Coronation Street's Tina McIntyre as a surrogate mum? Show us the money!

You may well be aware of the news by now, but if not we'll bring you up to speed and then pose some very pertinent questions. Corrie's Tina McIntyre, played by tabloid sweetheart Michelle Keegan, is apparently going to offer to be a surrogate mum to desperate-for-a-child couple Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston) and Gary Windass (Mikey North).

What? Who? Why? How? Why again? We hear you ask. Well, Izzy and Gary want a bairn, Izzy's dad Owen (Ian Puleston-Davies) has forbidden outright sister Katy (Georgia May Foote) from being the surrogate, so when Tina finds out about their predicament she apparently offers her services (and womb) for cash.

All well and good and usual for soapland. BUT there are questions to be answered.

1) Why would Tina do it?

Well, apparently Tommy has money troubles and Tina sees this as a way of sorting him out. Our problem with this is that Tina can quite clearly get a better job than working in the Rovers. She's been offered better jobs before and turned them down but surely if she needs cash she would take a better position than the one offered by having a sprog for her neighbours?

2) Where would Izzy and Gary get the money from?

Izzy works in the knicker factory, Gary works.....erm...we can't remember where Gary works, but he was kicked out of the army after just a few months so he can't have much of a pension (if any) from that. How will they pay Tina the many thousands of pounds it would take to entice her into the deal?

3) How will Chris Fountain handle all this?

Chris Fountain plays Tina's boyfriend Tommy Duckworth and (while the ladies may find him easy on the eye) he is not the most 'technically diverse' actor. He can basically only 'do' confused or very confused with a hint of bafflement. How will he be able to spin out these two not-too-dissimilar facial expressions for 9 months? The Lord alone knows.

4) What will Norris make of all this?

Tina will tell Rita, Rita will accidentally let it slip to Norris (probably during a chat with Emily) and then it will be all over the shop, then the corner shop, then the Rovers, then the street. Imagine his little baldy head when that happens. He'll explode.

Actually, thinking about it, all of this is starting to sound a bit ace. Bring it on!