The Pride of Britain tour 2013 rolled down the Street yesterday, and stars turned out in force to back the search for the nation's unsung heroes.

Paula Lane, Helen Worth, Jane Danson, Jack P Shepherd and Ben Price greeted the tour at their Manchester studios studios

Ben said: "I think it is important to honour those people you take for granted.

"Ambulance crews who you don't think of for 364 days of the year until that one day you need them.

"These people day in day out do something special. These awards give us the chance to say thank you."

Paula added: "I am nominating a little boy called Oscar O'Sullivan Hughes from Wythenshawe.

"He is probably one of the bravest little boys I have met.

"He was born with a rare genetic disorder which meant he has been blind from birth.
"He is four now and despite his disability has helped to raise £50,000 for Henshaw's Society for the Blind."

The tour is rolling across the UK all this week with the special coach collecting nominations nationwide.

Former Corrie star Graeme Hawley has spoken about his excitement in taking on his latest role as it's so far removed from his soap character, John Stape.

Graeme, currently playing father-of-five Martin in ITV's Love and Marriage, spent four years portraying unbalanced serial killer John on the Street.

He told the Sun: "I seem to have spent a lot of time killing people and being miserable over the years, so it was great to do this show. My character Martin is funny and I definitely want to do more comic projects.

"I'd love to do stand-up but I'm not brave enough. If I wanted to, I should have done it before now because being known as a character like John Stape would make performing comedy difficult.

"The weird thing about John as a character is that he was actually quite comic. I know he killed two people but he wasn't a conventional cloak-and-dagger soap villain. He was just a hapless guy who wanted a simple life.

"Everything that happened to him in Weatherfield bordered on the absurd."

We certainly can't argue with that Graeme!

Corrie star Beverley Callard has said that she feels like she needs to lose weight before returning to the Street.

The actress has piled on the pounds to take on the role of larger-than-life Mari Hoff in a touring production of the play Little Voice.

Speaking on ITV's Loose Women on Tuesday, Callard laughed: "I put two stone on to play Mari, and I've lost about ten pounds, but I've got to work really hard before playing Liz again! I'm hoping her skirts will be a bit longer this time!"

She continued: "I start filming on August 5. I think they're banking quite a few episodes, because we're moving from Granada to Media City. I'm not on screen until October, but it's very exciting."

Bev wouldn't reveal whether Liz will be back behind the bar at the Rovers Return, but she hinted that new producer Stuart Blackburn has big plans for the character.

She said: "I know [where she'll be working] but I'm not going to tell you! We'll have to wait and see! It's really exciting, because when they made Stuart Blackburn producer, he said on day two of his new job that he wanted to bring Liz back.

"He came to see me at the Opera House in Manchester when we were doing Little Voice and he said, 'Okay, we're going to do this, we're going to do this, and what do you think about this?' It's just so exciting.

"I'm going to be working a great deal with Simon Gregson who plays Steve, and with Kym Marsh. Of course, we can't look at each other without giggling so that will slow down the episodes that we've got in the bank already, I think!"

Good luck with the weight loss Bev, but we think you look fantastic.

There's always reports of a celeb tiff after a high-profile do, and Brooke Vincent's recent 21st birthday bash is certainly no different.

Both actresses have taken to Twitter to rubbish claims that the party was marred by a row after a report in the Mirror. A source told the newspaper that tension had been caused by Brooke commenting that Michelle had TOWIE boyfriend Mark Wright "following her around like a lost puppy dog".

The source said:

"Brooke made some tongue-in-cheek remarks about Michelle having Mark under her thumb. Michelle got wind of it and wasn't happy, and had some strong words with Brooke afterwards. They've always got on well together, but in the heat of the moment it got quite feisty."

However, writing on Twitter this afternoon (June 11), Brooke and Michelle both insisted that the rumours were untrue, with the latter commenting:

This is just proof of how papers write complete rubbish!! Don't let anything tarnish YOUR birthday! Such a good night B! @BrookeLVincent xxx

Let's hope all is well: the Street hardly needs any more catfights on the cobbles.

It may sound bizarre, but Snoop Dogg is reportedly in talks to collaborate with Corrie star Kym Lomas.

The Sun reports he wants former Hear'Say singer Kym to appear in one of his music videos, and has asked mutual pal David Gest to set it up.

A source told the newspaper:

"Snoop heard David knew Kym, so he asked him to approach her about being in one of his videos.

"David said she used to be in a pop group, so he suggested she could sing on one of his tracks.

"He spoke to Kym and she loved the idea. If all goes to plan she'll fly out to LA later this summer and get cracking with it all."

Snoop has previously talked about his love of the Street, and he's even recreated his own Rovers Return pub at his LA home.

He said: "I have watched Coronation Street for a lot of years and I'm in talks to do a cameo on the show, but until then a little bit of Corrie can come to me.

"People are mad for themed pubs over here, so I am doing this properly. Nothing will stop me serving Betty's hotpot in my pub, man. If it didn't serve hotpot it wouldn't be a proper Rovers Return."

Now that's something we'd really like to see!

Former Coronation Street actor Andrew Lancel was today CLEARED of indecently assaulting a teenage boy.

The 42-year-old, who played Frank Foster in the popular soap (seen here on trial in the soap), was accused of four counts of indecent assault against a youngster in 1994 when the victim was aged 15 and attending a theatre group.

The jury took just 29 minutes to clear the star of all counts.

Lancel's solicitor, Stuart Nolan, read a short statement on behalf of the actor outside court. It read: "Andrew would like to thank his family and friends and all parties for their support and prayers. He just wants to spend time with his family."

Lancel was cast in Coronation Street as Frank Foster in November 2010, a business associate of Carla Connor. The role ended 5 March 2012 when the character was found murdered.

Bill Roache has vowed to "vigorously" clear his name of a string of "deeply upsetting" child sex claims on girls as young as 11.

The actor, already facing two counts of rape on a 15-year-old girl, is now facing five fresh indecent assault charges on four other girls aged 11-16. Two of the five "victims" are sisters.

All incidents allegedly occurred in the 1960's.

The 81-year-old actor declined to comment when asked last week by reporters: "Are you going to fight this Mr Roache?" but his solicitor spoke, saying:

"Yesterday Mr Roache was interviewed at length at the police station and charged with five offences of indecent assault.

"These allegations arose out of the publicity generated when Mr Roache was interviewed on May 1 for offences of rape.

"So during two lengthy police interviews Mr Roache has fully co-operated with all the questions the police have had for him.

"We expect that later this year, or possibly early next year, a jury will be asked to consider whether Mr Roache is guilty or not guilty of those charges.

"Mr Roache looks forward to standing before that jury where he will vigorously protest his innocence against what he regards as deeply upsetting allegations made against him. Ladies and gentlemen, I can't go into any more detail, it would be inappropriate at this stage."

The actor was arrested on Thursday after attending a police station by appointment. He was due to appear at Preston Crown Court today over the two rape allegations, but will now appear over all seven charges instead.

Roache, who is the world's longest-serving soap actor, will not appear in Coronation Street until legal proceedings are concluded.

Well there's been lots of talk about Corrie contracts recently, but we can now report that Samia Ghadie has reportedly signed a new £110,000 deal to stay on the Street until July 2014.

The Daily Star reports that Corrie boss Stuart Blackburn was eager to secure Samia for another year after the recent departure of several young female cast members, notably Helen Flanagan and Sacha Parkinson who both quit the soap in 2011, and Michelle Keegan who has also recently announced her decision to leave.

A show 'source' said:

'Samia has been on the show for a long time and is hugely popular with viewers.
'Stuart was determined to keep her and he has been given big budgets to retain the show's biggest names. He's delighted she has agreed to stay and has some major storylines planned for her.

'Samia's character Maria has been quiet for the past few months but that's all about to change.'

We can't wait to see what the future has in store for Maria and troubled Marcus: somehow we don't think it's going to be plain sailing.

He's appeared in Doctor Who and had a successful theatre career since leaving Corrie, but actor Bruno Langley is set to step onto the Street once more.

Playing the original first openly gay character, Todd Grimshaw, the surprise return is reportedly set to cause some heartbreak on the cobbles.

It's not yet clear why Todd returns to Weatherfield, but producer Stuart Blackburn says:

"I'm really happy to welcome Bruno back to Weatherfield. Todd is a much loved character who has real history on the show and his return will leave Eileen with some impossible choices."

Actor Bruno has also been quoted as saying:

"Having worked extensively in the theatre for the past few years, I am very happy to be coming back to Corrie, getting back on screen, and working with my old cast mates again. Since I left in 2004 I have met many wonderful people, and done some amazing jobs, but best of all I now have a beautiful son Freddie Langley."

"Right now seems to be a great time to return to The Street, as I have just moved back to Manchester myself, and it's going to be interesting to see if Todd has changed after being in London for so long, as I have changed as a person too."

We can certainly sense a bit of drama on the Street when Todd makes his grand entrance!

KYM Lomas is poised to stay on at Coronation Street for at least another year and has spoken about her hopes to become a Street icon.

The actress has played Michelle Connor in the series drama for seven years, and says she'd like to stay for as long as possible - and she even has her sights on being as popular as legends Elsie Tanner and Bet Lynch.

She said:

"I'm really happy, I've just signed for another year and that takes me to my eighth year. It has gone so fast.

"I'll try and stay as long as I can. I would love to become a Corrie icon."

The 35-year-old star spoke about her love of filming scenes with her on-screen partner Steve Gregson:

"I always said I never wanted Michelle to settle down, but Simon and I love working together. We have a bit of a giggle so I would hate it if they split us up now."

As if she isn't busy enough on the cobbles, Kym is also busy working on a new venture with husband Jamie Lomas - they've launched a VIP agency called VIP Appearances Ltd, hiring out celeb pals for appearances at corporate events and nightclubs.

Speaking about the new business, she said: "I've set up our own VIP agency. It launches soon.

"It's public appearances and whatnot. We're excited about it because it's fingers in different pies"

Good luck Kym - and does this mean we'll be able to see David Neilson in Mahiki?

The trial of former Corrie star Andrew Lancel continues after a court heard about how he allegedly used his celebrity status to groom a 14-year-old boy.

Married Lancel, 42, is accused of six indecent assaults on the child between 1993 and 1994.

The actor denies any sexual contact took place and said he acted as a "sort of mentor" to the boy.

The dad of one arrived at Liverpool Crown Court holding hands with his wife Louise for the first day of the trial on Monday, and the jury were told to ignore the fact they might recognise Lancel, who also starred in The Bill and BBC's Cardiac Arrest.

The alleged victim, now a 34-year-old ballet dancer, said he first went for a coffee with the actor after he complimented him at a theatre in Southport, Merseyside. He claims he contacted the police when an ex-girlfriend told him he "needed to get help" because of his torment.

The trial continues.

Michelle Keegan's announcement that she'll be leaving the cobbles next year must have shaken Corrie bosses a little as they've reportedly handed out big new contracts to ten cast members.

The Sun have reported that producers wants to keep as many as the cast as possible, and have given contracts to Ryan Thomas (Jason), Kym Lomas (Michelle), Alan Halsall (Tyronne), Kate Ford (Tracey) and Antony Cotton (Sean).

Others who have also apparently secured new one-year packages are Jimmi Harkishin (Dev), Sam Aston (Chesney), Mikey North (Gary) Debbie Rush (Anna) and Andy Whyment (Kirk).

A 'source' said:

'Corrie's doing brilliantly at the moment and everyone thinks there is a really good balance of actors in the current cast.

'But Michelle's decision to leave the show proves just how quickly things can change. That was a real blow and Corrie can ill afford to lose any more actors as popular as her.
'With that in mind, Stuart [Blackburn] has decided to tie down as many of the big stars as possible to new one-year deals. He has rewarded some of them with decent five-figure pay rises as well.

'He's been there for a few months now and has worked out who he thinks is integral to the show. He's determined not to lose any of them.'

We reported earlier in the month that Georgia May Foote has recently signed a new contract, as well as Kym Lomas and Brooke Vincent. Looks like there's still going to be plenty of familiar faces on the Street!

Michelle Keegan has spoken about her hopes of winning an award for something other than being sexiest female in Soapland.

While flattered by the past five years of 'Sexiest Female' British Soap Awards, Michelle has said she'd like to be recognised for something other than her beauty.

'I'd be happy if I won for something else too.'

She laughed, talking at the Lipsy VIP Awards.

'They wouldn't vote me as the sexiest if they saw me first thing in the morning.'

Wearing a stunning cream dress with black lace detail, Michelle joined boyfriend Mark Wright on the red carpet for the glamorous event in London. We're sure he disagrees with you, Michelle!

Alan Halsall has spoken about the difficulties that he and Lucy-Jo Hudson are experiencing in choosing a name for their daughter.

The couple are expecting a little girl in August but Alan says that choosing the right name has been harder than they both expected.

'We have talked about names a lot and we are really struggling,' he says.

'There's nothing we've liked, we haven't even got a list yet. It's such a big thing - they have it for the rest of their life and you want to get it right.'

A lack of inspiration hasn't stopped the excited pair hitting the shops for their new addition though.

'We went to the launch of Coleen Rooney's new babywear and that was my first experience of seeing all these pink clothes and stuff,' the actor told the Daily Mirror.

'Lucy's just so, so excited. I'm sure she just wants to buy one of everything.'

One things for certain, we bet they don't call her Kirsty.

Street legend Anne Kirkbride has been told she has a job for life on the Street.

She's played Deirdre for more than 40 years, but has been left feeling badly shaken by the recent arrest of Bill Roache for allegedly twice raping a 15-year-old girl.

Roache is her best friend on set, and she was reduced to tears when police took him in for questioning. But kind-hearted bosses have been very clear in letting Anne know how important she is to the show.

She was called in by new executive producer Stuart Blackburn, who told her: "You are here for as long as you want to be."

He also said he plans to develop her character into a Weatherfield legend -- just like her screen mum, Blanche Hunt, played by the late Maggie Jones.

A production source said: "Anne is a sensitive person and she was incredibly upset when Bill was arrested.

"They are very close and have known each other for more than 40 years. Losing him as a friend and an ally on set really shook her up.

"But they are a caring bunch at Corrie so Stuart and the rest of the senior guys decided to let her know just how highly they think of her.

"She has been told that she is crucial to the future of the show and to completely forget any doubts and worries she may have had.

"As far as they are concerned she has a job for life and will only leave when she feels it's the right time to move on. They have said she can grow old on set and eventually become a younger, funnier version of Blanche.

"Deirdre's been given great one-liners in recent weeks and the plan is to make her just like acid-tongued Blanche over the next decade.

"It's great news for all concerned."

We certainly agree - the Street wouldn't be the same without Deidre.

Lucky pensioners enjoyed a very intimate Saturday morning episode of Coronation Street - Roy's Rolls, the soap's cafe, was set up in the Beaumont Hall care home and diners were served by Alan Halsall and wife Lucy-Jo Hudson.

A special breakfast buffet, complete with bucks fizz, was provided for residents and their relatives at the home in Beaumont Leys Lane, Leicester.

Alan had a busy morning posing for photographs and signing autographs, saying:

"All the residents are lovely and it's nice they've also got their family to come along to have some bucks fizz and enjoy themselves."

Beaumont Hall resident Kathleen Stew said:

"I've been watching Coronation Street ever since it started in 1960.

"I'm 95 now and I still enjoy it.

"I do like Tyrone a lot - I didn't like it when he was being battered about by his girlfriend in the programme."

Corrie fan Mark Greaves, chief executive of Ideal Care Homes which runs Beaumont Hall, also visited Leicester for the occasion.

He said: "It's a real pleasure to have Alan and Lucy-Jo here and it's really brightened the day of all of our residents.

"People feel they've grown up with Alan because he's been on the show since he was young and they've lived through his trials and tribulations with him."

And let's face it, he's certainly had more than his fair share of those over the past year!

Corrie favourite Beverley Callard will return to Weatherfield this autumn, 24 years after she first graced our screens as Liz McDonald, reports official Corrie website here.

Bev will don the famous stillettos of Liz McDonald once more to create chaos on the cobbles and sort out her hapless son Steve.

She will be back on screen this October, two and a half years after Liz left the street. She flitted off to Spain to stay with son Andy after Jim was sent back to prison for his bungled robbery attempt.

Later this year Steve and girlfriend Michelle will face a crisis and Steve turns to his mum for help. But how will Michelle react when she realises Liz is back in Weatherfield?

Coronation Street producer Stuart Blackburn said: "I'm truly thrilled to welcome Bev back to the street, she's a fantastic actor and Liz McDonald is a truly wonderful character. It won't come as any surprise to learn that her return is sure to ruffle more than a few feathers - welcome home Liz!"

Beverley Callard said: "I am coming home and I can't wait. I am so excited to be back, I have missed Liz so it will be great to play her again. Hopefully her skirts will have a got a little bit longer but we will see!"

"I have been getting texts from Simon (who plays Steve) saying we are going to rock the place and can't wait to work with Kym (who plays Michelle) again and see if we can control the giggles."

Bev, 56, left the street in 2011 fearing she was slipping into depression that had led to a breakdown in 2009 and controversial electric shock therapy.

But Coronation Street bosses now think she can cope after she successfully toured with stage show Little Voice earlier this year.

Chris Fountain says he can understand why leaving the soap is a frightening prospect for his on-off on-screen girlfriend Michelle Keegan, who recently announced she would be leaving the soap next year.

Chris joined The Street in 2011 after a six-year stint as Justin Burton in Hollyoaks.

'I know what Michelle's going through,' he said.

'It's your decision to leave, it's not a case of being written out. You're saying to them, 'I'd like to leave now,' and they're offering you another contract saying, 'Please, we'd like you to stay'.

'It's such a difficult move to make, but you have to be strict on yourself - you have to say, 'I'm leaving that's that,' you can't have any second thoughts about it.

'There are so many out of work actors in England so to work on a soap, you're in work every day, you've got a different script every day, you're working with different directors, great people, great actors - it's an absolutely fantastic job and you can never question that. We're very lucky to be in the position we're in.

'As an actor you've also got to challenge yourself and test where you can go, and sometimes you have to break away from your comfort zone being in a soap. I'm lucky, I did quite a lot of work when I came out of Hollyoaks, but it didn't stop me from being absolutely petrified. I know for a fact if I left Coronation Street I'd have in the back of my head I might never get another job.

'But you can't think like that, you've just got to keep going and plug away, but I think Michelle will be absolutely fine.'

We wish Michelle the best of luck for the future, but we'll certainly miss feisty Tina - The Street won't be the same without her!

Jack P Shepherd has announced he and his fiancee are expecting their second child together.

The 25-year-old actor announced his happy news on Twitter, saying:

Jack wrote: "Me and @LaurenShippey are pleased to announce we are expecting a baby, we are both very happy.'

The news comes as Jack's soap alter-ego David Platt is unaware his pregnant wife Kylie doesn't know the paternity of the baby - and worse, that half-brother Nick could be the father.

Jack commented on Twitter:

"Thanks for all your kind tweets for me and @LaurenShippey ... I like the "is it Nicks?" comments haha x"

Jack and Lauren have been in a relationship since they were 14, and already have four-year-old daughter together.

Congratulations to you all from us at Corrie Blog TV!

Ex-Corrie star Helen Flanagan has revealed her 'mortifying' embarrassment when she walked out of a Boots store with £200 worth of products she hadn't paid for.

Stopped by a security guard as she attempted to leave the Brighton store, Helen claims the incident was a genuine mistake and blames it on her 'ditzy' personality. The star narrowly avoided arrest and says she has been banned from all Boots stores for five years as a result - though a spokesperson for the store has denied this.

In an interview on Alan Carr's Chatty Man, airing tonight, Helen explains:

'I was feeling hot and flustered. I walked out of the shop, I had enough. Security said, "Excuse me". I looked down and there was about £200 worth in my basket.

'I said, "Oh God, I am so sorry. I would not do this kind of thing". The security woman says, "Right, I'm going to have to ring the police". I said, "You are joking?"
'I told her it was an honest mistake and she was like, "That's what they all say".'

Helen subsequently paid for the items, and the Boots spokesperson has added that there was no police involvement or legal repercussions, stating:

'We can confirm that the young lady was not banned from our stores and we have contacted her to clear up any confusion over the matter.'

We'd love to know what was in the shopping basket, Helen - maybe some concealer to hide those red cheeks?

Last seen reducing gullible Gail to heartbreak, Lewis left the Street in spectacular fashion after cleaning out her bank account and fleeing the country.

But speaking on Daybreak this morning, Nigel Havers has revealed that he wouldn't rule out another appearance on the cobbles for the charming conman.

'Never say never'

He said, speaking about the likelihood of Corrie writers bringing the character back.

'It would be tricky. I would be lynched, wouldn't I? I think I'd have to come back having won the lottery and pay everybody back! I'd love to go back, actually. It's just one of those great shows to be part of. I can't tell you how much fun it is.'

Currently writing a sitcom with Julian Clary, Havers won 'Best Exit' at the British Soap Awards last week. Acknowledging the win, he said:

'The scriptwriters on that show are fantastic. To win an award is amazing, really. They don't often come along! I'm chuffed.'

For the sake of his own safety, we hope Lewis doesn't return - we don't think Audrey and Gail would be fooled a second time.

Corrie scooped a brilliant eight prizes at the British Soap Awards, compared with rival EastEnders which won just one.

Awards included best soap, best storyline for the Kirsty - Tyrone abuse storyline, best actor for Alan Halsall and best dramatic performance and villain for Natalie Gumede. Patti Clare - quirky Mary - stole best comedy performance, while Nigel Havers won best exit after dastardly Lewis swindled £40,000 from Gail and fled to Belize.

Hollyoaks won five trophies, Emmerdale won two and EastEnders' only honour was a lifetime achievement for Adam Woodyatt, who's played miserable Ian Beale for an amazing years. Corrie won three of the five awards to be voted for by the public - including the top prize for best soap - and the other winners were chosen by a panel.

Malcolm Hebden accepted the best soap award surrounded by his co-stars, saying:

'We're all thrilled and the public have voted for us so we must be doing our job properly.
Thank you the public. We love you.'

Well done to everyone at Corrie: here's to another year of drama, laughs and tears, and hopefully more well-deserved awards.

It's forever the preserve of the media to be fascinated by the love lives of celebrities, and further to speculations on Michael Le Vell dating Emma Dodd, the red tops are now reporting on a second romance for the actor.

Previously said to be 'inseparable,' Dodds has now been left 'inconsolable' by the news that Le Vell has now been linked to another woman, Blanca Fouche. According to friends, Emma - who is an avid Manchester United like Le Vell - dated the Corrie actor after he split from his wife and before he got together with Blanca.

Blanca, 31, who is originally from Chile, confirmed to the Mirror last week that she and Le Vell - who has been written out of the ITV soap until the conclusion of his trial - are indeed an item.

Thankfully both women have thus far declined to comment on the tangle - and I'm sure Le Vell currently has much more sobering things on his mind.

It's changed a bit since the days of Jack and Annie Walker, but The New Rovers Return has been unveiled....and despite a £100, 000 makeover, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the pre-blaze interior.

New pictures of the iconic pub show a definite facelift, but it's still a million miles away from fears the Rovers might be redesigned as a trendy wine bar.

Rosie Mullin-Hoyle, the Art Director in charge of the difficult job of getting the new look right said:

'The redesign was a massive challenge because it was the first time in 25 years the set had come out. It is an iconic set - perhaps the most famous in the country - so there is a lot of pressure to get it right and do it justice.'

With a brief to ensure the pub still looks and feels like the old Rovers Return, she continued:

'The changes needed to be subtle. It had to appear as if Stella had made an effort to make it feel like the same pub.'

It may have taken a lot of thought, but not all the Corrie actors approve of the finished design. Michelle Collins has apparently complained 'the seats are too pale,' while nosy Norris actor Michael Hebden commented, 'it hasn't exactly been overhauled, has it?'

It may have caused some consternation amongst the cast regulars, but I reckon it's good to see the Rovers back on its feet again. And with all the drama to come, who cares if the seat covers aren't quite the right shade?

Bill Roache appeared in court yesterday accused of twice raping a 15-year old girl.

Arriving in a black Mercedes, Roache was escorted past reporters and photographers for his first court appearance since the much-publicised arrest on May 1st. District Judge Jane Goodwin granted bail on condition he lives at either his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, or a relative's address in London, and does not have unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 or contact two specifically named witnesses.

Some fans had queued from the early hours outside the courthouse to meet the Corrie star. Roache smiled as he signed autographs for the supporters, though declined to comment as he was driven away. ITV executives have said he will not be appearing in Corrie until legal proceedings have been completed.

A preliminary hearing - heard by Judge Anthony Russell QC - will be held at Preston Crown Court on June 10th.