Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

The real problem is the show itself is in the shitter. Unwatchable. Kate Oates is the most overrated soap producer around. 

[FrenchFan]

February 2018 Episode Rankings
A total of 25 episodes aired this month.

1. Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew) : 18

2. Faye Brooks (Kate Connor) : 16

*. Matilda Freeman (Summer Spellman) : 16

4. Qasim Akhtar (Zeedan Nazir) : 15

*. Sue Clever (Eileen Phelan) : 15

*. Alison King (Carla Connor) : 15

*. Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan) : 15

*. Shayne Ward (Aidan Connor) : 15

9. Beverly Callard (Liz McDonald) : 14

*. Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) : 14

*. Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) : 14

12. Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt) : 13

*. Bhavna Limbachia (Rana Nazir) : 13

*. Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) : 13

*. Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price) : 13

16. Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt) : 12

17. Ryan Clayton (Josh Tucker) : 11

*. Richard Hawley (Johnny Connor) : 11

*. David Nielson (Roy Cropper) : 11

*. Mikey North (Gary Windass) : 11

*. Tina O’Brien (Sarah Platt) : 11

22. Tristan Gemill (Robert Preston) : 10

*. Samia Ghadie (Maria Connor) : 10

*. Julia Goulding (Shona Ramsey) : 10

*. Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs) : 10

*. Rob Mallard (Daniel Osborne) : 10

*. Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Connor) : 10

*. Nicole Thorp (Nicola Rubinstein) : 10

29. Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) : 9

*. Sair Khan (Alya Nazir) : 9

*. Sam Robertson (Adam Barlow) : 9

32. Dolly-Rose Campbell (Gemma Winter) : 8

*. Richard Crehan (Lee Mayhew) : 8

*. Charlie De Molo (Imran Habeeb) : 8

*. Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe) : 8

*. Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster) : 8

*. Lisa George (Beth Tinker) : 8

*. Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow) : 8

39. James Burrows (Ali Neeson) : 7

*. Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) : 7

*. Connie Hyde (Gina Seddon) : 7

*. Georgia Taylor (Toyah Battersby) : 7

*. Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) : 7

44. Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby) : 6

*. Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir) : 6

*. Michael LeVell (Kevin Webster) : 6

*. Charlie Wresnhall (Liam Connor) : 6

48. Sam Aston (Chesney Brown) : 5

*. Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) : 5

*. Isabella Flanagan (Hope Stape) : 5

*. Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Alahan) : 5

*. Harry Visinoni (Seb Franklin) : 5

53. Marcy Alabi (Ruby Dobbs) : 4

*. Katie McGlynn (Sinead Tinker) : 4

*. Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) : 4

*. Andrew Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) : 4

57. George Banks (Henry Newton) : 3

*. Joe Duttine (Tim Metcalfe) : 3

*. Victoria Ekanoye (Angie Appleton) : 3

*. Peter Gunn (Brian Packham) : 3

*. Melanie Hill (Cathy Matthews) : 3

*. Paddy Wallace (Jude Appleton) : 3

63. Donnaleigh Bailey (Jess Haywood) : 2

*. Patti Clare (Mary Taylor) : 2

*. Kriss Dosanjh (Hassan Habeeb) : 2

*. Tanisha Gorey (Asha Alahan) : 2

*. Ellie Leach (Faye Windass) : 2

*. Tisha Merry (Steph Britton) : 2

*. William Roache (Ken Barlow) : 2

*. Lynne Verrall (Geraldine Spellman) : 2

*. Kim Vithana (Saira Habeeb) : 2

*. Helen Worth (Gail Rodwell) : 2

73. Kyran Bowes (Jack Webster) : 1

*. Christopher Harper (Nathan Curtis) : 1

*. Cherylee Houston (Izzy Armstrong) : 1

*. Brooke Malonie (Lily Platt) : 1

*. Harry McDermott (Max Turner) : 1

*. Louiza Patikas (Moira Pollock) : 1

Contract stars not appearing this month :

Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole)

Barbara Knox (Rita Sullivan)

Jennie McAlpine (Fiz Brown)

[YRBB]

If there was EVER one headline that would make sure I never tune back in....

 

Producers want to save Corrie by bringing Fiz and Tyrone to the forefront, making them the new Jack and Vera.

 

Fiz??? Boost ratings???

[DRW50]

 

This isn't the first time they've been compared to Jack and Vera by the press. 

 

Pathetic.

[victoria foxton]

Tyrone and Fiz are no Vera and Jack. Their two characters long pass their expiration dates. That sap Fiz isn't boasting any ratings. 

[TimWil]

Something tells me that Moira will end up being murdered by Phelan. In the past few weeks Liz has been inserted into Eileen/Pat’s orbit and Moira is in Liz’ orbit so...

[FrenchFan]

January-February 2018 Episode Rankings
A total of 53 episodes aired this month.

1. Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan) : 41

2. Sue Clever (Eileen Phelan) : 39

3. Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price) : 33

4. Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew) : 29

*. Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs) : 29

*. Alison King (Carla Connor) : 29

*. Mikey North (Gary Windass) : 29

8. Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) : 28

9. Georgia Taylor (Toyah Battersby) : 27

10. Faye Brooks (Kate Connor) : 25

*. Julia Goulding (Shona Ramsey) : 25

*. Shayne Ward (Aidan Connor) : 25

13. Qasim Akhtar (Zeedan Nazir) : 24

*. Sair Khan (Alya Nazir) : 24

*. Bhavna Limbachia (Rana Nazir) : 24

*. David Nielson (Roy Cropper) : 24

*. Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) : 24

*. Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) : 24

19. Joe Duttine (Tim Metcalfe) : 22

*. Tina O’Brien (Sarah Platt) : 22

*. Harry Visinoni (Seb Franklin) : 22

22. Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) : 21

*. Sam Robertson (Adam Barlow) : 21

24. Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe) : 20

*. Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt) : 20

*. Matilda Freeman (Summer Spellman) : 20

27. Lisa George (Beth Tinker) : 19

*. Samia Ghadie (Maria Connor) : 19

29. Beverly Callard (Liz McDonald) : 18

*. Tristan Gemill (Robert Preston) : 18

31. Dolly-Rose Campbell (Gemma Winter) : 17

*. Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) : 17

*. Rob Mallard (Daniel Osborne) : 17

*. Katie McGlynn (Sinead Tinker) : 17

*. Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt) : 17

36. Sam Aston (Chesney Brown) : 16

*. Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) : 16

38. Ryan Clayton (Josh Tucker) : 15

*. Michael LeVell (Kevin Webster) : 15

40. Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby) : 14

*. Ellie Leach (Faye Windass) : 14

42. Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) : 13

*. Charlie De Molo (Imran Habeeb) : 13

*. Richard Hawley (Johnny Connor) : 13

*. Nicole Thorp (Nicola Rubinstein) : 13

46. Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Alahan) : 12

*. Connie Hyde (Gina Seddon) : 12

*. Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Connor) : 12

*. Elle Mulvaney (Amy Barlow) : 12

*. Debbie Rush (Anna Windass) : 12

51. Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster) : 11

*. Peter Gunn (Brian Packham) : 11

*. Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir) : 11

54. Melanie Hill (Cathy Matthews) : 10

55. George Banks (Henry Newton) : 9

*. Isabella Flanagan (Hope Stape) : 9

*. Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) : 9

58. Marcy Alabi (Ruby Dobbs) : 8

*. Richard Crehan (Lee Mayhew) : 8

*. Andrew Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) : 8

61. James Burrows (Ali Neeson) : 7

*. Patti Clare (Mary Taylor) : 7

*. Helen Worth (Gail Rodwell) : 7

64. Victoria Ekanoye (Angie Appleton) : 6

*. Dean Fagan (Luke Britton) : 6

*. Paddy Wallace (Jude Appleton) : 6

*. Charlie Wresnhall (Liam Connor) : 6

68. Alex Bain (Simon Barlow) : 5

*. William Flanagan (Joseph Brown) : 5

*. Cherylee Houston (Izzy Armstrong) : 5

*. Lynne Verrall (Geraldine Spellman) : 5

72. Donnaleigh Bailey (Jess Haywood) : 4

*. Tisha Merry (Steph Britton) : 4

*. William Roache (Ken Barlow) : 4

75. Sally Carmen (Abi Franklin) : 3

*. Kriss Dosanjh (Hassan Habeeb) : 3

*. Kim Vithana (Saira Habeeb) : 3

78. Alison Burrows (Arlene Tinker) : 2

*. Tanisha Gorey (Asha Alahan) : 2

80. Liam Braistow (Alex Warner) : 1

*. Kyran Bowes (Jack Webster) : 1

*. Kate Fitzgerald (Nancy Tinker) : 1

*. Christopher Harper (Nathan Curtis) : 1

*. Brooke Malonie (Lily Platt) : 1

*. Jennie McAlpine (Fiz Brown) : 1

*. Harry McDermott (Max Turner) : 1

*. Louiza Patikas (Moira Pollock) : 1

[victoria foxton]

First look at the new Coronation Street set: Weatherfield cobbles are now home to tattoo parlour, Urban Garden and even a Costa Coffee

The new street also features a memorial bench to Corrie superfan Martyn Hett, and all who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bomb attack in May last year

 

 

By

Lucy Needham

Rose Hill 

FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW CORONATION STREET SET

The famous Coronation Street cobbles have been given a thoroughly modern makeover and are now home to an Urban Garden, Costa Coffee and a new police station.

For years the area surrounding the terraced houses, Rovers Return and Cornershop have existed only in viewers' imaginations.

But now the extended exterior has been unveiled for the first time in the show's 57 year history, with the residents of Weatherfield being treated to some swanky new developments.

The new look street boasts a modern retail area complete with a tattoo parlour, snookerhall and even a Weatherfield North tram stop.

 

The new look street boasts a brand new police station.

Weatherfield residents will also have access to a Co-Op supermarket and a Costa Coffee. 

Victoria Street also has a new Weatherfield North tram stop.

A tattoo parlour and snookerhall also feature. 

Speed Dial is a trendy new bar on the cobbles.

A modern restaurant brings the show bang up to date (Image: ITV)

The cast unveil the new look Street (Image: DAILY MIRROR)

Product placement deals mean for the first time well known retail outlets will be represented in the ITV soap in the form of Costa Coffee and a Co-op supermarket.

Residents will also be able to visit Tattoo'll Do Nicely for all their inking needs - and pop into trendy new restaurant Speed Daal as a welcome change from Roy's Rolls.

And no doubt the brand new two story police station will be kept in good use with the sheer amount of crime going on in Weatherfield of late.

Coronation Street opens new Victoria Street set.

The colourful new Urban Garden is sure to brighten up the street.

A memorial bench in the Urban Garden is dedicated to victims of the Manchester Bombing.

The police station will be put to good use.  

Residents will be strolling round the streets with their Costa Coffee cups in hand (Image: Daily Mirror)

The station will eventually have a reception, cells, corridors and interview rooms.

Victoria Street, as the new set has been dubbed, also features a memorial bench to Corrie superfan Martyn Hett, and all those who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bomb in May last year.

The colourful memorial was unveiled by Series Producer Kate Oates in front of cast members and Martyn's family.

The famous cobbles have been given a revamp (Image: ITV)

How the Street used to look

"The Victoria Street extension represents an exciting chapter in Corrie history: an amazing new stage full of dramatic potential," said Oates.

In a nod to the ITV soap's long-running history, the new set is made from cobbles from the old Quay Street site which was home to the residents from 1982 to 2013.

'Wider Weatherfield' will be seen on screen for the first time on Friday 20th April.

[Skylover]

I'm so frickin jealous that Coronation Street gets this while Neighbours, Days of our Lives and EastEnders don't have that luxury. I don't even like Coronation Street. On the plus side I'm glad that a soap in this day and age is getting such a huge investment like this.

[Soaplovers]

About time they get a coffee house.. I don't recall the crew having one in recent years especially with the huge amount of younger characters

[LondonScribe]

For my own reasons I’ve merely been a spectator around these parts but this is too big to pass up...

 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/news/a855484/coronation-street-news-producer-kate-oates-quits/

 

In my opinion, viewers and critics in the media will look back over this period in a few years and wish they hadn’t pushed for this happen.

 

Especially since Iain McLeod’s sensibilities have made an ex-Emmerdale viewer out of me. Unless Coronation Street truly is a mega beast all of it’s own, then I think he won’t do a better job. In my opinion, this is too soon for him.

 

And as for Emmerdale, I can’t think of a single person who is ready or primed to take over. Unless they go cap-in-hand to Hollyoaks and hire Vicky Tennant (who has history with Emmerdale) or even get Ross Adams to write again, at a stretch.

Edited April 24, 2018 by UK LAW

[BetterForgotten]

Something definitely happened backstage, her departure seems sudden, like that of Sean O'Connor's last year at EastEnders. 

 

I don't understand why ITV as always sees Emmerdale as the training ground for the next EP of Corrie. 

[DRW50]

 

Corrie is, to me, just about completely hollowed out. Macleod could make it worse, but there isn't much left to take away. Personally I thought Oates was overrated beyond belief and also came across as very arrogant and defensive this year. I'm glad she's gone, and whatever Macleod does, my opinion of being glad she's gone won't change. 

 

ITV should have more structure in place so that producers can't just do what they want. Unfortunately they only seem to do so when it comes to not making big cast changes. The rest has an anything goes attitude. 

 

I imagine Emmerdale will just promote someone from in-house. Emmerdale is a weird show anyway, a hybrid piece - it plays by its own rules. For that reason I kind of hope they take a risk, although I'd be upset if they start letting various actors or writers go as it's the script team and the cast who keep me connected to Emmerdale in a way I'm not with the other soaps. 

 

I rarely watch the show in recent months, but I also quit under Blyth and under Oates, so I can't say it's anything new to me. Emmerdale is what it is - for better or worse.

[victoria foxton]

Coronation Street: 10 big predictions for the new Iain MacLeod era

 

What will the show's new producer have in store for us?

 

 

•  

BY DANIEL KILKELLY

25 APRIL 2018

•  
•  
•  

Coronation Street is rarely out of the headlines at the moment, but press speculation has gone into overdrive this week following the big news that current Emmerdale producer Iain MacLeod will be taking over as the show's top boss in June.

Iain is succeeding Kate Oates in the role and already there's plenty of speculation in the papers over what he might have planned for the nation's favourite soap.

 

i

 

While Iain won't take office or make any firm decisions for another month or so, that doesn't mean we can't make some predictions about what he may have in store for his era. Based purely on the evidence, of course.

1. Avoiding an axing spree?

 

•  

Every time a new producer takes over one of the big soaps, the papers eagerly put out a story about how the cast are supposedly quaking in their boots as they anxiously expect their P45s. Iain's had his first taste of this already, with wild speculation that he could be set to ditch some of Corrie's younger stars.

But could all this just be tabloid tittle-tattle? Let's not forget that when Iain took over from Kate Oates on Emmerdale in 2016, there was no major clear-out of big names. Instead, he worked with what he had in the existing cast and introduced some new faces too.

Based on this, Corrie's current stars can possibly breathe a sigh of relief that Iain doesn't have too much of a reputation as a mad axeman. At least not yet, anyway!

2. Not trying to transform the show into something else

 

•  

 

Corrie fans won't have to worry too much about the new boss coming on board and not knowing anything about what makes the show work. Iain has actually been at Corrie before, joining the Weatherfield show in 2006 as a researcher.

Iain quickly rose through the ranks to become story associate and story editor. He stuck with the show until 2014, when he became a producer on Channel 4's Hollyoaks (so you could say he's a big of a soap veteran).

Iain's first stint working on the cobbles saw him overseeing storylines like Jack Duckworth's death, the 50th anniversary tram crash, Carla's rape and Kirsty's abuse of Tyrone. During this time, he worked under the reign of four different producers so should – in theory – have a sound knowledge of what makes good Corrie.

When he joined Emmerdale in 2016, Iain also stressed that he wasn't going to tinker with a winning formula, so it's likely he'll take a similar approach to Corrie. Speaking at the time, he said: "When I got the job, I did look up the Emmerdalehashtag on Twitter and there was quite a lot of people going, 'I'm never watching Emmerdale again – he's going to ruin it'. But I'm absolutely not going to change it into something viewers don't recognise."

3. More gritty storylines?

 

•  

Some fans have wondered whether the departure of Kate Oates could mean an end to darker storylines on the cobbles, but this seems unlikely. First of all, Corrie has pulled in some of its highest ratings in years under the current leadership and ITV yesterday made a glowing tribute to Kate for delivering "a herculean achievement in this box-set era".

 

As a commercial network, ratings will always be a key consideration for ITV and it'd be counter-productive to mess too much with an approach that's paid dividends for them over the past couple of years, with Corrie often 2 million viewers ahead of its arch-rival EastEnders in consolidated figures.

Iain's time at Emmerdale has also seen some hard-hitting storylines, including Ross Barton's acid attack, Rhona Goskirk's rape and the recent revelation of Charity Dingle's teenage abuse, so he's certainly not shy to explore difficult issues.

Of course, the perfect blend of Corrie is balancing the light and shade, so we wouldn't be too surprised if Iain keeps some of the recent backlash over the show being "too dark" in mind. His trickiest task will no doubt be closely monitoring the show's tone and trying to keep everyone happy.

4. Experimentation?

 

During his time in charge at Emmerdale, Iain has pushed the boundaries with a handful of special episodes which broke away from the usual rigid formula. Ashley Thomas's dementia storyline led to an episode told entirely from his point of view, while another one-off edition gave us a glimpse of Cain Dingle's troubled childhood.

 

The acclaimed Emmerdale motorway pile-up episodes also showed us the same day from the perspective of different characters, while last year's 'Who Killed Emma Barton?' whodunit made use of flashbacks as part of the storytelling. And who could forget Robert's Sugden's Groundhog Day-inspired coma dream?

It's worth pointing out that Emmerdale gets away with thinking outside the box more than Corrie does, as there's slightly less scrutiny on the show. But you never know – perhaps Iain might be tempted to try his hand at producing a special episode on the cobbles too?

5. Characters being nice to each other

 

•  

Could Iain be the producer who finally resolves the long-running feud between Eileen and Gail, or gets Tracy Barlow to say a kind word or two? Don't rule it out. In one of his first interviews for Emmerdale in 2016, Iain revealed that he'd been encouraging the writers to include more heartwarming moments of friendship in their scripts.

Speaking at the time, he explained: "What I've found myself saying to a lot of writers and directors since I've got here is that I like people being nice to one another. I love Paddy and Marlon, and that kind of bromance stuff. Awkward, male-friendship bromances, I love.

"I do find myself giving a lot of notes saying: 'These two people should be nice to each other here. Why can't they give each other a hug or why can't they say a reassuring thing?' It doesn't all have to be punches and slaps and crashes and explosions, as much as I love all of that. Sometimes it's nice when you go: 'Aww, that's the sweetest thing I've seen all day and I'm really glad I watched tonight.'"

6. Straight-talking with the cast

 

•  

While he may not be an axe-wielding boss, Iain does have a reputation for straight-talking – both in interviews and with his own cast. In one of his first Emmerdale chats with the press, he admitted that some of the show's stars had been up to his office fearing for their jobs after his appointment.

Speaking at the time, Iain admitted: "I've always been honest with people, really: 'This is my view in terms of your character, this is my honest opinion of your current performance, these are my notes for you in terms of what you need to do more of or less of', or indeed stay exactly as you are in some cases. I'm trying to be quite straightforward, really.

"I've been around the industry long enough to know that generally, if not exclusively, you get the best out of people if you tell them the truth."

7. Testing the much-loved couples

 

Soaps can't all be sweetness and light and Iain's time on Emmerdale saw him introduce break-up plots for popular couples like Robert and Aaron and Cain and Moira. Of course, both pairings found their way back together in the end – but Iain stood his ground over the decision to break their relationships apart before building them back up again.

"My personal view on soap couples generally is that happy couples tend not to get much screen time," he explained. "The couples who are best are the ones with inbuilt conflict and the ones who make mistakes, make up, break up and hurt each other and have passionate make-up sex."

8. Not being afraid to kill characters off

 

While Iain didn't carry out a big Emmerdale cast cull upon joining the show in 2016, he wasn't shy when it came to creating death storylines for cast members who wanted to leave. Emma Barton, Finn Barton and Chrissie White were among those killed off when the actors in question handed in their notice.

Reflecting on Emma Barton's exit last year, Iain laughed: "I've given away a bit of a trade secret here, but as soon as an actor says, 'I think I want to leave at the end of my contract', even as they're talking, my brain is going, 'How are they going to leave? Is it going to be a death?'"

 

Hmm, if any cast members are getting itchy feet but want the door left open, this might not be the best era to leave in.

9. Kicking off with a bang?

 

Although Iain starts working at Coronation Street in June, the show firms up its storylines several months in advance, so it's unlikely we'll see his work hit our screens until the autumn.

That does, of course, coincide with ITV's annual Super Soap Week, which traditionally sees Corrie and Emmerdale deliver high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat storylines just as the evenings are starting to get darker. Could this mean Iain will have to make his mark early by coming up with a shock stunt?

10. Keeping one eye on the 60th anniversary?

 

This is just speculation, but if Iain sticks around as producer for a while, there's every chance that he could be the top boss in charge when Corrie celebrates its 60th anniversary in December 2020. Even if he only does a two-year stint like Kate Oates, it's likely that some vague plans will already be in place for the anniversary by June 2020.

So, could Iain have a role to play in crafting Corrie's historic milestone? If so, he's got plenty of time to get his thinking cap on over how to top that tram crash...

---

 

 

 

[victoria foxton]

HELL OF LE VELL 

Boozing, bankruptcy, bust-ups, sex trial and now Michael Le Vell’s Coronation Street future is in doubt

The 'untouchable' actor, 53, failed to turn up for work following his recent arrest, increasing his 'unrivalled unpopularity' with production crew, who can not wait for bosses to get shot of him and rip up his £250,000-a-year contract

EXCLUSIVE

By Andy Halls, TV Editor

8th May 2018, 9:30 pm

Updated: 8th May 2018, 9:42 pm

AS greasy mechanic Kevin Webster, he has had an affair with his best mate’s girlfriend, been kicked out by his wife and found a dead body in his garage.

But that is nothing compared to the real life of Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell.

 

12

 

 

The cobbles veteran of 35 years has come through a child sex abuse scandal, battled alcoholism and been declared bankrupt after running up hefty legal bills.

But he has still managed to cling on to his job... for now.

 

And with a new boss taking the helm in June, the future of the star, seen yesterday contemplating his troubles with a fag and a pint, has never been in more doubt.

Last week he was arrested on suspicion of assault after the police were called to the home he shares with fiancée Louise Gibbons in Timperley, south Manchester

 

The actor plays mechanic Kevin Webster on Coronation Street

Michael, 53, then failed to turn up for work, increasing his “unrivalled unpopularity” with production crew, who can not wait for bosses to get shot of him and rip up his £250,000-a-year contract.

“Everybody on set has been talking about Michael’s future, and it’s very clear some think he’s on thin ice,” a source close to the show said.

 

“He has been in the bad books previously, but because he’s been around for so long, it’s often thought he is given more leeway than younger stars would be.

“But when he didn’t show up to work this week, a lot of people were furious.

 

Le Vell was arrested on suspicion of assault after cops were called to the home he shares with fiancée Louise Gibbons

“Some scenes had to be changed at huge expense in terms of both time and money.

“Michael did ring bosses making his excuses, but by that point stuff had already been sorted.”

Another source added: “Michael has been described as rude by crew and there’s a feeling he thinks he owns the place and is untouchable after so many years on the show.”

The timing of his arrest, for which he will face no further action, could not have been worse.

Show chief Kate Oates will be replaced next month by Emmerdale boss Iain Macleod, a man feared in soapland for his unforgiving attitude to timewasters.

Telly veteran Iain is a firm believer that “no star is bigger than the soap” and is not afraid to ditch actors or kill off their characters so there is no chance of return.

“Iain is known for not taking any s**t,” according to one soap expert.

“Kate, who also used to work on Emmerdale, tried to be mates with everyone.

“She’s even on holiday with some of the Emmerdale cast at the moment “But Iain is more divided, he keeps a line between him and the cast.

“Michael had better get his act together fast or he won’t last five minutes in the new regime.”

 

12

The actor has faced a string of battles but has managed to keep his Corrie job

There has been a wall of silence surrounding the incident which led to his arrest on Thursday of last week.

The actor, whose real name is Michael Robert Turner, was taken to hospital after falling down the stairs before spending the night at a Manchester police station.

He was treated after a 999 call from the four-bed semi he shares with Louise, 42.

A police spokesman said: “Officers at-tended and arrested a 53-year-old man.

He was taken to hospital then taken into police custody for questioning.

“The man has since been released with no further action.”

Michael’s representative said they would not be commenting due to it being a “private matter”.

For his part, the actor told bosses it was a “silly row that got out of hand”.

But the incident has caused Cor-rie chiefs a huge head-ache, as they were quick to act after Bruno Langley, who played Todd Grimshaw, got negative headlines last year.

Bruno, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault in November — but Corrie bosses had already terminated his contract, acting before he was even charged.

 

12

Le Vell has played mechanic Kevin on the cobbles for 35 years

Now they fear they will be accused of double standards.

An ITV insider said: “The situation is a tricky one for show chiefs.

“They acted very swiftly to give Bruno the boot after allegations about his behaviour arose.

“But with Michael they seem to be standing by him for now.

“Michael was back on set this week despite all of the mystery surrounding the event.

“He was relieved that cops gave him a no further action quickly, as if he’d been charged he would have to step away from the soap in the short-term at the very least.”

It has been a tricky few years for Michael, to say the least.

He was cleared of 12 child sex offences, including rape and indecent assault, by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in 2013.

Despite successfully beating the allegations, pals say the chapter has had a profound effect on the Manchester-born star.

At one stage, self-confessed alcoholic Michael, known as the man who starts a session with a swagger then ends it with a stagger, was rarely seen without his posse of pals at his local booze

 

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The actor was cleared of child sex offences in 2013

His fellow cast were impressed that no matter how many pints he knocked back the night before, he was never late on set the next day and hardly ever fluffed his lines.

But Michael became suspicious that loyalty among his closest circle of mates was fading after a string of headlines made him question who he could rely on.

He switched pubs and now tries to stick with those he can count on come rain or shine.

The actor split up with wife of 25 years, Janette Beverley, 51, the mum of his two children, seven years ago.

He recently admitted to having a problem with both drink and drugs.

He revealed he took cocaine both before and after his sex abuse trial, which led to a break from the soap, and was said to be drinking ten pints a day in his local pub.

Earlier this year, it was revealed he had been declared bankrupt after reportedly facing an outstanding tax bill.

His finances had slipped after paying £200,000 in legal fees to clear his name against the child sex abuse allegations.

Ministry of Justice rules prevent people who can afford their own defence from receiving tax-funded paybacks after the case, whether they are cleared or not.

Michael, one of Corrie’s top earners, has always preferred being with his friends than in front of the cameras in Weatherfield, often simply referring to his Corrie role as “the job.”

But now he fears what may happen if ITV bosses run out of patience with him for bringing the show into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

A former drinking buddy near his old home in Hale, Cheshire, said: “He knows nothing else. He’s been doing this job since he was a teenager.

“Michael loves a beer and a laugh — it’s a major part of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“But what’s happened to him in recent years has been a real wake-up call to him.

“He realises that if anything happens to his job on Corrie, he’s fairly clueless as to what he would do.

“For quite a while he’s made it clear how he wants to temper his life and root out those who are supportive and loyal to him.

“He is genuinely worried about bosses losing patience — because he doesn’t have a Plan B.”

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2018 by victoria foxton