SCREEN DAUGHTER JENNY WARNS Get lots of Kleenex & wine ready ....Rita’s hospital scenes are a tearjerker

Last week rumours circulated that the longrunning character, who has been showing signs of dementia, would be killed off.

That sparked a Save Rita campaign, with fans pleading with show bosses not to get rid of the Corrie favourite.

Sally Ann, 46, hinted we could know the answer by Friday.

She said: “It’s a storyline that Barbara is so deserving of. It’s been so well thought out and Barbara’s been very involved.

“She is a fantastic actress and consummate professional. The emotional stuff is very easy to play with Barbara. They are going to be tugging at your heart strings.

“She has worked her backside off on it and it’s amazing that she’s 84 and she’s worked such long days. Producers were saying to her ‘We’ll just do this bit’ and she’d go ‘Just give me more.’ I think it’s amazing and brilliant.

“As it was with Bill Roache when Ken Barlow got pushed down the stairs, to have two actors who have been in the show forever, who are in their mid-80s, to be carrying ITV’s flagship show is exceptional. They do a sterling job.”

Rita’s collapse will throw Jenny’s upcoming wedding to Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) in jeopardy. They are due to marry in a double ceremony with Eva Price (Catherine Tyldsley) and Johnny’s son Aidan (Shayne Ward). But worried Jenny refuses to leave Rita’s hospital bed. That leads to a mad dash on a motorbike to get to her wedding on time... but we won’t reveal the outcome. Sally Ann said it was her first time on a motorbike and described the scene – with two real Hell’s Angels – as “terrifying”. “I’m totally risk averse. We had Tattitude and Toothless helping us, they’re proper Hell’s Angels. They were absolutely amazing. “I had massive bruises on my knees because the only thing I could equate it to was horseriding, so I gripped on. I was cacking it. “I was riding pillion. I dug my nails through the leather, into his love handles. He kept asking me to hold higher up, but there wasn’t enoughgh grip there!” It was announced last week thathat six Corrie episodes will go out a week from September 20, with the double weddingdding leading the way.

For starters, there are fun and games mes at the joint hen night when malele strippers show up.

Fountain

Then Aidan confesses to Eva that he had an affair with her pal Maria (Samiaia Longchambon).

Then when it looks as though Eva willill go ahead with the wedding, Mariaria gatecrashes the ceremony – triggeringg an almighty cat fight in the fountain.

And Sally Ann says the scenes will goo down in soap history.

She chuckled: “When Corrie is 15050 years old, you’ll have a clip of this wedding. It’s that