Corrie stars get ahead with first socially distanced stunt

CORONATION Street actors Tina O’Brien and Mikey North have filmed the world’s first socially distanced stunt – using a shop dummy whose head flew off.

The pair were unable to make contact during the dramatic scene, in which Sarah Platt – played by Tina – runs into the path of a car on the famous cobbles after discovering her ex Gary Windass – played by Mikey – is a killer.

Tina was replaced by a mannequin for some shots while Mikey performed his own stunt, jumping on to the bonnet of the vehicle before being thrown off.

In the scene, to be screened next week, Gary chases after Sarah when she realises he is behind the death of loan shark Rick Neelan.

As they hurtle down the street he yells: “I’m still the same person! Sarah!”, pushing her out of the way of the oncoming car at the last moment and taking the full impact himself.

The actors filmed the stunt on the set in Salford with the mannequin, borrowed from knicker factory Underworld, used for the life-saving push.

Mikey, 33, said that the dangerous scenes were his first work on Corrie after three months off during lockdown.

“I always ask to do my own stunts – it’s one of the best parts of the job,” the actor said.

“It was quite wet on the bonnet and I thought I was going to lose my grip and get hit by the car,” he admitted.

“The first take was pretty nerve-racking.”

Tina, 36, joked that the shop dummy who lost her head had outperformed her in the scene. “Some say it was an improvement,” she laughed.

Tina O’Brien, pictured right with a prone Mikey North, says she was upstaged by a dummy, which lost its head during filming, above