Corrie lasses Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) and Kirsty Soames (Natalie Gumede) are going to be involved in a car crash.

The Sun is reporting that scenes involving Tyrone's policewoman girlfriend Kirsty chases a car being driven by Tina. Tina slams on the brakes and Kirsty's police car hits her from behind.

Tyrone (Alan Halsall) is also travelling in Tina's car and the Sun has pictures of him running around on location with a bloody nose. Tiona apparently comes off worse, being knocked unconscious and needing hospital treatment.

The scenes will be shown in the New Year.

It's being reported that, in a cruel twist of fate, Corrie actor Michael Le Vell will be shooting scenes where his character Kevin Webster will be questioned by police, something he has recently had to do in real life. Le Vell is under investigation after he was alleged of historical rape but Kevin will seemingly also have to face police following the murder of evil knicker boss Frank Foster. Foster (Andrew Lancel) will be killed after attempting to assault Kevin's estranged wife Sally and this inevitably puts Kevin in the frame.

The ever-present Corrie 'insider' told the Mirror: 'The cast think that making Michael do these scenes is particularly cruel. It seems inconceivable these storylines can't be rewritten considering the situation he is in. We're being told the murder storyline must continue - it has too many knock-on effects to change now.'
There has been no definite confirmation from official ITV sources of any of this so it may well just be the Mirror mischief making. We shall see.

Corrie Helen Flanagan's woes seem to be continuing a she's had a car accident after leaving the set. Helen, who plays Rosie Webster but will be leaving the soap in the New Year, said on her Twitter stream that she had been up since 5AM and soon after reversed onto a Vauxhall Astra dry cleaning van in her Range Rover. Apparently, the first words of the woman in the van that was hit were: 'Rosie Webster's just crashed into me'.

Helen had been filming the scenes of her onscreen sister Sophie's wedding at a nearby church. No-one was hurt in the incident.

Rumours have been flying around the internet and social networks recently that Corrie's Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) is in Australia and set to take part in this year's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Sean himself has denied the rumours but he would say that, wouldn't he?

It now seems that, despite an ITV spokesperson declaring the rumours 'speculation', there will soon be some sort of announcement regarding Antony. It might not have anything to do with I'm A Celeb, obviously, but it's looking increasingly like Antony will be tucking into liquidised kangaroo anus with Freddie Mercury before the week's out.

There's a sentence you don't type everyday.

Corrie bosses may be planning to bring back characters from the show's past to commemorate the life of Betty Driver and her character Betty Williams. Betty, who died last week, had been with the soap for 42 years and producers have already stated that they want an appropriate send off for the character. It now appears (if The Sun is to be believed) that Betty's funeral episode may see the return to the programme of at least Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) and possibly more 'heritage' characters.

The ever-present 'source' so beloved of the tabloids said of Bet's potential return: 'Julie worked with Betty for 25 years and wants to be part of her exit. She's not coming back permanently but she's up for doing an episode. Nothing is set in stone yet -- but a funeral with stars past and present would be really fitting. She deserves a tribute episode and everyone wants to honour her memory and her work.'

There is talk on other websites about other characters reappearing for Betty's funeral so it could turn into something of a Corrie reunion.

Remember the ex-girlfriend that Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) recently took on a date in order to make wife Becky (Katherine Kelly) jealous? No? Apparently Steve had dated her years before and she was a model? She turned up for the date with teeth missing and her obnoxious son in tow? Got her? Well, she's coming back.

Beth (extra points if you remembered her name) is played by Lisa George and she is going to be returning to the cobbles as she lands a job at Underworld. No more details at the mo but ITV.com reveals that she will be involved 'in some dramas'. Thanks for that.

In one of the biggest non-stories of the day, several newspapers are reporting that singer Dionne Bromfield (goddaughter of the late Amy Winehouse) has been offered a guest role on Coronation Street. Headlines like 'Dione Bromfield lands Corrie role' certainly hint toward this being the case.

If you bother to read beyond the first paragraph of any of the stories, however, you soon see that all that's happened is that she was at a party with some Corrie people. That's it! There is nothing that suggests she is actually going to be in the soap.

It would appear that this is a case of Bromfield's agents wanting to get some free publicity as her last 3 singles have all failed to chart. Be interesting to see who isn't going to be in Corrie next.

Not normally known for being a shrinking violet when if comes to flashing a bit of flesh on set (or anywhere else come to that), Helen Flanagan fled the Corrie set in tears when filming a fake topless scene became too much for her. Helen plays flighty 'glamour' model Rosie Webster in the soap and despite the fact that over the past couple of years she's been in more scenes dressed just in her underwear than fully clothed she apparently came over a little coy while filming an audition for a modelling agency.

She was being filmed from behind with her modesty protected but the stress of undressing in front of a room full of crew appears to have finally affected her. An insider said: 'Helen was in pretty skimpy clothes and pretending to audition for a model agency. The scene was filmed in a way that gave the impression she was topless. There were quite a few people on set and it got too much for her. Something upset her and she ran off saying she couldn't do the scene."

After a 20 minute break Helen seems to have remembered that it's impossible to play Rosie fully clothed and returned to finish filming the scenes

Lanky, Bolton-born TV presenter Vernon Kay says he'd like to turn his back on being a game show host and become a regular in Corrie. The Family Fortunes host told The Sun: 'I'd love to be a shop assistant in Dev's shop or a barman, or the cleaner in the pub.'

It appears he's done more than just dream as he also says that he's made initial enquires: 'I did speak to a guy on Coronation Street a couple of years ago and he had this character lined up. Nothing came out of that, but I would be up for doing it now. Corrie has a real subtle undertone of comedy and that is what I have been brought up around.'

But what character would Vernon suit? Another of Ken Barlow's undiscovered sons? Rita's toyboy? Perhaps Steve McDonald could discover he's not just one of twins but one of triplets? Let us know what part Vernon should play if he joins Corrie.

Soon-to-return Corrie star Kym Marsh has used her weekly column in New Magazine to hit out at what she says are press exaggerations about the amount of money her and her Weatherfield co-stars are paid. Kym, who has been on maternity leave for the past few months, spoke of her happiness that her friend Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) had signed up for another 12 months on the show but said that reports of her pay increase were not true. She said, 'I'm delighted that my friend Michelle Keegan has signed another year-long contract at Corrie, but the reports of a six-figure sum made me smile. The press always exaggerate our salaries.'

It had been reported that Corrie bosses had been forced to offer Keegan a '6 figure salary' to stay with the show as she has been tempted to move to London to be with her new fiancé, The Wanted singer Max George.

The last thing you need when you've just moved into a new house with your girlfriend is her wife-beating ex moving in with you. Well in the latest hot comic turn from Corrie that's exactly what's happening to loveable Lloyd Mullaney (Craig Charles). With Charles and co-stars Holly Quin-Ankrah (Cheryl) and Will Thorp (Chris) all leaving the soap the producers have decided to throw them all into the same house, add a brain tumour and see what hilarity ensues.

It seems that Chris's sudden, extreme behaviour is being caused by a brain tumour that he has kept from girlfriend Maria (Samia Smith), his ex Cheryl, his boss Owen, the other residents of the street and the viewers. The only clues we received were strange, sudden messages from the resident Weatherfield doctor warning Chris that he has to go see him. Chris hasn't bothered and now he's gone off on one, smashed up Maria's flat and so he's out on the streets

Lloyd agrees to let him stay with him and Cheryl but the former couple become close again, probably leading to the departure of one, two or all three of the characters. While it'll be sad to see Lloyd go, the characters of Cheryl and Chris haven't really found favour with viewers so maybe producers can look at bringing a more fun family into number 13, which will presumably be looking for new residents soon.

Well isn't this wonderful news? In a move seemingly designed to turn Corrie into an even more miserable version of Eastenders, Carla Connor is to attempt suicide. Before we lay into the producers we have to say that suicide (and rape, which will also features in the storyline) is, of course, an extremely serious subject and we mean no disrespect when we say this but - for goodness sake, STOP IT!

Everyone has had enough of this ongoing attempt to force unnecessarily sensational storylines on Corrie. It seems like everyday there is news of the producers driving the soap down another dark alley. Why does everything have to be murder, rape and suicide? Why can't we just have a laugh?

Statements from 'insiders' at Corrie (which always seem to accompany these stories) have been very noticeably saying things like 'plots are decided far in advance' and 'the soap can't just abandon storylines at short notice' as if to pre-empt criticism from fans increasingly frustrated by the direction the soap is heading. Well that's just balderdash. If (heaven forbid) there was a prominent murder, rape or other serious incident that mirrored a current or upcoming storyline then it would be scrapped or altered to avoid insensitivity. It's happened plenty of times in the past. So why can't storylines be similarly altered or scrapped simply because Corrie's fans demand it?

It wouldn't be easy and it would probably have a negative affect on ad revenue but it would certainly be much braver for the Coronation Street producers to hold their hands up, say 'we're wrong' and set about returning the soap to its core values instead of continuing down this path of destruction. Wouldn't it be great if tomorrow the only Corrie news was 'Norris snags the cardy in the Kabin' or 'Corrie dedicates whole episode to Roy and Hayley discussing 70's sweets'? That's what we want, why can't we have it?

Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape, has said she wants her on-screen husband brought to justice - a sentiment surely echoed by the entire nation. Jennie was speaking on ITV's Loose Women about the current storyline which has seen Fiz locked up for crimes committed by her bungling bad boy hubby John (Graeme Hawley). When asked whether Stape would be coming back to the soap she said, 'He's got to, hasn't he? In good soap tradition, the baddie has to have their comeuppance - and he hasn't! It definitely feels unfinished."

'Unfinished'? 'Everlasting' would be nearer the mark. Without wishing to sound like a stuck record - how much longer can this Stape murder/ farce go on? It feels like decades since John first started misbehaving (remember when he kidnapped Rosie Webster? No? Well it was a long, long time ago) and the whole storyline has been dragged out over 2 or 3 tortuous years. We at Corrie Blog say, 'bring Stape back, kill him off, make sure he's definitely, definitely no-way-we'll-see-him-again dead and then move on'. Enough is enough, let's get back to the kind of pointless corner shop conversations about Kendal mint cake and Norris's cardigan collection we all prefer and forget about murder for a bit.

Since joining Corrie ex Eastenders actress Michelle Collins has come under fire for her (undeniably) poor Manchester accent. Well now it seems he co-stars have taken to showing their support for her by affecting cockney accents and talking in rhyming slang on-set.

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

Another 'insider' was quoted as saying: 'Cor blimey, strike a light, would you Adam 'n' Eve it, you're a bloomin' marvel Mary Poppins'*

*No they weren't, we made that bit up.

Here's a good one - The Sun are reporting that millionaire international pop star Beyoncé has become a fan of Coronation Street. The 'Crazy In Love' hitmaker apparently got hooked on life in Weatherfield during her recent visti to the UK to play music festivals like Glastonbury. In an somewhat unlikely turn of events the paper are claiming that Beyoncé spent her downtime while here eschewing the pop star lifestyle in favour of watching soaps on TV.

An 'insider' (unnamed, naturally) said that rather than party she would stay in her dressing room watching ITV. The source said: 'Beyoncé finds the accents on EastEnders really funny. She spends half the time mimicking what they're saying in her fake British accent.'

This story is obviously 100% true and not just made up by The Sun as an excuse to show another picture of Beyoncé in a skimpy outfit - something, incidentally, we here at Corrie Blog would never be guilty of.

Mirror claims that Corrie stars and crew want to meet show producer Phil Collinson for crisis talks. One 'unnamed cast member' told the paper, 'Things have not been going smoothly for a while and there is a growing discontent amongst some of the cast. 'Even some of the crew can't believe where the show is going. There is a talk of a clear-the-air meeting with the producer, he is a strong-minded individual who sticks to his guns once he has made his mind up about something.'

Phil Collinson is quoted as saying, 'We have stories running which involve lots of different characters and we regularly have opportunities for the cast to chat to the producers and writers.' And ITV stated, 'We are extremely pleased with the work of Phil Collinson. The Street continues to be the UK's most popular soap and this year's storylines have helped increase both audience volume and share year-on-year.'

There's no doubt that increasingly outlandish story lines have been criticised in the press and they may well be responsible for the dip in ratings but here at Corrie Blog we think that it might just be the summer holidays that are responsible for the traditional June/ July switch off. We shall see......

The transfer of filming of Coronation Street to the new set at Salford Quays has supposedly been affected by sound problems - again! If all the stories are true then first filming was interrupted by ducks and swans near the set, then airplanes flying over and now there are claims that a nearby Hovis bread factory is too loud for filming to continue.

Although the soap isn't due to move until the end of 2012 it seems that either the new set is situated in the noisiest possible part of Manchester or there is a shortage of proper Corrie stories going round. We reckon the latter may be the case.

Controversial singer/ reality TV star Kerry Katona has been talking about her desire to take up acting and join the cast of Coronation Street. She told Star magazine that she has her sights set on becoming a thespian and appearing in Corrie would be her ultimate ambition. She said: 'For me, acting is just dead easy. You're somebody else and you leave your world behind. I'd love to be in Waterloo Road or a psycho in Coronation Street!'

Everyone here at Corrie Blog is holding their breaths. Honestly.

Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape in Corrie has been talking about her worry that her character will be found guilty of crimes she hasn't committed. Viewers know that her husband John is responsible for the deaths of three people but because of her actions Fiz is now implicated and under police suspicion. Jennie told to We Love Telly magazine that Fiz faces some very worrying times ahead. She said, 'She's very scared. They can't find John and he's the only one who can back up Fiz's story. She despises John. But let's see what the scriptwriters say. I don't think an audience would ever forget it if she forgave him!'

Whatever the future holds for Fiz, Jennie knows that her own life isn't her main priority but that her daughter comes first. She said, 'Her main concern is that Hope will not end up the same way she did - in care.'

She also spoke about the possibility that Hope will spend time with her in the mother and baby unit at the prison but that is the worst outcome of all, 'She can't imagine Hope in prison with the noise and the smell.'

Ben Price, who plays Coronation Street womaniser Nick Tilsley has been given a year's contract extension by bosses.

The 38-year-old star has impressed programme chiefs with his portrayal of Nick Tilsley - who has previously been played by Warren Jackson and Adam Rickett - and he has been promised even grittier storylines over the coming months.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "Ben loves Coronation Street and he loves playing Nick.

"He's had some fantastic storylines over the last year, and thinks the writers have some amazing plans for Nick.

"It wasn't exactly a hard decision to make. He's thrilled to stay and can't wait to sink his teeth into some of the juiciest storylines he's ever had."

Ben's character is set to have a one-night stand with Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) and show chiefs promise there will be even more womanising to come from Nick, who has dated hairdresser Natasha Blakeman and rekindled his romance with ex-wife Leanne Barlow (Jane Danson) since arriving back into Weatherfield in December 2009.

The insider added: "Nick's hot, free and single. That can only mean trouble for the Weatherfield women."

Corrie star Simon Gregson has said that he'd like to see his character, Rovers landlord Steve McDonald, take a break from romance for a while. Simon reckons that he should lay off the dames and concentrate on brining up his daughter Amy, after his break up from tearaway wife Becky (Katherine Kelly).

He told Inside Soap, 'I hope life will be a lot quieter and calmer for Steve now. He has to move on and it'll be hard but I believe he can see a future without Becky. I think he should remain celibate for a while. Steve tends to like women who are slightly deranged - though he often doesn't realise until it's too late. It's obviously up to the writers to devise a future for him but I reckon he really needs to concentrate on getting things back on track with his family and his work and businesses.'

Simon also says that splitting with Becky was ultimately the best thing for Steve to do: 'He's at his wits' end. It's done with a heavy heart, but he just knows that it's the end of the line for them. Somewhere, deep down he probably does still love Becky, but it's a classic case of can't-live-with-her and can't-live-without-her, only in Steve's case, he's seen the light and decided it's easier to live without Becky.'

Former Corrie star Beverley Callard (cast your mind's way back, she played Liz McDonald, remember?) may have quit Weatherfield after the stress of production became too much but it doesn't seem to have put off her daughter Rebecca who is joining the cast. Rebecca will play a prison inmate, called Ruth, who befriends currently-detained Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) in the prison's mother and baby unit.

Rebecca said, 'I've been going to the set for over 20 years now (with Beverley) so to turn up as an actress was a bit different. Daunting, as the show is amazing, but also really lovely, as I know some of the people in it, and exciting. It feels like the right role at the right time.'

Corrie saucepot Rosie Webster is to return to the cobbles in sexy fashion by stripping to her undies in an attempt to seduce her mum's new fella, Jeff.

Mum Sally (Sally Dynevor) has been dating Rosie's modelling agent Jeff (Steve Houghton) for a while now and apparently Rosie (Helen Flanagan) will try and come between them by using her assets to catch Jeff out.

Helen Flanagan has been on a 3-month sabbatical from the show - during which she has had her hair cut short and dyed blonde.

The bad news for Rosie fans is that the scenes aren't due to be screened until September. But don't worry if you are missing her from the cobbles, you can check out some images of Helen below.

Corrie star Brooke Vincent has defended her 10-year old cousin Ellie-Louise Leach, who plays Faye Butler, after The Sun newspaper claimed working on the soap has left her exhausted and miserable. Ellie-Louise posted messages on her Twitter feed complaining of being tired and The Sun reported these in a very negative story.

Her real life cousin (and fellow Weatherfield resident) Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster, took to Twitter herself to say that the Sun had 'exaggerated' her cousin's comments and were attempting to make something out of nothing.

Frankly, the whole thing does seem a bit of a storm in a teacup, you can make up your own mind by looking at Ellie-Louise's Twitter feed here . or Brooke's here. While you're there don't forget to follow Corrie Blog's feed - here.

According to the News of the World, Michelle Keegan has become engaged to The Wanted's Max George.

The Coronation Street actress, who of course plays Tina McIntyre in the ITV1 soap, may have been unlucky in love in the soap recently but things seem to be working out for her in real life.

She is said to have been thrilled when the 22-year-old The Wanted singer, who she has been dating since December, popped the question with a £10,000 diamond ring and, er, Chihuahua.

A source told the News of the World: "They might have only been dating a few months but they want to spend the rest of their lives together.

"They're committed and the wedding promises to be stunning."

However, the couple are likely to have a long engagement with Michelle busy with Coronation Street'and Max currently working on The Wanted's second album.

Michelle, 24, has previously explained she is so happy in Max's company that she often gets late-night trains between her home town of Manchester and London - where the boyband hunk is based - just to spend an extra hour with him.

She said: "I'm so happy when we're together and I'm really looking forward to the summer when I can watch him playing at different festivals."