# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > Coronation Street > Spoilers >  Sarah Harding to guest in Corrie

## Perdita

Coronation Street bosses have announced that Sarah Harding is joining the soap's cast in a guest role.

The actress and former Girls Aloud singer will be appearing in four episodes of the ITV show in the summer.

Sarah Harding arriving at RTE Studios 
Â© WENN
Sarah Harding

While full details of Harding's storylines and character have yet to be revealed, she will be playing a "feisty troublemaker" who will make life difficult for established regular Tracy Barlow.

Speaking of her new role, Harding commented: "I am extremely excited to be joining Coronation Street. As a fan of the show it is a huge honour for me to join the cast. I can't wait to get started!"

Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn added: "Sarah is proving to be a gifted and exciting actor and I'm absolutely delighted to have her on board. The viewers are in for a treat as her character will be right at the heart of a massive new story for the Barlows."

Although best known for her pop career, Harding already has a number of previous acting credits to her name, including roles in films Bad Day, Run for Your Wife and St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.

Harding will start filming at Coronation Street in May. Although some fans have greeted the timing of the casting announcement with scepticism, show chiefs have assured viewers that the news is not an April Fool.

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Dazzle (01-04-2015), tammyy2j (01-04-2015)

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## tammyy2j

Is she the new recast Amy  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## swmc66

Coronation street is starting to get too many known people . Now i realise who she is!

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## Perdita

Sarah Harding is "terrified" about appearing In Coronation Street this summer.

Last month, Coronation Street bosses announced that Sarah Harding would appear in four episodes of the ITV soap.

Empire Awards: Sarah Harding
Â© Getty Images

In an interview with The Sun, the former Girls Aloud singer said: I'm really terrified because people have made such a big deal about it. 

"It's been a while since I've acted and Corrie is such a big deal. It's made me more nervous."

Harding will play an unnamed nemesis of Tracy Barlow in the ITV soap and recently admitted she didn't have to audition for the role.

"It definitely feels an exciting time. I'm a huge Corrie fan. I'd love it if my character could pop in and out for years."

The 33-year-old added: "The level of secrecy has been totally insane. I have to really watch what I say. My mum reads all those soap magazines and is always telling me, 'This is going to happen'. I've told her a few things but not everything."

The former Girls Aloud singer will appear in the soap this summer.

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## Kissinger

Maybe she can befriend Michelle and they can start a Girl Group, hope she can act, if she didn't audition for the role, no wonder there is such naff acting in Corra

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## tammyy2j

Sarah Harding has fitted in so well on the cobbles that Coronation Street bosses have already invited her back for a second stint â before her first episodes have even finished filming.

The Girls Aloud star was recently cast in the ITV soap for a short run as Joanie, the wife of Tracy Barlowâs (Kate Ford) ex Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill).

But when Robert arrives in Weatherfield obviously still very much in love with his former wife, fiery Joanie is not about to let her husband go without a fight â and it seems like the storyline could be ongoing as Sarah has been signed up to film further episodes later in the year.

She told The Sun: âIt turns out theyâve given me more episodes to film. But I donât know about doing it full-time. You only get about seven days to learn your lines. Sometimes you have to learn on the spot.

âItâs not like when Iâve done films and you learn the script well in advance. Iâm nervous because people are going to expect high standards.â

The singer added that it was a lot to deal with but a job she loved: âItâs hard work in soapland. But everyone is so friendly. I just love it there. Also my family are from up there, and I get to see my friends, too.â

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## alan45

Sarah Harding Interview

How did you get the role of Coronation Street?

I was here last year doing a film with Good Morning Britain and everyone saw that I was a really big fan of the show, I was running around getting my photo taken on set. I asked them if they ever did cameo appearances and they knew I had done some acting. That was how it started and the producer Stuart Blackburn got in touch and we had a meeting and he said there was maybe a role for a guest appearance and a good few months later here I am!

Did you have to keep it quiet for a while?

I did yes, I only told my mum and my fella and swore them to secrecy. I was bursting to speak about it as I was so honoured to have a part in this programme so it was hard keeping it quiet. I was a bit overwhelmed with it but so excited at the same time. There is so much pressure too.

What sort of response did you have from your fans on Twitter?

They are so excited but I just hope I can do the Coronation Street fans justice as well. I want to be able to switch over and please those fans and not just my own fans.

It is a guest role at the moment but would you be interested in making it something more permanent?

Itâs not just about whether I would like to, it depends on whether the storyline would work for Joni to return and also my schedule as I am very busy with my music now across the summer. Obviously I would love to come back and do some more bits and bobs but we will have to wait and see, it isnât something that could happen in the near future.

In your short time on the show do you get to have slanging matches with Tracy?

Hahaha yes I did on the first day! I was filming with Kate who is the complete opposite of her character and also Lisa George and Tristan, it was very nerve wracking. It was a long day and there was a lot to learn, I had to give her a good slap. It was all choreographed to look nasty but I didnât actually touch her!

Is it a shock for Joni that Robert has come back to Weatherfield to find Tracy?

Yes it is a bit of a shock but she knows deep down he hasnât ever got over Tracy. Joni has moved up with him to his restaurant but obviously he is still holding a torch for Tracy so I play a woman on the edge! She is very vulnerable at the same time, she does come across as very angry and feisty but she is also hurting people have to remember that. If you catch your husband having an affair you would be wouldnât you! 

What has their marriage been like, has she been aware of him holding a torch for Tracy?

In the scenes she does say to him that she is not surprised because of the way he goes on about Tracy. She is aware she is not living up to his ex wifeâs memory. Then she meets her and she is less than impressed. She knows she is in someone elseâs shadow, she is living a lie and trying to believe that he will fall in love with her. But once he meets up with Tracy again it is evident that isnât going to happen.

What does she do for a living?

They own the restaurant together, she is front of house. She is the face of the restaurant.

Does she give him an ultimatum?

She doesnât want to play second fiddle, he clearly goes for a certain type of woman and having Tracy and Joni in the same room there are bound to be fireworks. Itâs a natural reaction if you literally catch your husband with someone else.

Tell us about your first scene on the cobbles

I have been back and forth across a few weeks doing different scenes for the four episodes I am in. My first scene on the cobbles was with Malcolm Hebdon who plays Norris so that was fun. Joni is trying to bang down Tracyâs door and poor Norris gets in the firing line.

Do you feel comfortable with acting, you have done a few different things now? 

Corrie is the sort of place that you are always learning, it is very fast paced there are a lot of people making this show. With films you have lots of read throughs and run throughs, it is very different with soaps so for me it has been a learning curve and it hasnât been easy but I am so glad I have done it as it has been a massive honour too because it is one of my favourite soaps. it has been nerve wracking at times definitely! 

Is music still very much your first love?

It is pretty equal at the moment between acting and singing, they are side by side. I love my music but I love to think I have other options and paths available to me. I did train in acting when I was younger which a lot of people donât know and for me it is nice to have another option, it mixes things up a little bit and keeps it interesting. These days it is good to be a bit of an all rounder.

How did the other girls from the band react to the news you had the part?

They have been great, they tweeted me, they are really pleased for me. I caught up with Cheryl and Kimberley a few weeks ago but we are all so busy it is impossible to get us all in the same room together I was supposed to meet up with them all a few weeks ago, I had arranged that meeting but in the end i couldnât go as I had to work! 

Are you still super healthy, do you live a healthy lifestyle?

I am on the go all the time working and Iive outside of London these days, I have got five animals , I live the country life, I have a veggie patch and I have been growing my own beetroots! I live in Buckinghamshire. 

Are the happiest you have been?

I am definitely more content, I am very far removed from London, I am quite far out of the loop on most things. I am trying to get my head round social media. It is quite nice to be away from all that though. It is better for the mind sometimes. When I am really busy I love to get away to the peace. I love listening to the owls at night - I am like an old woman these days!

Are you prepared for the reaction when your Corrie episodes air?

I know it is going to be a mixed reaction because people are going to be expecting high standards. As long as I am prepared for that i will be ok. Stuart was saying that for myself and Shayne we are probably going to be under a lot of criticism and scrutiny so you just have to be prepared for that, it is one of the nationâs most loved soaps and it has been a massive honour to be on it I just hope I have done it justice. I look on the positive side, I have done something I love doing and have had a blast doing it. 

Are you planning anything special for your first episode?

I havenât really had time to think about it. I am my own worst enemy, my own worst critic I am the same with the music. I will probably just watch my Corrie episodes with my mum she is my biggest fan.

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## swmc66

I think she will be good

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## swmc66

She was brilliant

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## Dazzle

> She was brilliant


How on earth did we perceive her so differently?  I thought she was awful!  I hope it's only a short guest stint.

Edited to add: I've just noticed she said in post #4 above that she was terrified about appearing in Corrie, so hopefully she'll improve once she's got over her nerves.

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mariba (24-07-2015)

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## Perdita

> How on earth did we perceive her so differently?  I thought she was awful! * I hope it's only a short guest stint.*
> 
> Edited to add: I've just noticed she said in post #4 above that she was terrified about appearing in Corrie, so hopefully she'll improve once she's got over her nerves.


It is .. so far anyway unless she makes such an impact on the production team they ask her to extend her contract ......

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Dazzle (24-07-2015)

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## lizann

even 4 episodes is too much of her

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Dazzle (24-07-2015)

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## mariba

I thought she was awful too..Over acting, fake..all that. Hopefully only for a short stay.

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Dazzle (24-07-2015)

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## Perdita

But she slaps Tracy and that is good  :Big Grin:

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Dazzle (24-07-2015)

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## Dazzle

> But she slaps Tracy and that is good


 :Cheer: 

That's something to look forward to anyway.  :Big Grin:

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maidmarian (24-07-2015), Perdita (24-07-2015)

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## maidmarian

> That's something to look forward to anyway.


Yes- always best to look on the bright side!!

Every clout has a silver lining!!

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Dazzle (24-07-2015), parkerman (24-07-2015), Perdita (24-07-2015)

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## maidmarian

Dupl

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## Dazzle

> Every clout has a silver lining!!


It took me a few seconds to cotton on to what you did there! 

Of course there is a downside to Sarah Harding's character smacking Tracy: yet another reason for the writers to try and make us sympathise with the poor thing.  I still won't be buying it though.  :Nono:

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maidmarian (24-07-2015), Perdita (24-07-2015)

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## Perdita

> It took me a few seconds to cotton on to what you did there! 
> 
> Of course there is a downside to Sarah Harding's character smacking Tracy: yet another reason for the writers to try and make us sympathise with the poor thing.  I still won't be buying it though.


I have a good memory and Tracy has been a horrible, selfish, lying cow most of her life and nothing will ever make her redeemed in my eyes

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Dazzle (24-07-2015), maidmarian (24-07-2015)

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## inkyskin

She was awful! Acting clearly isn't for her. Stick to singing love

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## swmc66

I liked her introduction  as she came in loud and full on first episode and i always like a strong female character. But I am no judge of acting skills. I just took to her (prefer her to Tracy anyday anyway )

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Dazzle (30-07-2015), maidmarian (28-07-2015), Perdita (28-07-2015)

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## Perdita

Sarah Harding AXED from Coronation Street: Singer will NOT return after disastrous stint
The 33-year-old failed to set the cobbles alight with her acting - there's always the singing, eh?
Sarah Harding is not expected to be asked back to Coronation Street, according to the Sun.
The ex Girls Aloud singer, who appeared as Robert Preston's estranged wife Joni in four episodes, received scathing reviews for her performance.
Fans of the ITV soap took to Twitter in their droves to slam her acting skills with one disgruntled viewer asking "Why is Sarah Harding ruining my favourite show?"
A source told the paper: âItâs safe to say Sarahâs Corrie career hasnât gone as planned. Fans and critics have been pretty unimpressed with her acting.
âIt doesnât reflect well on Corrie, who have been accused of chasing ratings with gimmicks.
âThey will not be getting her back and the general consensus on set is that this was a failed experiment.â
A spokesperson for the show was however quick to point out that it was just a cameo role, telling Mirror Celebs: "Sarah was always only contracted for a four episode cameo role. There are no immediate plans for the character of Joni to return."
Sarah was forced to defend her portrayal of Joni saying the whole experience was a âlearning curveâ after fans slammed her acting skills.
Viewer Katie McHugh said on Twitter: âOh, dear. Sarah has ruined Corrie. Couldnât sing and she definitely canât act.â
Daniel Paul Leach commented: âSarah is so bad itâs funny. Oh dear, oh dear. The Chuckle Brothers will be running the pub soon.â
Diane Palmer said: âSarah Harding as wooden as a plank. Terrible.â
But Stockport-raised Sarah, whose character works front of house at a restaurant run by her chef husband, said at the time that she was excited about her role.
âIt is a big institution here," she said. "I shot on the cobbles for the first time with Malcolm who plays Norris, trying to bang down Tracyâs door.
âItâs a massive honour and for me it has been a learning curve. This is one of my favourite soaps so it has been nerve-racking at times.â

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Dazzle (31-07-2015), inkyskin (31-07-2015), maidmarian (30-07-2015)

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## Kim

I can't believe no one at Corrie realised how badly this was going to go down. Why didn't they recast or get rid of the wife twist before damaging the show with comments like the ones that they got?

One would have thought they might have learned a lesson seeing the flack that Treadwell-Collins got for bringing a lot of big names into EastEnders (and those were actually known previously as actors.)

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maidmarian (30-07-2015)

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## swmc66

They need to get rid of other bad actors too while they are at it

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Dazzle (31-07-2015), maidmarian (30-07-2015)

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## parkerman

What's wrong with the Chuckle Brothers running the pub? While they're at it, perhaps the Krankies could take over the Bistro.

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Dazzle (31-07-2015), maidmarian (30-07-2015)

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## maidmarian

> What's wrong with the Chuckle Brothers running the pub? While they're at it, perhaps the Krankies could take over the Bistro.


A good idea but would Wee Jimmy be able
to see over the bar!!

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Dazzle (31-07-2015), parkerman (30-07-2015), swmc66 (30-07-2015)

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## maidmarian

Dupl

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## Perdita

Although SarahÂ´s acting left a lot to be desired on the whole ... the way she slapped Tracy was first class  :Thumbsup:  :Big Grin:

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Dazzle (31-07-2015), maidmarian (30-07-2015), swmc66 (30-07-2015)

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## Dazzle

I didn't enjoy Sarah Harding's cameo at all, but I feel a bit sorry for her about the backlash.  It must be extremely humiliating.  :Sad: 




> They need to get rid of other bad actors too while they are at it


I agree, there's plenty of poor actors in Corrie.

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maidmarian (02-08-2015), swmc66 (02-08-2015)

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## swmc66

Must have been awful for her but she seems to be dealing with it when others would not have coped

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Dazzle (02-08-2015), maidmarian (02-08-2015)

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## maidmarian

> I didn't enjoy Sarah Harding's cameo at all, but I feel a bit sorry for her about the backlash.  It must be extremely humiliating. 
> 
> 
> 
> I agree, there's plenty of poor actors in Corrie.


She seems to have dealt with it quite well 
in the press.
I agree apart from slapping Tracy it wasnt 
good.

But as has been said- there are others -some
long standing who are as bad but appear
to be well thought of. Of course its easier
to terminate a very short contract!

But there does seem to be double standards
on Corrie - as there were when various
disciplinary matters were dealt with!!

P.S. If it hadnt been over-hyped by the producer
in the first place. No statement would have been
necessary - the contract would have just lapsed
after the 4 episodes!!

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Dazzle (03-08-2015), parkerman (03-08-2015), Perdita (03-08-2015)

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## maidmarian

Dupl

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## alan45

Sarah Harding has finally fired back at criticism surrounding her Coronation Street role.
The former Girls Aloud star is currently appearing as guest character Joni Preston on the ITV soap, but her performance in the part has been panned by some critics and fans on Twitter.
Harding appeared on ITV's This Morning today (August 3) and broke her silence over the reaction, insisting that she won't let the experience bring her down.
She commented: "I try not to pay any attention to that. If you're going in as a known face, you're always going to get flak. If anything, I turn all that into a positive energy. It just makes me more determined.
"I enjoyed it - it's off my bucket list now. I've done films before, but I've never done soaps before. I was only ever asked to do four episodes and I had the time to do it while I was waiting for my track to be finished.
"I thought, 'Why not? It's my favourite soap'. It made me happy anyway, never mind what anyone else thought! Everyone's going to have an opinion at the end of the day."
Reflecting on where things might have gone wrong, Harding continued: "The character was quite an uptight character anyway and they didn't want me to do a northern accent, so I suppose I come across as me.
"I suppose that can be quite confusing, as opposed to coming on as a character who's unknown. You can't please everyone but I had a laugh doing it. Everyone was so lovely to me and I enjoyed my time there and now I'm moving on."
Harding is currently promoting her debut solo single 'Threads' but insisted that she won't be turning her back on acting for good.
Asked whether she has been put off, she replied: "Not at all. It's actually a lot harder doing soaps, I did realise that. It was a big learning curve, because it is such a big turnaround - you don't get very long to learn your scripts.
"With films you do get a lot of time, you get a lot of read-throughs with the whole cast. It takes a lot longer to do a film, it takes three months... I think we'll stick to films!"

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Dazzle (03-08-2015)

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## maidmarian

Didnt want her to.do a northern accent!!

Trying to avoid another "Stella "disaster.??

Perhaps they should have been clearer about
what they did want/expect- directors do
have some responsiblity!

Its quite a good interview in the circs(imo)

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Dazzle (03-08-2015)

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## maidmarian

Dupl.

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## Dazzle

> Its quite a good interview in the circs(imo)


I agree.  She manages to sound genuinely nonchalant about the barage of criticism she's faced.  I can't imagine she's so laid back about in private!

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maidmarian (03-08-2015)

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## Perdita

> I agree.  She manages to sound genuinely nonchalant about the barage of criticism she's faced.  I can't imagine she's so laid back about in private!


She might not be but I saw the interview and she genuinely did not seem bothered about the criticism ..

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Dazzle (03-08-2015), maidmarian (03-08-2015)

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## Dazzle

> She might not be but I saw the interview and she genuinely did not seem bothered about the criticism ..


Good for her!  :Smile:

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## lizann

dead at 39 from cancer

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