7:30pm: Gail and David arouse Audrey's suspicion, but Nick is more interested in Underworld than his grandmother's concerns. Eileen is thrilled by news of Jason and Tina's engagement, but their plan to move back into No 11 does not go down well with Jesse. Becky takes advantage of her pregnancy to boss Steve about, and Dev impresses Sunita's aunts.
8.30pm: Nick and Audrey interrogate Gail, having learned about Joe's debts, but despite everything, she stands by her man and rejects David's pleas to do the right thing. Leanne tells Carla about her history with Nick, Sunita is forced to rein Dev in when he gets carried away with his pretend marriage, and Eileen lays down the law to Jesse.

Thought we'd try something new here at Corrieblog, to get us all discussing and sharing our thoughts and opinions on all of the characters from the show.

I know a similar thing has been done in the past on Corrieblog, but thought I'd run something a bit different to get our views flowing once more. So from tomorrow I'll be running down Corrieblog's Top 50 current characters, bringing you a new Corrie resident each day to discuss, praise or pulverise.

The list has been compiled by me, so there will no doubt be some debate as to the positioning of characters on the list, but I'd like to consider this as more of an opportunity to merely spark some discussion on them.

Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts!

On the anniversary of the great Pat Phoenix's death in 1986, here's a photo gallery of the woman who will always be one of the great icons of British TV. Click on the photo below to see the gallery.

Click through below to find out why we've voted Rita Sullivan our Number 1 Favourite Coronation Street Character - ever!   Check out the whole Top 50

No 2 Bet Lynch The nation’s best loved barmaid and part of our heritage, Bet Lynch grew up and grew old on Coronation Street. We saw her join the cobbles when she was a young woman, never thinking she’d end up running the Rovers, sour and bitter in the back room after one too many fellas had let her down again. But it wasn’t just men who let her down. Do you remember when Rita turned down her request to loan her money so that she could buy the Rovers herself?  Bet was always ready with a pint, a smile and a one-liner to the punters in the pub, no matter what she was feeling inside. She trowelled on the make-up and got ready to perform behind the bar, memorably saying once:  “This isn’t a smile, it’s a lid on a scream”  Bet Lynch, national treasure.
Most famous for: Wearing Annie Walker’s dress back to front. Being the nation’s best loved barmaid. Should Bet be in our Top 50 list at No 2 – what do you think?

No 3 Elsie Tanner It's the Top 3 Favourite Corrie characters now and you might have already guessed who they are.  But do you agree with our choices so far? Let us know!  Elsie Tanner, by eck she was good. There have been many imitators and actresses brought in to be the new Elsie but none have come close and how could they?  Her presence radiated off the screen. She was old-fashioned sexy on prime time TV, all red hair and big chest.  Elsie Tanner is an icon.

Most famous for: Being named the sexiest woman on TV, by a UK Prime Minister.  Should Elsie be in our Top 50 list at No 3? What do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 4 Hilda Ogden  We are on safer ground with this one I think! Like Madonna, Kylie or Cher, a single name sufficed to identify this iconic figure. Think of Corrie from the 70s and Hilda's not far behind! She was a stalwart of The Street from 1964 to 1987 and for many, me included, it has never been the same since.

I would have loved to have seen her grow older gracefully, propping up the bar and reminiscing with Betty. Last seen in a brief return in 1990, Hilda Ogden and her malapropisms are much missed.

But Jean Alexander had left of her own accord and went on the record to say she didn't approve of some of the racier storylines of modern times. So it was a proper tarra Chuck to the woman who would be voted Greatest Soap Opera Star of All Time by these nice people in 2005.

So, do you think Our 'Ilda should be higher up the list? Tell us what you think! Check out the rest of the Top 50 here. [Linda]

Most famous for: Her love of Stan despite his failings, a wonderful singing voice and her beloved "muriel."

No 5 Gail Platt Cast your mind back to the days before Tricky Dicky Hillman ruined Gail’s life and tried to drown her family in the canal. And remember, instead, those halcyon days when life for Gail Platt was all sweetness and light.  Can’t remember anything? Nah, me neither. Life’s been tough on poor Gail what with having to cope with Poison Ivy, the mother in law from hell and then having husband Brian dying on her, toy-boy husband Martin having affairs with young nurses and then for him to go running off with Katy Harris across the street.  In common with Deirdre Barlow, Gail has a mother to deal with, kids to cope with and a grandchild to care for. Is it any wonder she goes off the rails now and then? Gail Platt, we salute you.

Most famous for: Inviting a murderer into her life.  Flicking her hair whilst standing with hands on her hips. Should Gail be in our Top 50 list at No 5 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 6 Ena Sharples  A harridan in a hairnet with a Christian heart.  Ena Sharples was always bickering with someone, usually Elsie Tanner or Minnie Caldwell but was an honest, upright woman and pillar of the Coronation Street community.  Like most of the characters in our Top 50 countdown, Ena’s gone from being just a character on a soap to becoming a huge part of popular culture.

Most famous for: Running the Christian Mission. Picking on Minnie Caldwell. Wearing a hair net. Should Ena be in our Top 50 list at No 6 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 7 Spider Nugent A controversial choice, I’m sure, although personally I would have put Spider at No 1 in our Top 50 countdown but the competition is too fierce now for the top spot.  However, Spider Nugent comes in as our (well, mine anyway!) highest ranking favourite male Coronation Street character, ever, of all time. Spider was a breath of fresh air on the cobbles. He turned up after dropping out of University and landed on his Aunty Em’s front doorstep telling her he wouldn’t sponge off her for too long as he had the world to save, and all that.  Although he never got around to saving the world, he did make his political presence known on the street and got the regulars involved – Emily, Toyah – in some worthwhile causes like saving the red rec, the Norweigan Prawns and the hoary ground wort which Toyah misspelt on her banner so it read whorey ground wort instead. 
Most famous for: Non-meat eating, real ale drinking, right on thinking. Helping save the red rec; spicing up Aunty Em’s life. Should Spider be the highest ranked male Corrie character ever in our Top 50 list at No 7 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 8 Curly Watts The first man in the Top 10 of our Top 50 countdown, Curly Watts is much missed by Coronation Street fans.  He started life as a bin-man but knew there was more to life than old rubbish.  Curly was involved in one of the Street’s first inter-racial relationships when he moved into the flat above the corner shop with Shirley Armitage, who was black.  Curly and Shirley were good for each other and he returned to college on a business studies course, then started work as assistant manager at Bettabuys. It was there he spotted Raquel – Miss Bettabuy herself and became infatuated with her, eventually marrying her but not finding out he had a daughter, Alice, until Raquel's return many years later. The bitch!  She broke poor Curly’s heart!

Most famous for: Being called Curly when his hair was dead straight and his real name was Norman and his nickname at school was Forty (as in being as bright as a 40 watt bulb!). Should Curly be in our Top 50 list at No 8 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 9 – Hayley Cropper Hayley has challenged everyone’s pre-conceptions, residents of Coronation Street and viewers alike.  Corrie’s first transsexual, Hayley joined Corrie before she had her op.  We then saw her go off to Amsterdam – with Roy – where she had the op and returned to Weatherfield, in every sense a real woman.  She and Roy were married in a ceremony in Roy’s Rolls in 1999. Likeable, friendly, honest and forthright, Hayley Patterson has staked her claim to be in our top 10.

Most famous for: Getting Dorothy Perkins to remove Hayley’s red anorak from their shops, bringing transsexualism to primetime TV. Should Hayley be in our Top 50 list at No 9 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 10 Suzie Birchall It’s the Top 10 final countdown of our 50 favourite Corrie characters. Coming in at number 10 is sassy Suzie Birchall. Suzie was brought into Coronation Street as the new Elsie Tanner and played the part wonderfully. She wasn’t as tough as Elsie was, but just about. Elsie took Suzie under her wing, recognizing the similarities between the two of them, both had a mix of vulnerability and strength that defines the strong Street woman type. Suzie worked in Mike Baldwin’s boutique The Western Front where things were far from all quiet when she had an affair with him.

Most famous for: Being the new Elsie Tanner; trying to bed Brian - best mate Gail’s husband to be. Should Suzie be in our Top 50 list at No 10 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 11 Stan Ogden Workshy, lovable, bumbling Stan Ogden would do anything for a free pint. A man firmly in the mould of feckless Jack Duckworth with a nagging wife, Stanley liked a quiet life, a few bets on the gee-gees and a pint in the pub.  Did you know that Stan worked as a milkman where early mornings were compensated for by afternoons in the pub and also as a professional wrestler where in his only match he was thrown from the ring into Hilda's lap. (Thanks to corrie.net for that!) Stan passed away peacefully in his sleep in 1984 at the age of 65.

Most famous for: On their second honeymoon, asking Hilda after he’d kissed her: “What’s that lipstick taste of?”  To which she replied: “Woman, Stanley. Woman”. Should Stan be in our Top 50 list at No 11 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 12 Tracy Barlow Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Tracy Barlow is fantastic to watch. When she was a kid, Deirdre sent her up to her room to listen to tapes. She didn’t surface for years and when she came downstairs Tracy was played by a different actress. So it’s no wonder Tracy’s a little, er, unbalanced, she’s just trying to reclaim her identity, isn’t she?  She won a bet with Bev – for a quid - that she could sleep with Roy Cropper, although she had to drug Roy first. She then told Roy that the baby she was carrying was his when it was Steve McDonald’s. She tried to sell her unborn to the Croppers, leading ultimately to Roy trying to commit suicide. She’s a nasty piece of work and I hate her to bits but she’s such a fab character.

Most famous for: Having Deirdre’s ex-husband’s kidney inside her, being Corrie’s first teenager on E – and those two things were connected! Should Tracy be in our Top 50 list at No 12 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No. 13 Annie Walker By the time viewers got their first glimpse of Jack and Annie Walker in 1960, they had already been running the Rovers for over twenty years. Whilst Jack was kind, gentle, convivial and well-liked, Annie believed herself to be from good stock and often looked down on the pub regulars. Together, they had two children; Joan who Annie would visit in Derby regulaly, and ne'er-do-well son Billy who drifted in and out of her life. Annie was devastated by Jack's death in 1970, but she soldiered on with the help of Betty Turpin and Bet Lynch behind the Rovers bar. As if to confirm her social status, in 1973 Alf Roberts asked Annie to become Mayoress of Weatherfield - a role to which she took to like a duck to water. Annie continued to run the Rovers until 1983 when she retired to Derby.

Most famous for : Thinly-veiled disapproval. Classic on-liners. Using pot-man Fred Gee as her personal chauffeur. Should Annie be at No.13 in our countdown ? Tell us what you think. Check out our Top 50 so far. [Sky Clearbrook]

No 14 Eileen Grimshaw  There have been some shocks in the "rankings" so far, haven't there? I reckon the lowly positions of this man and this man have the potential for the biggest stir. But if you clocked this character in such a respectable position, it'll be no surprise to see his wonderful mum higher up the list.

I love Eileen. Why? Well because she's smashing of course, the best mate any woman could want. It's great to see that there is a Christmas cracker of a storyline coming up this year. Sue Cleaver sums up all the reasons Eileen is so loved here in an insightful interview with the Manchester Evening News TV supremo Ian Wylie. (How I wish my job could involve such a treat as meeting Sue Cleaver!)

Most famous for: Being a rock. Attempting to keep her wayward sons under control. Check out the rest of the Top 50 selection here. Just wait until you see the top 10![Linda]

No 15 Todd Grimshaw Todd was just another Corrie bloke but we’ve put him so high in our Top 50 list because in Coronation Street terms he is hugely important. Todd was Corrie’s first (male) gay character, an important leap forward in the Street recognizing the real world, at last.  Shame he had to go and fancy his girlfriend’s brother though!  He broke Sarah Platt’s heart and it was left to Todd’s brother Jason to mend the pieces for her.  Todd went off to live in London after turning down a place at Oxford University and breaking mum Eileen’s heart.

Most famous for: Being the first openly gay character in Corrie, performing Corrie’s first gay kiss. Should Todd be in our Top 50 list at No 17 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 16 Sally Webster Hard working mum Sally Webster does her best, bless her, she really does try. She tries so hard that she sometimes loses sight of what’s really important to her family but her heart’s in the right place even if her undies are somewhere else. She’s been loose and wild with men in her time, even while married to Kev, although she reckons she only had an affair with Ian, the creepy car salesman because it meant more overtime to buy the girls more beans for tea. And anyway, Kev started it first when he had an affair with Natalie Horrocks.

Most famous for: Cooking beans for tea, being a pushy mum. Should Sally be in our Top 50 list at No 16 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 17 Toyah Battersby More intelligent and less of a gold-digger than step-sister Leanne, took herself to college to study journalism and got involved with defending good causes with Spider. Who can forget their Save the Norweigan Prawn campaign when she poured de-icer into the deep freeze at Frescho?  Spider and Toyah were comrades in arms before leaving for London together. 
Most famous for: Mis-spelling her banner to “save the whorey ground wort”. Should Toyah be in our Top 50 list at No 17 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No 18 Betty Williams The woman without whom the Rovers Return would be a much sadder place, although there’d be a lot more space behind the bar without her. Saint Betty of the hot pots has been in Corrie, for, oh, forever it seems and I never want her to leave. She’s seen enough of life to keep her counsel to herself but makes her feelings clear on behaviour she doesn’t approve of in Coronation Street by tutting,  raising her eyebrows and pulling her cardi across her very ample chest. A national treasure.
Most famous for: Cooking the hotpots and her secret son, Gordon. Should Betty be in our Top 50 list at No 18 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No.19 Steve McDonald Simon Gregson has played Steve since 1989. Steve and twin brother, Andy, were always guaranteed to get involved in scrapes, scraps and mishaps. On one memorable occasion, they drove a JCB digger into the front of Alf's Mini Market. Whilst Andy studied at university, Steve marrried the orphaned (and seriously-rich) grand-daughter of Alec Gilroy, Vicky Arden. He became increasingly embroiled in gambling and petty crime. Inevitably, he ended up in prison (for handling stolen whisky), and his marriage came to an end. After prison, Steve set about building his wealth in a series of business deals, eventually setting up Streetcars with Vikram Desai. Vikram was subsequently bought out by his uncle, Dev Alahan, who in turn was bought out by Lloyd Mullaney. Along the way, Steve romanced Fiona Middleton, Maxine Heavey, Tracy Barlow and Karen Philips. Steve and Karen married not once, but twice; they fought like cat and dog, and loved each with just as much passion. 

No 20 Deirdre Barlow Poor Deirdre. She’s stuck with Ken, living in a tiny house with mother Blanche and has more worries than she knows what to do with about her wayward daughter Tracy. She’s also grandmother to little Amy. To cope with it all, she nips out to the back yard and has a sly smoke every now and then. And who can blame her?  Deirdre’s low point, we reckon, was marrying Samir.
Most famous for: Free the Weatherfield One! Her string of ex-husbands and also for being involved in the love triangle with Mike and Ken. Should Deirdre be in our Top 50 list at No 20 – what do you think? Check out our Top 50 so far.

No.21 Liz McDonald Liz first arrived in Weatherfield with twin sons, Andy and Steve, and husband, Jim, in 1989 when they bought No.11 from Alf and Audrey Roberts. Liz's marriage to Jim has always been rocky, featuring countless instances of (usually booze-fuelled) adultery, domestic violence, divorce, reconciliation, re-marriage, prison, and further break-up. So-much-so, I can hardly keep track. Although Liz left Weatherfield for a new life with Jim's physiotherapist in the late 1990s, she has returned numerous times over the years, and finally came back to stay for good after attending Steve's second wedding to Karen in early 2004. Since then, Liz has embarked on string of relationships, and is currently shacked up with musician, Vernon Tomlin. Steve recently bought the Rovers Return Inn from Fred Elliott and installed Liz as manageress.

Most famous for: Her tacky dress sense, her fiery relationship with Jim, and (somehow) being irresistible to men. Where do you think Liz should rank in this Top 50 ? Check out our Top 50 so far. [Sky Clearbrook]

No.22 Norris Cole Norris first appeared in Weatherfield in 1994. He invited himself to stay with the Wiltons after a chance encounter with Derek (or "Dirk", as Norris would insist on calling him). In the world of salesmanship, Derek taught Norris all he knew. It was particularly galling to Derek that Norris later became his boss, and even went on to marry his ex-wife, Angela Hawthorne. The marriage was not to last, and Norris soon found himself back in Coronation Street, working behind the counter at the Kabin, and lodging at No.3 with Emily Bishop. He now seems settled into a life of pedantry, one-man crime fighting and forever getting up the nose of Emily, Rita, Blanche and Audrey.

Most famous for: Being an interfering busybody, the mastermind behind Derek's travelling gnome, his crime-busting infrared binoculars, and being called "Doris" by Les Battersby. Should Norris be at No.22 in our Top 50 ? Let us know what you think. Check out out Top 50 so far. [Sky Clearbrook]