It's only been a couple of weeks since Becky McDonald left Weatherfield but her real life counterpart Katherine Kelly has already triumphed in her new life. Critics are united in their praise for Katherine's performance in She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre.

Katherine had to miss receiving the award for Best Actress at the National Television Awards last week but it looks like it was well worth it when you see the reviews.

The Times said she gives a 'skilful' performance, the Telegraph reckons she 'brings superb assurance to the role' and the Guardian calls her 'highly impressive'.

Looks like she's made the right move. Corrie's loss is the West End's gain.

The Sun is reporting that the late Corrie star Betty Driver bequeathed almost £1 million to friends and family in her will. The paper says that over £930,000 went to her personal assistant and 6 other male friends along with a substantial sum to her female cousin.

Betty passed away in October last year after a short illness. She had been married earlier in life but was divorced in 1960 after seven years of marriage. She never had children.

Ex Corrie star Sean Wilson has just won a major award for his cheese. Sean, who played Corrie's dour-faced nurse (and husband to Gail, which explains a lot) Martin Platt until 2005 when he left the soap and set up the Saddleworth Cheese Company.

He's enjoyed much success wit the company and his blue cheese Smelly Apeth won Best Blue Cheese in Silver Foil at the World Cheese Awards last week.

He commented to the Daily Star: 'I am delighted it did so well and beat so many other great cheeses from around the world. I only entered it at the last minute after I tasted a batch and realised it was absolutely gorgeous.'

Ex Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard, who used to played blousy barmaid Liz McDonald, has been forced to pull out of an upcoming pantomime season due to ill health. She was due to appear as the Wicked Witch in a production of Snow White in Sheffield but issued a statement saying: 'I am so disappointed that I won't be able to take to the stage in Sleeping Beauty at the Lyceum this Christmas. I am particularly sorry I won't have the opportunity to work with Damian Williams and Sid Sloane on this brilliant show.'

The exact nature of her illness has not been revealed but she has spoken in the past about her struggle with depression.

She will be replaced by actress, Margi Clarke who also used to appear in Corrie, as Tyrone's mother Jackie Dobbs.

Just a couple of months after he left his role as jailbird window cleaner Graeme Proctor in Coronation Street, actor Craig Gazey has landed his first post-Corrie part in the play Third Floor. The play, by Jason Hall, starts at the Trafalgar Studios in London next week and Craig will be starring opposite Inbetweeners star Emily Head.

He spoke to the BBC about his decision to leave Weatherfield: 'It's a big thing to leave a big show, and lots of people have asked why I'm going. I wanted to come back and do the theatre. I came out to do a mixture of jobs. I'm a character actor. But if you've just got one character, you become Graeme.'

Craig has previously said that when he joined Coronation Street he made a note in his diary to leave after 3 years.

The man formerly known as Les Battersby, Bruce Jones, has had a house repossessed for the second time in a year. Bruce lost his £500,000 home in Cheshire taken by the bank last year after failing to meet mortgage payments and now he has also lost his other home in North Wales. He has struggled to find work after leaving Corrie and was given until September 2nd to pay more than £200,000 of arrears on the property, which he failed to do.

Bruce used to earn £140,000 per year playing layabout Les and was with the soap for over 10 years. A friend said told the Daily Star: 'It's a sad, sad decline for Bruce. A few years back he had the industry at his feet for both TV and film work. He's let it all slip and it's a hell of a shame. In many ways he's his own worst enemy.'

After Johnny Briggs yesterday, today Ken 'destined to be Reg Holdsworth forever' Morley has been talking to The Sun about how he reckons Corrie is clapped out and he's the only cure. He started with: 'What they need to do is bring back comedy and topics that the viewers can relate to. It's lost the comedy, it's lost plot, but let's not kick it while it's down - let's try to fix it. They need a character like Reg again. A Holdsworth in the Rovers Return would get people tuning in.'

Then rattled off: 'There is nothing he couldn't do - a character like that could save 'Corrie' single-handedly by ranting about Real Issues in the Rovers. The executive producer Kieran Roberts asked me, 'Would you ever consider coming back?' I told him I'd come back as a scourge questioning the morals, the views and the thinking of younger people.'

Before stating: 'They really need to get to grips with 'Corrie' or the nation is going to lose an institution.'

Thanks for that Ken. Back to panto then, is it?

More of these as and when the papers trot them out.

Johnny 'used to be Mike Baldwin in Corrie' Briggs has broken his 6-year long silence to chip in his two penn'orth to the current Corrie debate. The 75-year old former Weatherfieldian (or is it Weatherfieldoldian), who left the soap in 2006, told the Daily Mirror: 'There's no laughter or humour. The Duckworths have gone, Hilda Ogden is gone, the comedy and drama is dead. People were once happy in the soap. There is no one in it I recognise now. I watched the 50th anniversary episode in December but could only stand five minutes before I flicked over to the golf. There is no fun in the show any more. The writers have lost their way by bringing in all these unknowns and trying to make it interesting by introducing different characters.'

He banged on: 'I haven't watched it recently so I don't know about the new gay characters, but my philosophy is: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's so sad to learn the ratings have gone down. It's heartbreaking. It used to be a great show - it was an old friend to me. Now I can't bring myself to watch, what a terrible shame.'

And just when you thought he was finished, he added: 'I might have to come out of retirement to return to the Street. I would seriously consider going back if they paid me the right money. I was the J.R. Ewing of Weatherfield - and that's what the show lacks, another great villain, a big star.'

Aye, that's just what Corrie needs, Johnny, an ex star bringing their dead character back to life and returning to the street. Thanks for that.

Corrie might be having a couple of problems at the mo but at least try and be constructive with your criticism instead of complaining in an ill-informed manner about a programme you admit to not actually watching.

Former Corrie star Bruno Langley has been spotted working as a barman in London. The Sunday papers yesterday took great delight in reporting that Bruno, who played Eileen Grimshaw's gay son Todd in the soap, is now making a living pulling pints at The Cellars pub in North London. He apparently told the Sunday Mirror: 'Things have been a bit difficult but I like it here. I'm glad I left [Coronation Street]. I've experienced different things. I've learned a lot.

We at Corrie Blog would like to say 'so what?' Why the news papers feel necessary to track down ex-soap stars and attempt to belittle them is beyond us. 'Someone works in a bar' is hardly a news story, is it? With roles in Doctor Who and stage productions of Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty in his portfolio it's unlikely Bruno is obviously a talented actor and if, like so many in his profession, he needs to make a few extra bob now and then why should he fear ending up ion the papers because of it? We wish him all the best and hope to see him on our screens again soon.

Ex-Corrie star Bill Tarmey has revealed that he snuck a quote from Star Trek into his final scene on the soap. Bill bowed out of Weatherfield last year after more than 30 years playing loveable rogue Jack Duckworth but he has now admitted that as a long time Star Trek fan he couldn't resist inserting a tribute to his favourite character. In his autobiography 'Jack Duckworth and Me' he says that he borrowed the words from the film Star Trek: Generations. He revealed, 'According to the script I was supposed to say 'I'm tired, Vera' but I couldn't resist making a minor addition to my farewell speech. I've been a lifelong fan of Star Trek since it first appeared and I remembered the last words of Captain James T. Kirk. As he took his final breath, he said, 'Oh my,' as if death was another great adventure. As a dedicated Trekkie, I decided to pay my own tribute to Captain Kirk and his crew by adding those words.'

Bill admits he managed the dare, 'I thought I'd see if I could get away with it - and I did. So I changed the dialogue and said, 'Oh my. I'm getting tired now, Vera'.'

Jack's death scene recently won 'Best Exit' at the British Soap Awards.

Ex Corrie star Ian Mercer has been convicted of benefit fraud after claiming council tax benefit to which he was not entitled. Mercer played Gary Mallet in Corrie from 1995 to 2000 before going on to appear in several high profile films including the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Despite roles in films such as The Boat That Rocked and Master and Commander: Far Side of the World it appears he underwent periods of claiming unemployment benefit which also qualified him for council tax benefit, but during periods of employment he failed to inform his local council and enjoyed £2,300 worth of discounts to which he was not entitled.

He was fined £165, a £15 victim surcharge and £100 costs.

Bruce Jones, who used to play scrounger Les Battersby on Corrie, has been snubbed by fans who have failed to buy tickets for his new 'An audience with...' show. In fact the venue where the show was due to be performed only had one telephone enquiry and the 200 seat venue pulled the plug on the show. A spokeswoman said, 'It had to be cancelled. We are not sure why tickets did not sell. We are normally fully booked.'

This latest setback follows the 8 month suspended jail sentence Bruce received last year for dangerous driving. He was sacked from Coronation Street in 2007 after allegedly insulting viewers.

When Bill Tarmey was asked by Corrie bosses how he'd like to be written out of the soap he suggested that he could be 'squished by a derailed tram' while leaving the corner shop. He was only joking but it seems that producer Phil Collinson took note of the idea and utilised it later in the year to kill off several characters.

Bill has revealed in his autobiography that he now worries that he may have been responsible for losing some of his fellow actors their jobs. He says, 'I told Phil he could get rid of a few others at the same time in the fatal crash. I thought he realised I wasn't serious. It was while I was preparing for Jack's death that I read to my horror about a tram crash that was going to cause death and destruction in Weatherfield. I'd realised that I'd sown the seeds of a plot in Phil Collinson's mind. Instead of using a tram crash to kill me off, he had decided to take my idea and use it for the deaths of others.'

The crash saw the exit of Ashel Peacock (played by Stephen Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) and Bill still feels at fault. "It's a burden I'll have to take to the grave', he said, adding, 'I just hope the victims of the tram crash will forgive me for opening my big gob. There must have been cast and colleagues under sentence of death who thought, 'Thanks a lot, Tarmey'. Luckily, I was out of there before the dead men walking discovered my casual suggestion to Phil had been taken to heart.'

Bill's book 'Jack Duckworth and Me' is available now.

One of Coronation Street's most popular stars Bill Tarmey has announced that he's been told by doctors that he requires a new pacemaker following a series of dizzy spells. The 70-year old actor, who played Jackworth for 31 years before quitting the soap last year, has a history of heart and associated health problems and he has been ordered to rest and give up smoking to aid his recover.

Bill told the People newspaper, 'I'm deeply worried. I have cheated death so many times I feel like a cat running out of lives. I'm used to being out of breath but this is something different. I could be dead tomorrow. I want to live day to day and enjoy it. I've got to have surgery as soon as I return home. I've had my chest opened so many times it might be better to put in a zip-fastener.'

He also discussed the near death experiences he's suffered in the past: 'I've already died twice and the last time they brought me back to life using a medical version of jump leads.'

Ex Corrie actress Vicky Entwistle, who played gobby factory worker Janice Battersby has been speaking about her reasons for leaving Weatherfield. She told the Lancashire Telegraph that although she loved playing the character the long hours, restrictions on how she had to maintain her appearance and the lure of new challenges combined to influence her decision. 'For the girls it's quite annoying that you can't just do what you want with your appearance and before you do you must ask permission, so I couldn't wait to have a change', she said, adding 'It's long 12 hour days of filming and there's nothing remotely glamorous about that. Plus I felt after 14 years it was time I left and put into practice more of what I'd learned at drama school.'

Vicky also revealed some backstage street secrets; apparently no-one actually eats the Rover's hot pots and the factory sewing machines don't have needles. That's our illusions shattered!

Bill Tarmey has revealed he left Coronation Street to spend time with his son who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in 2009. The actor quit his role as Jack Duckworth on the ITV1 soap last year and while it was initially unknown why he decided to leave, he has now revealed he wanted to dedicate time to 44-year-old son Carl.

Speaking of his son's illness, he said: "There is no doubt that what happened had an influence on me deciding to leave the Street when I did. "I felt I was better at home rather than at work. I felt I could do more."

Former pub owner Carl is still receiving treatment and while he has been told he has "every chance" of living at least another five years, Bill, 69, is doing his best to raise funds and awareness for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

As part of the fundraising efforts, today Bill will visit Carl's pub in character as 'Ida Fag', a female alter ego used by Jack in 2004 when he joined a women's bowling team, as well as auctioning off locks of his own hair online.

Bill told the Daily Express: "I will be making a prat of myself, but that's all right. We want more awareness of the illness and the dangers of brain tumours. If wearing a blonde wig and having my hair cut is the price I have to pay to have my son still with me, then that's no price at all."

Vicky Entwistle, who plays gobby Janice, is said to be hankering after a return to the stage now that she's left Weatherfield and has set her mind on taking on the bard. Vicky started off on the stage performing in regional theatre and as a bluecoat at Pontins before landing the job as Les Battersby's wife in 1997. She left the soap last week and has already signed up to perform as an evil step sister in a Snow White panto this Xmas, but it's the bard she's apparently hoping to take on in the future.

According to the Sun a 'Corrie source' has suggested that she's planning a move to more serious roles and doesn't see why Shakespeare should prove beyond her talents. Certainly there is a history of Shakespeare being performed in regional accents, with the Northern Broadsides theatre company producing many of the bard's works entirely in Northern accents. If Lenny Henry can make a credible Othello maybe Janice as Ophelia or Juliet is not such a fanciful dream after all.

Currently showing at the Trafalgar Studios in London's West End is 'End Of The Rainbow', the story of the last years of Judy Garland's life, it stars former Corrie star Tracie Bennett as Garland. Tracie appeared for two spells (82-82 and again in 1999) and was best remembered as Rita Fairclough's foster daughter Sharon Gaskell.

After her first spell in Weatherfield she appeared in the film version of Shirley Valentine and has also appeared in many TV shows since. She also forged a very successful stage career (even winning an Olivier award for 'Hairspray') and is now garnering ecstatic reviews for 'End Of The Rainbow', which has just extended it's run to May.

Anyone missing Steven Arnold from Corrie? Strangely I think I am. Well you can now see the squeaky voiced Corrie butcher in Dancing On Ice, of course. He opened last week's show with a spirited, but ultimately pretty awful, version of Madness' House of Fun.

With just 7 out of 30 points from the mean judges I felt sure he would go out of the competition in round one, but thankfully people at home felt differently and he lives to fight another day. Somehow I think poor Steven isn't destined to win the competition but I think he's popular so hopefully will be in the competition for a little while longer - as long as it's decided by the public vote and not the judges!

There's a chance to see the performance again here. You can see round two of Dancing on Ice on Sunday, Jan 16th, 6.35pm

ITV has confirmed the details of the forthcoming Coronation Street anniversary play penned by the show's long-term scriptwriter Jonathan Harvey. The stage production, which is called Corrie!, will celebrate 50 years of the Mancunian soap, condensing the programme's entire history into one two-hour show.

Former cast member Charles Lawson, who starred as Jim McDonald on the soap, has signed up to narrate the comedy play.

Speaking of the project, Lawson commented: "I am delighted to be narrating the piece and I am looking forward to this 50th celebration of the 'established church'."

Coronation Street's executive producer Kieran Roberts is to be the play's chief producer for ITV Studios, teaming up with Phil McIntrye Entertainment Ltd. The project is unrelated to the rumoured Coronation Street musical project.

Corrie! will be performed at The Lowry theatre in Salford between August 12 and 25. Tickets are on sale now and are priced between £19 and £25.

Sounds like a hoot! Now, how about a Neighbours musical?

Via TV Scoop

By Mof Gimmers, TV Scoop

The former Coronation Street star Bruce Jones has had a funny old time of it since leaving the show. The actor, who played Les Battersby admitted last month that he pulled at the steering wheel of his wife's car as she drove along a busy road shouting "I'll kill us both!" whilst drunk.

Jones has been sentenced at Mold crown court to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

The actor pleaded guilty to dangerous driving a day after a jury heard his wife's evidence about how he subjected her to years of drink-fuelled physical and emotional abuse. He has since vowed to give up alcohol and save his marriage, reports the Guardian

The judge told him: "You threatened to kill both you and your wife and you jerked the steering wheel up and down, causing the car to swerve within its lane. It is fortunate for you and all others around you that your wife had her wits about her.

"It is all too easy to see if the cards had fallen differently this might have ended in a fatality for you or your wife or for many other drivers."

Medland was told that Jones is in a 26-week rehabilitation programme to tackle his addiction. He said: "The efforts you are making to turn your life around are impressive."

Jones was ordered to do 100 hours' unpaid work and complete a 12-month supervision order and was disqualified from driving for 18 months and must pay £1,000 towards costs.

Bruce played Weatherfield dosspot Les for 10 years until 2007, when he allegedly lost his job due to his drinking.

Dominic D'Souza, in mitigation, said Jones was four weeks into a six-week residential stay at a rehabilitation clinic. Following that he would undergo 20 weeks of cognitive and behavioural therapy and monitoring.

D'Souza said: "He is, for the first time in 20 years, beginning to acknowledge his alcohol problems."He apologises, primarily to his wife, and he has now got some insight as to how inappropriate his behaviour was. He is determined to clean himself up and sort himself out."

Congratulations to Jenny Platt and Rupert Hill who played Violet Wilson and Jamie Baldwin in Coronation Street (pictured here with onscreen son Dylan). They've just become parents to a baby girl in real life.

Matilda was born on Sunday, two weeks late, weighing 7lbs 10oz . Rupert Hill tweeted earlier today: "Forgot to say how amazing St Marys Hospitial's maternity ward is. Everyone who helped bring Matilda to us was brilliant & delightful."

You can follow Rupert Hill's tweets www.twitter.com/RupertHill

Or check out his Facebook page here.

Former Corrie star Suranne Jones met World War II veteran and Chorlton resident John Clarke from the Lottery funded Monte Cassino Veterans Association this week as part of the North West leg of The National Lottery's Britain Has Balls Tour.

The showcase event in Manchester's Cathedral Gardens celebrated the great things ballsy Brits do with Lottery funding to support talent, charities and communities up and down the country. Ninety-year-old John Clarke has been organising trips for World War II veterans for 40 years and has so far received £13,200 of Lottery funding to take fellow veterans and war widows to Northern Italy where his regiment helped to liberate Florence.

Overall Lottery funding has enabled over 42,000 WWII veterans to revisit sites around the world where they served during the war. Says Suranne Jones: "It's great that people in the North West are making a difference with the help of National Lottery funding. I've met some really inspirational people and have been hugely impressed with the projects they are part of."

You can see YouTube footage here

I guess we've known he's had a drink problem for some time, given the way that he left Coronation Street under something of a cloud (slagging off cast members, alleged racist abuse).

But now it seems that Bruce Jones, or Ian Roy Jones to give him his proper name, really needs help after grabbing the wheel of his wife's Mercedes at high speed while two and a half times over the drink-driving limit.

Outside court today the actor said he wanted to beat his alcohol addiction and save his marriage. He issued a statement through his barrister, Dominic D'Souza who stood next to him at Mold Crown Court as he said: "Mr Jones accepts for the first time that he has an alcohol problem which he needs to address.

"It is one that has caused him significant problems over the last five or six years and resulted finally in him being in this situation today. He very much wants to address this with privacy and get his life together and save a marriage that has lasted over 26 years.

"He is very regretful at having his wife subjected to cross- examination in court and found the whole experience very distressing."

It must have been a truly traumatic experience for his wife, but for the actor who played Les Battersby it should hopefully provide something of a wake up call to tackle his alcoholism and depression. The 57 year old will be sentenced for dangerous driving next month.

While there's still speculation about whether Hilda Ogden will come back to Coronation Street, Karen Mc Donald has ruled out a return.

Actress Suranne Jones who played the role is reported to have said somewhat pointedly: "I loved Karen McDonald but I'm moving forward not backwards."

She added: "I'd like to go for dinner with everyone as Suranne, in a nice dress celebrating the fact that I was part of Coronation Street, because it's an amazing thing to be a part of. But there's absolutely no plans to go back."

Since leaving Coronation Street, the 31 year old has played a number of roles including the female lead in the excellent Unforgiven in which she played a murderess, starring alongside Peter Davison.

Via Coventry Telegraph