfield, Karl just thinks, 'What are we doing here?' That's the thing - he doesn't know the secret that Stella has which brings her to Weatherfield…"


What are Stella and Karl's first scenes like?
Michelle: "Well, at the time when Stella applies for the job at The Rovers, I think Steve is quite desperate to find someone. Stella is quite confident and forthright when she comes in, and then there's a funny scene where she asks what room she'll be staying in and Steve tells her that it isn't a live-in job. But Stella says, 'It's live-in or nothing for me' and she moves in!"
John: "Then the next day Karl turns up, and Steve thinks, 'Who's this?' And Eva turns up too. They just keep coming!"

We know that Karl is not Eva's father, but do they get along well?
John: "Well, the one person who kind of ruins everything for Karl is Eva. They don't really get on very well. And I think the reason that they don't get on is that Karl can see his traits in her. Eva is selfish, spoiled and she wants her own way, and in many ways, Karl is the same. But at the same time, Karl does now have this love for Stella where he just wants to look after her for the first time in his life."

Do you feel like you've all struck up quite a close 'family bond' for your scenes?
Michelle: "I think so. I've worked with John before, a long time ago, and we've stayed friends. I think we all do genuinely get along because we all started at the same time, so we're all in it together and we help each other."
John: "Definitely, and there are already intricate little things that are happening between Stella, Karl and Eva, which are very interesting. We're just on a journey with it, like the viewers will be. The potential for dramatic tension is huge and fantastic, and that is what's exciting for us as actors. We get on very well off the set, so it's been a lot of fun."

Were you both fans of Coronation Street before you joined the show?
John: "I am a Corrie fan! My mum is from Rochdale, and it's the first show that I remember watching when we were kids. My wife is another northerner and it's her favourite show. She's not so pleased that I'm in it, because she thinks I'll ruin it for her now, as a little bit of real life is entering her favourite soap! (Laughs) But it's the only soap for me - I think the writing and humour in Coronation Street is what makes it stand out above the rest. I'm delighted to be a part of that."
Michelle: "I've always said that if I were to do another soap, Corrie would be the only one that I would consider being in. I've been brought up with Corrie. It's a great show, and Stella is a great role. These days, soaps are very, very strong. People love them, and you get these fabulous, dramatic storylines that you possibly wouldn't get elsewhere."


How did you both find your first day on set?
John: "Well, luckily I was cushioned into this job, because I was brought in to do some readings when the castings for Stella and Eva were taking place, so I'd been here a few times before I actually had to come in and do my first scene. In fact, my first scene was driving a cab in the street - that's about six or seven episodes in and the scene is with Carla, which was enjoyable. And then after that, I did my arrival on the street. By the time I got into The Rovers, I'd actually already done a few scenes. That's the scary bit, being in The Rovers and getting all the drinks! But by the time I got there, I was calm and it all went really well."
Michelle: "I didn't realise the enormity of it until I actually went in, and I'm still getting used to it, but I feel very comfortable. It was very daunting, but at the end of the day, you just get on with it because you're with other actors who are all very nice and very helpful."
John: "I have to say, the whole team here are really welcoming and friendly, and the actors are really down-to-earth. There's a real feeling of equality here, which I particularly like."

Are there any other members of the family who could come into the show?
Michelle: "Not that I know of!"
John: "But I'm sure that Karl has a love child somewhere! (Laughs)"

Read on here, though, for a bonus chat with Michelle - focusing on life at The Rovers and more!

How have you found pulling pints at The Rovers?
"I think my first pint was a pretty good pint! I haven't worked behind a bar for years. I did work behind the bar years ago at The Vic on EastEnders, and I have worked in pubs myself when I was a young actress, so it doesn't really bother me. I remembered how to do it and it was a bit like riding a bike."

There's been some really iconic characters behind the bar at The Rovers, so how does it feel to be following in their footsteps?
"It's nice to be part of it - they've all been great and amazingly strong women. Liz McDonald and Natalie Barnes are two of my favourites. It's big shoes to fill, but we're not all playing the same character. You've just got to take it bit by bit. The scripts have been good, Stella has got a nice storyline, and I like the way it's going. As long as I get good, strong storylines and I can do what I'm paid to do, which is to act, I don't mind."


What kind of landlady is Stella?
"She won't be glamorous all the time - she works behind the bar and she doesn't have that much money. She's quite down-to-earth and she's probably not as glamorous as Liz McDonald. You won't see any leopardskin on me! I think she'll just be a different sort of person to have behind the bar - perhaps more subtle, in a way."

What is Stella's fashion sense like? 
"She's not a big, bouncy barmaid - she's slightly more subtle. She's a feminine, strong and forthright woman in her late 40s, and as with many women like that, she wants to look smart but dress her age. She doesn't dress inappropriately and her skirts aren't too short, but she does want to be sexy-looking."

Has it been tricky to master a northern accent for the role?
"It's not hugely difficult - it's not like I've been asked to do Geordie or Scottish. It's okay and I have been seeing a dialect coach. I'm surrounded by northerners as well, which helps! There'll always be people who say, 'Oh, her accent's not right, that's not very good', but as time goes on, hopefully people will accept me and accept that my accent is okay."

Do you think the world of soap has changed much since you made your EastEnders departure?
"I left EastEnders when they were doing three episodes a week, working five days a week. Here they do five episodes a week, but they still work five days a week! So the speed is quite incredible - you could have 15 different episodes that you're doing at one time. I don't think people give actors in soap enough credit for how hard they work and the quality of work that's delivered in such a short time."

Finally, have any EastEnders stars been in touch to congratulate you over the new role?
"There aren't that many people at EastEnders now who were there when I was there - there's only really Adam Woodyatt and June Brown. I've had a few texts from people - Adam's been in touch, and Barbara Windsor also sent me a message to say congratulations. Sid Owen did too. So the ones that I worked with have been in touch and they've all been very nice about it!"

Coronation Street's new recruit John Michie recently had a chat with Digital Spy about his role as Karl Munro, who moves into The Rovers next week with girlfriend Stella.

To read the first teasers and gossip about what to expect from Karl, take a look at the main interview with John and his screen partner Michelle Collins.

Read on here, though, for some bonus snippets from the actor…

What do you think the ladies of Weatherfield will make of Karl?
"I'm not sure what they'll make of him, but he's a bad boy trying to be good at the moment. He's trying to tow the line, be sensible and he's trying to be caring about the woman that he loves. He's trying his best, but he's very weak, so no doubt he will stray. There's been a few little flirty bits that have happened already, so we'll see!"

How have you found pulling pints at The Rovers?
"I do like pulling a pint! I've worked in quite a few pubs in my life, and I feel quite at home behind the bar. I'm really enjoying it - it's good fun."

What would be your dream storyline for Karl?
"I think it would involve having an affair with someone behind Stella's back, so there would be a lot of dramatic tension, which is what you want in a drama. I think to have him ducking and diving and then having one and then maybe another affair mixed in with that would be very exciting work for me as an actor. There could be a few options opening up."

Does Karl try to make his own mark at the pub, or does he let Stella rule the roost?
"That's an interesting question. The thing is, Karl wants an easy life. So Stella's in there running the pub, and Karl gets a part-time job elsewhere. Karl would hate to work too hard at the pub - he'd hate to be doing the books or anything like that, as that would be too much stress! But when it comes to Stella, Karl and Eva, he's quite a dominant force in the family relationship. So he only lets things go for as long as it suits him."


Is Karl an alpha male?
"Well, in some of the work that I've done, and from the way the writers have written Karl, there is an underlying aggression in him. That's likely to come out at some point - hopefully not with Stella, but there are already some characters that are winding him up…"

Does Karl get along well with Steve, or could there be clashes between them?
"Karl gets along with Steve straight away. Karl recognises that he's the boss and he also gets a job working with him on the cabs. So Karl very much sees that Steve is someone that he needs to stay in with. Karl doesn't want a hard life - he wants an easy life, so he's not going to get on the wrong side of people who are going to make his life difficult - unless he can't stop himself! Karl is a real player in every single way - it's all going on."

How about Becky?
"Becky's a bit flirtatious at first and Karl isn't quite sure how to take that, but when he finds out that she's Steve wife, he just completely backs off."

Finally, how does working on a soap compare to your previous work on Taggart?
"It's a hell of a lot quicker! You just turn up here and on any one day, you could be doing scenes from 15 different scripts. That's not happened to me so far, thank God, and I hope it never does - but it is possible. But with working on Taggart, the most you'll be doing is working on two different episodes. It's very quick here at Corrie, so you really have to be on top of your lines and on top of your character. It's a lot of work, but it's good fun!"

----------


## tammyy2j

The daughter looks as old as the mother

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's new recruit John Michie has revealed that he wants his character Karl Munro to feature in an infidelity storyline.    *Great, never been done before !!!*

Next week's episodes of the ITV1 soap see Karl move into the Rovers Return with girlfriend Stella (Michelle Collins), who is hired by Steve McDonald as the business's new bar manager.

Show bosses have already billed Karl as a "sexy charmer" who will "quickly make his presence felt" as he gets settled into Weatherfield life.

Discussing what viewers can expect from Karl, Michie commented: "He's a bad boy trying to be good at the moment. He's trying to tow the line, be sensible and he's trying to be caring about the woman that he loves. He's trying his best, but he's very weak, so no doubt he will stray. There's been a few little flirty bits that have happened already, so we'll see!"

Asked to describe his dream storyline for the character, he replied: "I think it would involve having an affair with someone behind Stella's back, so there would be a lot of dramatic tension, which is what you want in a drama. 

"I think to have him ducking and diving and then having one and then maybe another affair mixed in with that would be very exciting work for me as an actor. There could be a few options opening up."

Michie is currently best known for his role as DI Robbie Ross in Taggart.


*FFS*

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## Chloe O'brien

Stop the press: Kym Marsh is going to announce that she wants her character to have an affair with John's character.  You read it first here SB fans before it appears in any glossy mag.

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## alan45

Former Lilies and Emmerdale star Catherine Tyldesley recently landed the biggest role of her career to date as she joined the cast of Coronation Street as Eva Price, part of the new family who are taking over at the Rovers Return. Arriving in Weatherfield after her mum Stella becomes the pub's new landlady, it's immediately clear that Eva isn't pleased with her new home on the cobbles and her selfish attitude doesn't go down well with Stella's boyfriend Karl. Digital Spy recently caught up with Catherine to hear about life at Corrie and what's to come from Eva.

How would you describe the character of Eva?
"Eva is a little bit of a princess! She's been spoiled rotten, so she's somewhat high maintenance and a little bit of a drama queen. She's definitely used to getting her own way. Eva absolutely adores her mum and they've got a great relationship. When she first comes into the street, certain circumstances mean that she's a little bit more angry than she normally is. But she does have a softer side, which I think we'll see further on down the line."

How does it feel to be part of such a big show?
"It's great. Corrie's always been where my heart is. We followed the show when I was younger. My family love it, my grandparents love it, and I love it. I knew some of the cast already, so I'd always try to follow it as much as I could. My family are over the moon, and I'm very lucky that this is a new, exciting and larger-than-life character. I feel very privileged and excited."

How does working on Coronation Street compare to working on Emmerdale?
"It's completely different, but I can't explain why! I think partly because I knew some of the cast already, so that does make a big difference. Also, when I was on Emmerdale, it was James Sutton and I stuck in a prison together for three-and-a-half months on our own, so here it's nice to be working with so many different people!"

Have any of the Emmerdale gang been in touch to wish you well in the new role?
"Yeah, James and I are great friends and he sent me a text when I told him that I'd got the part - he said that he was really proud of me and that it was great news. James has been incredibly supportive and everyone else has too."

Apparently there was a lot of competition for the role of Eva?
"I believe there were quite a few girls up for the part, but I didn't get to meet any of the other auditionees - I think everyone was just in and out separately. I feel incredibly lucky that they felt I should take on the role of Eva - it's a great honour."

Storyline-wise, we've heard that Eva and Karl don't get along too well! Why is that?
"I think it's because they're both quite similar. When Eva first joins the street, she's had a little bit of turmoil with past relationships and things like that, so I think she feels like she wants to be quite selfish at the moment, which annoys Karl. But she's always been full of self-importance because she's always been spoiled - she's not known any different." 

How does Eva feel about being in Weatherfield?
"Right now, she's really focused on herself. She doesn't want to be in The Rovers and she doesn't want to be on the street at all when we first meet her! She comes in with a lot of angst."

There was a newspaper report last month that said Eva is a lesbian character - can you clear that one up for us?
"I have no idea where that came from! She loves the boys, definitely."

Is there anyone in particular who catches her eye on the street?
"I'm not sure just yet, but I don't think she'll be out of a relationship for too long! But it would have to be someone who's on her wavelength. Eva is very intelligent, so she gets very bored and frustrated with people who aren't on her level."

Has there been much room to put your own stamp on the character of Eva?
"Definitely, and I think that's a big part of the appeal of doing something like Coronation Street - you are given such a gift. You are given these wonderful characters where the beginnings of them have been etched out for you, but to a certain extent you get to play with them quite a lot. There are all sorts of traits that Eva has that the writers and I have picked up on and would like her to have. It's great and it's so nice to have a character that I know I'm going to be able to play with for a substantial amount of time. We'll get to see her grow up a little bit, which is great."

We've heard that Katherine Kelly is a good friend of yours, so are you enjoying working with her?
"It's so lovely, as I had my very first television job with Kate - we did No Angels together. She completely took me under my wing then, and she has done ever since. When I found out that she was doing Corrie four or five years ago, I was over the moon that she was going to be nearby in Manchester, and now it's great to be working on the show with her!"

Will Eva and Becky be friends or will there be tension there?
"There's some tension there because Becky isn't pleased about the newcomers at The Rovers. Also, Becky and Eva are completely different - you could not get any more different than Becky and Eva. Eva likes to hold her nose up in the air and she's somewhat of a snob, so she would quite possibly look down her nose at somebody like Becky! She won't have much time for her - she's very judgemental, very quick to judge."

How about Eva and Tracy Barlow?
"At the moment I'm not quite sure what their relationship will be like, but I do think that Tracy is a bit more on Eva's level intelligence-wise - although that intelligence is often used for evil! I think those two are slightly more on a par."

Finally, Katherine said on Twitter that she's tipping you to be the next big star in Corrie, so do you think Eva will be quite a memorable character for the future?
"Oh, bless her! I hope so, because she's very different and I can't compare her to any other character. She's not similar to anyone else, so I think she's definitely going to make her mark on the street. And for Kate to say that is lovely. I mean, Kate's one of my role models - I think she's an incredible actress, so for her to say that means a lot to me."

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## Perdita

Michelle Collins has revealed that her Coronation Street co-star Antony Cotton showed her the ropes at the Rovers Return during her first days of filming at the soap.

The former EastEnders actress recently took on the role of Weatherfield newcomer Stella Price, who arrives in the area and becomes the pub's new landlady later this week.

Speaking on This Morning today, Collins confirmed that Cotton's experience of pulling pints as Sean Tully proved invaluable when she shot her first scenes at the boozer.

"He's great actually, he showed me how the tills work, where the beers were kept, where this was kept," Collins explained. 

"And obviously you have to love your prop men that help you, because it's a bit of a Blue Peter thing - where something is prepared for you a little bit earlier so you just do the rest of it."

Asked whether she already knew members of the Coronation Street cast before joining the show, Collins replied: "I did know quite a lot of people - over the years at various dos and things like that, and I've worked with a few people. But now I know them because I think I've served every single character in the pub now - I think I've done them all now."

Collins went on to describe Stella as "a modern woman" who is "the breadwinner" in her family.

She added: "She's kind, she's warm, she's funny, she's a real sort of northern strong woman with a good heart."

Coronation Street airs Stella's first episode on Thursday at 8.30pm on ITV1.

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## alan45

Michelle Collins makes her first appearance in Coronation Street tonight, taking on the role of straight-talking newcomer Stella Price.

As Steve begins his search for the Rovers Return's new bar manager, Stella arrives for an interview and it's immediately clear that she's the best candidate for the job.

Driving a hard bargain in final negotiations with Steve, Stella explains that she'll only accept the position if she can live at the pub and warns that she's keen to make her mark.

Once the interview is over, Steve continues to string Tracy along by hinting that the job is hers - all part of his plan to get her to sign the custody agreement over Amy.

Later, when Stella turns up at The Rovers and Tracy discovers that she's been duped by Steve, will it be too late for her to do anything about it?

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## layla

:Sick: It's starting to get on my nerves the way soap characters use their children. :Nono:

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## Perdita

Coronation Street star Antony Cotton has spoken out to deny claims that the soap's team are unhappy over Michelle Collins's casting.

Earlier today, a newspaper reported that cast and crew at the Weatherfield soap were angry over Collins landing the role of Northern mum Stella Price, the new bar manager at the Rovers Return.

Since Collins made her debut on screen last Thursday, some viewers have criticised the Londoner's attempt at a Mancunian twang. Today's report suggested that show stars feared Coronation Street's credibility would be affected by the supposed 'backlash'.

However, writing on Twitter this morning, Cotton - who plays Sean Tully - commented: "Contrary to rumour, the cast and crew of Coronation Street have far better things to do than stand by idly gossiping about Michelle Collins. What matters far more than her accent (which is great IMO) is the character she is playing." 

He added: "Say what you want about Miss Collins... she's so very watchable. And for that reason, this new family is exciting and intriguing!"

Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Stella's daughter Eva, also defended the former EastEnders actress during an appearance on This Morning today.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with her accent from my point of view and she's doing an amazing job," she said.

Meanwhile, a Coronation Street spokesperson told Digital Spy: "The cast and crew have welcomed Michelle with open arms. To say they are angry about her casting or her accent is simply untrue and upsetting for everyone."

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson recently described Collins's Northern accent as "great" and predicted that fans will soon get used to seeing her in the role of Stella.

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## alan45

Persnally I would be inclined to believe the rumours. I dont think she is an asset to Corrie and her accent is pretty crap too. The character of her ''partner'' I dont like either. 

Corrie is going down the pan at the minute and they should concentrate on using the good characters they have rather than bringing in new so called stars.

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Dazzle (22-06-2011), parkerman (21-06-2011)

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## layla

Don't mind them fetching in new characters. But please give the rolls to proper northerners. :Cheer: 

 Not a one of them are from Manchester. :Angry: 

 Would have been more believable if they had kept their own accents. Not everyone who live in Manchester was born here. :Ponder:

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alan45 (21-06-2011)

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## alan45

> Don't mind them fetching in new characters.


There is no need to bring in too many new characters as they have some wonderful characters who are woefully underused. Just because Michelle Collins was successful in Deadenders does not mean she should be as successful in Corrie. Corrie is or at least was completely different to EE although of late it has been making the decline to EE's level

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## Perdita

Coronation Street star Jane Danson has spoken about the soap's shocking Stella twist for the first time, admitting that her character Leanne Barlow may be "furious" when she discovers the truth.

Show bosses have now officially confirmed that the Rovers Return's new bar manager is Leanne's birth mother, as first reported earlier this month.

Leanne finds out Stella's true identity in next week's Friday night double bill as she celebrates her 30th birthday at the pub.

Speaking to Inside Soap about the plot twist, Danson explained: "Leanne has never really given her birth mother a second thought because she's not been in her life. Her dad Les and stepmum Janice were together for a long time, so Janice always took on that mother role.

"Having said that, Leanne's always known Janice by her first name, so she hasn't called anyone 'Mummy'."

Leanne's husband Peter (Chris Gascoyne) is the first to discover Stella's secret next week, but it doesn't take long until the Weatherfield newcomer is forced to come clean with her daughter.

Asked how Leanne reacts to the life-changing news, Danson replied: "You'll have to wait and see! She'll either be over the moon to have her real mother in her life, or she'll be absolutely furious that she's been absent all these years."

Former EastEnders star Michelle Collins made her debut as Stella last week.

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## xcarlyx

Stellas fake accent is irritating.

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## Perdita

Coronation Street's new recruit Michelle Collins has explained her character's shocking secret, admitting that Stella Price was desperate when she abandoned show regular Leanne.

Weatherfield bosses have now officially confirmed that Stella is Leanne's biological mother following weeks of rumours.

Stella was in a relationship with Les Battersby many years ago but left him to bring up Leanne (Jane Danson) when she was only a baby.

Speaking to Soaplife about her character's history, Collins commented: "Stella was only 17 when she had Leanne and at first everything with Les was great. But then he started drinking and leaving her alone with the baby and she struggled to cope.

"She left with every intention of coming back for her baby once she was settled, but when that time came, Les and his family wouldn't let her anywhere near and she didn't stand a chance."

Leanne discovers the truth about Stella at the end of next week when the Rovers Return's new bar manager is forced to come clean.

Collins added: "Stella regrets what she did every day of her life. For the past 29 years, all she's wanted is to be a mum to Leanne."

Leanne hears Stella's confession as she celebrates her 30th birthday at The Rovers next Friday.

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## alan45

Michelle Collins has admitted that Coronation Street's Stella Price is "terrified" about being rejected by her daughter Leanne Barlow.

It has been confirmed that Leanne (Jane Danson) will discover that the Rovers Return's new manager is actually her birth mother next week. However, Collins has told Soaplife that a happy reunion between the pair is not guaranteed.

"It's a moment she has dreamt of for years," the actress said of Stella's "real mix of emotions" at meeting her daughter. "I'm sure that in her dreams Leanne breaks down in tears of joy. 

"But Stella knows Leanne has every right to be furious with her and she's terrified that her daughter might reject her." 

Collins teased how Peter (Chris Gascoyne) discovers the truth next week, when he finds a picture of his wife inside Stella's purse. 

"Peter discovers this and wants to know what the hell is going on," she said. "Peter's very understanding and certainly doesn't force her hand, but it ends up being revealed."

Danson recently claimed that Leanne will either be "over the moon" to meet her mother or be "absolutely furious" that she abandoned her as a child

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## tammyy2j

It might be good if Les and Janice was still around for this storyline

I always thought Leanne used say her mother was dead

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## alan45

Michelle Collins acting and pathetic accent are getting worse.  How long will it take the PTB at Corrie to get shot of her. Tonight she kept changing her accent between Macunian and Cockerney. As for her daughter she is totally pathetic.

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## alan45

Coronation Street star Jane Danson has revealed that she is thrilled to be working closely with Michelle Collins on the set of the soap.

Next week's episodes of the Weatherfield drama feature a big plot twist as Danson's alter ego Leanne Barlow discovers that Rovers newcomer Stella Price is her biological mother.

Collins's character Stella, who made her debut on screen earlier this month, is forced to come clean with Leanne as the show favourite celebrates her 30th birthday at the pub. 

Speaking about having Collins as her on-screen mum, Danson told All About Soap: "It's really interesting to work with someone when you know their stuff so well. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the really meaty scenes, because these are two extremely feisty characters.

"A lot of people have said we've got similar face shapes and we have the same mannerisms too, so it'll be interesting to see if viewers pick up on the resemblance."

Coronation Street's shock Stella and Leanne twist first emerged in early May but was only officially confirmed by show bosses this week.

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## LizzyBizzy

I might be in a minority of one, but I'm not overly bothered by the quality of Michelle Collins's accent. So far, I'm willing to give her character the benefit of the doubt.

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## lizann

> I might be in a minority of one, but I'm not overly bothered by the quality of Michelle Collins's accent. So far, I'm willing to give her character the benefit of the doubt.


I dont mind her character not liking her daughter Evie though

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## Perdita

CORRIE actress Kym Marsh has defended co-star Michelle Collins after fans criticised the new arrival's attempts at a northern accent.
Ex-EastEnder Michelle, 50, joined the cast this month as Stella Price, the new manager of the Rovers Return.

Kym, 35, currently on maternity leave, told new! magazine: "I think viewers find it hard to accept because she was such a big character in EastEnders."

The actress, who plays barmaid Michelle Connor, added: "People should give her a chance. She's only just joined Corrie." 

Street producer Phil Collinson has defended Michelle, saying: "I think her accent's great."  *  Then all is good   * 



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz1QXpIXqKP

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## alan45

Who give two flying figs what her so called co-star Ms Marsh thinks.

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## Siobhan

> Who give two flying figs what her so called co-star Ms Marsh thinks.


Ms Kym Marsh has announced that she has farted... nothing to do with any soap or anything at all it is just she hadn't spoken out about anything is 10 mins and was getting locked jaw from lack of opinion

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alan45 (28-06-2011)

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## alan45

John Michie has said that he is having "great fun" playing Coronation Street's Karl Munro.

The Scottish actor made his debut as "sexy charmer" Karl earlier this month. As the partner of new Rovers Return manager Stella Price - played by Michelle Collins - he moved into the pub with her and her daughter Eva (Catherine Tyldesley).

Michie told ITV's This Morning: "My character is a bit of a Jack The Lad. But it's great fun, it's a great show. Everyone is incredibly friendly - it's amazing how warm... it's a big warm happy family up there in Coronation Street. 

"There are lots of characters, loads of people; after Taggart, I'm used to just working with just us four and a few guest actors, and going to different locations every day, but now I'm in the same place every day - which I'm getting to quite enjoy!"

However, Michie confessed that he is still adjusting to acting while having to serve Corrie locals from behind the bar.

"I've had quite a few jobs as a barman in the past, but its just getting the lines in-between serving the drinks - that's the thing," he quipped, admitting that he was used to playing characters "on the other side of the bar".

Meanwhile, Michie also hinted that there could be more episodes of ITV crime drama Taggart to come - despite the show having reportedly been axed after 28 years. 

"I know STV are going to try and fund it differently and try and bring it back," he said. "And there could be a Christmas special or something like that. I'm sure we've not seen the end of it just yet. I hope not."


Lets hope they start filming Taggart very soon and EE brings Cindy back to life

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## LizzyBizzy

I like both the Stella and Karl characters. Unfortunately for the actors, I think they're too closely associated with former roles. I truly hope they're given a fair chance, and that internet keyboard warriors, and let's not forget there are plenty of people out there who aren't keyboard warriors, don't succeed in persuading the producers to axe the characters.

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## alan45

> I like both the Stella and Karl characters. Unfortunately for the actors, I think they're too closely associated with former roles. I truly hope they're given a fair chance, and that internet keyboard warriors, and let's not forget there are plenty of people out there who aren't keyboard warriors, don't succeed in persuading the producers to axe the characters.


You are entitled to your opinion just as the so called _ ''internet keyboard warriors''_  :Moonie:    Personally speaking I cant stand Stella or Karl. They do not work as characters IMHO and there was no need to even introduce them into Corrie. Michelle Collins was employed because she is a big name, not because she is a great actor and certainly not because of her ability too speak with a Mancunian accent. I hope the producers do take note of the _ ''internet keyboard warriors''_  :Rotfl:     although I doubt it. After all these were the same producers who brought back Traceyluv with a ridiculous storyline  :Angry:

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## lizann

> I like both the Stella and Karl characters. Unfortunately for the actors, I think they're too closely associated with former roles. I truly hope they're given a fair chance, and that internet keyboard warriors, and let's not forget there are plenty of people out there who aren't keyboard warriors, don't succeed in persuading the producers to axe the characters.


I dont mind Stella on her own 

Michelle Collins is a decent actress - I liked her in Sunburn and Rock Rivals I dont really remember her much in EE

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## alan45

She has been slammed for her âawfulâ Mancunian accent and plummeting ratings have left viewers questioning Michelle Collinsâs future on the cobbles uncertain. 
But a spokesperson for Coronation Street has told MailOnline that the soap is not going to axe Michelle's character Stella Price. 
The actress, 50, who joined Coronation Street just last month, will find her character Stella Price clinging for life after being hit by drunk driver Carla Connor. 
 ITV bosses have written her into car crash storyline to try and increase viewing figures
It has been reported that the plot will allow bosses to kill off Michelle's character if ratings do not improve, but a spokesperson for the show denies the claims. 
In a statement released today a spokesperson said: 'The channel is delighted with audience reaction to Stella's arrival on Coronation Street and with the storylines planned in the coming months. 
'Michelle Collins is a valued member of the Corrie cast and we have fantastic storylines ahead for her character well into next year.'
London- born Michelle, 50, debuted on the show last month, but has faced criticism for her northern accent and ratings have dropped since her arrival on the show. 
As well as the dramatic crash storyline Michelle is set to be written into more scenes with popular characters like Leanne Battersby, played by Jane Danson and Carla Connor, played by Alison King.

Audience figures had plummeted from 10.4million at the end of May down to 7.4million just last week. 
Following criticism of Michelleâs role Corrie chief Phil Collinson defended her and said: âI think her accent is great.â
âI think the thing is people will just get used to it.â
But the Coronation Street boss has come under fire himself for making the show âtoo gayâ.
Cast and crew have questioned why producer Phil Collinson, who took the helm last year, has brought in so many gay characters.
Meanwhile a spokesperson for the show said: 'ITV are extremely pleased with the work of Phil Collinson and his production team.'
Actors and viewers have also criticised the move away from the show's roots, depicting the gritty reality of life in a typical working class street in Manchester, and replacing it with black comedy.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...#ixzz1RpTU9NP2

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## Katy

im still not a fan, andi think it is the accent. She really bugs me. Also after the wholeLeanne thing i know it is fiction but i have horrible thought that stella would have to have slept with Les!

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alan45 (12-07-2011)

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## alan45

Corrie producer Phil Collinson has spoken out following recent press speculation about Coronation Street.  

Here Phil gives his take on the casting of actress Michelle Collins, reveals accurate ratings for the show and gives us a taste of whatâs coming up on the cobbles! 

Phil has given his full backing to Michelle and explains how she was cast in the role of Stella Price. He says: âWe interviewed lots of actresses for the role and screen tested 6 and we (Phil and senior execs at ITV), believed Michelleâs performance was the best. We are delighted with Michelle and her performance and hope that she will stay with us for a long time. Michelle is a well-respected actress and weâre lucky and pleased to have her as part of the cast.â

The producer says he is âbaffledâ by some negative comments about southerner Michelleâs northern accent in the soap. He says: âIâm a northerner myself. I was born and bred up here and I think her accent is great! Michelle has worked hard with a voice specialist and sheâs doing an excellent job.â 

Phil is certain that once Stella and her family have settled in on screen, they will become more popular with audiences and critics. 

âWhen the McDonalds first joined the show there were calls for them to leave immediately. When the Battersbys arrived, a newspaperâs poll showed 97 per cent of people wanted them to leave. Leanne has gone on to become one of the most-loved characters in the show. It always takes time. I am convinced audiences will take both Stella and Karl to their hearts. â

Coronation Street continues to be the UKâs most popular serial drama, with a year-to-date  average audience of 9.8 million viewers (39 per cent audience share) up 1.3 per cent on the same period in 2010. Corrieâs viewing figures are currently up 8 per cent since Stella arrived on screen, compared to the same four week period in 2010. In light of this information and additional research, Phil stresses there is no ratings crisis. 

He says: âThe ratings are healthy and the audience feedback is healthy. The show has never been better. Other genres are seeing audiences fall, but our audience is actually greater. The show is in rude health and forging along with some brilliant, brilliant stories.â 

Referring to an article in a national newspaper about the number of gay and lesbian characters in Coronation Street, Phil states that only four characters out of 65 are homosexual and they were all established long before he joined the production team last year. Sean Tully arrived on the cobbles in 2003, Marcus Dent appeared for the first time in 2007, Sophie Webster has featured since her birth in 1994 and Sian Powers first appeared in 2009. 

âSean and Sophie have consistently been among the most popular characters,â he says. âThe character of Sophie has actually risen in popularity since she came out as a lesbian. Viewers are appreciating her storyline and enjoying it. We tell stories about characters audiences want to see.â

âAudiences are continuing to watch Corrie. We have a wonderful summer and autumn coming up. There are big stories for Carla and Eileen and thereâs a new lady in Tyroneâs life. Corrie hasnât changed and it wonât change.â

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## alan45

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson and actress Michelle Collins have responded to tabloid reports that the show has suffered in the ratings recently. 

An ex newspaper suggested that viewing figures had fallen by a quarter in just a month, with blame focused on a poor reception for Collins and viewers' unhappiness with the number of gay characters on the soap.

Collinson confirmed that he and Collins had asked to appear on ITV1's daytime magazine show This Morning in order to "answer back" the "inaccurate and disingenuous" claims. 

Collins - who made her debut as Stella Price last month - explained: "I'm the sort of person... I'm quite dignified, so I was thinking, ' No, just sit back and it'll all go away'. But it hasn't gone away."

On criticism of her accent, Collins admitted that it was "not my choice" to do a northern accent in the role. 

"I'm an actor. I was in a soap 15 years ago, and I've done lots of other jobs in between where I've had accents as well," she said. "To me, it was embarking on a new role. 

"I'm not even sure that's many of the public. I think it's a few tabloid journalists that have picked up on something and then it escalates. It's very mischievous, I think they like to cause... they're just being mischievous, to be honest with you."

Collinson described Collins's accent as "brilliant", insisting that the soap "wouldn't want to" have her drop it.

"Just to robustly say, we are really happy with Michelle's performance," he said. "I think we're really happy with the character. We've got storylines planned for this new family right through next year."

Collins admitted that she is "bewildered" by the various claims, but added that she knew it would take time for the character to be accepted. 

"I haven't even be on air for four weeks. It's like, hold on a minute. Jane Danson was telling me that when the Battersbys went in, there was a petition to get rid of them," she said. "When the Slaters went in [to EastEnders], I remember telling John Yorke, 'I don't like them. They're never going to work'. About five years later, he said to me: 'What did you say to me?' People just have to let you breathe. People are [not] used to me. I'm just sort of bewildered."

She continued: "I'm a big girl and I'm tough. What annoys me is that I'm quite bewildered by it. What annoys me is that most of the things they are saying are untrue. Coronation Street has made me very welcome and people among the cast haven't complained."

However, Collins did confirm that reports of a storyline which will see Stella knocked down by a drunk Carla Connor are true.

"Storylines are storylined six months in advance. So, whoever played Stella would have been involved in this storyline," she said. "It's not because they are trying to win viewers over. The public aren't silly."


Collinson also dismissed tabloid claims that Coronation Street's ratings have fallen dramatically, telling hosts Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer that the high figure mentioned had come from an instalment aired during the week of 9pm episodes scheduled between Britain's Got Talent shows. The lower rated episode was one which aired directly against an Andy Murray Wimbledon game. 

"They took those two ratings," he explained. "It's a bit mischievous really. In actual fact, if we compare the ratings for the last four-week period with the same period for last year, we are actually around 5 or 6% up.

"There is absolutely no crisis at Coronation Street. The ratings are in brilliant shape. ITV are very pleased with the way the show is performing."

Finally, the producer took on complaints that the Manchester serial is too focused on gay characters. 

Collinson said: "We have a very broad cast; 65 regulars and two gay couples. In the research that we do, Hayley, Sean and Sophie are among the most popular characters. They're right up there among the most popular characters in the show. 

"Of course we are going to tell stories about our most popular characters. The audience want us to tell stories about these characters. There is no gay agenda. There is no soapbox. We are telling stories about love."

Collins concluded: "It's 2011 and we're talking about too many gay characters on TV? Come on people, this is crazy."

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## tammyy2j

For me it is that the gay characters are not really likeable look at EE and Emmerdale both Syed & Christian and Aaron & Jackson are likeable and had a great build up and storyline and of course the actors involved can act whereas the likes of Sean, Sian and Sophie are  bloody awful

I dont think the ratings slump can all be down to Michelle Collins and her character Stella to be fair to her there is far worse characters and actors on the show 

I think the reveal of her as Leanne's real mother came out too soon

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alan45 (12-07-2011), Dazzle (12-07-2011)

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## Dazzle

I do feel sorry for Michelle Collins with all the criticism of Stella.  If a character doesn't work, it's the fault of the people who cast her, not the actor's.  Still, I think Michelle is an ok actor, and that Stella will improve and grow on people.

As tammy says above, some of the worst actors in Corrie are Sean, Sophie and Sian - they're far worse than Michelle Collins.

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tammyy2j (12-07-2011)

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## tammyy2j

The accent can be fazed out and I think Jane and Michelle (Leanne and Stella) could pull of some great acting scenes between them given time and good storylines 

Leanne is the best character on the show for me

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## alan45

> I dont think the ratings slump can all be down to Michelle Collins and her character Stella to be fair to her there is far worse characters and actors on the show


The rot started before Michelle arrived. It started with a plethora of crap storylines almost too many to mention. Joe and Gail, AAudrey and the Trannie, the return of Tracyluv, the xin, tina Graeme love triangle, Sean getting the baby and boyfriend back, the Becky/Steve split up and of course yet another murderer on the street not just any murderer but a multiple murderer.

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## LizzyBizzy

For me the rot set in with the aftermath of the tram crash, and Ken's reunion with his son and grandson.

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## Perdita

William Roache has spoken out in defence of Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson.

The showrunner last week publicly responded to reports suggesting that ratings for the ITV1 soap have fallen dramatically. 

Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in the show since it launched in 1960, defended Collinson's work on ITV's This Morning. 

"Right, two points to make," he told hosts Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer. "One is, is that one of the hardest tasks of the producer is to move the Street forward into what is socially acceptable.

"Times change. If you showed an episode we have today in 1960, we'd be off the air, banned; it'd be something horrible."

Roache explained: "The producer has to do that [by] bringing in the new, without offending the old. So every so often, a senior member, well-meaning , will say that the Street isn't what it used to be. It's sad that that happens, but it does. There was a big article like that last week.

"I understand why [Brian Sewell] said that, but this is part of keeping it new. A journalist jumped in on this bandwagon and what he did was, he took the current ratings - which are about 8 million roughly - compared it to a one-off special which went out, highly publicised at 9pm and got 10 million, and said that the Street is slipping in the ratings."

Defending the ratings, the 79-year-old said: "If you look at the ratings for this time last year, we are 8% up. Far from going down, the Street is going up. Now, a lot of this is due to the live episode and the tram crash, which brought in a lot of new viewers and many have stayed with us. We're stronger than ever, better than ever.

"I'm enjoying it more than ever. I think last year was the best thing it ever did. While I can do it, while they want me, I'll be there."

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## alan45

They can defend it all they like. For me it's becoming unbearable with all the stupid storylines going on. I must be getting old. I know it's only a soap but that doesn't mean it should have ridiculous storylines and bring characters in just for the sake of it.

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## tammyy2j

Bring back Eddie Windass it went downhill when he left  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Perdita

Former Coronation Street star Johnny Briggs has criticised the show, claiming that there is no "fun" in it any more.

The 75-year-old actor appeared in the ITV1 soap as Underworld boss Mike Baldwin for 30 years. Briggs's criticism comes after producer Phil Collinson hit back at claims that ratings have fallen dramatically. 

Briggs told The Mirror: "There's no laughter or humour. The Duckworths have gone, Hilda Ogden is gone, the comedy and drama is dead. People were once happy in the soap. There is no one in it I recognise now.

"I watched the 50th anniversary episode [in December] but could only stand five minutes before I flicked over to the golf. There is no fun in the show any more."

Briggs continued: "The writers have lost their way by bringing in all these unknowns and trying to make it interesting by introducing different characters.

"I haven't watched it recently so I don't know about the new gay characters, but my philosophy is, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. It's so sad to learn the ratings have gone down. It's heartbreaking. It used to be a great show - it was an old friend to me. Now I can't bring myself to watch, what a terrible shame."

However, Briggs claimed that he would return to the Manchester serial, if storyliners could find a way to bring him back - despite Mike dying on-screen in 2006. 

"I might have to come out of retirement to return to the Street," he said. "I would seriously consider going back if they paid me the right money. I was the JR Ewing of Weatherfield â and that's what the show lacks, another great villain, a big star."

Executive producer Kieran Robertson and cast members including William Roache and Michelle Collins, have all spoken out in defence of the show this week.

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## alan45

:d

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## alan45

CORRIE legend Ken Morley has become the latest former star to criticise the soap, saying how it needs more LAUGHS.
And Ken - who played Reg Holdsworth - said he would even make a sensational comeback to inject some much-needed humour.
Ken, 68, who quit the soap 16 years ago, fired off a typically over-the-top rant.
He told TV Biz: "I am sick and tired of people coming to me and saying how bad it is and asking if I know the viewing figures.
"It's like it's some kind of national tragedy and everyone at the moment wants to kick it.
"I turned on the other night and there was some nonsense about whether Fiz should have a baby in prison. It went on and on and it was a real turn-off. What they need to do is bring back comedy and topics that the viewers can relate to.

Got him by the short and curlies ... Reg and Watts
"It's lost the comedy, it's lost the viewers, it's lost plot, but let's not kick it while it's down - let's try to fix it."
Ken - seen as Reg tangling with Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy), in 1995, left - added: "The Northern humour in the face of adversity is what made Coronation Street great, along with the gritty real-life storylines.
"If it was raining cats and dogs the character would slip out into the rain and quip, 'turned out nice again'. That's typical Northern humour.

"When I went to a charity show in Blackpool the other day I was waiting outside the front of the house for a limo. I was dressed in a canary yellow suit, daft bow tie and all the trimmings - and the next-door neighbour comes out and says, 'Are you going away? Or are you being taken away?'. That's a funny gag from a man in the street and that is what the Street was once so good at, making humour out of ordinary situations."
Ken hit out at the recent transvestite storyline involving Audrey Roberts' boyfriend Marc. He said: "It's not traditional Coronation Street. It's just another far-fetched step away from the real world."
He also joined the backlash against the number of gay storylines, adding: "The Street has gone too far with gay problems, gay shoes, gay fish and chips. They need to get back to square one and deal with people's everyday problems in a humorous way."
And Ken pledged to return to the soap to help rescue ratings - which have slumped by a quarter this year.
 He said: "They need characters like Reg again. There is nothing he couldn't do - a character like that could save Corrie single-handedly by ranting about real issues in the Rovers.
"They really need to get to grips with Corrie or the nation is going to lose a beloved institution.

"The 50th anniversary tram crash was fine, but we're now in a period of sloth after the big event. It needs shaking back to life."
Ken added: "Why not bring in a Chinese family and have them running a chippy? Then perhaps they can start showing the programme in China and the viewing figures could shoot up by billions, not millions."

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## parkerman

There seems to be an echo round here... :Big Grin:

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## Siobhan

> There seems to be an echo round here...


here here here here

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## alan45

> There seems to be an echo round here...





> here here here here


There was so there was

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## alan45

UNDER-FIRE Corrie newcomer Michelle Collins is under extra pressure over her controversial move north from her teenage daughter.

Maia Rose, 15, has made no secret of hating  her mum’s switch from the capital 200 miles away. She tweeted: “I HATE Manchester. Wish I was back in London.”

And Maia dropped sensational hints that Michelle, 50, who plays new Rovers landlady Stella Price, may not stay.

The teen revealed that plans to get her a nanny to look after her in London could be dropped as Michelle, who has been criticised over her dodgy northern accent, agonises over a move back south.

Maia tweeted: “It depends if she is still in you know what…”.

Ex-EastEnders star Michelle and *producer Phil Collinson went on an *unprecedented public relations mission last week to dismiss claims that viewers are turning off because of their dislike of the new Price family.

And Phil, 41, later denied he hired Michelle because they are old mates. He said: “Michelle’s casting was completely democratic. It was made by committee and absolutely not my decision alone.”

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## Perdita

The stars of Coronation Street have reportedly started talking to newcomer Michelle Collins in Cockney *rhyming slang.

The actress made her debut on the soap last month as Stella Price, but has received criticism for her attempts at a Northern accent.

In a bid to cheer her up, co-star Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw, started putting on a Cockney accent while talking to the former EastEnders star in between takes.

Collins found it so funny that other cast members have now joined in, the Sunday Mirror reports.

"Michelle has been having a really tough time of it lately," a source said. "This was the cast's way of saying they are on her side. It really cheered her up."

Collins has reportedly been handed a last-chance storyline to help Stella become accepted by viewers.

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## Perdita

Coronation Street newcomer Michelle Collins has pledged her commitment to ensuring that Stella Price becomes one of the soap's "great" characters.

The former EastEnders actress recently found herself at the centre of controversy when tabloid reports criticised her attempt at a Northern accent for the role of Stella. It was later alleged that the new arrival could be axed by bosses, but Collins and Coronation Street's producer Phil Collinson soon spoke out to rubbish the claims.

Reflecting on last week's row in a new interview with OK magazine, Collins commented: "What is hurtful is that it is just untrue. I have had so many texts from people saying, 'Oh sod 'em'. And I thought, no, I'm not going to be dignified and sit this one out.

"It's not a true representation of what the public think. When I'm bouncing about, working in London and Manchester, people are coming up to me and telling me that they're loving what I'm doing."

Collins continued: "I've been made so welcome. I'm a big girl. I can take it! And I ain't going anywhere, so get used to it! I'm going to do my darndest to make Stella one of the great Corrie characters."

Coronation Street's new recruit added that she was disappointed over cricket star Freddie Flintoff's recent comments on her performance. Last month, he tweeted: "Can't get my head round Cindy off EastEnders trying to talk with a northern accent. Just need Jack Duckworth to pop up in the Queen Vic giving it a bit of rhyming slang!"

Collins told the magazine: "Oh for God's sake, Freddie! I haven't been in EastEnders for 15 years. I would never slate another person in the public eye - I think that's very unfair of him."

Stella's current storyline sees her trying to build up a relationship with Leanne Barlow after revealing herself as her long-lost mother.

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## lizann

Stella is growing on me more and more 

I wish the Michelle bashing would stop 

Oh edit I mean the Michelle Collins bashing please continue bashing Michelle Connor aka Kym Marsh as you may

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## Perdita

Coronation Street star Ben Price has claimed that the soap is becoming more gritty to keep viewers "involved and interested".

Recent press criticism surrounding the ITV1 show's storylines has suggested that the programme is steering away from its roots by tackling darker and more controversial subject matters.

However, in an interview with Bang Showbiz, Price dismissed talk of a crisis on the cobbles and insisted that Coronation Street bosses are merely trying to keep the show relevant.

The actor, who plays Weatherfield businessman Nick Tilsley, commented: "I think the show has definitely steered away from what it started as, but it was launched in black and white. If you don't move on or try anything new you'll still be stuck in black and white with Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner sweeping up the street.

"It was 50 years ago, it's not a series that has been running for three years - it's 50 years old and you have to keep coming up with new storylines to keep the audience involved and interested. The viewing figures are actually up and the audience clearly like these shocking storylines, as they're watching them. That's what matters."

Price added: "We're probably going into the arena that used to be occupied solely by EastEnders and I think people are perhaps making a bit too much of it all. It's good to have been talking about it, we shouldn't forget that."

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson recently defended the soap's performance, explaining that reports of a ratings crisis were "inaccurate and disingenuous".

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## alan45

Corrie Summer Spoilers

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lizann (27-07-2011)

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## lizann

^ That dont excite me much and some of it has happened already

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## Perdita

Ex-Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay has defended Michelle Collins against recent criticism of her Northern accent.

The former EastEnders actress adopted the dialect when she took on the role of new Rovers Return manager Stella Price. However, reports have suggested that her accent was causing displeased viewers to switch the ITV soap off. 

"Half the cast aren't from Manchester," Lindsay, who played landlady Shelley Unwin until 2006, told What's On TV. "There's all kinds of weird Northern accents going on."

She continued: "I don't understand what the big deal is about it. OK, so she's not a genuine Manchester accent, but you don't get that unless you're from Manchester."

Lindsay recalled how she received "horrible" criticism when she first joined the serial in 2001.

"When I went behind that bar I had so much rubbish written about me and six months later I was the best thing that had ever happened to the show," she said. "And it's horrible because you're thinking, 'Why? What am I doing wrong?'

"I did used to look down the camera, which was a slight problem, but I got over that, but I just think it's nonsense and it's awful it's happened to one person."

Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson recently hit back at "inaccurate and disingenuous" press claims made about the soap's ratings.

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## alan45

Its not just Michelles dodgy accent that has viewers turning off Corrie. Its her unbelievable character her ridiculous partner and hateful daughter combined with a pitiful storyline. Shes not that good an actor either

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## Katy

thats what my dad has said, he was like the accent doesnt bother him, its the fact shes not really a good actress in this or in other things she has done!

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alan45 (29-07-2011)

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## Perdita

Former Coronation Street star Angela Griffin has defended Michelle Collins's attempts at a Northern accent.

Collins joined the ITV1 soap in June as Stella Price, but has since received criticism for her fake Northern accent.

Griffin defended her accent, telling the Sunday Mirror: "I think Michelle Collins is brilliant and a fabulous actress. I've heard her Northern accent and think it's ace!"

As for whether Griffin would ever return to the show as Fiona Middleton, she added: "I would never say no. I'd never turn down a job because I'm self-employed!"

Former Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay and current actress Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Collins's on-screen daughter Eva, have also insisted that there is nothing wrong with her Northern accent.

Producers are said to have handed Collins a last chance storyline to help viewers warm to Stella.

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## tammyy2j

I'm sick of hearing about "accentgate"

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alan45 (14-08-2011)

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## alan45

> I'm sick of hearing about "accentgate"


It's just the ITV publicity machine trying their hardest to generate publicity for Michelle by almost daily dragging up people to say Michelles a wonderful actress and her rendition of a Mancunian accent is so good that even a native would have difficulty realising she wasn't a local. Every week there is some new story about how wonderful she is.

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## alan45

THIS is the moment Stella Price is mown down by drunk driver Carla Connor - leaving the Corrie landlady fighting for life.

Stella, played by Michelle Collins, is chasing after daughter Leanne (Jane Danson), when Carla careers round a corner after boozing at her engagement party - with fiance Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel) beside her.

A source said: "It's touch and go for Stella. Leanne is devastated.

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Dazzle (02-09-2011)

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## Perdita

CORRIE'S Michelle Collins has defended Anne Hathaway's much-criticised Yorkshire accent in film One Day.

Ex-EastEnder Michelle suffered similar attacks on her northern accent as the 28-year-old American, when she first appeared as Rovers Return manager Stella Price.

Michelle, 50, told This Morning's Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes yesterday: "I felt really sorry for Anne Hathaway."

The actress whose character will be seen fighting for her life when she's mown down by drunk Carla Connor (Alison King) on tomorrow's Corrie, said criticism of her has died away.

She added: "It is fine now but it sort of means that I have to work twice as hard. I have a little dictaphone and I have to sort of do everything into it and listen back all the time.

"I think it's about people getting used to you. People knew me and this whole thing that I'd come from EastEnders, which actually was 15 years ago, and they know me as a southerner."

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Glen1 (03-09-2011)

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## alan45

> CORRIE'S Michelle Collins has defended Anne Hathaway's much-criticised Yorkshire accent in film One Day.
> 
> Ex-EastEnder Michelle suffered similar attacks on her northern accent  when she first appeared as Rovers Return manager Stella Price.


And Michelle is such an expert at her Mancunian accent

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Glen1 (03-09-2011)

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## Glen1

If Ms.Collins thinks criticism of her has died away she should log on to this site. It isn't just the accent and heaven knows that's rubbish it's the acting that's  in the same category.I wouldn't worry too much about a dictaphone get yourself a voice coach and maybe a few lessons at drama school. Yes ,you are remembered from Eastenders nothing's changed much and only 15 years ago ,it seems like only yesterday. The only saving grace that with her next storyline confined to hospital bed she only has to lie there and if they push a few tubes down her throat we won't have to listen to her.

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## alan45

Why don't they just kill her off along with her family. They have failed and have NO redeeming features

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Glen1 (07-09-2011)

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## Chloe O'brien

I don't understand why she had to try and do a Manchester accent, when in real life there are many people with different accents living in streets and town across the country. They should just have let her use her own accent. I think they are just trying to use this as a smoke screen to possibly get rid of Stella and co as soon as their contracts are up as her and her daughter have not made a great start to their corrie career

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alan45 (07-09-2011), Glen1 (07-09-2011)

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## layla

Being born in Manchester. It dose not bother me that her accents not that good. Getting used to it now. The only thing, I am not getting used to is the daughter. She is rubbish and needs to go.

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Glen1 (08-09-2011), owenlee4me (09-09-2011)

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## alan45

> Being born in Manchester. It dose not bother me that her accents not that good. Getting used to it now. The only thing, I am not getting used to is the daughter. She is rubbish and needs to go.


The whole family are crap. They have no redeeming features whatsoever.  They do not gel as a family..  The storyline which put them in charge of the Rovers was as big a joke as the one which brought the atrocious Kate Ford back to our screens. Oh for John Stape to return on a killing spree

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Glen1 (08-09-2011)

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## owenlee4me

bravo totally applaud your comment, yep lets ditch eva, she is just annoying full stop.....................................

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alan45 (09-09-2011), Glen1 (09-09-2011)

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## alan45

> bravo totally applaud your comment, yep lets ditch eva, she is just annoying full stop.....................................


You forgot to mention that she couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag. She is playing her character like a spoilt adolescent schoolgirl instead of an adult , but Thanks for your well appreciated applause

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## Perdita

Michelle Collins reckons her Corrie character Stella Price would love a fling with one of Weatherfield's younger men.
The former EastEnders actress said if the pub landlady had the chance, she'd opt for one of the soap's twenty-something hunks over the more mature men on the cobbles.
"She's a bit flirty with the younger guys so in her dreams maybe she'd fall for a toyboy like Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) or Tommy Duckworth (Chris Fountain). Someone who is young and fun," she told OK! magazine.
As for her own romantic prospects, single Michelle said internet dating wasn't an option.
"I don't think I would because I'd have to lie about who I am. I tell all my friends to do it, but when it comes to me I don't.
"I'm just a bit of a romantic at heart and think there's someone out there waiting for me. I was told by a psychic that I'd meet someone this year."

PA

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## parkerman

> I was told by a psychic that I'd meet someone this year."


Hopefully the producer with her P45...

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alan45 (10-09-2011), Siobhan (10-09-2011)

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## tammyy2j

Stella is to get a tomboy lover according to latest soap mag and Peter and Tommy are pictured with her

----------


## Perdita

> Stella is to get a tomboy lover according to latest soap mag and Peter and Tommy are pictured with her


should be Tommmy then, would not call Peter a tomboy lover

----------

Glen1 (03-10-2011)

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## parkerman

> Stella is to get a tomboy lover


Why? 

Why does every married person in Coronation Street have to have an affair? Can't anyone ever remain faithful?

----------

alan45 (03-10-2011), Glen1 (03-10-2011), Perdita (03-10-2011)

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## Glen1

[QUOTE=Perdita;757702]should be Tommmy then, would not call Peter a tomboy lover[/QU

An assasin would have been better,and if we all had a whip round he could have taken care of Traceyluv as well.

----------

alan45 (03-10-2011), Perdita (03-10-2011)

----------


## alan45

> Why? 
> 
> Why does every married person in Coronation Street have to have an affair? Can't anyone ever remain faithful?


I tried to think of someone but couldn't

----------


## tammyy2j

> Why? 
> 
> Why does every married person in Coronation Street have to have an affair? Can't anyone ever remain faithful?


Karl and Stella arent married 

Affairs are a must for all soap couples

----------


## Perdita

> Karl and Stella arent married 
> 
> Affairs are a must for all soap couples


They are living together and allegedly love each other, or so they both claimed when Stella was involved in the car crash

----------


## alan45

Who actually cares about any of the three of them. The sooner they go the better. No matter what story lines the give them to force us to like them it will not work,

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's John Michie has revealed that his character Karl Munro will become a gambling addict in a new storyline.

Barman Karl, married to Stella (Michelle Collins), won Â£1,000 from Ciaran McCarthy (Keith Duffy) in a game of poker earlier this week.

However, ex-Taggart star Michie has teased details of his alter ego's descent into debt after "a few big losses".

He told the Daily Record: "He is going to be gambling for a while and eventually he will have a few big losses, which is great for me. 

"You know what gamblers are like, he has to lie, drinks a little bit more than he should and it is going to cause tension in his relationships."

The 55-year-old explained that his involvement in Corrie will increase in 2012 as a result of the plot.

"This is Karl getting his feet under the table, in a sense," he continued. "When I was asked to join the show, I was told initially they would bed me in and there is a lot planned for next year. He needs a strong storyline like this for people to get inside his mind a bit.

"I've really worked out who Karl is. It's just the audience who have to get to know him and that's happening about now."

----------


## alan45

Bad news. That means that we will have to put up with this useless family for a bit longer. I thought they were going to bin Stellaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh and her dodgy accent and pitiful acting.

----------


## Glen1

Why would anyone want to get inside Karl's mind , the fact he's with Stellurgghh speaks volumes. Get rid of 'em and the daughter .

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alan45 (20-11-2011)

----------


## owenlee4me

[COLOR="blue"[/COLOR]
OH how boring another addiction story line, we have had Peter Barlow and CArla to drink, now this??
Is Weatherfield full of drunks, gamblers, murderers and rapists, good thing it's a fiction town, otherwise they would need an estate agent!!

Not really very exciting, Karl is not the most interesting person (even thou he's said, they would bed me in) personally would be better if he had a mysterious past, something we could guess at, but this????
ah well i can always record and fast forward

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alan45 (21-11-2011)

----------


## alan45

Michelle Collins is to be offered a new Coronation Street contract next month. :Crying:  :Sick: 

The former EastEnders actress, who now plays Rovers Return manager Stella Price on the ITV1 soap, is said to have impressed producers with her stint on the soap and her character will be involved in a key storyline in the New Year.  Pity she hasnt impressed the viewers



Her on-screen family - partner Karl Munro (John Michie) and daughter Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) are also said to be staying on the cobbles, and an insider told The Mirror that the actors were to be rewarded with new deals as *"the viewers took to them".* what absolute bollocks

"I am enjoying myself much more these days," Collins is quoted as saying. "It was a tough role to step into - like going into the royal family!"

A Coronation Street spokesperson confirmed the news, adding: "Everyone is really pleased."  :Nono:  Im sure 7 million are not at all pleased

Collins first appeared in Coronation Street in June of this year and her on-screen debut attracted over eight million viewers.  Who laughed at her po$$ poor acting, crap storyline and rubbish accent

----------


## parkerman

So, is that a yes to Michelle Collins staying on then?

----------


## owenlee4me

it's not Michelle Collins thats totally to blame for the familys lack of appeal, Karl "whats his face" is just not very interesting to a woman not attractive no endearing qualities (bit like Nick Tilsley) , Eva is a spoilt petulant young lady and we can of have enough strong women characters already (Becky, Kylie, Tracy, Leanne etc) so to bring another lady with not really nice qualities is something we don't need, so no one really is interested in the family
I think Trudie will maybe get better storylines and then we will warm to her, maybe an affair with the doc!!!

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## alan45

> I think Trudie will maybe get better storylines and then we will warm to her, maybe an affair with the doc!!!



Who is Trudie

----------


## parkerman

> Who is Trudie


The elephant in the room, the phantom at the feast, the skeleton in the cupboard? Maybe all three. Who knows?

----------


## tammyy2j

> it's not Michelle Collins thats totally to blame for the familys lack of appeal, Karl "whats his face" is just not very interesting to a woman not attractive no endearing qualities (bit like Nick Tilsley) , Eva is a spoilt petulant young lady and we can of have enough strong women characters already (Becky, Kylie, Tracy, Leanne etc) so to bring another lady with not really nice qualities is something we don't need, so no one really is interested in the family
> I think Trudie will maybe get better storylines and then we will warm to her, maybe an affair with the doc!!!


I wouldnt class Tracey and Kylie in the same league as Becky and Leanne 

I dont mind Stella but cant stand Karl and Eva

----------


## DrSyn

Frankly I feel that any boring characters is down to the script writers and as for Michelle's accent well I've been living in Ireland for the last nearly 3 years and I still don't have an Irish accent (It's still Southern England) So as far as I'm concerned - no problem. 

P.s. how many different accents in your street?

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## parkerman

> Frankly I feel that any boring characters is down to the script writers and as for Michelle's accent well I've been living in Ireland for the last nearly 3 years and I still don't have an Irish accent (It's still Southern England) So as far as I'm concerned - no problem. 
> 
> P.s. how many different accents in your street?


Yes, but she's supposed to be from Manchester. She's not supposed to be a Southerner!

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## alan45

> Frankly I feel that any boring characters is down to the script writers and as for Michelle's accent well I've been living in Ireland for the last nearly 3 years and I still don't have an Irish accent (It's still Southern England) So as far as I'm concerned - no problem. 
> 
> P.s. how many different accents in your street?


I bet whn you return to Southern England your pals think you have an Irish Accent. You probably dont realise it.
Anyway Michelle is allegedly an actress so accents shouldnt be a problem fo her

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## owenlee4me

oops I mean Stellla!!! guess that shows how much impact she has eh if I can't remember her name!!!!

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## DrSyn

> I bet whn you return to Southern England your pals think you have an Irish Accent. You probably dont realise it.
> Anyway Michelle is allegedly an actress so accents shouldnt be a problem fo her


On that thought Barbara Windsor had a charmed life with her only accent.

Actually around here I have more than once been asked what part of America I'm from

 :Smile:

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## alan45

> On that thought Barbara Windsor had a charmed life with her only accent.
> 
> Actually around here I have more than once been asked what part of America I'm from


Likewise Sean Connery

----------


## DrSyn

That must be the answer She is from Manchester but spent some time in Albert Square and now has a mixed accent. Well spotted Alan

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## alan45

> That must be the answer She is from Manchester but spent some time in Albert Square and now has a mixed accent. Well spotted Alan


More likely reason is that she is a crap actor

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## layla

> Yes, but she's supposed to be from Manchester. She's not supposed to be a Southerner!


Does it really matter about her accent. I am born and bred in Manchester. Lots of my neighbours were Irish, even some southeners, my father was a Scot. My sister has an aussie accent from years of living their. We don't all talk like the Oasis brothers. :Nono: 

Corrie writer are off the boil at the moment. Need a new producer. This one is utter rubbish. :Wal2l:

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## alan45

> Does it really matter about her accent.


Not really. Its about her acting ability or lack of. The storyline surrounding her arrival was particularly crap

----------


## alan45

CORRIE star Michelle Collins has raised eyebrows among cast pals by enjoying a break in New York with her teenage daughter and Street boss Phil Collinson.

The actress, 50, went sightseeing and took in a Broadway show with him before daughter Maia posted snaps on Twitter of them in the Big Apple.

Michelle, set to sign a bumper new contract when she returns to work as Rovers boss Stella Price, spent six days in the US.

But the fact she was with her producer sparked gossip among some Corrie crew and cast back home.

One established member of the team said: âIt all sounds a bit close to home. No one has ever known someone to go off on holiday with one of the bosses. People will be having a good old tittle-tattle about this.

âNo one likes favouritism but it certainly looks like Michelle has confirmed herself as one of Philâs favourites. He did bring her in as Stella and stuck by her through the tough times when she was getting flak for having a supposedly dodgy northern accent.

âAnd we know they have been to some charity events together. But to be seen having a pre-Christmas break in New York together really seems a step too far.â

Ex-EastEnders star Michelle was snapped looking relaxed and happy on the Brooklyn Bridge while daughter Maia, 15, proudly posted photos of her and Collinson in the cityâs High Line park and on Broadway after they had seen Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.

Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley, who joined the show at the same time as Michelle to play her feisty daughter Eva, was one of the first to see Maiaâs Twitter snaps.

She said: âDid you guys have a fab time? I sooo want to go next yearâ¦.give my love to your mummy.â
Collinson and Michelle went on an unprecedented public relations mission earlier in the year to dismiss claims that 

Corrie viewers were turning off because of their dislike for the new Price family.

The 41-year-old producer also denied he hired Michelle because they were old pals.  I suppoese it was because of her great acting ability then

He added: âMichelleâs casting was completely democratic. It was made by committee and absolutely not my decision alone.â

Speaking about her part in Corrie, Michelle said: âIt was a tough role to step into â like going into the Royal Family.â

----------

Glen1 (01-01-2012)

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## Perdita

Michelle Collins has said that Coronation Street viewers are generally more positive about her accent now.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the Stella Price actress insisted that she does not believe her Manchester twang has altered at all since joining in June last year.

Producer Phil Collinson and various cast members have publicly defended Collins after her debut performance as the show's new Rovers Return landlady drew criticism from some sections.

She admitted: "It's funny, people now come up to me and say, 'Oh your accent is much better now', but I haven't changed a thing!"

Referring to her role on EastEnders, which she played between 1988 and 1998, the 51-year-old added: "I knew it was always going to be hard for people to adjust to seeing Cindy Beale in the Rovers at first.

"But I think now viewers have accepted me a bit more, it's great."

Collins, whose character is currently involved in a gambling storyline, recently signed a new contract with the ITV soap.

----------


## Katy

I did think she was getting better but when she went all dramatic over leanne leaving she was really bad and ott. and the accent proper grated on me!!

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alan45 (24-02-2012)

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has revealed he's become fascinated by gambling addiction, while preparing for his latest storyline.
The former star of The Bill plays Karl Munro, partner of Rovers landlady Stella, and the character's card-playing hobby is starting to cause him some trouble.
John told Inside Soap magazine: "If you'd asked me a little while ago, I probably wouldn't have chosen a gambling story for my character, but it's made me realise that it's a fascinating addiction to have - if you can use 'fascinating' and 'addiction' in the same sentence!
"I love the way that it's all going to be mixed in with Karl's affair with Sunita as well."
The Scottish actor also confessed he enjoys a bit of a flirt, just like his character.
He said: "I always put little bits of me in every part I play. So yes, there are elements of Karl in me.
"I like a bit of a flirt, I've been a ne'er-do-well at times, and I can be a tad lazy!"

PA

----------


## Dazzle

> She admitted: "It's funny, people now come up to me and say, 'Oh your accent is much better now', but I haven't changed a thing!"


This smacks of arrogance to me.  If I'd received the criticism that Michelle Collins had, I'd get a coach to help me with the accent (or a different coach if I already had one).

I can tell her accent hasn't changed because it still grates on me as much as ever.

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## alan45

> If I'd received the criticism that Michelle Collins had, I'd get a coach to help me with the accent (or a different coach if I already had one).
> 
> .


I know what sort of a coach she needs

----------

Dazzle (25-02-2012), parkerman (25-02-2012)

----------


## alan45

The actress, formerly Cindy Beale in EastEnders, confessed in a frank interview with The Sun that her stint on Coronation Street has been far from plain sailing.

Michelle, now playing northerner Stella Price, revealed: "I thought I could just come in through the back door. But, as landlady of the Rovers, you just can't do that!

"I am having a great time working on Corrie but it's also really tough and I don't think you can ever feel settled in a job.

"I act each scene as if it's going to be my last. You never know if you are going to get a scene where you die!"

Not that Street bosses have any plans to kill Stella off — far from it. They've packed her diary with storylines. Over the next few weeks, an unsuspecting Stella discovers Karl has been gambling away the couple's savings, running up tens of thousands of pounds' worth of debt too — and when the pub boss finds out, she sends him packing.


But Karl has also been growing close to her best friend Sunita who, feeling unloved at home, is happy to be his shoulder to cry on.

Michelle is looking forward to the gritty plot which will leave viewers wondering whether Karl does the dirty on her or not.

"I don't want to work on a soap where you are just pouring tea," says Michelle.

"For me, it would be soul-destroying and now people have had a chance to get to know Stella, it's great to be given some big storylines.

"She is a strong, feisty woman who is very much the breadwinner. But the question is: Can a strong woman have it all? Yes, she has got a pub she always dreamed of owning and a daughter she has found but all this has meant she has taken her eye off the ball when it comes to her own marriage."



Michelle thinks the storyline will strike a chord with many women who constantly wonder if they have "got it all".

Ask this very question to Michelle and she thinks not.

The actress, who has a 15-year-old daughter, Maia, from a previous relationship with Fabrizio Tassalini, confesses: "No, I don't think I have ever had it all.

"When I think about the good jobs and great relationships I have had in the past, I think they have come at different times.

"I really do think that whilst men may initially be happy you are a strong woman, they don't like it after a while."

Michelle has enjoyed several long romances and been engaged but she has never married.

Now single and happy to be so, she goes on to reveal that she finds it hard to meet potential boyfriends who are happy to let her take all the limelight — given she is a TV star.

She says: "I need to find a man who is quite happy with that. But would I date another actor? No.

"Two actors for me don't really go. It is not a marriage or relationship made in heaven.

"There is too much insecurity if one is out of work and it can become very competitive if one is more successful than the other.

"For me, I don't think it would be a good idea to date an actor.

"This storyline with Stella is good and I think it does strike a chord with people. It makes you wonder if you can have a career and keep a man happy at the same time. I am sure it works for some people." Michelle also admits she has found it hard commuting from her London home, where her daughter lives, to Manchester every week — but moaning about it is definitely not her style.

She says: "Playing Stella is a great role and I feel lucky to have been given the chance when there are so many actresses who aren't working very much.

"It's tough, though, because Corrie is not based in my home town. I wouldn't moan because a lot of people in Manchester could turn around and say, 'Well, I can do that job' and I feel grateful to be playing Stella. But being a single parent is difficult. It constantly means I am juggling and, yes, I have a good team around me as my family help out and I have someone who lives in but I want to be there for my daughter too.

"It's why I am happy being on my own right now. I can't come back home and then go out at weekends, going on a date."

While the rest of the cast have made Michelle feel at home on set, she confesses there was a difficult time after critics questioned her northern accent.

"That was horrible," reveals Michelle. "It did make me go home and think, 'I want to leave.' But then I realised I needed to put everything into perspective. I was like, 'No, I have been an actress for a long time. I can't be that c**p or I wouldn't be here today.'

"I had to keep my head held high. I couldn't walk out." Now seven months on, Michelle is chuffed to bits that viewers have taken her character to their hearts.

She adds: "People are now really positive about Stella. I have received some lovely letters with people saying such nice things."

But does Michelle see herself staying in the soap for a long time?

The down-to-earth actress says she would not be so arrogant as to think she has a right to be in such a top-rated soap for ever. "It's very easy to get lazy but I would never do that," she says. "I love Coronation Street but I really could not say if I will be here in ten years.

"My family and friends are down in London and I am leading a nomadic life at the moment. I don't know how long I will be able to keep it up for but I am enjoying myself a lot."

And when she isn't busy working or spending time with her daughter, she is happy to champion Barnardo's Child In Crisis Appeal.

She says: "I've seen first-hand the families that Barnardo's work with and it is clear to me that many of them really are at crisis point.

"Barnardo's services help the poorest families, many who are being priced out of a decent living." With that parting shot, Michelle has to dash off to learn lines for her next scene.

As she leaves, you wonder if she will ever find love again and be able to boast that she is, indeed, a woman who has it all.

She declares: "I've met a lot of frogs and maybe a prince will come along but right now I really don't need a man

"I am not just saying that. My priority is my daughter. She will always come first."

----------


## alan45

The actress, formerly Cindy Beale in EastEnders, confessed in a frank interview with The Sun that her stint on Coronation Street has been far from plain sailing.

Michelle, now playing northerner Stella Price, revealed: "I thought I could just come in through the back door. But, as landlady of the Rovers, you just can't do that!

"I am having a great time working on Corrie but it's also really tough and I don't think you can ever feel settled in a job.

"I act each scene as if it's going to be my last. You never know if you are going to get a scene where you die!"

Not that Street bosses have any plans to kill Stella off â far from it. They've packed her diary with storylines. Over the next few weeks, an unsuspecting Stella discovers Karl has been gambling away the couple's savings, running up tens of thousands of pounds' worth of debt too â and when the pub boss finds out, she sends him packing.


But Karl has also been growing close to her best friend Sunita who, feeling unloved at home, is happy to be his shoulder to cry on.

Michelle is looking forward to the gritty plot which will leave viewers wondering whether Karl does the dirty on her or not.

"I don't want to work on a soap where you are just pouring tea," says Michelle.

"For me, it would be soul-destroying and now people have had a chance to get to know Stella, it's great to be given some big storylines.

"She is a strong, feisty woman who is very much the breadwinner. But the question is: Can a strong woman have it all? Yes, she has got a pub she always dreamed of owning and a daughter she has found but all this has meant she has taken her eye off the ball when it comes to her own marriage."



Michelle thinks the storyline will strike a chord with many women who constantly wonder if they have "got it all".

Ask this very question to Michelle and she thinks not.

The actress, who has a 15-year-old daughter, Maia, from a previous relationship with Fabrizio Tassalini, confesses: "No, I don't think I have ever had it all.

"When I think about the good jobs and great relationships I have had in the past, I think they have come at different times.

"I really do think that whilst men may initially be happy you are a strong woman, they don't like it after a while."

Michelle has enjoyed several long romances and been engaged but she has never married.

Now single and happy to be so, she goes on to reveal that she finds it hard to meet potential boyfriends who are happy to let her take all the limelight â given she is a TV star.

She says: "I need to find a man who is quite happy with that. But would I date another actor? No.

"Two actors for me don't really go. It is not a marriage or relationship made in heaven.

"There is too much insecurity if one is out of work and it can become very competitive if one is more successful than the other.

"For me, I don't think it would be a good idea to date an actor.

"This storyline with Stella is good and I think it does strike a chord with people. It makes you wonder if you can have a career and keep a man happy at the same time. I am sure it works for some people." Michelle also admits she has found it hard commuting from her London home, where her daughter lives, to Manchester every week â but moaning about it is definitely not her style.

She says: "Playing Stella is a great role and I feel lucky to have been given the chance when there are so many actresses who aren't working very much.

"It's tough, though, because Corrie is not based in my home town. I wouldn't moan because a lot of people in Manchester could turn around and say, 'Well, I can do that job' and I feel grateful to be playing Stella. But being a single parent is difficult. It constantly means I am juggling and, yes, I have a good team around me as my family help out and I have someone who lives in but I want to be there for my daughter too.

"It's why I am happy being on my own right now. I can't come back home and then go out at weekends, going on a date."

While the rest of the cast have made Michelle feel at home on set, she confesses there was a difficult time after critics questioned her northern accent.

"That was horrible," reveals Michelle. "It did make me go home and think, 'I want to leave.' But then I realised I needed to put everything into perspective. I was like, 'No, I have been an actress for a long time. I can't be that c**p or I wouldn't be here today.'

"I had to keep my head held high. I couldn't walk out." Now seven months on, Michelle is chuffed to bits that viewers have taken her character to their hearts.

She adds: "People are now really positive about Stella. I have received some lovely letters with people saying such nice things."

But does Michelle see herself staying in the soap for a long time?

The down-to-earth actress says she would not be so arrogant as to think she has a right to be in such a top-rated soap for ever. "It's very easy to get lazy but I would never do that," she says. "I love Coronation Street but I really could not say if I will be here in ten years.

"My family and friends are down in London and I am leading a nomadic life at the moment. I don't know how long I will be able to keep it up for but I am enjoying myself a lot."

And when she isn't busy working or spending time with her daughter, she is happy to champion Barnardo's Child In Crisis Appeal.

She says: "I've seen first-hand the families that Barnardo's work with and it is clear to me that many of them really are at crisis point.

"Barnardo's services help the poorest families, many who are being priced out of a decent living." With that parting shot, Michelle has to dash off to learn lines for her next scene.

As she leaves, you wonder if she will ever find love again and be able to boast that she is, indeed, a woman who has it all.

She declares: "I've met a lot of frogs and maybe a prince will come along but right now I really don't need a man

"I am not just saying that. My priority is my daughter. She will always come first."

----------


## alan45

ACTOR John Michie today takes the Sunday Mail behind the scenes on Coronation Street, Taggart and the loving family life that has been the foundation of his acclaimed career.
In his fullest interview yet, the Corrie star - who is about to enjoy a huge storyline with badboy character Karl Munro - talks of his African childhood and his dismay at the demise of Taggart.
He also reveals how he fell in love with Hot Gossip dancer Carol Fletcher and how their three kids have followed him into showbiz.
Actor pays tribute to colleagues in Weatherfield...and Maryhill

John yesterday said he cannot wait for his Corrie character Karl to hurtle into a gambling hell.
Hooked on casinos, Karl is about to get deeper and deeper into trouble with massive repercussions for those around him.
The star, who joined Britainâs most famous soap last year, said: âItâs really going to kick off for Karl shortly.
âHe has been set up as a gambler and a dodgy character so it should be quite fun but very hard work and thereâs a nice little twist in it.â
It will mean plenty of extra hours on set for John as his character takes centre stage.
He added: âCorrie is brutal. There are five episodes shot a week.
âThey shoot 15 episodes over three weeks and you just mix in and out of those.
âSo you have to know whatâs going on with your character across all those episodes and you could be going into one of those at any time on any day.
âYou finish each night at about 7.30, grab something to eat and learn your lines for the next day. Then itâs up at 6am to do it again. Itâs insane.

âIf you have a big storyline, then you are exhausted. I donât think people realise how incredibly talented people like Ali King (Carla Connor) and the rest of the cast are.
âSometimes these storylines go on for months and at the end of it you are just a blubbering wreck. Thereâs no downtime on a big storyline. Itâs not surprising people collapse and get sent to hospital.
âThe other thing about a soap is that youâre on your own. Thereâs no music to push along the drama to tell you the emotional state of the character, not much time to light the set and hardly any time to shoot it so you are banging it off and moving on right away. You donât get to do it again and again.
âIâm really looking forward to this and I hope I do it justice but I know it will be very hard work.â
For John, Coronation Street is like coming home. His dad was a Scots banker but his mum was from Rochdale in Lancashire and the first TV programme he remembers watching was Coronation Street with legendary characters such as Ena Sharples, Annie Walker and Elsie Tanner.
The accents are those of his childhood cousins and aunties and uncles.
It is still the only soap he watches and he is a huge fan. When producer Phil Collinson offered him the part, he did not need a second to think about it.
A few weeks later, behind the bar of The Rovers Return, it suddenly came home to him exactly where he was.
John said: âIt was a bit, âOh my God, so this is actually itâ.
âWhat is slightly intimidating is standing there pulling a pint and the person on the other side of the bar is someone like Steve McDonald or Sean Tully. Theyâve all worked behind the bar and you know that used to be their space and now youâre invading it and theyâre kind of looking at you thinking, âI wonder how heâs going to doâ.â
But that does not stop John describing Corrie as âone of the friendliest sets he has ever been onâ.
He added: âThey are all amazing. No one talks too much about acting. Itâs all very casual.
âOne of the first people I met was Annie Kirkbride (Deirdre) and she didnât come up to me and shake my hand or ask who I was. She just said, âOh, hello â whatâs your star sign?â I said, âScorpioâ. She said, âLovely, youâll get on with him and herâ. She started going on about astrology.
âItâs a bit like going into a mad, extended family with older relatives and young kids. Then thereâs the parenty types and thereâs uncles and aunties and they all look after each other.
âThere are very few people who pull rank in the show. None of that starry nonsense goes on simply, I think, because there are so many â there are 65 adult actors and about 10 kids. Half of them do most of the work but it still means there are about 70 people.â
Karl arrived in the street with his partner Stella, played by ex-EastEnders star Michelle Collins, as the new manager of The Rovers Return.
She is an old friend of John from his days on soap Albion Market. The pair used to hang out in London and it has made it easy for them to hit it off as a couple in Corrie. Pushed to get a job by Stella, he becomes a mini-cab driver and finds mates in Lloyd Mullaney (Craig Charles) and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson).
John said: âKarl will turn his hand to anything so he gets a job with Street Cars.
âThose scenes are great fun because itâs the only laddie place in Coronation Street â the soap is basically about women. Itâs about strong women and weak men.
âBut me, Craig and Simon in the office are just having a laugh, chucking darts, messing about and talking about women and football.
âUnfortunately, a lot of these scenes get cut because, if they need to drop something, theyâll cut a scene that doesnât really add to the story.â
With the Streetâs imminent move to a new location in Salford, however, that might change.
The new set will see the actual street â currently only wide enough for one car â becoming much broader, allowing two vehicles to pass.
This could mean John and the boys being filmed just hanging out in their taxis and chatting rather than so many scenes in the mini-cab office.
John said: âBut we love it in there because itâs our own ladsâ hideaway â away from the madness of all those domineering women.â
My return to Africa

John credits a quick burst of Swahili with winning him a leading role in African movie To Walk With Lions.
He appeared with hellraiser Richard Harris in the film but reckons he clinched the role at the audition by speaking some Swahili he learned while living in Kenya as a boy.
He was born in Burma but his parents, Harry and Elsie, moved to Kenya when he was three and he spent nine years in Nakuru.
As a boy immersed in Kenyan culture, he picked up the language, which was to stand him in good stead when he went for the Lions interview.
The film tells the story of George Adamson, husband of Joy, who spent his last years protecting the lions and other wildlife on the Kora Reserve in Kenya.
The cast and crew all arrived on location and began filming while waiting on Harris to turn up.
John recalled: âWe did as much as we could without him and some of it was quite scary.
âThere was a sequence we shot in a Land Rover where I am driving. Thereâs a metal grille behind me and behind that the lion trainer with a long pole with a piece of meat hanging over my head and the shot is the lion trying to get me.
âThis thing hadnât been fed for a long time. There was no acting required â it was absolutely terrifying.â
On another occasion he was hit in the face by a thorn tree and the inch-long thorns had to be carefully picked out one by one.
John said: âRichard arrived a week later and I remember meeting him in the game lodge. He was covered in a turban-type thing and an all-in-one jumpsuit. Every bit of his body was covered.
âI said, âArenât you hot?â and he said in his Irish accent, âIâm not letting any of those ********** b******s get meâ. I said, âWhat b******s?â and he said, âMosquitoes, I hate ********** mosquitoes.
âWhen I mentioned the lions, he said, âHave you seen the ********** lions? Donât tell anyone I am so scared of them, I am terrified.â He was shaking.â
John added: âWe started having dinner and I was going to the bar for a drink.
âHe said he wasnât allowed to drink but, as we sat at the table, he said, âIâll have a couple of bottles of thatâ, and it was wine.
âI said, âI thought you didnât drinkâ and he said, âThatâs not drinking â thatâs grape juiceâ.â
Honor Blackman came out to play Joy Adamson, Richardâs wife.
John said: âShe was quite grand, which was perfect because Joy was quite grand.
âHonor was like a throwback to the past. This frightfully British woman out in the sticks with all us peasants. She was great.â
The movie went on to a film festival at Las Vegas where a very glamorous American woman came up to John and said: âMy name is Tippi Hedren and I love the film.â
John said: âI just melted. I had seen her in The Birds and she was just gorgeous.
âShe told me she had a game reserve in the hills of LA and wanted me to visit.
âSo I hired a car and went to where she lived. We chatted for ages. I was so in awe of this woman.â

----------


## alan45

*We can live in hope tht some day this will be true*

----------

Dazzle (28-02-2012)

----------


## sarah c

how come Karl is frittering away the couples savings - amounting to tens of thousand pounds worth of debts?  where have these 'savings' come from - they have just struggled to buy the pub??!!

why struggle if you were sat on a big pile of savings?

----------


## Perdita

SEXY Tina McIntyre will be accused of being a thief when money starts vanishing from the Rovers Return.

The brunette finds herself in the firing line when boss Stella Price starts a witch-hunt after someone starts pinching cash from the till.

Tina, played by Michelle Keegan, 24, becomes the prime suspect.

When Stella (Michelle Collins, 51) has no luck blaming her, she turns on Sean Tully (Antony Cotton, 36) and Sunita Alahan (Shobna Gulati, 45).

She tells her staff: âThereâs no easy way of saying this, one of you is a thief.â She is not amused when sarcastic Tina starts to take an eternity to give punters their change. Going over the top in being careful, Tina slowly counts each coin out to her customers, telling them: âIâm told Iâm a thief so youâd better watch your pockets or else Iâll be emp- tying those as well.â

But Stella is in for a shock when the thief is finally exposed as her partner Karl Munro (John Michie, 55).

His admission is part of a plot that sees him become a compulsive gambler.

When Stella finds out she grovels to her indignant staff: âIâm really, really sorry I accused you.

âYouâre all good workers and I should have realised none of you would rob me.â

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's troubled gambling addict Karl Munro faces temptation this week as Sunita Alahan makes a move on him, sparking a major new storyline for the pair.

Sunita's relationship with Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) well and truly hits the rocks in the coming days, but after the mum-of-two drowns her sorrows with a huge drinking session, things go from bad to worse as she ends up being arrested for a public order offence.

When a disgusted Dev refuses to pick Sunita (Shobna Gulati) up from the police station, Karl secretly heads down there to help her out instead. However, he's in for a surprise as Sunita suddenly kisses himâ¦

Digital Spy recently caught up with John Michie, who plays Karl, to hear about the story twist.

What's your take on Karl's attraction to Sunita?
"Well, Karl is a serial flirt - he likes a lot of women! But with Sunita, there's also a shyness about her that he's quite attracted to. Karl's not like that himself, but he finds it intriguing - and he also likes the way that Sunita dresses when she comes into the pub. She's quite sexy in a demure way.

"Sunita is very different from Karl's partner Stella, and he's going through a bit of a turbulent moment in his relationship. So Karl's way out of everything is to just look for another woman!"

Do you think it was only a matter of time before we saw Karl's womanising side?
"I think so! Karl has probably been with Stella for longer than any of his previous partners, but we reckon that's only about four or five years. So it possibly was just a matter of time, and the perfect moment has arisen because Karl's not in a stable place anyway at the moment. His gambling addiction means that he's not the Karl who first arrived at The Rovers, when everything was good in his life."

Karl comes to Sunita's rescue at the police station this week, doesn't he?
"Yes, there's a very kind side to Karl. You may not often see it, but he's actually quite caring. So when Karl sees that Dev isn't going to pick Sunita up from the police station, he's quite shocked and goes to get her. At this point, he is just genuinely helping out - he's not chasing her."

What happens next?
"Sunita is in a highly emotional state, so she comes onto Karl. It doesn't go very far before they pull away, but then Karl starts to regret the fact that it hasn't gone further! You'll see that Karl ends up feeling a bit confused, and that's really the beginning of the relationship that is coming up between him and Sunita. 

"At the start, though, it's a case of Sunita and Karl getting their signals mixed up. Karl is thinking of Stella as well, so it's quite a strange and confusing situation."

Are you enjoying working with Shobna?
"Yes, she's really easy to work with and she's a lot of fun. We rehearse our lines on our own sometimes and work on the scenes together, to make sure we've got it all right. It's very quick on Corrie - you've got to turn up on the set knowing what you're doing. So we get on really well and we're really enjoying working together."

Why have things started to go wrong for Karl and Stella's relationship?
"The main problem between them is that Karl is hiding his gambling, so he's basically living a lie and that's causing stresses and strains to come out in his relationship. Stella doesn't know that Karl has a problem, so she can't understand why Karl is behaving the way he is.

"I've researched gambling addictions with help from Coronation Street and support from Gamblers Anonymous. I've learned that it's an incredibly afflicting addiction - it really does change your whole life around. Just because you're not taking a substance like alcohol or drugs, it doesn't mean to say that your whole personality isn't going to change rapidly. Karl is going downhill as a person, so that's the reason why he and Stella are not getting on."

Karl also steals from the till at The Rovers this week, doesn't he?
"Yes, his problem is spiralling out of control now. But Karl justifies it to himself, thinking that he's just borrowing the money. Karl is a big-time, big-hit gambler now, and he almost thinks that he has some sort of supernatural power to win. 

"From Karl's point of view, if he takes money from the till, that's not stealing - he genuinely believes that he's going to put it back and win even more. He thinks Stella will be really pleased with that, as it'll help to pay the mortgage off on the pub. So in his twisted mind, he's helping her!

"It's an unbelievable addiction, and just because you might not see Karl going down to the casino or down to the bookies in every episode, it doesn't mean to say that he isn't doing it! He's actually going all the time, and you're only seeing the tip of the iceberg."

Do you find it easy to sympathise with your character, even though he's making so many mistakes?
"In a way, I think you have to sympathise with any character that you play. I've found that in the past, even when I've played characters who are darker and more dangerous. There's always a side to them or something in them that you can sympathise with, in order to make the character believable. 

"I can sympathise with the fact that Karl is an addict. It's as simple as that - he has an addiction. People who are addicts need help, and they also have to help themselves. But sure enough, they tend to only help themselves when they reach rock bottom! So I have a sympathy with the fact that Karl is diving deeper and deeper to the bottom - he almost has no control over it."

You've been on our screens since last summer. Do you feel like you've settled in well at Corrie?
"Yes, I'm really enjoying it. It's great fun here and it's like a big family. It's also nice now to have a bit of a meatier story to get my teeth into. It's a funny thing, but when I first came onto this show, I felt at home straight away - I really did." 

How has Corrie compared to your previous work?
"I suppose what's different is that there's 65 actors in this - that's a huge amount of actors all potentially playing leading storylines at some point or another. It's great that there's always loads of people in the green room every day. 

"Corrie's very vibrant, very lively, and very funny - everyone has a laugh. We don't take the business seriously, but we do take the work seriously. There's an irreverent and hardworking atmosphere here, and that suits my personality down to the ground."

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins has predicted that her Corrie character Stella Price will stay with wayward husband Karl.

Next Friday, Rovers Return landlady Stella discovers Karl's gambling habit and the extent of their financial woes after he stages a break-in at the Coronation Street pub. 

The Price matriarch then kicks Karl out of the pub in public view, calling him a "pathetic, lying scumbag", according to Collins.

Speaking to Soaplife, the actress argued that Karl is Stella's "weakness".

"I'm not sure that she can [leave Karl]. She seems strong on the outside, but Karl is her weakness," Collins admitted. "I think she loves him more than she actually knows herself. Like a lot of strong women, there is always someone in the background and they're often very different to their partner."

Karl Munro (John Michie) started an affair with Sunita Alahan (Shobna Gulati) last week.

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has said she thinks Stella Price loves her pub more than her boyfriend Karl Munro.
Stella and gambling addict Karl, played by John Michie, have been having problems recently and he is about to begin an affair with married woman Sunita.
Michelle told Inside Soap magazine: "I'm not sure how Stella will react if she finds out just what Karl has been up to with Sunita lately.
"But after all his recent antics, I reckon that if Stella had to choose between keeping Karl and the Rovers, the pub would win hands down!"
But the soap actress also revealed she thinks Stella would forgive Karl eventually, because deep down she needs him.
Michelle said: "I think Stella loves Karl more than she actually knows herself.
"She's like a lot of strong women who have a weaker person who's almost in their shadow.
"You don't often get very feisty people together in a relationship, because that doesn't work.
"Karl and Stella compliment each other - they're such different people and personalities."

----------


## alan45

> Speaking to Soaplife, the actress argued that Karl is Stella's "weakness".
>  She seems strong on the outside, but Karl is her weakness," Collins admitted. "I think she loves him more than she actually knows herself. L.





> Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has said she thinks Stella Price loves her pub more than her boyfriend Karl Munro.
> , I reckon that if Stella had to choose between keeping Karl and the Rovers, the pub would win hands down!"
> 
> Michelle told Inside Soap magazine: "I think Stella loves Karl more than she actually knows herself.



Confused woman

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has predicted that his character Karl Munro will save his troubled relationship with Stella Price.

Karl is kicked out by Stella later this week after she discovers that his gambling problem has left them in serious debt, putting their future at The Rovers in jeopardy.

However, Michie told itv.com that Karl is clever enough to reclaim his feisty partner's affections.

Michie commented: "I don't think this is the end of Karl and Stella just yet. Karl might seem stupid, but he's not - he's a real operator. So he's not going to let Stella out of his life that easily. 

"He'll find a way to get back, and he'll find a way to keep Sunita dangling on a string."

Sparks have been flying between Karl and Sunita (Shobna Gulati) in recent weeks, as they have comforted each other over their respective relationship problems.

"He has taken a shine to Sunita, mainly because he reckons she listens to him and Stella doesn't," Michie remarked. "Karl is a bit of a user, so if there's someone around that he can use for whatever purposes, he's inclined to get down that road."

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays on ITV1.

----------


## alan45

The Coronation Street actress, who plays Stella Price, has been criticised by some sections of the press for her Northern accent.

Collins interrupted Walsh's special comedy turn by bellowing, "Boring now!", according to The Sun.

"Bradley did a routine where he turned the camera on to various stars and guessed what they were thinking," an insider explained.

"For Michelle, it was something along the lines of 'I wonder if there's an award for an accent?'

"Then he made a jibe about Emmerdale's Paddy wishing he was at a Greggs bakers and one about Corrie's Antony Cotton and kangaroo anuses from I'm a Celeb."

The source went on: "Michelle was not happy and shouted at him: 'Boring now!'"

However, the pair apparently "made up" afterwards, and Walsh - previously a cast member on Corrie - "blamed scriptwriters".

An informant added: "But it really chilled the atmosphere and was pretty embarrassing all round.

"The show's producers promised they would cut it from the final edit for Wednesday night's broadcast. But it remains to be seen whether or not it will stay in."

----------

Glen1 (01-05-2012)

----------


## Glen1

Would be good if it was kept in , might be worth watching the whole boring charade then. Doubt if it will though.

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has expressed his excitement over the future of his ongoing affair storyline.

The actor's character Karl Munro and Rovers barmaid Sunita Alahan are currently enjoying a fling, betraying their respective partners Stella and Dev.

Michie has now told Inside Soap that he expects an explosive reaction when Stella discovers the truth.

He commented: "When Stella finds out about the affair, she's going to want to kill Karl. It would probably be treated as a crime of passion, too! Stella has put a lot of faith in Karl, so that total abuse of trust will completely devastate her.

"As an actor, I'm looking forward to the moment when she does find out, whichever way it ends up being written. There's very little doubt that the sparks will start flying."

Michie also confirmed that Karl will be on good terms with Stella's mum Gloria, played by Sue Johnston, when she joins Weatherfield in the coming weeks.

He said: "Karl actually gets on with Gloria really well. She also quite likes him, and they have good banter. But she'll surely hate him if he hurts her daughter in any way."

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati has said that Sunita's affair plot has made her feel like she is living "in a world of misogynists". 

The actress took to Twitter and complained about how harshly her character had been judged for cheating on Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) with Stella Price's (Michelle Collins) partner Karl Munro (John Michie). 

"Use of the word "slag" for a woman who is "cheating"commonplace with you tweeters and nothing is said about the man WOW #justsayin #baffled," she wrote. 

"Since doing this story about sunita and being back on twitter I realise that we are still in a world of misogynists #2012...yawn yawn yawn bored of the misogyny now!"

When a follower pointed out that the backlash could be because Sunita's affair painted her as a hypocrite, Gulati replied: "Change is as good as a rest...maybe but most people are [hypocrites] when u scratch the surface great debate.... That's the beauty of drama !"

Gulati recently said that she believes Sunita is genuinely in love with Karl.

In a new interview, Harkishin suggested that Dev has been "honourable" as his relationship deteriorates.

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Jimmi Harkishin has offered advice to troubled alter ego Dev Alahan.

Shopkeeper Dev's wife Sunita, who earlier this year admitted she was unhappy in their marriage, is now having an affair with Karl Munroe.

Harkishin believes that Dev ought to tell Sunita to leave her children and family home at number 7.

"I would say, 'Dev, mate, you've tried your best. Throw her out and find a 22-year-old with a bit of cash'," he told Soaplife.

The 53-year-old actor recently predicted that Dev will "be prepared to sweep an affair under the carpet if it meant his family was secure".

Shobna Gulati last week claimed that her character Sunita is in love with Dev as well as secret lover Karl.

Over the coming months, viewers will be left to wonder if either Dev or Karl's partner Stella Price will find out about the affair.

----------


## alan45

> Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati has said that Sunita's affair plot has made her feel like she is living \"in a world of misogynists\". 
> 
> The actress took to Twitter and complained about how harshly her character had been judged for cheating on Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) with Stella Price's (Michelle Collins) partner Karl Munro (John Michie). 
> 
> \"Use of the word \"slag\" for a woman who is \"cheating\"commonplace with you tweeters and nothing is said about the man WOW #justsayin #baffled,\" she wrote. 
> 
> \"Since doing this story about sunita and being back on twitter I realise that we are still in a world of misogynists #2012...yawn yawn yawn bored of the misogyny now!\"
> 
> When a follower pointed out that the backlash could be because Sunita's affair painted her as a hypocrite, Gulati replied: \"Change is as good as a rest...maybe but most people are [hypocrites] when u scratch the surface great debate.... That's the beauty of drama !\"
> ...





> Coronation Street star Jimmi Harkishin has offered advice to troubled alter ego Dev Alahan.
> 
> Shopkeeper Dev's wife Sunita, who earlier this year admitted she was unhappy in their marriage, is now having an affair with Karl Munroe.
> 
> Harkishin believes that Dev ought to tell Sunita to leave her children and family home at number 7.
> 
> \"I would say, 'Dev, mate, you've tried your best. Throw her out and find a 22-year-old with a bit of cash',\" he told Soaplife.
> 
> The 53-year-old actor recently predicted that Dev will \"be prepared to sweep an affair under the carpet if it meant his family was secure\".
> ...



Surely these two posts would be better in your original thread about Sunita and Karl  http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...ghlight=shobna

----------


## tammyy2j

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has revealed viewers have been urging her character Stella Price to leave boyfriend Karl Munro.

Rovers landlady Stella is about to discover ladies' man Karl has been cheating on her with barmaid Sunita Alahan and Michelle told the Coronation Street website how viewers have definitely taken Stella's side over the affair.

"They hate it! They keep telling me to 'get rid of him'!" she revealed.

Michelle added: "I think she is making the right decision, Karl is a loser who is only going to hurt her again if she gives him the chance to. A leopard never changes his spots!"

The soap star revealed this is not the first time Karl has cheated, but Stella feels even more betrayed as she thought Sunita was her friend. She feels humiliated and she and Sunita have a very public catfight.

Michelle said: "She probably feels more betrayed by Sunita, as she took her for a friend and has done so much to help her recently. She feels betrayed by both of them, but I think she expected more from Sunita.

"It has happened before with a few other barmaids. Stella has forgiven him in the past and learnt to trust him again, but this time it's different. She hates him for what he has done to her."

And Michelle doesn't think Stella will be in any hurry to find a new man.

She said: "I think she should concentrate on having some fun. Stella isn't the type to have an affair, so he would have to be single. But after Karl, I think she will focus more on looking after herself and trying to get over the affair."

----------


## alan45

I agree that Stella should leave Karl. 





She should return to Albert Square


He should return to Glasgow


and the gormless Eva back to Hotten Prison

----------

Glen1 (19-07-2012), lizann (19-07-2012)

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins  has disclosed information about her Coronation Street character Stella Price's relationship with Karl Munro.

The actress revealed that Stella has forgiven wayward Karl for flings he had with other women before they moved to Weatherfield.

Next week, Stella and her daughters Leanne and Eva find out about Karl's affair with Sunita in an explosive scene in the Rovers Return.

Collins told ITV.com: "She feels betrayed by both of them, but I think she expected more from Sunita.

"It has happened before with a few other barmaids. 

"Stella has forgiven him in the past and learnt to trust him again, but this time it's different. She hates him for what he has done to her."

The 52-year-old further divulged that fans of the ITV soap have been urging her alter ego to leave the gambling taxi driver.


Â© ITV


She explained: "They hate it! They keep telling me to 'Get rid of him!' I think she is making the right decision, Karl is a loser who is only going to hurt her again if she gives him the chance to. A leopard never changes his spots!"

Collins also seemed to rule out a reunion for the pair, despite having previously proclaimed that Stella is in love with Karl.

"I think she should concentrate on having some fun," she added. "Stella isn't the type to have an affair, so he would have to be single. But after Karl, I think she will focus more on looking after herself and trying to get over the affair."

----------


## alan45

Who cares

----------


## lizann

> Who cares


You Alan of course be honest you love Stella  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## lizann

> Who cares


You Alan of course be honest you love Stella  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## tammyy2j

Coronation Street newcomer Marc Baylis has explained Rob Donovan's attraction to Rovers Return landlady Stella Price.

Speaking to Digital Spy, the actor revealed that Rob hopes to "put a bit of a smile" on Stella's face following her split with love cheat Karl Munro.

Baylis said: "Well, I'm sure that any hot-blooded male out there would probably agree that she is a hot lady! There's a cheeky glint in her eye that he's latched onto - he definitely finds that attractive. 

"It's purely the fact that he does think Stella is very hot. There's no boundaries for Rob where women are concerned. Even though he's been spending a bit of time with Eva, he's up for having a bit of fun elsewhere."

However, Baylis remained coy on whether Stella (Michelle Collins) will reciprocate Rob's advances, adding: "It's not an outright refusal - it's just a bit of teasing and a bit of flirting that's going on. 

"I think Rob's pushing that as far as he possibly can, to see how far he can get with the situation!

"Rob also wants to put a bit of a smile on Stella's face, because he knows exactly what's been going on with Karl. 

"It's not necessarily harmless fun, but he's definitely working to cheer her up a bit."

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street rubbish actor Michelle Collins has hinted that her pitiful character Stella Price will soon embark on a new romance.

The 51-year-old actress - who joined the soap last year - told Metro that the Rover's landlady will fall for a current Weatherfield resident in a forthcoming storyline.

"Stella is going to have a little bit of a romance in her life coming up," Collins said. "I can't really say who it is, but it's quite exciting.

"It is someone on the street and it's someone that people like," she continued. "That's all I'm going to say. I don't really know too much about it as they've just started it."

Viewers saw Stella's marriage collapse earlier this year following husband Karl's affair with barmaid Sunita Alahan (Shobna Gulati). 

When Sunita's husband Dev was suggested as a potential love interest for Stella, Collins refused to comment. However, she said that filming such scenes with Jimmi Harkishin, who plays the corner shop owner, would be interesting.

"I've known Jimmi for years," she said. "We go back a long way, so that would be quite fun. I adore him, he's very funny. It's nice working with him."

Collins also admitted that she would be willing to be involved in some more risquÃ© scenes if the storyline demanded it.

"I'm not sure people would be interested in that, to be honest with you," she joked. "No-one has ever paid me to take my clothes off for a job, ever. 

"Hopefully I've got jobs on my acting ability and nothing else," she continued, "so hopefully I can grow old gracefully. But if the storyline wanted something like that then I'd talk to the director [and] if it was tastefully done, then why not?"

Collins added: "I don't think you can be too precious about these things. But it is Corrie, it's before [the] watershed, so you can't really get away with too much.'

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tammyy2j (14-10-2012)

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## owenlee4me

[FONT="Fixedsys"][/FONT]
Well Stella is to get a fella and we have to guess who it is, seems it's someone liked?
well that rules out Nick Tilsley Kev :Searchme: ,  Lloyd :Sad: , David :Nono: , Ryan :Moonie: , Norris :Wal2l: , Carla's brother :Ponder: , Peter and Ken Barlow :Angry: , not many left cept Tyrone :Cheer: ?

How much on a bet they do the same storyline as in Eastenders with Kat, not telling the viewers who it is for months to keep us guessing, we all know how Soaps copy each others storylines, yep bet thats it!!!

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## parkerman

You've forgotten Roy....

----------


## Perdita

....

----------


## Perdita

> You've forgotten Roy....


and Dennis Tanner  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## tammyy2j

Lloyd or Dev or Steve maybe since he breaks up with Michelle and she gets with Rob

----------


## owenlee4me

> and Dennis Tanner


_Roy? well i know he went through hell when Scary Mary was after him, could not see a strong bold woman like Stella pressing his buttons!_

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## parkerman

> _Roy? well i know he went through hell when Scary Mary was after him, could not see a strong bold woman like Stella pressing his buttons!_


Really? You do surprise me.

----------


## parkerman

> _Roy? well i know he went through hell when Scary Mary was after him, could not see a strong bold woman like Stella pressing his buttons!_


Really? You do surprise me.

----------


## owenlee4me

*I did think of those, DEV? but bit obvious with Karl taking Sunita, But Dev and Stell do seem to get on, and we all know what soaps are like!!
 Lloyd, yea did forget him I try hard too all the time and Steve?, hmmm now your talking, after all common intersts with Pub, he is probably the most liked.
Remember Owen too, but no one really likes him??
But what i want to know is why do they all end up getting off with each other on the street, take Jason,  with Sarah Platt, Rosie Webster and now Maria, can he not find a girl on anthoer street????*

----------


## owenlee4me

why

----------


## lizann

kevin

----------


## owenlee4me

*I remembered Kev, but is he liked??*

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's Jason Grimshaw is to become Stella Price's new lover in a forthcoming storyline, a report has claimed.

The pair jump into bed together later this year after Jason has split from hairdresser Maria Connor, according to the Daily Star.

Rovers boss Stella later considers ending the fling when Jason's mother Eileen (Sue Cleaver) spots them kissing, but the Weatherfield builder is determined to keep things going between them.

Stella is quoted as saying: "I feel mortified and embarrassed. Your mum saw us snogging. Just saying that makes me want to cringe. She's right though, what was I thinking?"

However, Jason (Ryan Thomas) replies: "I don't care. We're both free and single, why can't we?"

Stella apparently agrees to continue with the relationship following the chat, but whether the pair have a long-term future remains to be seen.

Michelle Collins, who plays Stella, recently confirmed plans to give her character a new love interest following her split from cheating Karl Munro.

Collins said last week: "Stella is going to have a little bit of a romance in her life coming up. I can't really say who it is, but it's quite exciting.

"It is someone on the street and it's someone that people like. That's all I'm going to say. I don't really know too much about it as they've just started it."

Coronation Street continues tonight (October 15) at 7.30pm on ITV1.

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tammyy2j (16-10-2012)

----------


## owenlee4me

_Welll well well, another Cougar on the street and yet again Jason does it with a local lass, blimey whose he going to conquer next? EMILY""""_

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has named Pat Phoenix's Elsie Tanner as her all-time favourite TV character.

The Weatherfield actress, who plays Rovers Return landlady Stella Price, described Corrie as a "female show" in an interview with Metro.

"It's a strong female lead in a female show. Corrie is very matriarchal; the women are always painted as strong, while a lot of the men are quite hapless and a bit weak," she said.

"Elsie was one of the original female icons that came out of the kitchen-sink drama. Life was hard for her, she always had broken relationships but she was gutsy and feisty."

Collins added: "I hate the phrase but she was a 'tart with a heart'."

The 51-year-old, who formerly starred in EastEnders, also reserved praise for US sitcoms Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory.

Last week, a report emerged that Collins's Corrie character Stella will embark on a fling with Jason Grimshaw.

----------


## Perdita

...

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins has admitted that her Coronation Street love scenes with co-star Ryan Thomas are "not very romantic".

The Weatherfield actress, whose character Stella Price embarks on a relationship with Jason Grimshaw this week, revealed that she and Thomas collided with each other during filming.


Â© ITV


When asked by ITV.com how she has found shooting the storyline, details of which emerged in October, Collins quipped: "It is very funny, I am really enjoying it. The romantic scenes are not very romantic.

"One day we clashed heads and he ended up with a nose bleed and I ended up with a swollen cheek.

"They were supposed to bring some ice and they brought out a cold potato as it was the only thing they could find so he was there with a bleeding nose and I was holding a potato on my cheek!


Â© ITV

Â© ITV


"But I don't generally mind kissing scenes, you just have to get on with them, I don't find them awkward."

Teasing the development of Stella and Jason's chemistry, the star added: "In the beginning it is all playful banter really and she does think it would just be a one-off. She is a bit embarrassed and mortified when people start saying things.

"She even apologises to him and says it was just a one-off and she is surprised when he says he wants to see her again. Then she finds it all quite liberating and she even makes an announcement in the pub!"

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...#ixzz2Ee8LtOCd

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## alan45

Pass the sick bag

----------


## parkerman

> Pass the sick bag


Not likely. I'm hanging on to it.

----------


## parkerman

> Pass the sick bag


Not likely. I'm hanging on to it.

----------


## alan45

Both of them?

----------


## parkerman

As many as I can get!

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has admitted that she doesn't expect her character Stella Price's latest romance to last forever.

Stella embarked on a relationship with builder Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) late last year, sparking gossip on the cobbles over the pair's age difference.

Collins told Inside Soap: "People do keep asking me what it's like to kiss Jason - he's a very popular lad among women and men! When I first heard about them getting together, I thought, 'Wahey! Bring it on', and it's been really fun.

"I'm not sure that Jason is what Stella wants for the rest of her life, though. I don't think they are a match intellectually, and she'll want a fella she can really talk to. But I'm enjoying working with Ryan Thomas - it's great fun."

Asked whether Stella's cheating ex-partner Karl (John Michie) could ever win her back, the actress replied: "You can see that Karl really wants to be back with Stella and is worming his way back in. We've been filming some scenes where Karl is trying to get back in with Gloria, because he thinks she's a soft touch, and may well help him get back with Stella. He's using plenty of different tactics."

As previously reported, Gloria returns to Weatherfield in a few weeks' time alongside a new love interest named Eric, played by veteran actor Timothy West.

Of West's casting, Collins commented: "That's amazing, isn't it? When we filmed the scenes where they arrive on the Street together, I just kept thinking, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this! I'm in Corrie with Sue Johnston and Timothy West! I need to pinch myself! How amazing is this?' I love Gloria and Stella because they bounce off each other. They are yin and yang."

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.

----------


## alan45

Qed....

----------


## Perdita

> Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has admitted that she doesn't expect her character Stella Price's latest romance to last forever.
> 
> Stella embarked on a relationship with builder Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) late last year, sparking gossip on the cobbles over the pair's age difference.
> 
> Collins told Inside Soap: \"People do keep asking me what it's like to kiss Jason - he's a very popular lad among women and men! When I first heard about them getting together, I thought, 'Wahey! Bring it on', and it's been really fun.
> 
> \"I'm not sure that Jason is what Stella wants for the rest of her life, though. I don't think they are a match intellectually, and she'll want a fella she can really talk to. But I'm enjoying working with Ryan Thomas - it's great fun.\"
> 
> Asked whether Stella's cheating ex-partner Karl (John Michie) could ever win her back, the actress replied: \"You can see that Karl really wants to be back with Stella and is worming his way back in. We've been filming some scenes where Karl is trying to get back in with Gloria, because he thinks she's a soft touch, and may well help him get back with Stella. He's using plenty of different tactics.\"
> ...


http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/s...377#post787377 already posted

----------


## Perdita

...

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's Karl Munro will become completely obsessed with Stella Price in a new storyline.

Stella actress Michelle Collins has let slip that Karl (John Michie) will turn "very sinister" as he attempts to find a way back into his ex-partner's affections.

Karl Munro was kicked out of the Rovers' Return after his affair with Sunita Alahan, who he later moved in with due to having nowhere to go. 

"I've got loads of other good stuff coming up where my ex [Karl] gets very sinister and becomes totally obsessed with me," actress Collins told the Daily Record.

The 51-year-old soap star, who famously played Cindy Beale on EastEnders for 10 years between 1988 and 1998, remains upbeat about her decision to join Corrie.

"I never envisaged I'd be in Corrie. If someone had told me years ago, I'd have said, 'You're joking', but right now it's amazing and obviously the toy boy storyline is great fun," she added.

Magazine reports have claimed that Karl will follow Stella's new hunk boyfriend Jason Grimshaw.

----------


## sarah c

> Coronation Street's Karl Munro will become completely obsessed with Stella Price in a new storyline.
> 
> Stella actress Michelle Collins has let slip that Karl (John Michie) will turn "very sinister" as he attempts to find a way back into his ex-partner's affections.
> 
> "I've got loads of other good stuff coming up where my ex [Karl] gets very sinister and becomes totally obsessed with me," actress Collins told the Daily Record.


Karl to burn down the Rovers then?

----------


## parkerman

> Karl to burn down the Rovers then?


Let's hope he waits till he, Stella, Tracy, Rob and Michelle are all locked inside then....

----------


## parkerman

> Karl to burn down the Rovers then?


Let's hope he waits till he, Stella, Tracy, Rob and Michelle are all locked inside then....

----------


## sarah c

> Let's hope he waits till he, Stella, Tracy, Rob and Michelle are all locked inside then....


if Rob and Tracy are inside it will be an inferno in no time ....all that wood piled together...

----------

parkerman (01-02-2013)

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## Chloe O'brien

> if Rob and Tracy are inside it will be an inferno in no time ....all that wood piled together...


Don't forget the dreadful Eve and spiteful Julie she is really getting on my nerves with the Tyrone and Kirsty storyling.

----------


## Chloe O'brien

> if Rob and Tracy are inside it will be an inferno in no time ....all that wood piled together...


Don't forget the dreadful Eve and spiteful Julie she is really getting on my nerves with the Tyrone and Kirsty storyling.

----------


## Perdita

Corrie landlady Michelle Collins, 50, talks to The Sunday People's Take It Easy Magazine about her character Stellaâs love interests, her critics and her battle to give up smoking


Michelle as landlady Stella
Whatâs it like being in Corrie after being on rival soap EastEnders for 16 years?

I do have to pinch myself sometimes, itâs very odd that Iâm in Corrie. Itâs not just another acting job itâs a national treasure, loved by millions.

You had a hard time in the beginning with critics, how did you feel?

It was difficult, I donât think people were criticising me as an actress, it was because I am a southerner putting on a northern accent. I think people have got a bit bored of it now really, they are far more involved in Stellaâs character than they are in Michelle Collins playing a northern person, so hopefully Iâm doing something right. Iâve noticed a lot of the new cast members have had a bit of a hard time too recently, youâve got to be tough. But as far as I can see Iâll be in Corrie for the foreseeable future.

Stella has caused a bit of a stir by getting together with Jason. How do you feel about being known as a cougar?

I hate that word! Well theyâve been together for quite a while now and everyone does think âwhat on earth is she doing, sheâs old enough to be his mother!â But luckily Stella is very much like âthis is who Iâm seeing, if you donât like it you can lump it.â Sheâs very brave. Most people have accepted it. It doesnât go down too well with Eileen, Jasonâs mum. Stella and her are about the same age.

And how does Stellaâs ex Karl feel?

He hates the fact she is going out with Jason, he really canât believe it. We all know what men are like, his ego has been damaged. He thinks, âWhat is she doing with him when she could have had me? Why would she want hamburger when she could have had steak?â

Do you think Stella will ever get back with Karl?

If youâd asked me a month ago I would have said no but stupidly I still think there is a little flame there thatâs still flickering. When youâre in love with someone and someone cheats on you, initially you hate them and youâre angry but at the end of the day itâs difficult to stop loving someone youâve loved so much. He is trying to woo her so weâll see what happens. You never do know with Corrie.

What would you like to happen next for Stella?

Iâd quite like to see her be a bit more fun. She was a bit too good for my liking when she first came into the show.

How do you spend your time when youâre not filming for Corrie?

I travel up to Manchester for Corrie, but my main house with my daughter Maia Rose is in London, so I donât get much chill out time really. My favourite thing to do is just be at home with her and be a mum, or spend time with my friends. Iâm really lucky because Iâve got a close set of friends. I have a rescue dog called Humphrey, who I just adore. Heâs a puganise shih tzu. I would have him up in Manchester with me but my daughter would miss him too much. My weekends are so sacred, I like to do home stuff, the weekly shop, lots of things with Maia. I miss being a mum and not coming home at the end of the day. And I love the gym!


Is being fit and healthy important to you?

Oh yeah I think for my age Iâm far fitter than some people half my age. I like keeping fit, I like myself to feel good. Not just because I work in TV and HD is horrible, you get to a certain age and you should just make an effort. I got to the gym three or four times a week for about 30 mins. I donât go crazy like some people and stay for hours. Weâre lucky enough to have a gym at work so I can go quickly before or in breaks. I was going to do the marathon last year but it didnât happen because I was working so much, I just couldnât train.

You gave up smoking recently, has that made you feel fitter?

Definitely. My skin is better, I have a lot more stamina and I think Iâm far less stressed than I was when I was smoking. When youâre stressed you reach for a cigarette, but I think that has the opposite effect, it makes you more stressed. Itâs funny because people spend loads of money on skin care and clothes to look good yet theyâre still smoking. I did it myself, Iâd been smoking all my life. A lot of women worry about their appearances but still smoke. It makes you look older and your breath stink, your teeth yellow. I think I look far healthier now than I did in my 30s and 40s.

What encouraged you to give up after so many years?

Iâd been trying for years. Iâd tried all the fads, like hypnotherapy. That didnât work, I walked out and lit up a fag straight away. I was also sent on one of those courses where a guy bores the pants off you for three hours and make you smoke six zillion cigarettes so you never want to touch another one again. Until a month later of course. 18 months ago I did a play up north and wanted to be really healthy so I gave up drinking and smoking and then I got into Corrie. I thought I needed to be healthy to do this job so I went to a doctor to get some help.

Youâre working with the campaign âDonât go Cold Turkeyâ which promotes seeking help from your doctor to quit smoking, was that an important thing for you?

Yes it was. You need to want to give up but just because you havenât got the will power to give it up on your own you shouldnât feel bad about having to go to the doctor to do it. Itâs not easy to give up and the doctor can give you lots of options and itâs free. These days itâs not seen as âcoolâ to smoke like it used to be. In the last couple of years Iâve also seen people die through smoking related illnesses and itâs horrible. I think people should get the help thatâs available to them.

Michelle Collins is supporting the Donât go Cold Turkey smoking cessation campaign as seeking help from a healthcare professional helped her finally quit her habit. For more information and support visit dgct.co.uk or call QUIT on 0800 00 22 55

----------


## Perdita

Corrie star John Michie has said that his character Karl Munro is 100% confident he can win back ex-partner Stella Price.

Karl becomes increasingly desperate to reunite with Stella (Michelle Collins) over the next few weeks, kidnapping her in his cab for an evening and also plotting against her new boyfriend Jason Grimshaw by torching his work van.

Michie told itv.com of his alter-ego's chances: "Karl's been trying really hard to get back with Stella, because he realises that she is the love of his life and everything with Sunita has gone pear-shaped. So he's just completely desperate - scarily desperate - to get back with her.

"Stella has got absolutely no interest in Karl whatsoever, so he's struggling, he's scrambling uphill to get to her. But he thinks that he'll get to her in the end, because Karl thinks he'll always get what he wants."

He continued: "Karl starts to do some pretty crazy stuff. It starts to get quite dark. He's a desperate man, he's losing everything, he's living in a bedsit, he doesn't have a home anymore - he hates that. He's going to get it back at whatever cost. 

"You can expect a lot of drama from Karl Munro. He's a man on the edge of a precipice. He's a desperate, desperate guy."

With his van ruined thanks to Karl, Jason gives up on his career as a builder, but it's not all bad news as he moves into the Rovers Return to run the pub with Stella.

Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason, added: "Jason's determined to stick the knife in with Karl. He has a little word with him, making sure that Karl's aware that he knows he torched his van, but because of that, he and Stella are more solid than ever. 

"He doesn't feel threatened by Karl but maybe he should, as the audience will see that this is far from over for Karl!"

Coronation Street continues tonight (March 4) at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

----------


## Perdita

Corrie's Stella Price and Karl Munro could be heading for a surprise reunion.

Michelle Collins and John Michie, who play the former couple, were spotted filming a shock kissing scene out on location today (March 6), The Sun reports.

Cast and crew have been working away from the studio today as Sunita Alahan's funeral is being filmed.

With Stella in a passionate embrace with Karl on the sad day, it remains to be seen whether she is really willing to take him back for good. The romantic moment also puts a question mark over the future of Stella's current romance with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas).

Stella split from Karl last summer after discovering that he had been cheating on her with Sunita.

In recent weeks, however, Karl has become obsessed with winning back his ex - and it looks like his efforts may be about to pay off.

Sunita's death scenes will air within the next few weeks as she has been widely tipped to be killed off as part of the upcoming Rovers fire storyline.

Shobna Gulati, who played Sunita, announced her departure late last year and filmed her final scenes last week.

----------

tammyy2j (06-03-2013)

----------


## alan45

...

----------


## alan45

EAMONN & JAMES CLARKE
CORRIE landlady Stella Price sensationally ends up back in the arms of her cheating ex Karl Munro — at his former lover's FUNERAL.
Stella, played by Michelle Collins, booted gambling addict cabbie Karl (John Michie) out when she discovered he had been having a fling with married Sunita Alahan behind her back.


Funeral ... Street says farewell to Sunita Alahan
EAMONN & JAMES CLARKE
But in a desperate bid to win her back, viewers of the ITV1 soap will see Karl burn down the Rovers Return later this month — killing Sunita (Shobna Gulati) in the process.
Driven by jealousy over Stella's new romance with toyboy lover Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), Karl plots to blow up a van owned by the young builder and torch the Rovers.


Embracing ... Stella Price is back in Karl Munro's arms at Sunita's funeral
EAMONN & JAMES CLARKE
He also wants to punish his ex-lover Sunita, who he blames for splitting him and Stella up.
But things get out of hand and Sunita perishes in the blaze.

Karl should be racked with guilt following the horror, but by the looks of these snaps of the cast filming on location it appears he is too busy reuniting with his ex to be remorseful.
As the rest of the Street say goodbye to mum-of-two Sunita, Karl and Stella are seen sneaking off for a passionate kiss.


(c) The Sun

----------


## lizann

shame he didnt kill himself and stella in the fire as well

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street actress Michelle Collins has spoken about playing the character of Stella Price in the ITV soap, stating that humility is necessary in the industry.

Collins, 51, told PA that she takes "every day as it comes" when playing the Weatherfield businesswoman.

She said: "I think you should always be a little bit humble in this business. You never know when you could get axed or killed off!"

When Collins was cast as Stella, the Hackney-born actress - who played Cindy Beale in EastEnders - faced criticism for the northern accent she adopted for the role in Coronation Street.

"It was a bit of a rocky road but I've worked extremely hard to make it work," said Collins. "I still work very hard and I think that's paid off."

Collins also stated that she hopes to remain in the soap for "a while", adding that she's "got some good storylines this year".

On her character, Collins said: "I love playing Stella because she's so feisty and her own woman - her affair with a younger man, Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), is just one sign of that."

----------


## sarah c

seeing in the photos there that Karl has a bandaged hand? and looks to be wearing black, so he survives but is injured in the fire?

----------


## Siobhan

> seeing in the photos there that Karl has a bandaged hand? and looks to be wearing black, so he survives but is injured in the fire?


don't think that is a bandage, looks like a shirt sleeve

----------


## Siobhan

> seeing in the photos there that Karl has a bandaged hand? and looks to be wearing black, so he survives but is injured in the fire?


don't think that is a bandage, looks like a shirt sleeve

----------


## Perdita

Looks like a bandage to me too, especially on top photo

----------


## parkerman

Me too.

----------


## Siobhan

> Looks like a bandage to me too, especially on top photo


Ah ok, see it now. I just saw in the bottom photo

----------


## Siobhan

> Looks like a bandage to me too, especially on top photo


Ah ok, see it now. I just saw in the bottom photo

----------

Perdita (08-03-2013)

----------


## tammyy2j

> seeing in the photos there that Karl has a bandaged hand? and looks to be wearing black, so he survives but is injured in the fire?


He might be the one who saves Stella

----------


## Perdita

Corrie star Michelle Collins will be sticking with the soap for at least another year.

The actress, who plays Rovers Return landlady Stella Price, told TV Times that she is "really enjoying" her time with the show and has signed a new contract which takes her up to April 2014.

Stella has a busy year ahead as she attempts to get her pub up and running again following next week's shock arson attack.

Reports suggest that Stella will take refuge at Number 13 as she plots to rebuild her business from scratch.

Collins told the magazine: "Stella literally loses everything in the fire, so her nice dresses have all gone. People in the cast have been asking me, 'Can I have this?', 'Can I have that?'

"But it's been great, and it felt like starring in a mini-blockbuster. Two people die in this fire. It's a big shock to the system and it's going to totally change the dynamic of Stella's relationship with Karl. 

"She takes stock of her life and makes some big decisions about the future."

Coronation Street airs the fire on Monday, March 18 at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

----------


## alan45

> Corrie star Michelle Collins will be sticking with the soap for at least another year.


My evening has been ruined. I may have to take some alcohol to deaden the pain of this woeful actress still here for another year.

----------


## alan45

> Corrie star Michelle Collins will be sticking with the soap for at least another year.


My evening has been ruined. I may have to take some alcohol to deaden the pain of this woeful actress still here for another year.

----------


## tammyy2j

> My evening has been ruined. I may have to take some alcohol to deaden the pain of this woeful actress still here for another year.


Maybe if you start to like and praise her then she will be out soon reverse psychology and all  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------

Perdita (14-03-2013)

----------


## tammyy2j

.

----------


## alan45

lol

----------


## Perdita

|Michelle Collins has revealed that eating disorders left her so thin she was mistaken for a heroin addict.

The Coronation Street actress, who has signed a new contract with the ITV soap for at least another year, told The Mirror that she struggled with both anorexia and bulimia in the early days of her career.

The Stella Price star said that the situation came to a head when casters at an audition told her agent they suspected she was a heroin addict.

She explained: "I went to audition for a fashion commercial and they said they didn't think I was quite right for it because I wasn't 'upmarket' enough.

"Later that day my agent called to see if I was okay and told me that actually I had looked so awful the casters had thought I was a heroin addict and wanted to know if I was on drugs.

"That was the wake-up call I needed."

Before securing her breakthrough role as Cindy Beale in EastEnders, Collins said that she would starve herself for weeks and drink alcohol rather than eat.

"It was a running joke with friends that I would order a salad without the oil and then drink copious amounts of alcohol like them," she said.

"That was just what I did because I thought it had fewer calories than food.

"Then as I got worse I was drinking instead of eating so I could still go out and have a good time. I went for weeks without really eating any food.

"I'd starve all day then come home late and binge on anything I could get my hands on.

"I raided the fridge and cupboards then stuck my fingers down my throat to feel empty again. Soon I was doing it after every meal, it was so addictive."

The 50-year-old added: "My arms and legs were scrawny. I had the body of a child, but when I looked in the mirror I still wanted to lose more.

"My life felt out of control and I felt if I could control my body I could control my life. In my head skinny equalled successful and I thought the only way I could be a successful actress was to be a skinny woman."

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street character Stella Price could marry her ex Karl Munro in an upcoming storyline.

The Rovers Return landlady, played by Michelle Collins, is trapped in the fire until Karl (John Michie) comes to her rescue.

She apparently agrees to wed her former lover after he saves her life, transforming their troubled relationship.

An insider told The Sun: "As far as Stella is concerned, Karl has risked his life to save her and her attitude towards him - and their relationship - begins to change.

"As they grow closer, he becomes her rock and all the animosity between them seems to vanish. So when he pops the question, Stella accepts. 

"But viewers will have to wait to see whether plans for their big day will go ahead - or be scuppered if it turns out that Karl played a part in starting the fire."

The dramatic fire scenes air tomorrow (March 18) at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

----------


## alan45

Will ITV stop at nothing in forcing the useless and unliked characters down our throats. Since the arrival of Ms Collins and her brood she has featured in every major storyline going. For someone who has only recently arrived in the street she seems to have to stick her nose into everyones business and giving them the benefit of her advice. Rubbish character

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street fans have seen a whole new side to Karl Munro in recent weeks as his desire to win back Stella Price has driven him to shocking measures.

Last week, over 10 million viewers watched Karl set fire to the Rovers Return in a desperate bid to sabotage Stella's relationship with Jason Grimshaw. The destructive blaze led to the death of firefighter Toni Griffiths, while Sunita Alahan remains critically ill in hospital after being caught up in the incident.

We recently chatted to John Michie, who plays Karl, to hear his thoughts on his character's recent antics and where things go from here.

How do you feel about Karl turning to the dark side?
"Well, the first thing is that it's really interesting to play. Karl now has these strange thoughts in his mind all the time. There's a lot more going on in Karl's head, so I'm enjoying that side of it.

"I suppose it's also enjoyable because it creates great situations with the other characters. At the moment, the audience knows what's going on but the other characters don't, and I think that's always fun for the viewers."

Were you surprised at this change in direction for Karl, or do you think this dark side was always lurking beneath the surface?
"I was surprised, because it was quite a radical and quick change, but I think it was always beneath the surface in some ways. For example, Karl thought it would be acceptable for him to go and have an affair, but not for Stella to move on with somebody else. As soon as Stella was with Jason - who's the type of person Karl used to be 20 years ago - then the jealousy and the middle aged angst all kicked in, and he just had to get his woman back. 

"I can see that Karl would want to get Stella back at any cost, but the cost has been much, much greater than he thought. He wouldn't ever have wanted to be responsible for anyone's death, but he's in a situation where he is, because Toni has just passed away. Karl is finding that very hard to deal with, but he's just selfishly surviving as best he can."

Did you have much prior warning that Karl would start the fire?
"Yeah, I knew in advance that Karl would end up starting the fire and that he'd be driven to desperation in his attempts to kill the relationship between Stella and Jason. Once I knew what was coming, I had to try to build up the thoughts of the character to make that believable."

With Sunita fighting for her life in hospital, is Karl actively hoping that she will die?
"It's strange, because like I said, Karl doesn't want to be responsible for anyone's death. However, at the same time, he knows that Sunita has the knowledge to put him down. If she exposes what he's done, he'll go away for a long time - if not for life. Karl is struggling within himself and he is prepared to let Sunita go to save himself."

Have you had much reaction or feedback from Corrie fans since we saw Karl start the fire?
"Mostly it's been from people saying that the show is really buzzing at the moment. They've been really excited by watching it. Obviously there's a bit of a negative response from some people when you're playing a villainous character! (Laughs.) But you just have to let that go over your head. The general response is just that people are loving the show."

Will Karl find it easy or difficult to hide his guilt as the story moves forward?
"Karl's an operator - he always has been and always will be! He actually doesn't find it that hard to physically hide his guilt. The only thing is that he is suffering incredible emotional turmoil from the guilt that he feels."

That guilt must be particularly difficult for Karl to handle when he sees Dev and the kidsâ¦
"Really, really difficult! I just imagine Karl crying at night with the devastation that he's brought onto that family, and that's the hardest thing for him."

With Jason suspecting that Karl started the fire, can we expect more tension between those two?
"Jason tries to wind Karl up a bit, which is a bit dangerous considering the state that Karl's in! He's definitely someone who Karl is beginning to hate more and more. I think Jason needs to watch his step!"

Do you think Karl is becoming irredeemable, or does he still have some redeeming qualities?
"I always play it so that Karl does have redeeming qualities - he's just caught up in events. The trouble is how serious those events are, so we'll have to wait and see whether he can stay in the show or not. Obviously there has to be some moral retribution.

"I actually don't know myself how villainous Karl will become. Whether he'll ramp up his campaign to keep Stella at whatever cost, I don't know. I'll have to wait and see what the writers come up with!"

Karl and Stella will soon start growing closer again. Is Karl making the moves on her, or is it more of a mutual thing?
"Karl is definitely making the moves on Stella, in a slightly obsessive way. He's trying hard to calm himself and be as normal as possible. However, because he's in such an emotional state, he finds it hard to approach Stella in a natural, normal way."


If Karl did get Stella back, would he treat her better this time around?
"Definitely. Well, that's his intention anyway!"

Will Eva warm to Karl now?
"Yes, Eva comes round to seeing Karl as a potential stepfather who she can get along with. In the past, Eva and Karl have always disliked each other, mainly because they've been vying for attention from Stella. But Eva thinks that her mum needs a good man, and she's starting to think that maybe Karl is the right person for Stella after all, so she chills out a lot. 

"Leanne, on the other hand, goes the other way and is very suspicious of Karl, his motives and him generally!"

How do you feel about being nominated for 'Best Actor' and 'Villain of the Year' at the British Soap Awards?
"It's great to be nominated. It's always good as an actor to have your work recognised, so I'm really, really chuffed. The other two Corrie guys who are up for 'Best Actor' - Alan [Halsall] and Jimmi [Harkishin] - are good mates of mine, so it'll be good fun. 

"I've been to the Soap Awards once before and I remember that I had such a ball. It's a great night out."

Is there anything you'd say for why our readers should be backing Corrie in the voting this year?
"Well, it's the only soap that I've ever watched. I've dipped into it all my life. I think it's the writing - the writing team here at Corrie are fantastic. We've got very, very strong writers who tend to stay here for a long time, because they love the show. Of all the shows that I've worked on, this is definitely the happiest bunch of people that I've ever worked with. 

"The writing is everything on this show - all of us are only as good as the writing. I would definitely doff my cap to the writers!"

----------

Dazzle (27-03-2013)

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has revealed that Leanne will become suspicious of Karl's motives.

Last week, viewers saw Karl set fire to the Rovers Return in a desperate bid to sabotage Stella's relationship with Jason Grimshaw. The destructive blaze led to the death of firefighter Toni Griffiths, while Sunita Alahan remains critically ill in hospital.

Stella and Karl will start growing closer again next week, with even Eva beginning to warm to Karl since he has been hailed a hero for rescuing her mum from the fire. However, Leanne will not be so trusting of him.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Michie said: "Eva comes round to seeing Karl as a potential stepfather who she can get along with.

"In the past, Eva and Karl have always disliked each other, mainly because they've been vying for attention from Stella. But Eva thinks that her mum needs a good man, and she's starting to think that maybe Karl is the right person for Stella after all, so she chills out a lot. 

"Leanne, on the other hand, goes the other way and is very suspicious of Karl, his motives and him generally!"

Michie also revealed that he is enjoying playing a darker side to Karl.

He added: "It's really interesting to play. Karl now has these strange thoughts in his mind all the time. There's a lot more going on in Karl's head, so I'm enjoying that side of it.

"I suppose it's also enjoyable because it creates great situations with the other characters. At the moment, the audience knows what's going on but the other characters don't, and I think that's always fun for the viewers."

----------

tammyy2j (28-03-2013)

----------


## tammyy2j

It will probably drag on for a year or two ending with Peter saving Leanne just as Karl is trying to kill her for discovering the truth

----------

alan45 (28-03-2013), Debzyg (01-04-2013), lizann (28-03-2013), parkerman (28-03-2013)

----------


## parkerman

> It will probably drag on for a year or two ending with Peter saving Leanne just as Karl is trying to kill her for discovering the truth


In an explosive Christmas Day episode that will rock the cobbles.

----------

Debzyg (01-04-2013), tammyy2j (28-03-2013)

----------


## parkerman

> It will probably drag on for a year or two ending with Peter saving Leanne just as Karl is trying to kill her for discovering the truth


In an explosive Christmas Day episode that will rock the cobbles.

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street's Stella Price may be forced to sell off a 50% share of the Rovers Return in order to reopen it in an upcoming storyline.

The landlady - who was injured in last month's fire at the pub - will turn to builder Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) for help, the Daily Star reports.

Viewers will see Stella, played by Michelle Collins, face a tough decision when she is discharged from hospital and realises the extent of the damage at the Rovers.

The cost of getting the pub open again will force Stella to consider going into partnership with someone.

Owen is employed to repair the damage, upon which Stella makes him an offer.

In scenes to be aired this month, Owen tells Stella: "Let me get this right, are you saying to me that if I cancel your debt and finish the repairs you'll give me half of the Rovers?"

"I've already got a business. How do I pay for all the materials and the lads?" Stella admits: "It's the only solution I can think of. Maybe you could ask the bank for a loan? 

"They might say yes if they know you're investing in a second business. That's all I can offer you, I'm doing my best here - do you think I want to lose half my profit?"

It is rumoured that Owen will refuse to give Stella an answer, leaving the future of the ITV soap's iconic pub in doubt.

Recent rumours have suggested that Michelle Connor (Kym Lomas) will become the new landlady at the pub when it reopens.

A show insider said: "Stella has got her back against the wall.

"Owen is offered the deal first but if Michelle is set to be the new landlady then maybe Stella goes into business with her instead.

"Only time will tell."

----------


## Katy

Maybe Steve will buy it back and make Michelle the landlady.

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins has revealed that her character Stella Price refuses to be pushed around by daughter Leanne Tilsley in an upcoming storyline.

Stella is in dire need of financial help from Leanne (Jane Danson) next week, as her insurance company decides not to pay out for repair work at the Rovers Return following the recent fire.

Leanne is happy to help her mum, but adds a shock condition to the mix by ordering her to dump Karl Munro (John Michie) if she wants the cash.

Corrie fans know that Leanne doesn't trust Karl and is looking for any way to get him out of Stella's life again.

Collins told All About Soap of Stella's troubles: "It's not looking good. Her insurance company is refusing to pay out because it seems Sunita started the fire, and she used keys to get into The Rovers - and if so, that means Stella hadn't stored the keys in a safe place.

"Stella's horrified, because she has already had Owen doing the refit work and she owes him thousands.

"Leanne's not happy about Stella and Karl being back together, or Karl being involved with the pub. Leanne says she will help Stella, but only if Karl is not on the scene. Basically, she's telling Stella to dump Karl in exchange for the money!"

The actress added: "She will not be blackmailed! She tells Leanne to stick her money. The thing is, Stella loves Karl and because he saved her life, she's totally blind to all his faults. She doesn't want to listen to anyone who tries to remind her of all the things he did to her."

Coronation Street continues tomorrow (April 24) at 7.30pm on ITV.

----------


## parkerman

Crickey! Looks like another big storyline for St Ella. Who'd have thought it?

----------


## alan45

> crickey! Looks like another big storyline for st ella. Who'd have thought it?


ME :Crying:  :Crying:  :Sick:

----------


## alan45

CORONATION STREET bosses have decided the Price is right â and plan to make the Rovers family the top clan on the cobbles.
The family members, Jane Danson, Sue Johnston, Michelle Collins and Catherine Tyldesley have been rewarded with one year contract extensions.

And producers have started writing a host of new storylines which will make them the most heavily-featured characters in Weatherfield.

The family are currently at the centre of the Rovers fire drama â with Michelleâs character Stella rekindling her romance with arsonist Karl Munro (played by John Michie).

And when that plot runs its course, Stella, Eva (Tyldesley), Gloria (Johnston) and Leanne Tilsley (Danson) will be thrust even further into the limelight.

Last night a show source said: âLeanne has been on the show for years but the rest of the Prices are all pretty new and, after some early teething problems, have become a real success story.

âGloriaâs meddling behaviour is hugely popular with viewers.

âEvaâs great and Catherine has turned into one of the biggest stars on the Street now.

âMichelle got a lot of stick over her northern accent when she first arrived. But sheâs come into her own and everyone is delighted sheâs staying.â

The source added: âThe Price family are a proper Corrie clan. There are three generations under one roof. Theyâve all got stuff in their past and are in and out of relationships which makes them an absolute dream for the writers.

âThe possibilities are endless and they are going to become central to the show, hopefully for years to come.â

Michelle, who played EastEnders superbitch Cindy Beale for ten years â and Catherine joined Corrie in April 2011 as mother and daughter, with Sue signing up as Michelleâs mum last year.

Jane joined in 1997 but discovered Michelleâs character Stella was her biological mother when she arrived on the Street.



(c) The Sun


*WHAT A DISASTER THIS WILL BE*

----------


## parkerman

> âMichelle got a lot of stick over her northern accent when she first arrived. But sheâs come into her own and everyone is delighted sheâs staying.â


Everyone - that must include you, Alan!  :Big Grin:

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alan45 (25-04-2013), lizann (25-04-2013), Siobhan (25-04-2013), tammyy2j (25-04-2013)

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## owenlee4me

i'm not sure they are that good? and EVa is bit dull, Gloria is good and it's gr8 to see an older person with opinions some of which reflect how life has changed and not necessarily for the better, but Karl and Stella? oh please, boring, and not abit real, I can't buy into this romance at all, Karl has nothing bout him!! may if stella cottons onto his tricks and plays him, then we may have interest, but glad I record so I can fast forward.
Lets hope they give Scary Mary some more years, she's a hoot

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## alan45

> Everyone - that must include you, Alan!


CORONATION STREET bosses have decided the Price is right â and plan to make the Rovers family the top clan on the cobbles.
The family members, Jane Danson, Sue Johnston, Michelle Collins and Catherine Tyldesley have been rewarded with one year contract extensions. * Jane Danson and Sue Johnston yes of course*

And producers have started writing a host of new storylines which will make them the most heavily-featured characters in Weatherfield. *I thought they already were*

The family are currently at the centre of the Rovers fire drama â with Michelleâs character Stella rekindling her romance with arsonist Karl Munro (played by John Michie).*Naturally as thehey lived in the pub and were involed in the storyline*And when that plot runs its course, Stella, Eva (Tyldesley), Gloria (Johnston) and Leanne Tilsley (Danson) will be thrust even further into the limelight. * Is that actually possible??????*

Last night a show source said: âLeanne has been on the show for years but the rest of the Prices are all pretty new and, after some early teething problems, have become a real success story.*Dream on.*â

Gloriaâs meddling behaviour is hugely popular with viewers. * Fair Comment*

âEvaâs great and Catherine has turned into one of the biggest stars on the Street now. *Surely they mean Biggest Egos*

âMichelle got a lot of stick over her northern accent when she first arrived. But sheâs come into her own and everyone is delighted sheâs staying.â* Not everyone, and her accent as well as her acting is still crap*

The source added: âThe Price family are a proper Corrie clan. There are three generations under one roof. Theyâve all got stuff in their past and are in and out of relationships which makes them an absolute dream for the writers. *Who cares about the viewers so lonag as the luvvies can indulge themselves in writing inane crap*

âThe possibilities are endless and they are going to become central to the show, hopefully for years to come.â  *Lord help us. Looks like Corrie will become my new Deadenders*

Michelle, who played EastEnders superbitch Cindy Beale for ten years â and Catherine joined Corrie in April 2011 as mother and daughter, with Sue signing up as Michelleâs mum last year.

Jane joined in 1997 but discovered Michelleâs character Stella was her biological mother when she arrived on the Street.* In a really believable well though out storyline*

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lizann (25-04-2013), parkerman (25-04-2013)

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## tammyy2j

Leanne will always be a Battersby to me, bring back Toyah

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alan45 (25-04-2013), lizann (25-04-2013), Siobhan (25-04-2013)

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## tammyy2j

> “Gloria’s meddling behaviour is hugely popular with viewers.


Really?

----------


## tammyy2j

.

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## Dazzle

> Really?


I'm a fan of Gloria's, I must admit  :Ninja:

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## tammyy2j

> I'm a fan of Gloria's, I must admit


I like Sue and sometimes Gloria has good moments but most have been bad imo

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parkerman (25-04-2013)

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## parkerman

I agree, tammy. I think her character is overdone. But that's because the family are involved in everything that goes on in the street. A little less air time and a little more subtlety wouldn't come amiss.

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## Perdita

Do producers/scriptwriters read forums like ours?  Where do they get the info from that characters are much loved by the public????

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## alan45

> Do producers/scriptwriters read forums like ours?  Where do they get the info from that characters are much loved by the public????


Obviously not. It would seem that these delusions about St Ella are brought about by the consumption of too much alcohol

----------


## Perdita

Thank you but I would maybe like a more unbiased viewpoint and what would be even better, from somebody in the soap opera business, no offence Alan x

----------


## lizann

> Leanne will always be a Battersby to me, bring back Toyah


and les and janice and cilla 

why do corrie believe stella and her clan are popular?

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tammyy2j (29-04-2013)

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## alan45

> and les and janice and cilla 
> 
> why do corrie believe stella and her clan are popular?


See above

----------


## alan45

> and les and janice and cilla 
> 
> why do corrie believe stella and her clan are popular?


See above

----------


## Perdita

As Stella faces financial ruin, a furious Owen demands payment for all the work he's carried out on the Rovers. With an ultimatum from Leanne weighing heavy on her shoulders, what will Stella choose: the money or Karl? Michelle Collins reveals Stella's predicament...
(Warning, this interview contains storyline spoilers)

Question: Why is Stella in such a financial mess?

Answer: The insurance are refusing to pay out because they think that Sunita used keys to get into the pub to start the fire, meaning the keys were not stored in a safe place. in the meantime she has already had Owen doing the work, so she owes him thousands.

Q: Leanne offers her the money, but gives her an ultimatum. Whatâs her ultimatum?

A: Leanne is still not happy about Stella and Karl being back together. Leanne says she will help, but only if Karl is not on the scene. Basically she is telling Stella to dump Karl in return for the money...

Q: How does Stella react to that?

A: She tells Leanne to stick her money, she loves Karl and is totally blind to his faults  so she doesnât want to listen to anyone who tries to remind her of what he did to her. Since the fire she has blocked out the bad things he did in the past and tried to rewrite history a little.

Q: How does Owen react when Stella tells him she canât afford to pay him?

A: He reacts in typical Owen style. He is shocked and furious, he immediately tells Gary and the lads to down tools and starts to remove fixtures and fittings from the pub.

Q: Why does Stella decide to offer Owen half the Rovers?

A: She is left with no choice, she doesnât have the money. If he doesnât finish the pub refurbishment she is ruined. The only way forward is to go into partnership with him so at least she will still have a roof over her head and a chance of making a go of the business.

Q: Whatâs his reaction?

A: He just wants his money really but he also faces ruin so he is left with no choice either, it is not an ideal situation. He decides he is going to go with it but then he finds them all celebrating Karl and Stellaâs engagement at the Bistro and he is furious because she has told him she is broke. The whole deal is thrown into doubt.

Q: Why is Stella so willing to forgive Karl after everything heâs done?

A: Well she doesnât have the benefit of knowing what the viewers know. All she sees is someone who loves her and makes her feel safe, who saved her life and seems to have changed for the better.

Q: Do you think Karl can be trusted?

A: Stella clearly thinks he can. Karl has always been her weakness and he has of course got her at a time when she is very vulnerable. She nearly died. It is one of those great soap stories where the viewer knows exactly what is going on but the people involved have no idea! I am sure I will have lots of people coming up to me and telling me what a bad lot he is!

Q: What advice would you give Stella about her relationship?

A: She isnât willing to listen to advice. It is one of those situations where someone has made their mind up and even Leanne canât get through to her. It doesnât help of course that Gloria thinks Karl is great so he has a good ally there. And whilst people may not like Karl no one actually knows he started the fire - that big secret is sitting there just waiting to be revealed!

----------


## Perdita

John Michie will leave the soap later this year, reports have revealed.

The actor, who plays Weatherfield villain Karl Munro, has recently signed a six-month contract extension to see his character's storyline out to its rightful conclusion, according to the Daily Star.

Karl's exit is understood to be a storyline-led decision as fans will naturally be expecting a comeuppance for the schemer after he set fire to the Rovers Return and killed Sunita Alahan.

The pub blaze and its aftermath has become one of the year's biggest storylines, so show bosses are now busy planning a dramatic ending for the tale.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star also reports that Sunita's former partner Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) will find himself in danger in an encounter with Karl.

Upcoming scenes see Karl left in a panic when Dev slowly starts to realise that Sunita may have been framed for the Rovers blaze.

As a 'friendly' Karl urges Dev to let go of his suspicions, he picks up a golf trophy and hides it behind his back - leaving fans to wonder whether he is about to strike again.

Karl is quoted as saying: "Raking over the coals like this is just not helping. The kids have already lost their mum, if you don't get a grip then they might be in danger of losing you as well."

Michie joined Coronation Street two years ago as part of a new era for the Rovers Return. His on-screen partner Michelle Collins (Stella) will be sticking with the soap for the foreseeable future along with the rest of the Price clan.

----------

alan45 (30-04-2013), Dazzle (30-04-2013), Glen1 (30-04-2013), parkerman (30-04-2013), tammyy2j (30-04-2013)

----------


## parkerman

> Michelle Collins (Stella) will be sticking with the soap for the foreseeable future along with the rest of the Price clan.


Good news all round then....er....

----------


## parkerman

+-+-+-+-+-+-

----------


## tammyy2j

Would have better to have Karl kill Stella before he is caught out

----------


## alan45

> Would have better to have Karl kill Stella before he is caught out


At least there are some things we agree on  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Perdita

Stella Price will stand by Karl Munro when faced with an ultimatum from daughter Leanne, Michelle Collins has revealed.

Collins, 51, admitted that Karl has always been Stella's "weakness" in an interview with the ITV soap's official website.


She explained: "Well, she doesn't have the benefit of knowing what the viewers know. All she sees is someone who loves her and makes her feel safe, who saved her life and seems to have changed for the better. Stella clearly thinks he can.

"Karl has always been her weakness and he has got her at a time when she is very vulnerable. It is one of those great soap stories where the viewer knows exactly what is going on but the people involved have no idea." 

Viewers have already seen Stella's daughter Leanne Tilsley warn her against her reunion with Karl. Last week, Karl threatened Leanne and told her to keep her opinions to herself.

However, when Stella faces financial troubles this week, Leanne offers her mother a loan but tells her she needs to choose between the loan and her relationship with Karl.

Collins admitted: "I am sure I'll have lots of people coming up to me and telling me what a bad lot he is!

"She isn't willing to listen to advice. It is one of those situations where someone has made their mind up and even Leanne can't get through to her," she said.

"Whilst people may not like Karl, no-one actually knows he started the fire - that big secret is sitting there just waiting to be revealed!"

It was confirmed earlier this week that Karl Munro actor John Michie will bow out of the soap later this year when his current storyline reaches its conclusion.

----------


## Kim

I'm convinced Gloria has some money tucked away; would have been interesting to see what happened if there was no other alternative. Sure that Leanne will be saying I told you so at some point but I wonder if this will impact on Leanne's relationship with Stella in the meantime  :Ponder:  Either way, if Leanne finds out about Nick and Kylie around the same time as Stella finds out about Karl, I think that would bring them closer again.

----------


## tammyy2j

> I'm convinced Gloria has some money tucked away; would have been interesting to see what happened if there was no other alternative. Sure that Leanne will be saying I told you so at some point but I wonder if this will impact on Leanne's relationship with Stella in the meantime  Either way, if Leanne finds out about Nick and Kylie around the same time as Stella finds out about Karl, I think that would bring them closer again.


Gloria gave Eva money for her holiday in Ibiza so maybe she has 

I like to see Leanne as the new landlady and owner of the pub

----------


## tammyy2j

.

----------


## walsh2509

So Stella says Yes to Karl , please god noooooooooooo.  I can see it now, do you Karl take Stella, no no I can't do it, it was me I burnt down the pub whatever her name was tried to stop me and I killed her too and planted the keys on her, and the assembled guests are all a gasp with Norris saying I knew it was him all along.

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alan45 (07-05-2013), parkerman (07-05-2013), Perdita (07-05-2013), tammyy2j (07-05-2013)

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## parkerman

Absolutely right. I just posted something similar (only not as graphic) on the Coronation Street Latest Episode thread before I read your post. Soap weddings - don't you just love them!?

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street star John Michie has revealed that Dev Alahan should be careful of his character Karl Munro.

Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) is currently realising that Sunita may have been framed for the Rovers blaze, leaving Karl in a panic.


Speaking at a Coronation Street press day yesterday, Michie said: "Dev starts to get an idea in his head about what went wrong with the investigation and Karl realises that Dev will start to stir up a tornado.

"He is capable of anything. He has nothing to lose now. He is a desperate man. He has gone that far that he can't turn back now, so beware anyone who gets in his way.

"He feels incredibly guilty for what he has done to Dev and the children. He has killed their mother. He feels really bad about it. But everything Karl says to Dev is a lie."

However, Michie defended his alter ego's actions, insisting that Karl isn't evil, just desperately in love.

The actor said: "Karl will do whatever he can to be with Stella. He's not a monster. He is just obsessed with her. He's in love with her. He will do anything to be with her. It's all out of love."


Michie continued: "He has to justify everything he does, otherwise he would kill himself. He is not a killer. I am not keen to play an evil killer.

"He is going to have a struggle with himself. He gets caught up in a mess and he does the wrong thing but he does it out of a psychotic obsession from his love for Stella."

It has been confirmed that Michie will leave the soap at the end of the year, once his character's storyline has come to its conclusion. 

Speaking about his exit, Michie said: "I am leaving once he gets found out but I don't know when that is going to be. The scripts aren't written yet. But I am leaving."

Coronation Street boss Stuart Blackburn has promised an exciting summer for the soap.

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street star  :Sick:  :Moonie:  :Lol:  Michelle Collins believes that her character Stella will be devastated when she discovers the truth about her fiancÃ© Karl.

Stella is currently engaged to Karl, unaware that he was responsible for torching the Rovers Return and killing Sunita Alahan and Toni Griffiths.


Speaking at a Coronation Street press day yesterday, Collins said: "Finding out... will be devastating for Stella and will completely and utterly change her life. 

"It is going to be sad. What is she going to do? Is she going to go over the edge? I don't know, I haven't seen any scripts. I know we do get married as I have been wedding dress shopping, but I don't know if we go through with it."

Collins also said that Stella feels torn between her daughter Leanne and Karl. Leanne has tried to warn her mum that Karl is bad news, after seeing his dark side during a confrontation. 


Collins said: "Love is blind. Even Leanne is telling her. She feels really split between her daughter and her partner, and in real life I think that happens a lot.

"Stella has always loved Karl. Even when she went off with Jason, deep down I think she always loved Karl. And then the fire happened and she had a near-death experience and her hero saved her. She is absolutely devoted to him."

----------


## tammyy2j

> However, Michie defended his alter ego's actions, insisting that Karl isn't evil, just desperately in love.
> 
> The actor said: "Karl will do whatever he can to be with Stella. He's not a monster. He is just obsessed with her. He's in love with her. He will do anything to be with her. It's all out of love."


So in love he cheated with Sunita

----------

Brucie (17-05-2013), lizann (17-05-2013)

----------


## alan45

> So in love he cheated with Sunita


The only person he loves is himself

----------

lizann (17-05-2013)

----------


## alan45

> So in love he cheated with Sunita


The only person he loves is himself

----------


## Kim

I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.

----------

lizann (17-06-2013), parkerman (20-05-2013)

----------


## tammyy2j

Michelle Collins has confessed she can't wait to plan a big fat soap wedding for her Coronation Street character Stella Price.

Rover's landlady Stella is set to marry love rat and killer Karl Munro (John Michie), still unaware that it was him who burned down the pub.

Michelle, 50, who has never been married herself, told The Sun: "I'd want Stella to have a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding with the dress. It's really weird because I've never been married but I've been married so many times on screen. What does that say about me? But I do love a wedding - and especially my own.

"Stella's not been married before either so I think she will go for it big time.

"This is her first marriage and they've been together for a long time. I'm hoping she'll go for it."

She added: "We know there is going to be a wedding but all I've had is a call from the costume department asking me if I want to go wedding dress shopping.

"I haven't seen a script yet. There is going to be a wedding and that's all we know at the moment."

Michelle thinks she will never have a big wedding of her own, so she is looking forward to her Corrie do.

She said: "I suppose I've got a bit too old to have that big white wedding thing, to be honest. I do love weddings.

"I did something where I was a bigamist and I got married eight times and that was a bit tiring. But I'm looking forward to getting married to Karl on screen."

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## parkerman

> I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.


Yes and then Leanne can go off with Karl...er....perhaps not.....

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## parkerman

> I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.


Yes and then Leanne can go off with Karl...er....perhaps not.....

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## alan45

Coronation Street villain Karl Munro considers killing again next week as he knows that he needs to silence Dev Alahan for good.

Karl is left in a panic as Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) continues to play detective over the Rovers Return fire and edges dangerously close to the terrible truth.

Realising that it's time to take action, Karl heads over to Dev's house and grabs a golf trophy, ready to strike. Can he really go through with taking another life?

Here, John Michie - who plays Karl - teases the dark scenes ahead as his character has murder in mind.

How confident is Karl that he's in the clear after starting the Rovers fire and killing Sunita?
"Karl is feeling confident that he's gotten away with starting the Rovers fire. He feels as though he has that in the bag. But he's very nervous about Sunita's death. Karl isn't really a killer and he never meant to kill Sunita, so he's completely freaked out by the series of events."

How guilty does Karl feel about what he's done? Is he still consumed by the guilt he felt at Sunita's funeral?
"Yes, definitely. Karl feels terrible guilt, especially whenever he sees Dev or the kids. But then he's also caught up by the fact that Dev could potentially ruin it all for him and destroy his chances of having the one thing he's always wanted, which is his partnership with Stella." 

Did Karl ever expect Dev to be so determined to prove Sunita's innocence?
"I don't think Karl ever thinks ahead, so everything that happens takes him by surprise! He always has to deal with things as and when they happen. He's never prepared, so he certainly didn't foresee Dev's persistence."

Is Karl happy with where things are heading with Stella at the moment?
"Well, he's with her at the moment so he's happy in that sense. He's also happy that she seems to have bought everything he's told her and all of his lies. But there's one thing missing for Karl and that's Stella's hand in marriage. He just wants to tie the knot, so he can draw a line under all that has happened once and for all. But other than that, he is as happy as he can be without being married."

Dev has gone to the police to ask them to reopen the case. Does Karl think that they are likely to take Dev seriously?
"Karl is doing everything in his power to make it seem as though Dev is completely unhinged. The way in which Dev is going about this whole operation is so irritating to Karl. So the fact that he's starting to dislike Dev even more because of his behaviour is helping Karl's motive. He thinks that by encouraging people to see Dev's behaviour as worrying, it will discredit Dev's campaign to the police."

Karl is spending more and more time with Dev. Is this part of his plan? 
"Yes. On the one hand, he's trying to pacify Dev by being his confidant and friend and helping him through his trauma, even though this makes Karl feel sick to the stomach. On the other hand, Karl is trying to make the world believe that Dev has gone mad in his over-thinking, so that the neighbours and the police won't take him seriously."

Karl's efforts to get Dev to see that his actions are pointless don't seem to work. How else does Karl try to stop Dev from pursuing his aim to clear Sunita's name?
"He tries to make Dev feel bad about the fact that the kids are being affected by their father's behaviour. He tries to emotionally blackmail him by telling Dev that he really ought to be focusing his attentions on his children, as they're the ones who are still alive."

What makes Karl think that he may need to start silencing people for good?
"When Dev appears to be getting close to some sort of truth through his investigations, Karl begins to think that he's going to have to take action. He has already threatened Leanne to keep her mouth shut, but he would never ever consider getting rid of her. Leanne is the whole reason for Stella being in Weatherfield in the first place. 

"Karl wants to outplay Leanne in a game of chess, whereas Dev is potentially dispensable. But then again Karl has a soft spot for those two kids. He's a very confused man."

What is going through Karl's mind when he picks up the golf trophy, ready to strike Dev?
"Karl's emotions are flying all over the place at this point. He knows he has to stop Dev from going to the police, but he's running out of ways to do this. He's starting to think that the only option left is to kill him. 

"But then I think Karl is so caught up in the madness of the world in which he's living in at the minute that he can't seem to think straight, but then he does suddenly get this moment of clarity where he realises that he cannot go through with this.

"Then again, Karl also has a moment where he does actually want to go through with it, because of the frustrating way in which Dev is talking and behaving."

Is Leanne's interference still bothering Karl at this stage?
"Karl is always weary of Leanne, because he just senses that there is something about her that will cause him problems along the way!"

Does Karl ever come close to confessing to Stella again, as he did at Sunita's funeral?
"In a way that was a very cathartic moment for Karl because he did confess, but Stella didn't believe him and ultimately it was this that gave Karl the strength to carry on. The fact that Stella couldn't believe that Karl would ever do such a thing gave him the fight to carry on."

Is Karl losing the plot at this stage?
"Yes, I think he's in utter turmoil, but he's quite good at covering his feelings. Every time you see him on screen, something is bubbling underneath the surface. He's constantly covering something up and sometimes he does this better than others. 

"The fact is that Stella has become more than someone Karl wants to marry, he's completely obsessed with her. His obsession with her will take him to God only knows where. He's just counting his blessings that he has the chance to be with her."


What kind of a reaction have you had from the viewers?
"Surprisingly, a lot of people seem to be feeling sorry for Karl! A lot of people seem to think that he's gotten into a lot of trouble and that it hasn't all been his own doing. Some viewers don't want to see Karl go, but he kind of has to."

With news of Karl's departure, what can we expect from his exit?
"Well he's a villain, he's committed crimes and so he has to go, but I've no idea how he'll go yet. That's up to the writers!"

What will you miss the most about being at Corrie?
"Definitely being on the shop floor as it were. The way in which the actors and the crew all work together is really great here. We're like a big family."

Are you looking forward taking a break from being a baddie?
"It will be nice to have a break from it, but then it's great fun playing the bad guy. As an actor it's really interesting. You're always having to think one thing but convey something else and that's really challenging."

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Dazzle (04-06-2013)

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## alan45

Coronation Street villain Karl Munro considers killing again next week as he knows that he needs to silence Dev Alahan for good.

Karl is left in a panic as Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) continues to play detective over the Rovers Return fire and edges dangerously close to the terrible truth.

Realising that it's time to take action, Karl heads over to Dev's house and grabs a golf trophy, ready to strike. Can he really go through with taking another life?

Here, John Michie - who plays Karl - teases the dark scenes ahead as his character has murder in mind.

How confident is Karl that he's in the clear after starting the Rovers fire and killing Sunita?
"Karl is feeling confident that he's gotten away with starting the Rovers fire. He feels as though he has that in the bag. But he's very nervous about Sunita's death. Karl isn't really a killer and he never meant to kill Sunita, so he's completely freaked out by the series of events."

How guilty does Karl feel about what he's done? Is he still consumed by the guilt he felt at Sunita's funeral?
"Yes, definitely. Karl feels terrible guilt, especially whenever he sees Dev or the kids. But then he's also caught up by the fact that Dev could potentially ruin it all for him and destroy his chances of having the one thing he's always wanted, which is his partnership with Stella." 

Did Karl ever expect Dev to be so determined to prove Sunita's innocence?
"I don't think Karl ever thinks ahead, so everything that happens takes him by surprise! He always has to deal with things as and when they happen. He's never prepared, so he certainly didn't foresee Dev's persistence."

Is Karl happy with where things are heading with Stella at the moment?
"Well, he's with her at the moment so he's happy in that sense. He's also happy that she seems to have bought everything he's told her and all of his lies. But there's one thing missing for Karl and that's Stella's hand in marriage. He just wants to tie the knot, so he can draw a line under all that has happened once and for all. But other than that, he is as happy as he can be without being married."

Dev has gone to the police to ask them to reopen the case. Does Karl think that they are likely to take Dev seriously?
"Karl is doing everything in his power to make it seem as though Dev is completely unhinged. The way in which Dev is going about this whole operation is so irritating to Karl. So the fact that he's starting to dislike Dev even more because of his behaviour is helping Karl's motive. He thinks that by encouraging people to see Dev's behaviour as worrying, it will discredit Dev's campaign to the police."

Karl is spending more and more time with Dev. Is this part of his plan? 
"Yes. On the one hand, he's trying to pacify Dev by being his confidant and friend and helping him through his trauma, even though this makes Karl feel sick to the stomach. On the other hand, Karl is trying to make the world believe that Dev has gone mad in his over-thinking, so that the neighbours and the police won't take him seriously."

Karl's efforts to get Dev to see that his actions are pointless don't seem to work. How else does Karl try to stop Dev from pursuing his aim to clear Sunita's name?
"He tries to make Dev feel bad about the fact that the kids are being affected by their father's behaviour. He tries to emotionally blackmail him by telling Dev that he really ought to be focusing his attentions on his children, as they're the ones who are still alive."

What makes Karl think that he may need to start silencing people for good?
"When Dev appears to be getting close to some sort of truth through his investigations, Karl begins to think that he's going to have to take action. He has already threatened Leanne to keep her mouth shut, but he would never ever consider getting rid of her. Leanne is the whole reason for Stella being in Weatherfield in the first place. 

"Karl wants to outplay Leanne in a game of chess, whereas Dev is potentially dispensable. But then again Karl has a soft spot for those two kids. He's a very confused man."

What is going through Karl's mind when he picks up the golf trophy, ready to strike Dev?
"Karl's emotions are flying all over the place at this point. He knows he has to stop Dev from going to the police, but he's running out of ways to do this. He's starting to think that the only option left is to kill him. 

"But then I think Karl is so caught up in the madness of the world in which he's living in at the minute that he can't seem to think straight, but then he does suddenly get this moment of clarity where he realises that he cannot go through with this.

"Then again, Karl also has a moment where he does actually want to go through with it, because of the frustrating way in which Dev is talking and behaving."

Is Leanne's interference still bothering Karl at this stage?
"Karl is always weary of Leanne, because he just senses that there is something about her that will cause him problems along the way!"

Does Karl ever come close to confessing to Stella again, as he did at Sunita's funeral?
"In a way that was a very cathartic moment for Karl because he did confess, but Stella didn't believe him and ultimately it was this that gave Karl the strength to carry on. The fact that Stella couldn't believe that Karl would ever do such a thing gave him the fight to carry on."

Is Karl losing the plot at this stage?
"Yes, I think he's in utter turmoil, but he's quite good at covering his feelings. Every time you see him on screen, something is bubbling underneath the surface. He's constantly covering something up and sometimes he does this better than others. 

"The fact is that Stella has become more than someone Karl wants to marry, he's completely obsessed with her. His obsession with her will take him to God only knows where. He's just counting his blessings that he has the chance to be with her."


What kind of a reaction have you had from the viewers?
"Surprisingly, a lot of people seem to be feeling sorry for Karl! A lot of people seem to think that he's gotten into a lot of trouble and that it hasn't all been his own doing. Some viewers don't want to see Karl go, but he kind of has to."

With news of Karl's departure, what can we expect from his exit?
"Well he's a villain, he's committed crimes and so he has to go, but I've no idea how he'll go yet. That's up to the writers!"

What will you miss the most about being at Corrie?
"Definitely being on the shop floor as it were. The way in which the actors and the crew all work together is really great here. We're like a big family."

Are you looking forward taking a break from being a baddie?
"It will be nice to have a break from it, but then it's great fun playing the bad guy. As an actor it's really interesting. You're always having to think one thing but convey something else and that's really challenging."

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Brucie (04-06-2013), Glen1 (04-06-2013)

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## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has discussed his role as murderer Karl Munro.

Karl is planning to kill Dev Alahan as he comes closer to revealing the truth about Sunita's death.

Michie told The Sun: "I don't think Karl has it in him to kill in cold blood, but he is unstable. The only thing he cares about is Stella (Michelle Collins) - and now he's got her back, he's desperate to hold on to her.

"But if he's pushed too far he'll react on the spur of the moment, so he is dangerous."

Michie said of the reaction he gets from fans: "I get a lot of attention - from sick people! 

"It's funny but lots of ladies do seem to have a soft spot for him even though he's done bad, bad things.

"Women do like a bad man. The thing is, you never actually saw Karl do the dastardly deed [killing Sunita] so maybe if you're someone who's attracted to him, you can gloss over that bit."

The actor also spoke about whether he would ever return to his role as DI Robbie Ross in Taggart.

"I'm sure there's a good chance Taggart will return," he said. "I'd certainly be up for another series or even just a one-off to tie everything up.

"It would be great if someone like [Doctor Who writer] Steven Moffat, who's from Edinburgh, wrote the last episode."

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## Perdita

Michelle Collins as revealed that she takes things "day-to-day" when it comes to her future on Coronation Street.

The soap star, who has played Stella Price since June 2011, explained that her many years in the industry have taught her to expect the unexpected when it comes to acting gigs.

Asked what her Corrie future holds, Collins told the Daily Star Sunday's TV Extra magazine: "I don't know. At my age I tend to live life day-to-day really.

"I think as an actor you're used to not knowing what's around the corner, so I tend not to think that far ahead.

"I'm in my third year now. It's weird because I don't live in Manchester. I come and go, so I don't feel part of the furniture. But that's good because you should never become complacent."

On what kind of wedding dress she wants for Stella, she continued: "A Big Fat Gypsy Wedding one! I don't know - it's weird because I've never been married but I've been married so many times on screen.

"I do love a wedding though! Especially my own! Stella hasn't been married either, so I think she will go for it big time because it's her first marriage and they've been together a long time. I'm hoping she'll go for it!"

She added that she doesn't know how Stella will feel when she finds out that Karl started the Rovers fire, but there will "definitely be a wedding".

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## lizann

> I bet they do get married just to make it more devastating for Stella when she finds out what Karl's really like. Whenever the truth does come out, I hope that it is at a similar time to Leanne finding out about Kylie and Nick, as I think there could be some interesting scenes there. Although Nick strictly didn't cheat on Leanne, I can see them breaking up when the truth is out.


well we know now the wedding will be september will karl be gone before that time, i half expect the truth to come out at xmas

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## walsh2509

My bet is , it will all come out just as he is about to say I DO

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## Glen1

> My bet is , it will all come out just as he is about to say I DO


Here's hoping he gets his words wrong and says "I did it". Can't understand why Dev gave up on the pursuit of Karl after getting so close to the truth? Think lizanne may be right, this is going to be the Xmas shock blockbuster.(yawn).

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## alan45

> Here's hoping he gets his words wrong and says "I did it". Can't understand why Dev gave up on the pursuit of Karl after getting so close to the truth? Think lizanne may be right, this is going to be the Xmas shock blockbuster.(yawn).


It probably will be the Xmas yawnfest. After all ITV are determined to put St Ella in every major storyline going

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Glen1 (21-06-2013), tammyy2j (21-06-2013)

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## alan45

> Here's hoping he gets his words wrong and says "I did it". Can't understand why Dev gave up on the pursuit of Karl after getting so close to the truth? Think lizanne may be right, this is going to be the Xmas shock blockbuster.(yawn).


It probably will be the Xmas yawnfest. After all ITV are determined to put St Ella in every major storyline going

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## Perdita

Coronation Street actor John Michie has revealed that he would love to play Sir Alex Ferguson.

Michie, who plays villain Karl Munro on the ITV soap, told Radio 2 listeners that he would relish the opportunity to play Manchester United's legendary manager.

While taking part in a phone-in on who should play Ferguson, Michie said that the club's football fans had suggested his name as a possible frontrunner.

He said: "My name popped up a few times. I know he's a massive Corrie fan, as is his wife Cathy. That would be a dream role."

Michie also revealed that he remains good friends with former Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati, who played Karl's lover Sunita Alahan and ultimately met her soap demise at the hands of the rogue.

He said: "I've been to Old Trafford with Shobna and we had a great time."

Michie recently said that some soap fans feel sorry for Karl's predicament after Sunita perished in the fire he started.

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## parkerman

> Michie recently said that some soap fans feel sorry for Karl's predicament after Sunita perished in the fire he started.


I feel sorry for him having to live with St Ella.

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## LizzyBizzy

Found this on the Daily Mail website - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...on-Street.html

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Dazzle (18-07-2013), tammyy2j (19-07-2013)

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## Perdita

So they are getting married    ughh

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## swmc66

Why can't a corrie wedding go as normal on the day. It is over the top to have them all ruined on the day.....Steve and Tracy, Leanne and Nick 's. etc etc.
Anyway what do you think graig knows? What did he see?

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## swmc66

Why can't a corrie wedding go as normal on the day. It is over the top to have them all ruined on the day.....Steve and Tracy, Leanne and Nick 's. etc etc.
Anyway what do you think graig knows? What did he see?

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## Perdita

Coronation Street star John Michie has confirmed that his character Karl Munro won't be killed off.

Time is running out for Karl as Michie has already filmed his final scenes in the role and is expected to bow out on screen in September.

Karl is still hiding the fact that he started the Rovers Return fire and killed Sunita Alahan. However, his final weeks on screen will see him find it extremely difficult to continue keeping the truth under wraps.

Michie told TV Times: "It's quite short and intense - a month of Karl ducking and diving, trying not to get caught. 

"I think the writers have got his exit just right. He doesn't die, which is good. You never know, in a couple of years he might come back. I don't believe in closing any doors."

The main problem for Karl will come in the form of schoolboy Craig Tinker (Colson Smith), who knows more about the pub blaze than anyone thought.

Michie explained: "Karl was starting to think he'd got away with it, until Craig comes up with this annoying fact which plunges him straight back into the jungle of madness. He feels he can control this kid, at least for a period of time.

"Karl will do anything to get his prize, which is Stella, so Craig had better watch out. I know I've always said that Karl is no killer, but he's starting to go slightly mad now."

Michie already has his next project lined up as he has joined the cast of BBC One's Holby City.

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Glen1 (30-07-2013), tammyy2j (30-07-2013)

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## tammyy2j

Does he go to prison so?

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## Kim

> Does he go to prison so?


Must do. With the door being left open for him to return, he must serve his time in order that he may return in future. Not sure how realistic his sentence will be if this is Corrie's thinking, as by rights he should be going down for a long time.

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## tammyy2j

.

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## tammyy2j

> Must do. With the door being left open for him to return, he must serve his time in order that he may return in future. Not sure how realistic his sentence will be if this is Corrie's thinking, as by rights he should be going down for a long time.


Unless he goes on the run

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## Perdita

> Must do. With the door being left open for him to return, he must serve his time in order that he may return in future. Not sure how realistic his sentence will be if this is Corrie's thinking, as by rights he should be going down for a long time.


We thought that about Tracyluv too and she was out after a couple of years

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## Perdita

> Must do. With the door being left open for him to return, he must serve his time in order that he may return in future. Not sure how realistic his sentence will be if this is Corrie's thinking, as by rights he should be going down for a long time.


We thought that about Tracyluv too and she was out after a couple of years

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## alan45

Coronation Street killer Karl Munro will kidnap Stella Price and Dev Alahan in an upcoming storyline.

The Weatherfield murderer, played by John Michie, takes desperate measures after his secrets are exposed and goes back to the scene of his crime, the Rovers cellar, for his next plot.


According to the Daily Star, Stella (Michelle Collins) is shocked after finding out about Karl and Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) realises Karl killed his wife Sunita.

After Karl takes them both hostage, Stella screams at him: "Come on Karl, he (Dev) might be dying." However, Karl's only worry is that Stella will leave him.

Stella tries to talk Karl out of harming her and Dev, saying: "I know the sacrifices you made. This is all a mess. The question is, how do we clear it up?"

Karl actor Michie recently confirmed that his character won't be killed off, saying that he could return after his upcoming exit.

The star is expected to bow out on screen in September.

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Dazzle (31-07-2013), Glen1 (31-07-2013), lizann (01-08-2013)

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## alan45

Coronation Street killer Karl Munro will kidnap Stella Price and Dev Alahan in an upcoming storyline.

The Weatherfield murderer, played by John Michie, takes desperate measures after his secrets are exposed and goes back to the scene of his crime, the Rovers cellar, for his next plot.


According to the Daily Star, Stella (Michelle Collins) is shocked after finding out about Karl and Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) realises Karl killed his wife Sunita.

After Karl takes them both hostage, Stella screams at him: "Come on Karl, he (Dev) might be dying." However, Karl's only worry is that Stella will leave him.

Stella tries to talk Karl out of harming her and Dev, saying: "I know the sacrifices you made. This is all a mess. The question is, how do we clear it up?"

Karl actor Michie recently confirmed that his character won't be killed off, saying that he could return after his upcoming exit.

The star is expected to bow out on screen in September.

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tammyy2j (01-08-2013)

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## Glen1

Should have been finished months ago, still must be thankfull  for small mercies. 
"I know the sacrifices you made. This is all a mess. The question is, how do we clear it up?" Very easily Stella, leave with him !!!

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alan45 (31-07-2013), lizann (01-08-2013), sarah c (31-07-2013), tammyy2j (31-07-2013)

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## Glen1

.

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## lizann

shame he isn't killed off with stella and eva

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Glen1 (01-08-2013), tammyy2j (01-08-2013)

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## Perdita

Killer Karl sets his sights on Craig after discovering he saw him at the scene of the crime on the night of the Rovers fire, John Michie has revealed.

John, who plays Karl, said: "He knows that the best thing for him to do would be to kill Craig, because itâs hard to stop kids from blabbing."

Believing that he is responsible for the fire, an upset Craig opens up to Karl that he threw away a lit cigarette because he saw him leaving the pub and didn't want to get caught smoking.

"He knows that the best thing for him to do would be to kill Craig, because itâs hard to stop kids from blabbing..."

Karl knows that if Craig tells anyone then it will expose him as the arsonist, as he told police he was at the Bistro full monty all evening.

"It definitely crosses Karl's mind that he might need to silence Craig for good. When he meets him at the disused railway bridges, killing Craig is definitely on his mind," said John.

Karl employs scare tactics to keep Craig quiet, telling him that if anyone finds out that it was his cigarette that caused the fire he could go to prison for killing Sunita and Toni the firefighter.

"Heâs hoping that he can scare Craig enough so he doesnât say anything until way after the wedding. By that time Karl will be in Spain and he has no intention of ever coming back to Weatherfield."

"He knows that he canât trust Craig not to say anything but heâs hoping he can scare him enough"

"Karl is a scary man, especially to a young kid like Craig. I think Craig is very scared of Karl so he will do whatever he says," added John. 

As Karl gets desperate to keep Craig quiet, he resorts to making vicious threats.

"Karl threatens to kill his mum, Beth. This is the last card he can play with Craig. The implication being if I can kill your Mum, I can kill you..."

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Glen1 (05-08-2013)

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## Perdita

Coronation Street actress Michelle Collins has announced that she is leaving the soap next year.

The 51-year-old has decided not to renew her contract when it expires in April.

Collins has portrayed Rovers Return landlady Stella Price since joining the ITV soap in June 2011.

The soap star previously said she was taking her future on Corrie "day-to-day".

"I think as an actor you're used to not knowing what's around the corner, so I tend not to think that far ahead," Collins stated at the time.

The actresses departure is the latest in a line of stars bowing out of the soap. On screen mum Sue Johnston is also set to depart next year, as well as Michelle Keegan.

Stella's Final scenes will be aired in June next year.

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lizann (22-08-2013), Siobhan (22-08-2013), tammyy2j (22-08-2013)

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## Siobhan

good news for Alan then!!

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alan45 (22-08-2013), lizann (22-08-2013), tammyy2j (22-08-2013)

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## Perdita

That is what I thought too  :Big Grin:

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## tammyy2j

.

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## tammyy2j

> good news for Alan then!!


What did Alan do, how did he manage to get her out  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## lizann

> Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn added: "When an actor decides to leave a programme like Corrie, it means the writing team can creatively scale new heights. We promise the tour de force that is Stella Price will leave with a bang.


so who shoots her alan  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## alan45

While I am obviously delighted to see the back of this pointless character played by the vacuous Ms Collin I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

Unfortunaley she will still be on screen until next year but now at least the light is at the end of the tunnel

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## alan45

While I am obviously delighted to see the back of this pointless character played by the vacuous Ms Collin I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

Unfortunaley she will still be on screen until next year but now at least the light is at the end of the tunnel

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## tammyy2j

There isn't much left for her after Karl's killing is revealed and she sells the pub so she could leave this year

----------


## Kim

I like her being around for Leanne and making up for lost time, so I wonder if they will part on good terms, especially if there is still drama for Nick and Leanne at the time. With Gloria also going and Sylvia's let down of an exit last night, I'm not sure that I'll watch Corrie for much longer.

----------


## Kim

From Huffpost.com:

The actress - who plays Stella Price on the ITV soap - will leave the show in April next year after deciding not to renew her contract.

Stella's final scenes will air in June 2014.

----

Still quite a while to go then, as was the case with Tina when her departure was announced. I am wondering if Kylie's baby will turn out to be Nick's, Nick and Leanne split and then she gets a place with Leanne, Eva and Gloria for their final months. I believe Stella and Karl marry before she discovers the truth, so assuming that the discovery is not immediately after the ceremony, they could divorce and Karl take her for half of everything, forcing Stella to lose the pub. I can see Stella not wanting to give up the pub after finding out, so perhaps it will turn out that Gloria's co-ownership in the pub has not been made official and is only informal between Stella and Gloria. Wouldn't be realistic on the divorce law point though, as I believe they have to be married for a year first. 

My thoughts only; there was no speculation in the article that I found, it only restated that Liz will get back the Rovers. I am hoping at least that they don't resort to an EastEnders copy, where Steve didn't have the right to sell the Rovers and Liz turns up to reclaim it.

----------


## lizann

latest talk i.e. rumour buzz on twitter is that stella and jason start an affair while he is with eva

----------


## alan45

June 2014 cannot come soon enough. I hope they make it impossible for her to come back and do a Poison Dwarf

----------


## Perdita

Jason Grimshaw determines to stop Stella from marrying Karl when he realises that Karl was behind the Rovers fire, Ryan Thomas has revealed. 

Ryan, who plays Jason, said: "Jason is scared of what might happen to Stella, heâs concerned about her safety and thatâs why heâs trying to put a stop to the wedding."

But with no hard evidence, will anyone believe what Jason has to say about the arsonist husband-to-be?

"Jasonâs quite determined and heâs not afraid of putting his point across. But then there are times when Karl flashes him a look..."

When Karl admits to torching Jason's van, he realises that Karl is capable of much more than he first anticipated.

"Jason becomes much more suspicious of him, which is why heâs so persistent in trying to prove to people that it was Karl that set fire to the pub."

"Heâs trying to work Karl out and the more heâs in Karlâs vicinity, the more he starts to find out about him," added Ryan.

"Jasonâs quite determined and heâs not afraid of putting his point across. But then there are times when Karl flashes him a look and he knows heâs not messing around. Heâs a bit unsure and a bit wary of him."

When Jason discovers that Karl gave Craig money to keep him quiet, he sees it as a sure sign that Karl is guilty.

"Itâs confirmation that his suspicions of Karl are true and itâs more evidence that Karlâs capable of doing anything," said Ryan.

"Jason is scared of what might happen to Stella, heâs concerned about her safety..."

And when he finds holes in Karl's alibi for the night of the fire, Jason is hell-bent on proving his theory. But even once suspicious Dev is sceptical.

"With Dev having so much going on after losing his wife, Jasonâs having a bit of a nightmare and feels like heâs fighting a losing battle."

'But as soon as he gets one little bit of evidence he clings on to it. The more evidence he gets the more believable his story is," said Ryan.

----------

Dazzle (26-08-2013), tammyy2j (26-08-2013)

----------


## Perdita

Karl plans to get hitched and hit the road with Stella straight away, John Michie has revealed.

John, who plays arsonist Karl, said: "Once Karlâs married Stella, then he can flee the Street with her in tow."

"He knows heâs on borrowed time and that he has a very limited amount of time for this plan to go ahead," added John.

"Karlâs got it into his mind that as long as he can get Stella out of Weatherfield, out of the UK, then he will be okay..."

"He borrows a bit of money off his friend and books two cheap flights to Spain for them post-wedding. Stella might think that heâs got them a nice hotel, but he hasnât. Karlâs only concern is getting them the hell out of Weatherfield."

As Craig revealed that he saw him leaving the Rovers on the night of the fire, Karl is desperate to ensure he does not share this incriminating evidence with anyone else.

"Karlâs doing a lot of ducking and diving on the run up to the wedding. Heâs feeling extremely hopeful that everythingâs going to run to plan, but at the same time heâs also very nervous about his efforts to ensure Craig keeps his mouth shut."

"I think Karl has the potential to âdisposeâ of Craig if circumstances left him with little other choice."

"Craig is always on his mind at the minute and he canât shake it off."

"I donât think heâd be able to do something premeditated and calculated to him, but in the heat of the moment I think Karl has the potential to âdisposeâ of Craig if circumstances left him with little other choice," said John.

And as Jason and Dev are beginning to unravel Karl's web of lies, noticing that his alibi for the night of the fire is flawed, will they manage to expose Karl as the killer before he leaves Weatherfield with Stella for good?

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street actress Michelle Collins has revealed that she would consider a return to the ITV soap.

The 51-year-old actress, who plays Stella Price in the show, recently announced that she would be leaving next year.

However, speaking on This Morning today (September 6), Collins stated that she has asked bosses not to kill off her character in light of a possible return in the future.

She said: "I don't know [how I'm going], my exit storyline is eight months away, so they'll probably start planning that in October. I have asked them not to kill me off."

Collins added: "You can never say never, situations change and circumstances change."

The actress, who stars as the Rovers Return landlady, also revealed that she had said to herself upon joining the programme that she would only stay for three years.

"I'm leaving because by the time I do leave, which will be in April/May, I said I would probably stay for three years and my three years are up. It's gone so quickly, it's unbelievable," she added.

"It's been fantastic, but I want to pursue other things. But fundamentally I want to be a mum again. [Daughter] Maia has two years left at school, she's just gone into the sixth form and I just need to be around more for her. She's going to go to uni.

"I had time off for her GSCEs which was great, but next year she'll choose a uni, that kind of thing, and it's so important. It's only me so I need to be there, I'm a single parent."

----------


## TaintedLove

In other words.......if I can`t find anything else, I`ll come back until I`m bored again.
etc etc

----------


## TaintedLove

In other words.......if I can`t find anything else, I`ll come back until I`m bored again.
etc etc

----------

alan45 (07-09-2013), Glen1 (07-09-2013)

----------


## alan45

Please ITV do not listen to this woman. KILL her off and dont give her any excuse to come back

----------


## Glen1

Hallelujah, hope she takes her daughter with her,either way great news. Agree Alan ,the producers must ignore her wishes. a minor fatal accident ,done on the cheap will be fine .Doesn't even need to be televised, a casual announcement in t'rovers ,no problem.

----------


## Kim

I like Stella as a character, but I agree Glen; Eva should go with her. I just don't think that there is any potential for her as a stand alone character, and she and Leanne have never been exactly close. 

Her departure is in a way predictable, as Michelle previously stated that she had only joined the show for financial security so that her daughter could go to university. In the three years that she'll have been there by the time she leaves, she's definitely done that, even with the new fee structure.

The timing doesn't make much sense to me; I thought she'd have gone last year. With Michelle's last scenes airing next June, she probably isn't going to finish filming until March at the earliest, by which time her daughter will need to have decided on which course and universities to apply for. She'll be around for her daughter's revision and exam period, but after that she won't have long to spend with her before she goes off to university. A lot of it I thought also was the fact that she wanted to spend more time with her, as she doesn't get a lot of time with commuting from London to Manchester for filming. All in all, I can see her being interested in a return in little more than 6 months of finishing filming, so part of me is wondering why she didn't just take an extended absence like Charlie Brooks did from EastEnders for example.

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has said that her character Stella Price will struggle to cope following the revelation that her fiancÃ© Karl Munro started the blaze at the Rovers Return.

As Stella finds herself at the centre of speculation next week following Karl's arrest, she goes into complete self-destruct mode and hits the bottle. 


Collins said: "She's completely broken. Stella is quite a fragile thing - she may act the feisty landlady, but behind that she's delicate and vulnerable and this just completely knocks her for six. 

"It's not just the fact that he was behind the fire that shakes her, but the extent to which he tried to pull the wool over her eyes once again and cover his tracks. Stella sees that behaviour as being calculated. Once again she has failed to detect his lies. 

"She's absolutely devastated. She feels completely undone. This is beyond humiliation for her now. She never for one second imagined that Karl would be capable of causing this much devastation and the realisation is completely earth-shattering for her."

It is left to Dev to try and get through to Stella, telling her not to blame herself, but a drunk Stella ends up breaking down in front of him.


Collins said: "Stella feels so much to blame for what's happened and she knows she should have listened to Dev when he told her not to forgive Karl the first time round. 

"Dev knows that Stella is blaming herself but he has had much longer to process the truth than she has. The pain on Stella's face is so visible to him. 

"It is Dev who forces Stella to listen to him when she's in a drunken state and insists that she must not blame herself for what's happened in any way. She ends up breaking down on Dev, which leaves her feeling mortified when she sobers up."

Speaking about the future for Stella, Collins said: "At this stage, she can't see a way out. She's at her lowest ebb really, being eaten away by a whole host of emotions. 

"Karl is in the walls of the Rovers and as long as she's there she can't see a way of escaping him.

----------


## alan45

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has said that her character Stella Price will struggle to cope following the revelation that her fiancÃ© Karl Munro started the blaze at the Rovers Return.

As Stella finds herself at the centre of speculation next week following Karl's arrest, she goes into complete self-destruct mode and hits the bottle. 


Collins said: "She's completely broken. Stella is quite a fragile thing - she may act the feisty landlady, but behind that she's delicate and vulnerable and this just completely knocks her for six. 

"It's not just the fact that he was behind the fire that shakes her, but the extent to which he tried to pull the wool over her eyes once again and cover his tracks. Stella sees that behaviour as being calculated. Once again she has failed to detect his lies. 

"She's absolutely devastated. She feels completely undone. This is beyond humiliation for her now. She never for one second imagined that Karl would be capable of causing this much devastation and the realisation is completely earth-shattering for her."

It is left to Dev to try and get through to Stella, telling her not to blame herself, but a drunk Stella ends up breaking down in front of him.


Collins said: "Stella feels so much to blame for what's happened and she knows she should have listened to Dev when he told her not to forgive Karl the first time round. 

"Dev knows that Stella is blaming herself but he has had much longer to process the truth than she has. The pain on Stella's face is so visible to him. 

"It is Dev who forces Stella to listen to him when she's in a drunken state and insists that she must not blame herself for what's happened in any way. She ends up breaking down on Dev, which leaves her feeling mortified when she sobers up."

Speaking about the future for Stella, Collins said: "At this stage, she can't see a way out. She's at her lowest ebb really, being eaten away by a whole host of emotions. 

"Karl is in the walls of the Rovers and as long as she's there she can't see a way of escaping him.

----------

maidmarian (10-09-2013)

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street actor John Michie has praised the departure of his character Karl Munro from the show.

Last night, viewers saw Karl admit to setting fire to The Rovers Return in a bid to win back Stella Price, killing former lover Sunita Alahan and firefighter Toni Griffiths in the process.

After revealing all to his new wife Stella, she persuades him to come clean with the police and take his punishment.

In a final on-set interview with ITV, Michie said: "I thought it was a great ending. I thought it was really good that Stella convinced Karl to be the man that she once knew, and that he was to be honest with himself and admit he was wrong and admit that he had killed; to walk out with his hands up and say, 'Alright guy, I did it'.

"He kind of absolved himself, in as much as you can do having been the cause of two people's deaths."

Michie, who will soon join Holby City as a regular cast member, said that he had "loved" playing Karl, with his "many flaws".

He said: "He's addicted to gambling, he's got a bit of a drinking addiction as well - and he's also addicted to women. Those three things make a wonderful character to play, and I'll really miss getting inside the head of Karl Munro."

The 56-year-old also revealed his favourite scenes involved the dramatic destruction of the pub and the emotional aftermath of the hospital.

He explained: "One of the highlights was when Karl set fire to the Rovers, one of the most iconic pubs in Great Britain, even though it's fictious. I think all the hospital scenes as well, and Karl's duplicity was fabulous to play."

Commenting on Karl's future, Michie teased: "Is it the last we'll see of Karl? I don't think you can everâ¦ I mean he's alive, he's inside, he's doing time. Who knows?"

Michie's co-star Michelle Collins recently revealed that she has asked that her character Stella Price is not killed off when she leaves the show in coming months.

----------


## tammyy2j

It wasn't a great episode, John's acting was good but the end result was very anti climax

----------


## Perdita

Stella  turns to drink to cope with the shocking revelation about her husband Karl, Michelle Collins has revealed.

Michelle, who plays Stella, said: "Stella is ridden with guilt, regret and shame and she canât escape the fact that she let this man into her life."

"She soon turns to the bottle to help her face people in the pub," she added.

"Stellaâs at her lowest ebb really, being eaten away by a whole host of emotions..."

Following the dramatic showdown, which saw Karl attack Dev and take Stella hostage in the Rovers, Karl confessed that he started the Rovers fire to frame her ex-boyfriend Jason, and killed Sunita when she began to show signs of recovery in order to cover his tracks. 

"Stella is absolutely devastated. She never for one second imagined that Karl would be capable of causing this much devastation, and the realisation is completely earth-shattering for her."

"Stella is quite a fragile thing - she may act the feisty landlady, but behind that sheâs delicate and vulnerable and this just completely knocks her for six," said Michelle.

Guilt-ridden Stella blames herself for the damage Karl has done, and turns to drink in a bid to block out her troubles.

"She canât help but think that if she hadnât have given Karl another chance then they wouldnât be in this position."

"Stella figures that it canât get much worse and that drinking might help her deal with the sympathy and pity on all the faces she sees in the Rovers."

"Karl is in the walls of the Rovers, and as long as sheâs there she canât see a way of escaping him..."

Eva and Gloria become concerned for Stella's well-being as it is clear she's not moving on from this life-shattering revelation. 

"Stella isnât coping. In the past sheâs been able to put on a brave face, especially when it comes to her business, but this time itâs different. Thatâs why she has to drink to get through it."

"I think Gloria and Eva are really worried for her when they see she canât even face working in the pub that sheâs fought so hard for."

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins has announced plans to release her autobiography next year.

The soap actress has promised to reveal her own personal stories about working on both EastEnders and Coronation Street, reports the Daily Star.

Collins portrayed Cindy Beale on EastEnders from 1988 to 1998, before landing the role of Stella Price in rival soap Coronation Street in 2011.

The currently untitled book will be available in April 2014, and will document her early career as a singer before rising to fame on television.

She will also discuss her battles with eating disorders, how she walked out on her wedding to entrepreneur Parry Cockwell and her court battle with Italian ex-partner Fabrizio Tassalini for custody of daughter Maia.

Collins said in a statement: "I've been asked many times to write my story but the time has never been right. Now it's the right time."

The actress will leave Coronation Street in 2014, at around the same time of the release of her book.

She said that she might consider returning to the soap in a few years' time.

*Bet Alan can't wait *

----------


## alan45

I have already ordered my copy through Amazon.. Strangely enough I quite liked her in EE but she is totally useless in Corrie.

----------


## alan45

Stella Price's Coronation Street exit will be a low-key storyline concentrating on her relationship with daughter Leanne.

Michelle Collins announced last August that she will be bowing out from the role of Stella, but show bosses have now ruled out an explosive departure for the character.

Speaking at a Coronation Street press event yesterday (January 10), producer Stuart Blackburn explained: "Stella is on screen until the end of April or early May. It's a very quiet exit because we've had so many big ones and there are massive ones coming up. 

"It's an exit where she's trying to do the right thing by Leanne. There's a space and time where her exit might help Leanne. There's also a sense of Stella looking at Gloria and her lust for life. She's also looking at Eva who's with Jason. She thinks, 'I'm not dead yet - I'm only 50 and there's a whole world out there!' 

"Hopefully it's genuine, moving, truthful and leaves the door open. But mostly Stella thinks if she goes, Leanne can get on with whatever she's getting on with - but what that is I'm not going to say!"

Collins joined the cast of Coronation Street in mid-2011, when the Price clan took charge at the Rovers Return. More recently, Stella has moved on from the pub and is working at the Bistro.





> Hopefully it's genuine, moving, truthful and leaves the door open.


  Hopefully they shut and double lock the door after her.. In fact better still brick it up!!!!!

----------

swmc66 (11-01-2014)

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has agreed with fans about her character's recent lack of screen time. Alan???   :Big Grin: 

The actress, who has played Stella Price since 2011, announced her departure from the soap last August. 

However, viewers have taken to Twitter to express their annoyance over Stella's quieter time on screen over the last few months. The show's producer, Stuart Blackburn, also recently confirmed that Stella would have a quiet exit later this year.

Replying to a tweet from one of her followers who was claiming that Stella had become an extra, Collins replied: "Tell me about it!"

Collins has previously taken to Twitter to express her disappointment over the situation, saying: 'It's so nice people are missing me on @itvcorrie. Im sorry but Stella's become a bit of a minor character now it's a shame I know !!"


Stella will be on screen until the spring, with Blackburn explaining that she will eventually leave Weatherfield to help her daughter Leanne.

He said: "It's a very quiet exit because we've had so many big ones and there are massive ones coming up. 

"It's an exit where she's trying to do the right thing by Leanne. There's a space and time where her exit might help Leanne.

"There's also a sense of Stella looking at Gloria and her lust for life. She's also looking at Eva who's with Jason. She thinks, 'I'm not dead yet - I'm only 50 and there's a whole world out there!'

----------


## alan45

Perhaps if she had been introduced gradually instead of taking the lead in every storyline the views may have taken to her.. I certainly will not be sad to see the back of her.

----------


## Perdita

Not sure if I will be glad to see the back of her but I certainly have not missed her and had not actually realised that she had less screen time recently   :Embarrassment:

----------


## tammyy2j

Who is angry??????

----------


## swmc66

Probably her mates

----------


## alan45

> Who is angry??????





> Probably her mates


or her Bank Manager.

I'm angry she was there so long

----------


## alan45

> Who is angry??????





> Probably her mates


or her Bank Manager.

I'm angry she was there so long

----------


## swmc66

Don't soap stars realise everyone one has stories and at times you take a back seat.

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has revealed that she decided to leave the soap because she was exhausted. 

The actress, who has played Stella Price since 2011, announced last August that she will be bowing out of the role.

Speaking to The Sun, Collins said: "I threw myself wholeheartedly into Corrie but I ended up spreading myself far too thinly. Like a lot of working mums, I worked so bloody hard and I was just tired all the time. 

"I ran myself ragged and the last person I thought to look after was me. The tiredness is the worst, it can make you a zombie. Work is fantastic, but it's not the be-all and end-all. You have to have some quality of life as well.

"That's what Corrie has taught me. If you don't have a work-life balance it can start to drive you a bit crazy."

Collins also discussed her character's recent lack of screen time, which has caught the attention of fans on Twitter, who complained that Stella was becoming a 'glorified extra'.

Stella comforts Leanne.
Â© ITV
Stella and Leanne in Coronation Street

She said: "I would have loved to have been more involved in the Hayley and Roy right-to-die storyline, because it was brilliant. You do feel a bit left out when everyone comes back to the green room after those big emotional scenes. 

"But you can't expect to be at the front of the show all of the time. And if I was still centre stage it might have been harder for me to walk away."

Speaking about her decision to leave the show, Collins - who has an 18-year old daughter - said: "The producer, Stuart Blackburn, did try to persuade me to stay. But he understood that I was doing it for [daughter] Maia and that she had to come first. And he agreed to leave the door open for Stella.

"I was really pleased about that. I didn't want her to be killed off in a big, explosive storyline."

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins has filmed her final scenes for the soap.

The actress, who plays Stella Price, finished work on the ITV show yesterday (February 19) after a night shoot.

Collins thanked fans for their support on Twitter this morning as she reflected on the end of her time as Stella.

Stella's Coronation Street exit scenes will air in April, but show bosses have warned that her final storyline will be low-key.

Producer Stuart Blackburn said last month: "It's a very quiet exit because we've had so many big ones and there are massive ones coming up.

"It's an exit where she's trying to do the right thing by Leanne. There's a space and time where her exit might help Leanne. There's also a sense of Stella looking at Gloria and her lust for life. She's also looking at Eva who's with Jason. She thinks, 'I'm not dead yet - I'm only 50 and there's a whole world out there!'

"Hopefully it's genuine, moving, truthful and leaves the door open. But mostly Stella thinks if she goes, Leanne can get on with whatever she's getting on with - but what that is I'm not going to say!"

Collins joined Coronation Street in mid-2011. She had previously been best known for her role as Cindy Beale in EastEnders.

The actress's next project will be the release of her autobiography From Walford to Weatherfield on April 3.

----------

Glen1 (20-02-2014), tammyy2j (20-02-2014)

----------


## Glen1

Hallelujah, byyyyye.

----------


## tammyy2j

So she abandons Leanne again

----------


## Perdita

Michelle Collins has discussed her low-key departure from Coronation Street.

Collins - who has starred as Stella Price since 2011 - will bow out of the soap this spring, but the actress has described her exit scenes as "anti-climactic".

Describing her last day on set, Collins told The Sunday Mirror's Notebook magazine: "My final scene was leaving in a taxi and it was 10.15pm and bloody cold. I was quite emotional all day."

Collins revealed that her character swaps Weatherfield for the Big Apple, where she goes to visit a friend.

She explained: "She decides she hasn't got over the Karl thing and the love life isn't going to plan, so she goes to New York to was a bit anti-climactic, as it was 10.15pm and bloody cold. I was quite emotional all day."stay with an old friend - who I've never spoken about in my entire life as Stella but suddenly she's my best mate."

The actress took to social media in January to agree with fans who complained about Stella's lack of screentime on the soap. However, Collins insisted she didn't intend for her comments to cause such a stir.

"I'm terrible on Twitter," she said. "I didn't realise things had such a big impact.

"You have to go with what the producer wants and when they know you're leaving, they're not going to invest massively in your character. I've had a lot of dramatic stuff so I didn't really mind."

Collins revealed that people thought she was "mad" when she announced she was leaving Coronation Street, but explained that the commute from her home in London and the studios in Manchester made it difficult for her to spend time with her 17-year-old daughter. 


Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3...#ixzz2w9FPcQan

----------

maidmarian (16-03-2014), swmc66 (17-03-2014)

----------


## Perdita

Coronation Street star Michelle Collins is joining Casualty for a guest stint.

Collins, who has finished filming as Weatherfield's Stella Price, will play the role of Samantha on the BBC medical drama. Her first scenes will air in July.

Samantha will end up in hospital after being injured while trying to help rescue a competitive father, who has a heart attack after a running race with his son.

The character will also be a new love interest for paramedic Jeff, who treated her at the scene, as the pair soon begin a relationship.

However, as the romance with Jeff blossoms, a secret held by Samantha threatens to turn both of their worlds upside down. 

Speaking about the part, Collins said: "I got offered the guest role in Casualty very soon after finishing Corrie. I jumped at the chance of playing a character so different so quickly - it was exciting to be stepping into something new. 

"Playing Stella was great fun but it was thrilling to have a challenge of an entirely different role. Londoner Samantha is nothing like Stella - I dyed my hair to leave Stella behind which fitted in well with the role. 


"I'm pleased to be involved in another hit drama TV show so soon, even if it's just for a short while. Since leaving Corrie it's been great to get my teeth into different characters and I'm looking forward to new opportunities which have been coming my way."

Casualty's executive producer Oliver Kent added: "We can't wait for everyone to meet Samantha and see where her story goes over the two months she's on screen. Michelle has been absolutely brilliant and her arrival is set to have a huge impact on one of the show's most loved characters." 

It was announced last year that Collins would be leaving Coronation Street. Her final scenes will be aired next week as Stella leaves Weatherfield for a new life in New York.

----------


## alan45

As we bid a fond and long overdue farewell to the pointless and woeful Stella Price how ironic her character is going to New York.  After all she had a lovely Christmas in New York when she was going to be the STAR of Corrie.

----------

lizann (31-03-2014), maidmarian (30-03-2014), swmc66 (31-03-2014)

----------


## lizann

stella leaves and alan returns to us here all rejoice  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## alan45

> stella leaves and alan returns to us here all rejoice


 She hasn't left just yet. My champagne popping was a bit premature

----------


## alan45

> stella leaves and alan returns to us here all rejoice


 She hasn't left just yet. My champagne popping was a bit premature

----------


## Dazzle

> She hasn't left just yet. My champagne popping was a bit premature


Only one more episode to get through.

----------


## swmc66

Wow the quickest immigration case i have seen.

----------

tammyy2j (02-04-2014)

----------


## tammyy2j

> Wow the quickest immigration case i have seen.


Yes off to New York fast and where did she get the money from?

----------


## tammyy2j

.

----------


## alan45

> Yes off to New York fast and where did she get the money from?


Who cares - She's gone.  

The New York storyline is just as improbable as the rest of the storyline she has been involved in

----------


## alan45

Michelle Collins has admitted that she 'cringes' when she watches her old EastEnders clips, but would still be open to reprising the role of Cindy Beale for a one-off comedy sketch.

The actress, who played Cindy on and off between 1988 and 1998, has recently been presented with footage of the character's most memorable moments while promoting her new autobiography This Is Me.

Cindy is also still mentioned on screen in EastEnders as her daughters Lucy and Cindy Junior are both currently living with Ian Beale on Albert Square.

Collins commented: "I think it was 17 years ago she actually died, but they do tend to talk about her a lot - I suppose because Ian Beale is such a massive character, isn't he?

"I feel so far removed from it. Because I'm promoting the book, lots of people have been playing [clips] and it makes me cringe, actually. I think, 'Oh my God, I was terrible, I can't bear to listen to my voice!' I can't bear to watch it!

"I just think, 'Oh, I wish I could do it all again now'. It was a long time ago and I just feel, 'I'm not sure about that'. I am my worst critic, but I don't like hearing the sound of my voice at all. Especially when she's saying, 'Oh Ian!'"

As Cindy died off screen, fans have often suggested that she could somehow make a shock return to Walford in the future - especially in the wake of Collins's recent departure from Coronation Street as Stella Price.

Collins added: "It would be interesting, actually, because I was asked to do a Children in Need sketch where Ian gets knocked over the head, gets a head injury, wakes up and Cindy's there. I really wanted to do it, but I wasn't allowed to do it because I was working. 

"That would have been really good fun, to have just gone back for a moment to play Cindy again. But I don't know if I'd even know how to play Cindy again - it feels like it was a very different person. I'm not in Corrie [now], so maybe I can do it next time!"

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Katy (06-04-2014)

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## Perdita

Holby City star John Michie is eyeing up a return to Coronation Street after he bows out of the medical drama next week.

John played Leanne and Eva's stepdad and Cobbles criminal Karl Munro from 2011 to 2013. He was last seen being carted off to prison for starting the Rovers fire that killed his former mistress Sunita.

"I've always said that I'd love to go back and do another Coronation Street stint - if Karl manages to escape Strangeways," John said to Inside Soap.

"I loved working with Jane Danson [Leanne] - so imagine if she started visiting Karl in jail, and is instrumental in getting him released? Although he was very bad, Karl did make me laugh with his dark humour. The bad guys can be a lot of fun to play."

Given that Leanne was never a huge fan of Karl, we can't see that one happening anytime soon.

John's character Guy Self will depart the hospital following a dramatic episode which sees him forced to operate on Holby chairman Tristan Wood, despite the fact he tried to attack his daughter.

The closing moments of Tuesday night's instalment saw popular doctor Zosia March lash out at Tristan in self-defence and the story will pick up with him needing emergency surgery.

And despite the fact that Guy is clearly the man for the job, everything will change when he finds out just how Tristan came to get injured in the first place.

What follows is very controversial indeed, but fans will have to tune in to see how and why Guy ends up leaving the department.

Holby City will air Guy Self's last scenes on Tuesday, November 15 at 8pm on BBC One.


Digital Spy

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Dazzle (10-11-2016)

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## Dazzle

> Holby City star John Michie is eyeing up a return to Coronation Street after he bows out of the medical drama next week.


No thanks.

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## swmc66

Looks like all the old characters think they have a chance to come back with Kate in charge. He has murdered Sunita so no chance to come back on the street

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## lizann

> Looks like all the old characters think they have a chance to come back with Kate in charge. He has murdered Sunita so no chance to come back on the street


 tracy murdered charlie and she is back 

 but she is a barlow so royalty on the street  :Stick Out Tongue: 

 i dont want him back

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## lizann

> Looks like all the old characters think they have a chance to come back with Kate in charge. He has murdered Sunita so no chance to come back on the street


 tracy murdered charlie and she is back 

 but she is a barlow so royalty on the street  :Stick Out Tongue: 

 i dont want him back

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Perdita (10-11-2016)

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## parkerman

> tracy murdered charlie and she is back


Not quite the same thing. No-one liked Charlie anyway but Dev and the kids are still on the Street as well as a number of Sunita's friends.

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swmc66 (11-11-2016)

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## mysangry

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo

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## lizann

> Not quite the same thing. No-one liked Charlie anyway but Dev and the kids are still on the Street as well as a number of Sunita's friends.


 shelley, bev, maria and tracy all liked him at one time  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## lizann

> Not quite the same thing. No-one liked Charlie anyway but Dev and the kids are still on the Street as well as a number of Sunita's friends.


 shelley, bev, maria and tracy all liked him at one time  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## lizann

john's daughter murdered at music festival

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## swmc66

So sad

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## tammyy2j

Louella Michie, 25, was found dead at Bestival, and a 28-year-old has been held on suspicion of murder.

Dorset Police have no concluded intial post mortem results â revealing there was no obvious signs of assault.


Detectives are now also quizzing the arrested man over drug offences.

Her 60-year-old soap star dad John has hit back, claiming her death was a âtragic accidentâ.

The actor, who played Karl Munro, described her death as a âmistakeâ and denied it was murder.

John and his wife Carol reportedly sped down to the festival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset after receiving a panicked call and a message on WhatsApp.

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Rear window (12-09-2017)

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