News

ITV today confirmed Iain MacLeod has been appointed as the new Producer of Coronation Street, following Kate Oates’ decision to leave the soap and move into drama series production.

Kate is moving to work with ITV Studios owned label Tall Story Pictures, where she will produce the forthcoming second series of Bancroft, starring Sarah Parish.

Kate and Iain leave their respective soaps in strong form, as each is up +5% year-on-year for volume, on both consolidated and overnights ratings.

In 2018 to date, Emmerdale has increased its average audience in the consolidated ratings, pulling ahead to become the UK’s second most popular soap.

The Emmerdale appointments will take effect from the beginning of June, to coincide with Iain taking the helm at Coronation Street.

Find out more about Emmerdale's restructure

Coronation Street continues to be the UK’s most popular soap, with Good Friday's 8:30pm episode scoring the highest rating in this slot in more than 4 years when 9.4m viewers tuned in to see Phelan confess his string of crimes to Eileen at the lighthouse.

Across that week, Coronation Street delivered an impressive 40% share among 16-34's, the soap’s highest share for this demographic since just before the tram crash in 2010.

ITV is excited to announce a brand new sitcom based in Weatherfield, featuring well-known faces from the world of Coronation Street.

Appearing on our screens in Autumn, this modern day Bread meets Benidorm in the rain, is a high concept, big scale comedy featuring a dysfunctional group of Weatherfield residents, headed up by Liz McDonald herself, Beverley Callard.

Co-starring fan favourites, Daniel Brocklebank (Billy), Bhavna Limbachia (Rana), Julia Goulding (Shona) and Colson Smith (Craig), Victoria Street is crammed with silly jokes for new audiences and lovers of classic Corrie alike!

After the harrowing fight for her life, this is the moment that a stunned Eileen is arrested on two counts of murder!

Battered and bruised after an epic struggle with Phelan, which saw him fall to his death, Eileen is still in shock following the revelation that the man she loved was a murderer.

But worse is still to come for Eileen, when the police make it clear they’re linking her to the crimes and she could be held accountable for assisting an offender.

Louis Emerick is to join the cast of Coronation Street as a former school teacher of Steve McDonald.

Liverpool born Louis will first appear as Mike Thornberry next month when he turns up in the Rovers and takes a shine to Liz McDonald.

Steve is unimpressed when Liz starts flirting with Mike, and horrified when she suggests he might be able to give his old teacher a job driving a cab.

Former Brookside and Last of the Summer Wine actor Louis begins filming next week and will be on screen initially for a few months.

He said:

"I am chuffed to bits to be joining the cast of Corrie, I first appeared in the show in 1986 as a delivery man, it’s only taken me 32 years to be invited back!

"I can’t wait to start working alongside Simon and Beverly who I have known for years, it’s going to be a lot of fun."

Gail Rodwell is to get a shock when her serial killer hubby Richard Hillman comes back from the dead - via a psychic medium.

Sophie Thompson has been cast as quirky medium Rosemary who meets Audrey when she visits her salon and convinces her she has been contacted by her late husband Alf.

Gail is dismissive of Rosemary and her ‘gift’ and warns Audrey to be careful but it isn’t long before Rosemary says she is getting messages from Gail’s dead husbands.

Sophie will first appear on screen in mid March and it isn’t long before Gail is keen to find out just what her late husbands, including Richard want to tell her.

A Corrie spokesperson said:

"Sophie is perfect for the role of Rosemary and we are excited she is joining the cast and working alongside Helen and Sue.

"Gail and Audrey are convinced she is getting messages from Alf and Gail’s husbands. It remains to be seen if she is all she claims to be."

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A massive thank you to everyone who voted Coronation Street in the Inside Soap Awards.

Thanks to you, our wonderful fans, we won five times!

Coronation Street’s Executive Producer, Kieran Roberts, has decided to leave ITV after 16 years with the programme and nearly 34 years with the broadcaster.