IT’S CORRIE WILLOUGHBY
WE’RE TOPS FOR TELLY WE’RE TOPS FOR TELLY WE’RE TOPS FOR TELLY
HOLLY Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are to join the cast of Corrie.
The This Morning pals have been signed up to inject a bit of fun into Coronation Street, after fans blasted the soap’s dark storylines including gruesome killings.
THIS Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are joining Coronation Street to inject some comedy back into the soap.
The ITV show has been under fire for being more like a horror movie with plotlines including serial killing, male rape and sex grooming.
Next week fans face an even darker twist when Aidan Connor – played by Shayne Ward – kills himself.
But all that will change when TV favourites Phil and Holly pop up. The presenters – who are huge fans of the Street – have filmed cameo roles playing themselves as part of Rosie Webster’s exit storyline.
Viewers will see Rosie, played by pregnant Helen Flanagan, getting the chance to be a guest on This Morning.
Corrie boss Kate Oates admitted the TV duo bring some laughs. She said last night: “Phillip and Holly are coming in for a bit of fun. They will play themselves. They are part of Helen Flanagan’s exit story.
“We’re kind of replaying a bit of a trick we have used before because Rosie has already been on shows, but it will be great comedy.”
The scenes will be shown at the end of next month. And Kate said she had no problem getting Phil and Holly on board.
She added: “I had a couple of hopes where I thought I could get them to slightly play against type. They’re such good sports – I am very happy.”
Flanagan is leaving the soap to go on maternity leave and she recently teased fans they can expect to see a “hilarious” exit plot.
She said: “I’m going out in kind of very much a Rosie style. The storyline is hilarious. It is really, really funny. I’ve enjoyed that about my character, the comedy.”
Meanwhile, scriptwriter Jonathan Harvey insisted he is determined to make the soap funny – despite penning its darkest episodes. He claimed the gritty storylines were bringing in viewers and making “a difference”. But Jonathan said he had also been writing comedy scenes for years.
He added: “I have a slight issue when people say everyone is switching off.
“Actually more people are switching on.
“And I get slightly confused when people say there’s no comedy in it anymore, because certainly the episodes I’ve written over the last few years have been quite funny.
“Having said that, I did write David’s rape and I’ve written the big episode next week where they discover that Aidan has gone.
“As a dramatist it’s good to get into these stories. It’s getting people talking.”
The Star Says: Page 6