Bill Kenwright, on-screen son and life-ling friend of the late Betty Driver has revealed how his upcoming appearance in Coronation Street will break a promise he made to Betty shortly before her death.

Kenwright played Betty's son Gordon on and off from the 60's to the 90's but is better known these days as a theatre impresario and chairman of Everton football club. Betty died last October, aged 91, and during her final illness Kenwright visited her in hospital and made a promise. He said: 'She was a star till the end. I went to visit her in hospital. She was in and out of consciousness. I whispered that if she knew it was me to squeeze my hand, and she did. I told her I'd only return to the Street if she were there, upon which she raised herself up and whispered that I dared not go back without her!'

Going back he is, though, to appear in the episode where Betty's character Betty Williams is laid to rest. The show is due to air next month.

The Sun is reporting this morning that Corrie's Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) will become a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his jealous girlfriend Kirsty Soames (Natalie Gumede). The soap has been gradually turning Kirsty into a mischievous but essentially benign bunny boiler, with her possessiveness and manipulative ways isolating Tyrone from his friends, but it appears their relationship will now take a distinctly darker turn.

It seems that Kirsty will physically attack Tyrone, a move that Corrie bosses are handling with the assistance of a domestic abuse charity. An insider is quoted as saying: 'This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Female on male domestic abuse is a sensitive area. Kirsty will be seen attacking Tyrone and the fallout will be how she feels terrible about it and attempts to show some remorse

With Frank Foster moving slowly to a sticky end, bookies have named the odds on each of the main suspects, and there are a few surprises.

Favourite is Carla Connor at 2/1, followed by 'anyone else' at 3/1 - so it seems like the bookies are convinced of Carla's guilt.

Behind Carla comes Michelle Connor at 4/1, Peter Barlow at 5/1, Sally Webster at 8/1 and Kevin Webster, also at 8/1. Then it gets a bit daft.

Hoping that stupid people will have nothing better to do than throw money away they are offering 10/1 on Kirk Sutherland (hardly likely, is it?) and 20/1 on dead character John Stape - we'll just skip straight past that one.

Missing from the list entirely is Foster's mother Anne, who we have been offering as a credible possibility, whether we're way off the mark or the bookies are being very canny by not including her remains to be seen.

If you really feel you must have a punt on any of the above these odds are from William Hill.

There are rumours circulating the press and internet today that Corrie bosses are planning to have Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) renounce lesbianism and start dating men.

The story seems to have been lead by a piece in the Daily Mirror which claims that Sophie is confused about her sexuality after her split with girlfriend Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson) and when she attracts attention from some of the men in Wetherfield she wonders if se is missing out on something.

Elsewhere, though a Corrie spokesman is quoted as saying: 'There is no truth whatsoever in claims that Sophie will question her sexuality again. We don't know where this rumour has come from'.

So that's that one sorted then, Sophie is to stay gay.

Musical star Jodie Prenger (who rose to fame after winning the TV show I'd Do Anything) will play the key role of Elsie Tanner in the upcoming Corrie musical Street Of Dreams.

She told the Manchester Evening News that she has been swotting up for the role: 'I couldn't be happier. I'm up to my eyeballs on youtube watching old videos. It's brilliant. Elsie Tanner is that cracking, strong northern woman, and there's loads of strong northern women I'm going to be channeling into this role. She had her ups and downs. Every man should be scared of her!'

The musical premiers in Manchester in a few weeks time and ex-Corrie stars Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) and Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch) have already been cast as well as Paul O'Grady, who will be playing the narrator.

Coronation Street producer has been defending errors made by the programme during the recent rape storyline featuring Carla Connor (Alison King) and Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel).

During Foster's fictional trial he was seen confronting Carla on the steps of the courtroom. In reality, steps would be taken to ensure victim and alleged perpetrator would not come face-to-face anywhere but inside the courtroom. The soap was criticised for this faux pas.

Speaking at St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre's annual conference in Manchester, Phil Collinson admitted and apologised for the error, saying: 'I do agree that there were some procedural things in the court that we did get wrong. In a show like ours, we are constantly balancing the needs of the drama against the needs of accuracy, and I suppose I would have to agree that there were some procedural things in the court that our attention has been drawn to subsequently, and I can only apologise for that.

He defended the decision to feature a rape in the soap, however: 'I have to stand by the story that we told and I think we did a good thing in the main.'

There's still no sign of Katy. An exhausted Chesney has been ringing her friends and hospitals all night, so he's relieved when Izzy reveals that she's heard from Katy and is going to meet her. Katy admits to Izzy that she's really missing Chesney and Joseph, but she's worried she can't cope. Will Izzy be able to convince her to come home?

At the same time, Owen and Chesney clash over what's best for Joseph. But when controlling Owen pushes him too far, how will Chesney react?

Meanwhile, Carla is secretly drinking when Peter arrives at the factory and asks her to pick up Simon from school. She hesitantly agrees, but when Simon refuses to go with her, she's forced to grab him and frogmarch him from the school gates. Witnessing the incident, will Brian take action?

Elsewhere, Steve notices how much Tracy hates Beth and comes up with a cunning plan, Tina walks in as Tommy brags to Jason about spending the night with Jodie, jealous Kirsty gives Tyrone a grilling about his part in last night's antics, Peter refuses to pay out on Karl's unstamped betting slip, while Kylie finds an unusual ally in Lewis when Brian has a go at her over the contents of Max's lunchbox.

There's an interview in this week's Inside Soap with Corrie star Jane Danson. She says she would like her character Leanne Barlow to return to Weatherfield pregnant.

She told them: 'I think that would be a great storyline! Leanne could just get fat and not tell anybody. It'd be really interesting.' She added: 'I'd also like it if they kept Leanne's quest to get in the family way going for a lot longer. In the real world, it can take people many years to have a baby.'

Why would she say this unless it was indeed going to be part of the storyline? Is it because that's what's actually happening and this is an unofficial official leak?

Certainly it would be a great addition to the Leanne/ Peter/ Carla plot and would give Leanne a strong reason for coming back so soon after leaving. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Corrie bosses have announced that Nikki Patel, who plays Dev Alahan's wayward daughter Amber, has filmed her final scenes on the soap.

Amber returned to Weatherfield last year after a period at university but, apart from acting as an unconvincing device to split up Sophie and Sian, the character has struggled to find a foothold in the show.

The always-reliable Corrie source said: 'Nikki will be leaving us at the end of her contract, but viewers may see Amber again.' - Presumably when someone is required to cause a rift between Dev and Sunita again.

As we predicted earlier in the week, more suspects are emerging in the Frank Foster Corrie murder plot. The Daily Star has today named six suspects and their motives. They are:

Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) after she finds out Frank has had an affair behind her back.

Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell), after he tampers with the brakes on Frank's car.

Carla Connor (Alison King), for obvious reasons.

Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh), she steals contracts from Frank to help the factory's business.

Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne), will confess to the murder to protect Carla.

Most surprising of all (but actually quite likely because her guilt will avoid producers having to write out a major character) is Frank's mother Anne (Gwen Taylor), after she discovers he lied about raping Carla.

That's it for now but expect a couple more suspects over the next week. We're thinking Karl Price (because Frank takes the jackpot from the Rovers bandit before him) and Dennis Tanner (because there must have some reason for bringing him back into the soap).

In a rare racy move for Corrie, Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivaro) is to open a lap dancing club. Terry is due back in the street very soon and it seems that as well as being reunited with the son he once sold (Tommy, played by Chris Fountain) he will be intent on allowing Weatherfield residents to partake in the pleasures of the pole.

A 'source' is quoted as saying: 'Who better to be the brains behind a lap dancing or pole dancing place....Terry Duckworth is the perfect rogue character to be amongst the girls and characters frequenting the club. But can you imagine the impact the place will have on the more elderly characters living in the Street?'

Where the lap dancing club will be situated hasn't been revealed, so were should it be? The kebab shop hasn't been onscreen for ages but is probably too small. Nick's Bistro might transform after the diners move out for the night, possibly. But as the butchers has been empty for a while may we humbly suggest that it would be the best bet for a lap dancing club? They could call it 'The Meat Rack'.

Corrie actor Andrew Lancel, who plays nasty knicker factory boss Frank Foster, has been talking about is plans to return to his singing career once life on the cobbles comes to an end.

Before Corrie Andrew had been in the Bill and toured the country in his own 'An Evening with Andrew Lancel' which featured his singing. He is now looking to return to the stage. He told The Sun: '"I'm really looking forward to getting back to singing, I've done it on and off for years. I'm going back on the road and will get back into acting later in the year.'

He also spoke of the reaction he gets from members of the public: 'Corrie is watched by so many people, you have fans coming up to you in the supermarket, saying, 'Hi Frank'. I had that a bit in The Bill but nothing like it is in Corrie.'

So if you fancy being serenaded by the bloke who played a nasty sex fiend in Corrie, keep an eye on the local listings mags.

Interviewed on Loose Women yesterday, Corrie star Chris Fountain revealed that is on-screen dad will be returning to the cobbles. Chris plays Tommy Duckworth who will soon be reunited with dad Terry, played by Nigel Pivaro. You may remember that Terry sold Tommy to his maternal grandparents for a few thousand pound, breaking Jack and Vera Duckworth's hearts.

Chris said: 'We've only just found out that Terry's coming back. I'm looking forward to it because it opens up a whole different side to Tommy that no one's ever seen before and I can't wait for that. I hope he's not living with me though. He sold me off for a few grand a few years ago.'

Nigel Pivaro says that he's looking forward to returning but will miss former co-stars Liz Damw and Bill Tarmey: 'Part of the excitement is that the show has changed so much with so many different characters and set ups it will present Terry with a completely different landscape to that which he knew before. I am going to enjoy playing Terry rediscovering his roots, the changes that have taken place and his reaction to them. It will be strange and a little sad without my old sparring partners, Bill and Liz with whom I had forged such a strong working and personal relationship, but I relish creating an interesting new rapport with Chris who plays Terry's son Tommy.'

And producer Phil Collinson said of the bad boy's return: 'I'm very excited to be welcoming arch villain Terry Duckworth back. This time though he'll not only be blighting the life of his son Tommy but the lives of every resident with a typically audacious scheme.'

So with Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and new 'wife' Tracy (Kate Ford) being forced to live under the same roof, it looks like Steve is going to copy an old trick once used in Steptoe and Son - he's going to split the house in two.

Unlike the beloved sitcom rag and bone men, however, Steve will not be splitting the house down the middle vertically (older readers will remember this episode well), he will be living downstairs while Tracy lives upstairs.

Simon told the ITV website: 'He's got her in his sight and he's not going to get tripped up again - he's aiming for the kill. She threatens to become the neighbour from hell but she's pushed Steve so far that he is now the devious monkey. Let's see who wins this battle!'

Adding: 'Steve isn't very good at all at the moment. His true love has flown, quite literally, and he's living with the witch at No 13. All is not well. He's completely stuck with Tracy, she won't move out of the house and he doesn't know what to do. He can't stand the sight of her, he hates her.'
If Steve's history with Tracy is anything to go by we wouldn't expect this to be a battle he will win.

Website Manchester Confidential is reporting that English Heritage has received an application to have the current Corrie set listed as an historic building. If it were granted a listing it would mean that it would not be demolished when filming moves to the new set currently being built at Salford Quays and it may well be kept as a tourist attraction.

English Heritage told the site: 'We have received an application to consider the Coronation Street set for listing, and we are in the process of providing an assessment. An English Heritage advisor has visited the set. Following a consultation period where relevant parties can provide feedback and comment, we will then provide a full report and recommendation as to whether it should be listed. This recommendation will then go to the DCMS (Department for Culture Media and Sport) and they will make a decision based on the advice we provide.'

ITV say that they have not yet decided what the fate of the set will be but it does not appear that they made the application for the listing. English Heritage will not say who made the application but ITV, the city council and the relevant tourist agencies have all denied being involved.

If the 'historic interest' listing is confirmed it may well force ITV's hand and they would have to consider maintaining the set as a tourist attraction.

The Mirror are claiming that Corrie star Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster, has been offered a Premiership-style '5 figure' deal to stay on in Weatherfield. After losing her on-screen sister Helen Flanagan after she moved to Wales to be with her footballer boyfriend Scott Sinclair, the paper say that there are worries that the same will happen with Brooke. She currently dates Josh McEachran who is on loan to Swansea City from Chelsea.

A 'source' is quoted as saying: 'One of the reasons Helen left was that she found the commute to Swansea from Manchester hellish to see Scott. Bosses know Brooke is in love with Josh. Part of the negotiations, as well as more money to make sure she stays, will be making sure her filming ¬schedules ensure she has a decent amount of time to get to see Josh. Brooke is hugely popular with the younger viewers and is seen as an essential part of the soap's future.'

There is no word as to how Brooke Vincent feels about all of this but if the football metaphors are to be extended then she will either be sick as a parrot or over the moon. Or possibly offside (no idea what that means).

Since Betty Driver passed away last year there has been speculation about how her character Betty Williams will be written out of Corrie. Now producer Phil Collinson has revealed that Betty's character will pass away in the next few weeks and that a long-held secret will be revealed.

He told the Daily Star: 'Betty's funeral will be shown in April and the scenes will be a treat for fans as they will be a celebration of what the Street does best. We will be paying tribute to Betty, but behind the scenes will be the revelation of a secret she has kept hidden. I cannot tell you what it is, but it's a secret that Betty has taken to the grave with her and I can promise you that fans will be surprised. There is no love child or anything like that. The secret has something to do with the show's history but I am saying no more.'

What will it be? She secretly married Sean? She built the Rovers single-handed using Meccano? Her hotpots were bough it from a catering company? We'll have to wait and see......

Images: Press Association

Coronation Street stars paid tribute to late cast member Betty Driver as they picked up the award for Best Serial Drama at the National TV Awards (NTAs) last night.

Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster on the soap, accepted the award - which was presented by Paul O'Grady, saying: 'Thank you so much for this, thank you everybody whose voted for Coronation Street.'

'This one is for Betty Driver,' dedicating the award to the late Corrie star, who died in October last year aged 91.

Katherine Kelly who played Coronation Street's Becky McDonald until her exit from the show on Monday also picked up an award at the NTAs for best Serial Drama Performance.

You can see the full list of awards here.

A teenage boy who it is claimed was obsessed with Corrie character John Stape has gone on trial accused of a killing similar to one which featured in the soap. The boy cannot be named for legal reasons but his trial has begun at Nottingham Crown Court and the prosecution are claiming that Stape's murder of Charlotte Hoyle bears many similarities to the death at the centre of the case.

Shaun Smith QC, prosecuting, said in his opening statement: 'He was, we say, obsessed with John Stape, the Coronation Street man who killed a woman with a hammer and made it look like she had been injured in a crash. You will hear about a young man who immersed himself in a fantasy world; fantasy words he wrote, television drama, films he accessed by the internet and other internet sites. And he did that to such an extent that the prosecution say the boundaries between real life and fiction became very, very tragically blurred.'
The case continues.

Last night's Corrie saw 11.5 million viewers tune in to see Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) ruin the marriage of ex Steve (Simon Gregson and love-rival Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) before jetting off for a new life in the Caribbean.

The figure is almost twice the average amount of viewers for the time slot (normally it's around 6.6m) and it's the show's highest viewing figures since Valentine's Day 2011 when Leanne married Peter Barlow.

Nigel Havers is set to return to Weatherfield in coming weeks as love rat conman Lewis Archer. Lewis skipped the country after trying to relieve love-struck Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) out of her savings but will reappear when Ayudrey bumos into him in a country pub.

Apparently when Audrey confronts Lewis he attempts to avoid detection by claiming to be his own identical twin brother.

We'll know whether Audrey falls for this or not sometime in February, went the scenes hit our screens

Becky McDonald will be the subject of a special one-off tribute programme later in the month to coincide with the character leaving Weatherfield.

'Farewell Becky' will feature clips of her escapades in the show and Katherine Kelly has a recorded a special interview for the programme, which will be shown on January the 24th.

In a statement, ITV said: 'The character of Becky may have started out as a petty criminal, but she went on to steal the hearts of the nation.

'So, as viewers prepare to say farewell to one of the best-loved characters in British soap, we follow Becky's journey from her first appearance in a police station, through her many triumphs and traumas - ending with her emotional send-off on the show.

'We hear how Katherine made the character of Becky her own after coming into the show in 2006, where the inspiration for those outlandish costumes come from - and fellow actors reveal all on how Katherine doesn't hold back when it comes to the fight scenes or even the soap's more intimate moments!'

It appears that Corrie bosses are hedging their bets, keeping fans on their toes and doubling their tape stock budget by filming two different outcomes to the Frank Foster rape trial.

Frank (Andrew Lancel) will face justice for raping - no spoilers there, we all know he did it - Carla Connor (Alison King) but cast, crew and nosy journalists are being left in the dark as to the verdict.

Whether they can keep the secret right up to the transmission date but if they can it'll be one of the first time in recent years that events haven't been leaked in advance.

Here's hoping they manage it, it'd be nice to have a few surprises for once.

Always a favourite here at Corrie Blog are the news stories that tell us absolutely nothing. They're usually designed to bring press attention to an actor or actress if they haven't had any for a while or if they are looking to renegotiate their contract. Kym Marsh is a master of the form, with barely a week going by where she doesn't appear in the press telling us something of absolutely no value.

This week we have two stories with a stunning lack of value. Ready? Here they are:

1) Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) isn't going to be on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

2) Tina O'Brien (Sarah-Louise Platt) hasn't been asked to return to Coronation Street

Great stuff. Thanks for that 'the media'.

We'll have more non-stories for you as soon as they don't happen.

At a time when everyone is being forced to tighten their belts, it appears that the starts of Corrie are not immune. ITV plan to move the Coronation Street omnibus showing from ITV1 to ITV2, this means that the cast will not receive their full repeat fee (about 37% of their total income) but will instead get a cut of a much smaller royalty payment.

Actors union Equity are talking to cast members and ITV to see if a more favourable settlement can be found but strike action has not been ruled out.

The ever-reliable 'Corrie source' told The Sun: 'The stars are not happy and without the stars there is no show. They don't feel they deserve a pay cut while the show is at the top of its game. If the situation isn't resolved some cast members have indicated they'd be prepared to go on strike.'

An ITV spokesperson added: We are in the process of talking to cast members whose pay may be affected by the ending of the omnibus repeat on ITV1. We expect to come to an arrangement in the next few weeks. In the meantime we have confirmed that we will continue with repeat fee payments.'

Reports of flying pickets from Emmerdale turning up in Weatherfield cannot be confirmed at this stage.