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Ah, Ready Steady Cook – you were a product of simpler times. The BBC’s teatime TV cooking show saw two contestants bring along a bag of ingredients, team up with a celebrity chef, (becoming Team Green Pepper and Team Red Tomato) and spend 20 minutes transforming what they’d brought into a tasty dinner.

They only had a maximum budget of £5 (which these days would probably only stretch to half a cucumber and a pot noodle) so the dishes weren’t fancy – none of this nonsense about serving some daft gravy-with-notions and calling it a ‘jus’. No, the likes of Ainsley Harriott or Anthony Worrall Thompson usually just hastily assembled a lasagne, and then the audience voted for a winner – and by ‘vote’, we mean they lifted up a picture of a green pepper or a red tomato.

It was sweet, harmless daytime TV, so when they decided to introduce a celebrity version,...

Sometimes people seem to have the most idyllic life, but their friends, families and colleagues may not always know about their underlying challenges. That’s certainly the case for the doctors of the General Practice (Gp) that specializes in surgery on the successful British drama series, ‘Peak Practice.’ The show was set in Cardale, a small […]

The post Gray O’Brien and Maggie O’Neill’s Wedding Plans are Put on Hold on Peak Practice appeared first on Shockya.com.

Christmas TV is pretty much a dead cert year in year out. Right from way back in the 70s when I was a kid (and being spooked by that revolving melted Santa head globe on BBC1 in 1978), the same old types of Christmas programme crop up. Whether they're festive versions of well-established comedies, horrible screechy carol services or doomy Bah Humbug soap shenanigans, Christmas TV always runs along tried and tested lines.

And then there's the films. There's usually a select pool of about four or five films that make an annual appearance around Christmas. The Sound Of Music, quite possibly my least favourite film ever – a never-ending shrill parade of twee noise; Mary Poppins – a similarly joyless experience of naff songs and Fearne Cotton-esque gorbloymey accents; Annie – more out of tune histrionics starring a nine-year-old Leo Sayer with a bad case of orange hair dye; oh, and The Poseidon Adventure,...

Coronation Street's Maria Connor could be set to embark on a new romance. The hairdresser - played by Samia Smith - was left heartbroken after learning her boyfriend Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) had arranged for her ex-husband and father of her child Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier) to be brutally murdered. However, it would appear the widow hasn't lost her penchant for bad boys, as she will soon set her sights on ''fixing'' wife-beater Chris Gray (Will Thorp). Samia revealed: ''She had a little flirtation with Chris a couple of weeks back. You think that's the end of it but there's a question mark ..

Digital Spy presents the full list of nominees for the 2010 Inside Soap Awards. Best Actor

Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) - Coronation Street

Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) - Coronation Street

Gray O'Brien (Tony Gordon) - Coronation Street

Nitin Ganatra (Masood Ahmed) - EastEnders

Don Gilet (Lucas Johnson) - EastEnders

Scott Maslen (Jack Branning) - EastEnders

Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk) - Emmerdale

Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) - Emmerdale

Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy) - Emmerdale

Ashley Taylor Dawson (Darren Osborne) - Hollyoaks

Kieron Richardson (Ste Hay) - Hollyoaks

Glen Wallace (Malachy Fisher) - Hollyoaks Best Actress

Sally Dynevor (Sally Webster) - Coronation Street

Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald) - Coronation Street

Alison King (more)...

An episode of British soap opera "Coronation Street" featuring a gun siege was taken off-air on Wednesday, June 2 in the wake of the shocking shootings in North-West England which left 13 people dead and another 25 injured. The show was due to feature scenes of a gun hostage situation after the character Tony Gordon, played by actor Gray O'Brien, escapes from jail.

But the dramatic plotline, which sees two characters die, was scrapped and replaced by a different show as a mark of respect for the victims of a rogue gunman, who opened fire on residents in Cumbria, England earlier that day. He killed 12 people before turning the weapon on himself.

An ITV spokesperson said they decided to shelve the show in light of the "tragic events in Cumbria", adding, "We will continue to review the situation and will announce plans in due course." The soap was scheduled to broadcast episodes throughout...

An episode of British soap opera Coronation Street featuring a gun siege was taken off-air on Wednesday in the wake of the shocking shootings in North-West England which left 13 people dead and another 25 injured.

The show was due to feature scenes of a gun hostage situation after the character Tony Gordon, played by actor Gray O'Brien, escapes from jail.

But the dramatic plotline, which sees two characters die, was scrapped and replaced by a different show as a mark of respect for the victims of a rogue gunman, who opened fire on residents in Cumbria, England earlier that day. He killed 12 people before turning the weapon on himself.

An ITV spokesperson said they decided to shelve the show in light of the "tragic events in Cumbria", adding, "We will continue to review the situation and will announce plans in due course."

The soap was scheduled to broadcast episodes throughout this week (begs31May10) as the siege storyline unfolded but it is not yet known whether Thursday's and Friday's (03/04Jun10) installments will be shown.

Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has admitted that she was made up to discover she was involved in the factory siege storyline. The 40-year-old's character Hayley Cropper finds herself being held at gunpoint in Underworld during Tuesday evening's instalment, having been lured there by Tony Gordon's accomplice Robbie Sloan (James Fleet). Seeing her boss Carla Connor (Alison King) bound and gagged to her desk chair, Hayley realises that something's amiss, but starts to panic when Robbie holds the barrel of a gun to her head. Hayley and Carla's night soon takes a turn for the worse when Tony (Gray O'Brien) turns up at the factory, hell-bent on revenge. Speaking of her involvement with the storyline, Hesmondhalgh told Digital Spy: "I was very excited to be involved in some kind of action drama because that's not my (more)...

Coronation Street star Alison King has claimed that her character Carla Connor needs to embark on another low-key romance. The feisty businesswoman's latest love interest is binman Trevor Dean (Steve Jackson), but he is due to depart the cobbles later this year as part of the soap's cast shake-up. Speaking to Digital Spy, King confirmed that she is now considering future love twists for Carla, and would most like to see the factory boss have an easier time following the extremes of her previous relationships with Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) and Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier). The actress explained: "They always have to bring some little minx in for her. It's quite nice that they've (more)...

Coronation Street's Siege Week guest star James Fleet has described his criminal screen counterpart Robbie Sloan as an "enigma" and a "social inadequate". During tonight's episodes, Fleet makes his debut as Tony Gordon's (Gray O'Brien) eccentric cellmate as they plot his escape from prison. With Robbie due to be released, Tony instructs him to survey his targets - Carla and Roy - until they carry out their cunning plan to break Tony out of custody so that he can exact revenge on those responsible for his downfall. Speaking of his role, Fleet told Digital Spy: "Robbie's an enigma. He's a professional (more)...

Alison King and Julie Hesmondhalgh got Stockholm syndrome whilst filming 'Coronation Street's siege. The actresses - who portray Carla Connor and Hayley Cropper in the ITV1 soap - had so much fun when their alter-egos are held hostage in Underworld by evil murderer Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien), they have joked they started to develop the medical condition where hostages feel sorry for their captor. Alison told Bang Showbiz: ''We were just tied up and gagged at stages for a week and a half. Director David Kester kept coming up and going, 'Ok, in this scene I see you in the chair.' And we'd ..

Carla Connor tries to ''manipulate'' her ex-husband Tony Gordon when he holds her hostage. The 'Coronation Street' businesswoman - played by Alison King - has nothing but hatred for her murdering former spouse, portrayed by Gray O'Brien, but tries everything she can to win him over when he locks her in the Underworld factory with hairdresser Maria Connor (Samia Smith) and seamstress Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh). Alison said: ''She tries to use everything she knows about Tony against him - tries to play him, manipulate him and push his buttons, but when that doesn't work she realises that Tony's not all there. Carla ..

'Coronation Street's Carla Connor would be ''terrified'' if she knew Tony Gordon was out to get her. Actress Alison King - who plays the sexy businesswoman - believes her alter-ego would be petrified if she knew how much danger she will be in when her murdering spouse escapes from prison. The 'Siege' episodes involving Tony (Gray O'Brien)'s shocking jail break and the drama that ensues are the most expensive the 50-year-old show has ever produced. Alison, who has played Carla for over three years, said: ''Carla would be terrified if she had any idea about Tony's escape plot. She knows better than anyone how ..

Alison King has revealed that an upcoming Coronation Street factory fire stunt left her injured. The actress, who plays Carla Connor, is under siege by the murderous Tony Gordon - played by Gray O'Brien - in next week's storyline. She told The Mirror: "It was frightening. I've not felt that scared before. I've done plenty of action films, but I've never worked with flames and smoke before. I've got a bit of a phobia about fire now. "Obviously they made sure it was safe. But it was a closed-in set. It's quite scary how hot it gets, how near the flames are and how quickly the fire takes hold." King continued: "The scenes are very physical and when you're filming in the (more)...

Coronation Street star Gray O'Brien has backed his forthcoming exit plotline, promising that it will bring "closure" to the story of his character Tony Gordon. The actor's villainous alter ego is to soon bow out from the Weatherfield soap in a dramatic week of episodes which will see him escape from prison before holding a number of characters hostage at Underworld. Speaking on GMTV today, O'Brien explained: "This has absolutely closed the story now. It's a wee bit of closure on it and that's a good thing, because people don't know if you're still (more)...

ITV soap Coronation Street is to air daily at 9pm from May 31 to June 4 for its most expensive episodes to date, the network has announced. The scheduling shake-up comes as a dramatic siege plot involving Weatherfield villain Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) coincides with the Britain's Got Talent live semi-final rounds. In total, six episodes of the Manchester-based serial will air over the week rather than the usual five instalments. The first will air at 7pm on May 31, with five further editions stripped across the week from 9pm to 9.30pm. Wrapped around the long-running drama will be the live Britain's Got Talent performance and results shows, airing each night from 7.30pm to 9pm and 9.30pm to 10pm respectively. Additionally, both Coronation Street (more)...

ITV soap Coronation Street is to air in a primetime 9pm slot for one week from May 31 to June 4, it has been announced today. The scheduling shake-up comes as a dramatic siege plot involving Weatherfield villain Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) coincides with the Britain's Got Talent live semi-final rounds. In total, six episodes of the Manchester-based serial will air over the week rather than the usual five instalments. The first will air at 7pm on May 31, with five further editions stripped across the week from 9pm to 9.30pm. Wrapped around the long-running drama will be the live Britain's Got Talent performance and results shows, airing each night from 7.30pm to 9pm and 9.30pm to 10pm respectively. Additionally, both Coronation Street and Britain's (more)...

'Coronation Street' bosses are searching for two hunky new male stars. Phil Collins, producer of the ITV1 soap, has revealed he is currently on the lookout for two new heartthrobs to move onto the Street - one as a good guy and another as a new soap bad boy. He told the Daily Star newspaper: ''I think we are missing a really good heartthrob. And there's also room for a new tough, good-looking villain.'' 'Coronation Street' is soon to be home to soap baddy Tony Gordon - played by Gray O'Brien - once again after he gets out of prison, where he was spending ..

Coronation Street's feisty factory boss Carla Connor is to be wrongly charged with murder in a forthcoming storyline, a report has claimed. The shock plot twist occurs after the businesswoman's crazed ex-husband Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) is killed off in the soap's upcoming siege horror, according to The Sun. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Tony is to hold Carla (Alison King) and Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) captive at Underworld after escaping from prison. He arrives at the factory with a gun and ties up the terrified pair. It is now thought that Tony eventually lets Hayley go free before setting the building (more)...

'Coronation Street's Carla Connor is to be wrongly charged for murder. The Underworld factory boss - played by Alison King - finds herself facing jail following the demise of her deranged ex-husband Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien), who tries to kill her after escaping from prison. Tony - who is on remand for killing Carla's former lover Liam Connor - holds Carla and Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh) hostage at gunpoint in the factory but eventually agrees to let the seamstress go before setting the building on fire. Carla manages to free herself and grabs Tony's gun, wounding him as she fires it, only for him to ..

Two 'Coronation Street' characters will be killed off by Tony Gordon in an armed siege on Underworld. The scorned murderer will leave residents of the soap street devastated when he burns down the underwear factory after taking his ex-wife Carla Connor (Alison King), his former lover Maria Connor (Samia Smith) and Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) hostage. After escaping from Weatherfield prison, Tony - played by Gray O'Brien - and his cellmate Robbie Sloan (James Fleet) set out to kill both Carla and Hayley with a gun, a knife and a petrol can for their role in putting the factory boss behind bars. A ..

Two Coronation Street characters are to be killed off in a shock armed siege storyline, it has been revealed. The dramatic plot twist begins when crazed Tony Gordon - played by 41-year-old Gray O'Brien - takes Hayley Cropper and Carla Connor hostage at Underworld after henchman Robbie Sloan helps him to escape prison. According to reports, Tony arrives at the underwear factory with a gun, a knife and a petrol can as part of a plan to kill Carla (Alison King) and Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh). The villain has never forgiven ex-wife Carla for being unfaithful during their relationship, while he regards killing Hayley as payback for her husband Roy, who sparked his downfall. In later scenes, Tony's former lover Maria Connor (Samia Smith) will become (more)...

Corrie's Underworld boss Carla Gordon will reportedly be placed in grave danger when her husband Tony escapes prison and comes after her with a gun intent on revenge. Tony (Gray O'Brien) is behind bars for the murder of his love rival Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier) and for attempting to drown cafe owner Roy Cropper (David Neilson). Robbie Sloan, who is played by Vicar of Dibley star James Fleet, is Tony's cellmate and has been bribed to aid the escape. According to The Sun, Robbie is freed from jail - having been due for release - and meets Carla (Alison King) under (more)...

Former Vicar of Dibley star James Fleet has joined the ranks of Coronation Street as Tony Gordon's new henchman. The 50-something actor - who played hapless Hugo Horton in the long-running BBC sitcom - will take on the role of Robbie, Tony's (Gray O'Brien) cellmate who is due to be released from prison. Since his incarceration at the end of last year, Tony has been plotting his prison break and a timely revenge on his nearest and dearest. Realising that he needed help, Tony quickly enlisted Robbie and plans to use him as his eyes and ears on the Street. Tony is currently spending time at Her Majesty's pleasure for the killing of Liam Connor and the attempted murder of Roy Cropper (David Neilson) after turning himself in to the police. In real life, O'Brien took a short break from the soap for the panto season, but agreed to return...

Coronation Street's leading producer Kim Crowther has revealed that viewers can expect another "dramatic" Tony Gordon storyline when he returns to screens later this year. The villainous businessman, played by 41-year-old Gray O'Brien, has been behind bars since November, when he confessed to his role in the death of Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier). However, Tony's storyline is not yet over as O'Brien extended his Weatherfield contract last May, securing him for a further brief stint which is expected to bring closure to the character's journey. Speaking to Digital Spy about Tony's return, Crowther explained: "It'll be in the spring, around May. We'll see that while he's been locked up he's gone through quite a lot psychologically. "Has he had (more)...

Life on Coronation Street is by no means a peaceful one. Carla's (Alison King) swift-but-temporary exit signalled the beginning of Tony Gordon's (Gray O'Brien) final few chapters of Weatherfield life. Despite Maria's accusations of murder at the top of the year, Tony slowly wheedled his way into the life of the woman he widowed; delivering her baby in a beach hut, before proposing, suffering a heart attack, confessing his sins to Roy (more)...

This is the dramatic moment that Coronation Street's Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) sees red with her sister-in-law Carla Gordon (Alison King) and drags her into the Street by her hair. Michelle's suspicions over Carla finally reach boiling point during tonight's episode and when she eventually cajoles a confession from Carla that she knew about her husband Tony's (Gray O'Brien) involvement in Liam's death, she flies into a blind rage. As Michelle's restrained by Julie (Katy Cavanagh) and Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh), the factory girls are stunned to learn the shocking truth about Carla's deceit. One by one, the girls walks away, leaving Carla a solitary figure on the cobbles. With that, she breaks down in tears. (more)...

Carla begins to panic during tonight's Coronation Street as she discovers that the police have Tony's (Gray O'Brien) right-hand man Jimmy Dockerson (Robert Beck) in custody. The police turn up out of the blue to question Carla (Alison King) again over the circumstances surrounding Liam's death and she reluctantly admits that Tony confessed earlier in the year but she refused to believe him. While (more)...

Having been officially charged with the murder of Liam Connor and attempted murder of Roy Cropper (David Neilson), Weatherfield's former knicker boss Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) appears before a magistrate to have his case referred to the Crown Court. With Michelle (Kym Marsh), Ryan (Ben Thompson) and Carla (Alison King) watching on, Tony is told that he is to be remanded in custody until Monday, January (more)...

This is the dramatic moment that Coronation Street's Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) confesses to the murder of Liam Connor after over a year of living with the guilt. In a final twist to the character's penultimate chapter, Tony walks calmly into the police station and admits to having Liam killed last October. Unable to cope with the burden Liam's murder is having on his conscience, Tony reveals how, out of jealousy, he paid (more)...

Coronation Street villain Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) resorts to desperate measures to maintain his murderous secret during tonight's episodes as he attempts to kill his deathbed confidante Roy Cropper. Having reported Tony to the police, Roy (David Neilson) and Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh) return to the Street under the impression that the Underworld boss has been detained. Tony, however, is at large and after a barrage of questions from Maria (Samia Smith) over Roy's accusations, Tony heads to the Croppers' and lets himself in with the keys he stole. There, he grabs a knife and hears Hayley talking to Roy about the bat watch by the canal. Roy leaves the café, leaving Hayley locked inside with the (more)...

Coronation Street actor Gray O'Brien has admitted that he found it difficult to film his character's dramatic canal scenes. The soap star's murderous alter ego Tony Gordon ends up in the Weatherfield canal with Roy Cropper (David Neilson) next week following an after-dark confrontation between the pair. O'Brien told The Paul O'Grady Show: "I'm not a great swimmer. You were standing in silt and you couldn't move. They were saying, 'Just pretend to swim'. I couldn't actually move my legs. I was glued! "But we did the underwater stuff up at Fleetwood (more)...

Gray O'Brien has admitted that his Coronation Street heart attack storyline brought back sad memories. The actor's villainous character Tony Gordon was seen suffering a cardiac arrest on the Street last month as the stress of his wrongdoings began to take their toll. Speaking on The Paul O'Grady Show, O'Brien revealed: "It was quite sad that one, actually, because that's how my father died. He died from a heart attack and [he was] about that far away from the house. He got about (more)...

Coronation Street actor David Neilson has claimed that his alter ego Roy Cropper and Weatherfield villain Tony Gordon share similar traits. The soap star revealed that fans can expect the likeness between the two characters to create compelling viewing in the run-up to their forthcoming canal showdown. Later this month, Tony (Gray O'Brien) will be seen pushing Roy into the Weatherfield canal after deciding that the café owner must be silenced for good. Roy has been experiencing inner turmoil since Tony informed him about his involvement in the death of Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier). In an interview with Digital Spy, Neilson explained: "As an actor or someone who's interested in stories, I just knew it was a great story because there are so many bits to it. Roy cannot lie - he's (more)...

Coronation Street star David Neilson has confirmed that he performed his own stunt when he filmed Roy Cropper's forthcoming canal drama. Fans of the ITV1 soap will soon see murderous Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) pushing strait-laced Roy into Weatherfield's canal in order to prevent him from revealing the truth about his crimes. Speaking about the stunt filming in an interview with Digital Spy, Neilson revealed: "I did most of it. It was cold, it was late at night - 2 o'clock in the morning - it was only chest deep, but knee deep in... I don't like to think! It stank and you had to go under the water and let the water settle, then come up. "I had to be under for about (more)...

Coronation Street producers have ordered three special monologue webisodes to give online fans of the soap an insight into Tony Gordon's murderous mind. As Tony's (Gray O'Brien) storyline rumbles ever closer to its surprising climax, Roy Cropper (David Neilson) continues to pressurise the evil entrepreneur into confessing to the murder of Liam Connor. Last week, Tony suffered a near-fatal heart attack and believing that he only had hours to live, he made a shock deathbed confession to Roy about his involvement in Liam's death. Much to Roy's surprise, however, Tony survived his health scare and he has since been struggling (more)...

Coronation Street café owner Roy Cropper (David Neilson) is left with a huge burden on his shoulders after tonight's episode of the Weatherfield soap when Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) makes a shock deathbed confession. Having been rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack on the cobbles, Tony asks that Roy stay with him so he doesn't die alone. Roy's slightly taken aback when Tony confesses to smoking out the bats at the Victoria Court apartments development last year, but as Tony suffers another heart attack, he mutters that he was the one responsible for killing (more)...

With Carla's (Alison King) ultimatum ringing in his ears, Coronation Street's Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) begins to panic during tonight's episode of the ITV soap. Eventually returning to the Street, Tony maintains his façade and heads to the church with Maria (Samia Smith) and the rest of the Connor clan. However, the evil entrepreneur is unnerved when he receives a call (more)...

Alison King has claimed that Coronation Street's female fans admire her character's bitchy side. The 36-year-old actress confirmed that she never receives negative responses for her role as businesswoman Carla Gordon on the ITV1 soap. King told the Daily Record: "Carla is probably not a woman you would want to do business with and definitely not somebody you would want to cross. But I think people admire her, especially women. She doesn't take any bulls**t and speaks her mind. "I think that kind of no-nonsense attitude makes her a bit of a hero in the eyes of viewers and means I don't get any stick from the public." The soap star also hinted that Carla's relationship with estranged husband Tony (Gray O'Brien) will remain as complex (more)...

Coronation Street actor Gray O'Brien has revealed that he never receives underwear from fans through the post. The Scottish soap star, who plays villainous knicker factory owner Tony Gordon, admitted that he is surprised by his lack of saucy presents. Speaking to the Daily Record, he joked: "I've seen Tony Gordon described as a sex symbol and, playing someone who runs a knicker factory, I thought I would at least get some knickers in the post. But I've had nothing like that, which is slightly disappointing." He continued: "On the plus side, nor have I had any threats from the public, which I think is because most people are wise enough to know I'm not Tony and he's not me. In other words, I'm just a bloke earning a living as an actor, not a psychopathic (more)...

Coronation Street actor Gray O'Brien has promised that his forthcoming heart attack scene will look realistic. The soap star's alter ego Tony Gordon will be seen collapsing on the street later this month in a new plot twist for the Weatherfield villain. O'Brien has now told Pa that he researched cardiac arrests before going ahead with filming, consulting nurses as well as a friend who has knowledge of heart problems. He commented: "There's always a danger that we'll do something that will look a bit comedic. It's a difficult thing to play when you don't understand. I think we've got away with it very nicely, the way we've shot (more)...

Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) is stunned to receive a call from his estranged wife Carla (Alison King) during tonight's episode of Coronation Street - and he's further rattled when she asks him to meet her at the cemetery. It's the day of baby Liam's christening and while Maria (Samia Smith) and the Connors rally around in preparation, Tony answers his mobile phone and arranges to meet (more)...

Coronation Street star Gray O'Brien has revealed that the hospital scenes for his spectacular exit had to be repeatedly reshot. The actor - who plays murderer Tony Gordon - has a heart attack and confesses to Roy Cropper than he killed Liam Connor. However, he said the final scenes had to be re-shot over and over again because David Neilson - who plays Roy Cropper - kept laughing, The Sun reported. O'Brien stated: "David is the worst giggler you will ever meet. He's brilliant as Roy Cropper and a really good mate off-screen. "The hospital scenes look amazing but you'll never see the truth. It took so many takes to get in the can because David just couldn't stop laughing." He added he will miss the soap but he (more)...

Coronation Street star Alison King has admitted that none of her soap colleagues made a "fuss" when she returned to work following maternity leave. The actress made her filming comeback in August after giving birth to her first daughter Daisy Mae six months earlier. Her character Carla Gordon finally arrives back in Weatherfield next week and immediately starts causing trouble for her estranged husband Tony (Gray O'Brien), using her knowledge of his role in Liam's (Rob James-Collier) death against him. Speaking about her first day back on set, King told Digital Spy: "It really is the strangest thing - you just walk in and it was nice saying hello to everybody in the green room and stuff but all of a sudden you're on set. "It was just me mainly at the start, so apart from one scene with Rob [Beck] - who plays Jimmy - it was just me and...

More Coronation Street stars have announced that their thoughts are with Maggie Jones as she recovers from life-saving surgery. The veteran actress is said to be "improving by the day" following her recent health scare, which saw the 75-year-old being rushed to hospital for an emergency operation. Speaking at a press screening yesterday, David Neilson (Roy Cropper), Gray O'Brien (Tony Gordon) and Alison King (Carla Connor) all paid tribute to their co-star, BBC News reports. Neilson commented: "She's a great friend, she's a lovely woman, the acting is beside the point, I just think of her as someone I sit and do crosswords with.

"She's (more)...

Coronation Street's ongoing Tony Gordon plotline is to take a new surprise twist as the Weatherfield villain reveals all to a stunned Roy Cropper (David Neilson). The businessman's conscience gets the better of him as he lies in hospital after suffering a heart attack on the Street. In scenes to be broadcast later this month, things start to go wrong for Tony (Gray O'Brien) following the 12-month anniversary of his decision to arrange the murder of Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier). With Carla (Alison King) back in Manchester and threatening to destroy his new life with Liam's widow Maria (Samia Smith), Tony resorts to increasingly desperate measures to stop his crime from being exposed. He approaches henchman Jimmy Dockerson (Robert Beck) to silence Carla for good, but eventually has a crisis of conscience and decides to stop the planned murder at (more)...

Actor Robert Beck has returned to filming with Coronation Street for another short stint with the ITV soap, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal. The 39-year-old - who is married to co-star Jane Danson, Leanne Battersby in the series - reprises his role as Tony Gordon's (Gray O'Brien) henchman Jimmy Dockerson towards the end of October as part of Carla Gordon's (Alison King) return plot. Details surrounding Jimmy's comeback are being kept under wraps, but he was spotted filming last night on location with King, who returned to work earlier this week after maternity leave. A Corrie source told Digital (more)...

Alison King returned to filming at Coronation Street this morning, Digital Spy can exclusively confirm. The 36-year-old's character Carla Gordon fled Weatherfield in a whirlwind back in February following her screen husband Tony Gordon's (Gray O'Brien) confession to murdering her lover Liam Connor (Rob-James Collier). Off screen, however, King took maternity leave after it was announced that she was expecting her first child with her sound technician boyfriend Adam Huckett. King finished filming in December and only days after her temporary screen departure in February, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl called Daisy Mae. A Corrie source this morning told Digital Spy: "Everyone's really excited to have Ali back on set and she's looking absolutely fantastic. "Carla left the Street with so many questions unanswered, so we can't (more)...

Coronation Street star Samia Smith has promised that there are more surprises to come in her character's current twisted romance storyline. The actress's alter ego Maria Connor has shocked fans in recent months by growing close to villainous businessman Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien), who arranged the murder of her husband Liam (Rob-James Collier) last year. Earlier this month, it was reported that the pair may even become engaged in the near future as their relationship becomes more intense. Speaking to Digital Spy, Smith teased: "There's a lot more to come. There are so many twists and turns and I've just found out about some of them! They're full on with each other from hereon in. They're madly in love with each other, so when it does come crashing down, it's really going to hurt... " (more)...

After months of tip-toeing around each other, Coronation Street's Maria Connor (Samia Smith) and Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) finally share a kiss during tonight's instalment. Maria returns from her short stay in Ireland and breaks the news to Tony that she's found a quaint cottage that she's interested in buying. Tony fails to deter her from going, and turning to Fiz (Jennie McAlpine), Maria finally confides that she's in love (more)...