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.

Coronation actress Georgia May Foote has signed a new 12-month deal that will seal her place in the soap until May 2014. Show bosses were reportedly eager to keep Georgia in the cast, especially after the announcement that Michelle Keegan will be leaving the cobbles.

Following the departure of some of the soaps more glamorous actresses - including Katherine Kelly and Helen Flanagan - a 'source' said to The Sun:

'It is really brilliant news for everyone at Corrie that Georgia has agreed to stay on. She's a brilliant actress who has impressed everyone with the way she has taken to playing Katy.'

The 'source' continued:

'Losing Michelle will be a huge blow. The fact she's won Sexiest Female at the Soap Awards four years running shows just how popular she is. But Georgia has got a real chance of taking her crown this year, which would cement her place as a rising star.'

Georgia joined the soap in 2010, and recent storylines have seen her character Katy break up with Chesney Brown after having a fling with Ryan Connor.

Let's hope Katy and Chesney use the time to make up some of their recent differences!

Madame Tussards have taken the decision to temporarily remove a waxwork of Bill Roache because of 'inappropriate behaviour' from visitors, but have stated they will 'review the decision in light of future events'.

A Corrie spokesperson is yet to comment on the decision, but a source from the Blackpool museum said, 'We make no judgements on recent events, which are in any case far from clear, but over recent days we have received a number of comments relating to the continued inclusion of the figure, but even more importantly witnessed some unacceptable behaviour from a very small number of visitors'.

81 year old Roache, currently facing two historical charges of rape, is said to be 'astounded and deeply horrified' by the allegations, and released a statement earlier this month 'strenuously denying' the charges brought against him.

No idea what the visitors might have been doing to his waxwork: perhaps we're better off not knowing.

Corrie actress Sue Cleaver has revealed that she injured herself while filming dramatic scenes where she chases a moving train.

In scenes to be aired next week, Sue's character Eileen Grimshaw runs along the platform at a train station to stop her ex-fiancé Paul Kershaw leaving by train for his new job in Yorkshire.

Sue says, though that filming the scenes resulted in her being hospitalised: "It's like Brief Encounter because Paul's on a train and Eileen's chasing up the platform. Unfortunately, I got a bit enthusiastic during filming, tore my Achilles tendon and have been in plaster for a few weeks. It's only just come off."

Corrie star Samia Ghadie has apparently decided to enhance her assets with a boob job.

Virtually every paper in the land has gleefully announced that Samia has upped her cup size from an A to a C and are carrying pictures of her looking undeniably...erm...boobier at Helen's Worth's wedding.

The Sun is quoting a 'friend' as saying: "She's gone up a few sizes as a confidence boost. She's not trying to be the new Jordan. She's pleased with the results and has never felt sexier."

Samia attended the wedding with new partner Sylvain Longchambom, who she met when they were dancing together on Dancing On Ice. He was seen smiling a lot.

In other Corrie boob news, Michelle Keegan has denied that the topless shot that appeared on her Instagram page for 6 seconds last week was her. The headless shot, which showed someone with an impressive outlook laid in the bath, was apparently placed on the site by a friend playing a prank. It disappeared quickly but not before it was screen grabbed and then printed in all the red tops.

We're saying nothing. Except it could certainly have been her. The...erm... chin looked very similar.

Right, that's it, cold shower time for this website.

Corrie stalwart Helen Worth has married teacher Trevor Dawson in a central London ceremony that was followed by a reception at the Ritz.

Guests included Corrie cast members Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), Ben Price (Nick Tilsley), Jack P Shepherd (David Platt), Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs), Alison King (Carla Connor), Samia Ghadie (Maria Connor) and Shobna Gulati (the late Sunita Alahan).

Other stars at the ceremony included Elaine Paige and Lynda Bellingham (who appeared in Corrie for a while in 2011).

The wedding was held at St James Church in Piccadilly and Helen wore a green silk and lace Bruce Oldfield gown. Guests travelled between the church and the reception in vintage double decker buses.

Corrie actress Helen 'Gail Tilsley/Platt/ Hillman/ McIntyre' Worth is planning to wed at the Ritz Hotel in London, according to The Sun.

It seems Helen is to marry fiancé Trevor Dawson in a Piccadilly church and then they and 'Corrie pals' will celebrate at a reception held at the famous London hotel.

The paper is quoting a 'source' as saying: "Helen loves The Ritz and jumped at the chance to book it for her reception. She has a home in London and loves it."

While he has always had a reputation for his slightly eccentric beliefs, Corrie stalwart William Roache has had a particularly mad quote-filled week.

Just last week we suggested that 'Bonking' Bill was running the risk of going 'Full Icke' when he appeared on This Morning to talk about his belief that we are all telepathic and that he can speak psychically to dogs.

Well now he's gone and topped himself, by appearing to tell a New Zealand TV show that victims of sexual abuse "bring things on themselves."

As always with Mr Roache, his comments were oblique and slightly rambling but here's how the conversation went. While he was discussing famous men being accused of sexual misdemeanours, he told the show's host Garth Bray: "If you accept that you are pure love, and if you know that you are pure love and therefore live that pure love, these things won't happen to you."

Bray then asked: "To some people that sounds perhaps like you're saying victims bring things on themselves - is that what you're saying?"

Roache replied: "Not quite, but then yes I am, because everything that happens to us has been a result of what we have been in previous lives."

So (and we know this is all very much open to interpretation), he seems to be saying that if people do not accept they are made of pure love then the sins of previous lives are punished with abuse. Or something. It's all more than a bit crackers.

He has since appeared on TV and offered a sort of apology, but the damage has already been done.

However you interpret the comments, the whole thing has turned into a big furore, which only reflects badly on William Roache. He himself says that he has recently joined a "small group, not a cult" who gather regularly in Timperley and discuss spiritual beliefs. He says some of the group have "powerful minds" and he now seems intent of spreading his "pure love" message to anyone who will listen.

It has to be acknowledged that he is possibly treading on very thin ice with all this malarkey. Yes he's only an actor on Corrie (albeit the longest serving cast member) but the fact is he is asked on these shows because of his place in the most popular soap in the UK, he is therefore representing the soap, even when he discussing other matters. The show's producers may well begin to take a very dim view of his behaviour if he continues making such high profile gaffs and we wouldn't be surprised to see Ken Barlow disappear before the soap makes the move to the new set.

Tread lightly Mr Roache.

It's question on everyone's lips - has Antony Cotton had a hair transplant or just combed it a bit differently?

The Huffington Post are leading the fevered tonsorial hoards demanding to know whether the actor (who plays Sean Tully in the soap) has followed Wayne Rooney down the wig stich route?

Their interest appears to have been spiked by images of Sean at yesterday's TRIC Awards, where Corrie was named Best Soap. Certainly, if you look at certain pictures of Sean it's hard to see how his 'real', thinning thatch could support the upcombed quiff he was sporting at the event, but it's a long stretch to make a convincing argument that he's had a weave.

There's only one way to find out the truth about this whole scandal - we demand his barber let's on. Come on, whoever does Sean Tully's locks, fess up. Has he been under the knife or not?

Many of the newspapers ran stories over the weekend saying that Corrie's William 'Ken Barlow' Roache had given up sex to concentrate on spiritual healing. But today Bill appeared on This Morning, firstly to refute the claims (phew! We now know that an 80-odd year old bloke still wants to have sex) and also to bring on his mate Jackie, who claims she can talk psychically to dogs.

In a conversation that gave the impression he had gone 'Full Icke', Bill discussed his late wife, the spiritualist group he has joined, being a Reiki healer and how one of his pet dogs does an impression of on-screen wife Deidre.

Of the group he has joined, he told hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: "Our message is love - the most powerful force in all the universe. Every human being is pure love. We're asking people to listen to us." He then went on to say that we al used to be telepathic and would be again.

Bill's mate Jackie then went on to translate the thoughts of two Jack Russell's she brought into the studio.

We're not making this stuff up, you know.

She is a darling of the tabloids and seems to sweep up every single 'Sexiest Female' gong going so it comes as no surprise that it appears Corrie bosses are planning to offer Michelle Keegan big money to stay with the soap.

The Daily Star is claiming Michelle (who plays relatively dull barmaid turned surrogate mum Tina McIntyre) has been offered a deal worth £300,000 over three years to tempt her to continue on the Street.

An 'ITV source' is quoted as saying of Corrie boss Stuart Blackburn: "Stuart is keen to negotiate a new contract with Michelle. He sees her as a very -important cast member and wants her there for the long term. Three-year contracts are virtually unheard of at ITV these days but it shows how much they value her. The writers are hoping she'll ¬commit to the Street long-term as she's a great character to write for and they want to give her some major storylines."

This last sentence may hold the key to retaining the actress as she hasn't been given a decent storyline for at least three years.

Hard to know exactly what is happening here, but Corrie actress Kym Lomas (nee Ryder, nee Marsh) is claiming that she, her friends and her family are being stalked on social networking sites.

The 'news' came after she posted a series of messages on her Twitter feed claiming that someone was setting up fake accounts. Here are the tweets:

"Ok so now some loon is stalking my twitter to create accounts of my friends and my kids and my kids friends on Instagram!!"

"Whoever it is you seriously need your head looking at, and I strongly suggest u stop or I will be taking further steps.

"Sorry for the rant guys but its very very very creepy. Have had several of these cranks removed from Facebook.

"They just recreate accounts and as far as Twitter and Instagram it seems powerless."

"I would block them if I knew who the hell it was!!! Aarrgghh!!!"

It's being reported that Kym has tried to contact some of the social networking sites to try and get the accounts closed down.

Corrie star Michael Le Vell today appeared in court in Manchester charged with 19 serious sexual offences. All of the charges relate to allegations made by a single complainant, who was under 16 at the time the offences are alleged to have taken place.

Le Vell only spoke in court to confirm his real name (Michael Robert Turner), his date of birth and his address. He did not enter a plea and the case will now move to Manchester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on March the 20th.

Le Vell will not appear in Corrie while the case is ongoing and all scenes he has already shot have been removed from upcoming programmes. He denies all of the allegations.

Corrie actor Alan Halsall, who plays luckless grease monkey Tyrone Dobbs, has announced that he and his wife Lucy-Jo Hudson (who he met when she too worked on the street) are expecting their first child.

Alan took to Twitter to announce the news, saying: "My wife @LucyJo_Hudson & I are very excited to announce that we are expecting our 1st child. Xx We are both over the moon! Xxx"

Congratulations to Alan and Lucy-Jo

Michael Le Vell, who has played Corrie's resident garage mechanic Kevin Webster since 1983, has been charged with a string of sexual offences, including one of child rape.

Mr Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, is due before magistrates in Manchester on 27 February. In a statement released by the actor, he said he would fight the charges "vigorously".

He faces a total of 19 charges relating to crimes allegedly committed between 2001 and 2010.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said she had reviewed a decision not to prosecute Mr Le Vell following allegations made against him in 2011.

She said: "I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.

"I have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Mr Turner with 19 offences, including rape of a child.

"Mr Turner has now been charged with criminal offences and has a right to a fair trial."

The actor, from Hale in Greater Manchester, has played the role of garage mechanic Kevin Webster for 30 years, making him one of the longest-serving performers in Coronation Street.

An ITV spokesman said: "Given the serious nature of these charges, Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

"It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

It really is getting ridiculous now. For the past few years we've heard nothing from Corrie's Michelle Keegan except how unsexy she thinks she is. 'I'm honestly not sexy', 'If people saw what I'm like at home they wouldn't fancy me', 'I really just a tomboy' etc, etc, etc. Every time she appears in the papers or a lads mag wearing very little the pictures are accompanied by an interview where she claims to struggle with the concept of people finding her attractive.

Now she's done it again. Along with a saucy spread in the new FHM is a quote from Michelle where she claims she is not 'typically sexy'.

Well we've had enough (of the constant denials, not the pictures) so we'd just like to say 'YOU ARE CLEARLY SEXY MICHELLE, LASS. STOP DENYING IT AND GET YOUR PR PEOPLE TO FIND A NEW ANGLE.'

Sorry about that, but really, enough is enough.

With the news confirmed that Julie Hesmondhalgh is to leave Corrie, speculation has begun as to how her character, Hayley Cropper, will be written out. First off the blocks is......cancer.

Rumours have spread online that Hayley will die of a terminal illness BUT these were quickly quashed by a Corrie spokesperson who said: "No discussions have been had yet about Hayley's departure storyline. She is on screen till the end of this year and any reports are pure guesswork and speculation."

Spoilsports. We WANT to speculate! Here are our current top 3 possible exit plots:

1. Murdered by Scary Mary. With Mary currently making yet another play for Roy we wouldn't be surprised to see her finally tip over from crazy-but-essentially-benign saddo into love-struck maniac who hits bludgeons Hayley to death with one of Roy's frying pans.

2. Moves to Amsterdam to have her sex change reversed. Tired of living a lie, Hayley realises that she is, in fact, a man trapped inside the body of a woman who used to be a man and decides to 're-tackle'.

3. Hit by a tram in Blackpool. Come on, this hasn't been done for years! Let's have another one.

Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh has announced that she is to leave Coronation Street later in the year. Julie has played cross-gender character Hayley Cropper since 1998 and is one of the show's most popular characters.

She says that her performance last year in the play Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster has help make up her mind to find pastures new: "The decision to hang up Hayley's red anorak was a tough one. But doing the play at the Royal Exchange last year made me realise that there's life in the old dog yet."

Corrie's exec producer Kieran Roberts spoke about the move: "We'll be sorry to say farewell to Hayley - and to Julie but we're planning a screen exit worthy of one of Coronation Street's best-loved characters."

And Julie had this to say about her character and her relationship with husband Roy: "Whatever happens next I'll always be proudest of lovely Mrs Cropper. In particular what we achieved in changing attitudes to transgender, and in portraying possibly the most loving, faithful and steadfast couple in soap history."

Certainly Corrie fans will miss one of the nicest and most decent characters in the soap.

Lucy-Jo Hudson, the wife of Corrie star Alan 'Tyrone Dobbs' Halsall, has been speaking to the Daily Star about his struggle to overcome the death of his friend, Corrie legend Bill Tarmey.

Tyrone was the all-but surrogate son of Bill's character Jack Duckworth and the actors became very close off-screen too. Bill died last November and it seems that Alan is finding it difficult to recover.

Lucy-Jo said: "Losing Bill has affected us both but it has hit Al especially hard. In his early days at Corrie he was like a surrogate dad to Al and guided him. He taught him how to be professional and shared his words of wisdom. He will always be a legend and Al will never forget what he's done for him. We're still in touch with Bill's wife Alma. She knows what a close bond they had so she gave Al Bill's watch, which he never takes off."

She went on to praise her husband for his National Television Award nomination: "Finally, after 15 years at Corrie, he's got a bit of recognition and I'm so proud of him but he thoroughly deserves it. I've been in awe of his performances. Some scenes have had me in tears. He never watches himself on telly so I do a series link and watch when he's filming at the studio. I'd love to sit him down and just say, 'Please watch this because this is how good you are', but he just thinks of it as his job and takes it all with a pinch of salt. He's had brilliant storylines but domestic violence, especially when it happens to a man, is a sensitive subject and Al's not gone into it lightly."

It would appear (if rumours in the papers are to be believed) that there is currently something of a falling out between the two high profile gay stars of Corrie. It seems that the real life relationship between on-screen former lovers Charlie 'Marcus' Condou and Antony 'Sean' Cotton has deteriorated to the point where they only speak to each other when they are required to by filming commitments.

What caused the spat isn't reported but a source claims that it's created a division in Weatherfield: "It is an open secret that Antony and Charlie do not see eye to eye. There is a real divide throughout the cast and crew, with some people Team Condou and a few Team Cotton. They are both very different people and whereas Antony is quite showbizzy, Charlie is quite quiet and down to earth. They simply rub each other up the wrong way."

They may have to reach some form of accommodation as Charlie has now signed a new 2-year deal to stay on the show.