Cosy crimes and gritty sagas by Corrie Blog editor Glenda, published by Headline. Click pic below!

Thursday 31 March 2016

Top 25 Favourite Corrie Females - No. 7

7. HAYLEY CROPPER (320 VOTES)

Duration: 1998-2014
Played by: Julie Hesmondhalgh
2012 character poll position (women): 5

Introduced as a supervisor at Firman’s Freezers supermarket who befriended Alma Baldwin, Hayley caused controversy as being the first transsexual character in Corrie history. But over the years, viewers grew to accept Hayley for who she was and she became a firm favourite.

Soon after her arrival, Hayley and her red anorak were paired off with eccentric greasy spoon owner Roy Cropper and although hesitant at first, Roy also accepted who Hayley was and in 1999, as they couldn’t marry, they were blessed. 

Hayley was soon hired as a machinist at the factory, a job she continued to do until her illness. She also did stints as supervisor. Hayley showed a maternal instinct over the years and took in many including Wayne Hayes, Fiz Brown, Chesney Brown and Becky Granger and became an agony aunt to many of the residents. In her last years, she formed an unlikely friendship with her boss Carla Connor. Despite being chalk and cheese, they respected each other.

Roy and Hayley were one of soap’s most secure couples but it wasn’t always plain sailing for them – Hayley went to prison for kidnapping; Roy attempted suicide due to toxic Tracy’s torment when she lied about Roy fathering her daughter Amy when it was in fact Steve McDonald; the revelation that Hayley had fathered a son; and Roy being nearly drowned by Tony Gordon.

In 2013, Hayley received the devastating news that she had terminal pancreatic cancer. With only months to live, she made up a bucket list which included dancing in Blackpool Tower and dipping in the sea; and re-visiting the place where she kissed Roy for the first time. Hayley made the controversial choice of ending her own life by taking an overdose. Roy was devastated when Hayley passed away in her arms.    

Were you a fan of Hayley?

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Jenny Bradley saves a life in Blackpool tram drama

I am loving the sound of this! 

Remember when Jenny Bradley's dad Alan was killed by a Blackpool tram when he was after Rita? It's one of Coronation Street's classic storylines. And now it's come full circle.


Filming in Blackpool this week, pictures show Jenny Bradley saving the life of Jack Webster. In scenes filmed yesterday, Jenny grabbed little Jack just in the nick of time as a Blackpool tram thundered towards him.

You can have a look at the pictures at The Mirror.

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Beverley Callard takes Corrie break to battle depression

My heart goes out to Beverley Callard today, who has been signed off on sick leave from Coronation Street with depression.

Beverley, who plays Liz McDonald in Coronation Street revealed on twitter that she's been "battling the demons of depression", and one of the drugs she was taking has been withdrawn.

She's now taken some time off the show while doctors look for alternative medication.

A source told Mirror Celebs: "Bev has taken some time off after one of the medications she takes for her depression was discontinued without warning causing her to have some problems. She is taking some time off whilst her doctors look for a suitable alternative."


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Coronation Street Weds 30th March episode review

Hello it's Jordan! Welcome to this week's Wednesday thoughts of the goings on in Weatherfield.

An excellent episode for comedy tonight, but before we get to that we must endure an opening scene picking up from where Monday's left off. At the end of Monday's episode, the Wicked Witch of Weatherfield revealed to Carla that she had no intention of spilling the beans.  For some reason, Carla was shocked to learn that she was simply being strung along for Tracy's own personal gain. In tonight's episode, she confidently tells Tracy to back off; as far as she's concerned, they've both got what they wanted now. At Number 1, Tracy dishes up a bacon sandwich for Robert (which goes uneaten), as well as the usual slew of innuendoes she considers to be alluring. It looks like she has finally realised that the Bistro is not hers- it belongs to Robert. For the foreseeable, anyway. The staff at the Bistro are thrilled to learn that the Wicked Witch of Weatherfield will not be casting her spell on their workplace anymore and they all breath a heavy sigh of relief.  Thankfully, this was all we saw of the Carla/Tracy farce tonight,  apart from a scene in the Rovers where Tracy pulled a few of her usual jealousy faces at Carla and Nick. I may not always enjoy the storyline featuring Carla and Tracy, but Kate Ford and Alison King never fail to impress with their portrayals of the Wicked Witch of Weatherfield and, to use Glenda's fabulous description, Elsie Tanner for the Twitter generation.


"Oh back off, Tracy. You've had your fun. I hope you enjoyed it but this is our time now. Mine and Nick's"
"Well, cue the music as they waltz off into the sunset! Yeah, right"
It is probably obvious who provided the comedy aspects I am lauding. Sally and Tim of course! Councillor Metcalfe is observing her ever-suffering husband on his laundry-hanging skills, which of course, are not up to her standards. It is only when she is patronisingly explaining her way to poor Tim that karma strikes and she steps right in an egg, fresh from one of the Nazir's chickens. Naturally, Mrs Metcalfe is overly dismayed; the egg yolk on her expensive shoes is doing her Eva Perรณn political-style makeover no favours whatsoever. It appears that the demon egg has appeared via a hole in the fence and this is just unacceptable. Councillor Metcalfe gives neighbour Sharif orders to fix said hole instantly. If only Sally could hear herself. When she storms off, trying hard not to tread the egg further into her posh shoes, the two men laugh helplessly at her over the garden fence.  The highlight of the episode comes a few scenes later, when Sharif uses an old campaign poster of Sally's to temporarily patch up the hole, complete with nails. Needless to say, Mrs Walker is far from impressed by this either, going to the extent of declaring war on her baffled neighbour. A fabulous- if a little contrived- bit of comedy. I've found that while Sally's sheer ridiculousness and her delusions of grandeur provide the basis of the comedy, it is in fact Joe Duttine as Tim who makes the storyline what it is. The ever-suffering husband has been an archetype of Corrie since time began, but Joe Duttine nails it every time.  My only concern for Sally is that she is becoming a caricature, but nevertheless I am still enjoying the character. Sally and Tim are one of the best double acts right now.
"Remove that placard right now, or you'll regret it!"
"It's done now, Sal. I'll nip to the DIY shop when I get a chance"
"Oh and when will that be?"
"Next week, maybe"
"You've started a war here. And there'll only be one winner!"

We were even treated to more of Gemma in tonight's episode, looking very much the part behind the counter at Prima Donner. When she spots Bethany, who is clearly skipping school again, she invites her in for a free kebab. When Gemma asks Bethany is bunking off school because of "them girls", Bethany initially lies. but Gemma can see right through, and tells her she needs to stand up to them. It is after this, that things take an odd turn. Gemma knows that Bethany doesn't have a phone right now. It transpires that the Street's latest wearer of hooped earrings has set her sights on Jason and offers to sell a mobile phone to Bethany. The more she can tell her about Jason, the cheaper the phone will be. Even by Gemma's standards, this seems a strange way to go about things. However, I can do nothing but praise Dolly Rose Campbell's portrayal of Gemma. I think she is the best addition to the Corrie cast certainly in the last year at least.



"I even went to look round Oxford once"
"The university?"
"Yeah! Just kidding. I went picking up a load of gear for Callum"

And now for the 'news item' storyline of tonight. A large portion of the episode was taken up with Izzy and her cannabis. Over the last couple of months or so, we've seen Izzy come to depend on cannabis for her severe pain relief. It is only recently that Gary has become involved and while I'm glad he's getting more screen time, I am not enjoying this storyline one bit. In tonight's episode, Gary manages to source some more cannabis from a dealer, only this time of a much stronger sort. Anna is babysitting Jake (who I must say has most definitely been SORAS'd) while Izzy takes a turn for the worst, obviously reacting differently to this stronger batch of cannabis. She tries calling Gary, but naturally his phone is on silent and nowhere near him. When Anna arrives back with Jake, she can tell immediately that something is not right. When she walks into the living room, she spots the remains of the joint on the table. As usual, Anna refuses to see both sides to the story and laments to her former-sort-of-step-daughter-as-well-as-daughter-in-law how wrong she is. She refuses to understand or even listen and takes Jake home with her, proclaiming that Izzy is not fit to look after her own son at present. Anna of all people should understand that there are two sides to everything and what it is like to do something which is considered immoral in an impossible situation.

"If anyone came round here, I could be in real trouble. They could take away Jake"
"Yeah, well you should have thought about that before you started messing around with drugs"
"You don't understand"

A rather good episode - the only thing I didn't really enjoy was the chunk of the cannabis storyline. Gemma is always a welcome addition to a Corrie episode and it was also interesting to see a couple of brief scenes with Michelle and her old
As always, Thanks for reading,Jordan
Twitter - @JordanLloyd39
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Wednesday 30 March 2016

Bid to win Coronation Street shoes for charity

Claire King, who plays Erica Holroyd in Coronation Street, has donated her shoes to Shoe Aid. And you can buy them, if you so wish.  Georgia Taylor, who played Toyah Battersby, has also donated her shoes to Shoe Aid too.



Shoe Aid was established to raise awareness and help the 300 million children worldwide who do not have the ability to obtain a pair of shoes, which are necessary for hygienic and health reasons, for work and school, due to the devastating ills of poverty. 


Sounds like a great cause, support them here.

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How should Carla Connor leave Coronation Street?

Whether we want it to or not, Alison King is leaving Coronation Street as Carla Connor later this year.

I will miss Carla a lot. She's the Elsie Tannner for the Twitter Generation. And as far as strong women on Corrie go, Carla's about all we've got at the minute. Apart from Sally, Mary, Erica and Liz.

I'm just waffling really. What I am interested to know is what YOU think about Carla's leaving storyline. What leaving storyline? I hear you cry. Exactly! We don't know how she's going to be written out and I hope we never do. I hope it's a surprise until her very last scene. Sadly, I don't think that'll happen as there'll be teasers and spoilers all over the shop. And you know how much I like teasers and spoilers. I'm quite fond of shops too.

But if you were in charge of writing Carla out of Corrie, how would you do it? She can't possibly leave in the back of a cab, I won't allow it. She has to go out on a high, she must, it's soap law.  Or will she go quietly and mysteriously with an unanswered question, just like Elsie Tanner once did?

Ah, now there's a question.

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Top 25 Favourite Corrie Females - No. 8

8. HILDA OGDEN (284 VOTES)

Duration: 1964-1987
Played by: Jean Alexander
2012 character poll position (women): 2

One of Corrie’s most iconic characters. 

Married to Stan for 41 years, Hilda was known for her curlers and her warbling singing voice while cleaning and symbolized the working-class woman of Northern England. Hilda and hubby Stan were inseparable even though life was hard and they constantly bickered.

She was a cleaner and throughout her tenure she was employed as the Rovers cleaner. She constantly clashed with the formidable Annie Walker, who looked down on her and Stan. Hilda wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. As well as Annie, she had catfights with next door neighbour Elsie Tanner and even accused Elsie of having an affair with Stan!

Living at 13 Coronation Street proved unlucky for the Ogdens but it was Hilda’s palace – more so when a 'muriel' was installed and three flying ducks. Eddie Yeats lodged with them between 1980 and 1983 and the trio were very much a part of Corrie’s golden age. 

By 1984, Stan’s health deteriorated and he sadly died, leaving Hilda heartbroken. After his death, her soft touch came out when she provided a home for young Kevin Webster and later his wife Sally.

Hilda left the street in 1987 and her neighbours gave her a farewell party on Christmas Day. She led the regulars in a sing-song of ‘Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye’ and went to housekeep for Dr Lowther in Derbyshire.

Were you a fan of Hilda? Should she be higher?

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Mr Men and Little Miss on Coronation Street


Paul Lanagan, who runs the Corrie Art website and twitter has created these fun Mr Men and Little Miss drawings, which he's posted to twitter today.  With Paul's permission, we are able to share these with Coronation Street fans here on the Coronation Street Blog.






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Bruce Jones not returning to Coronation Street, says ITV

Bruce Jones, who played Les Battersby in Coronation Street, was spotted in Blackpool yesterday when the Corrie crew were filming these scenes.

His appearance with the Coronation Street filming crew led some to believe that Bruce was returning to the show.  However, this has been swiftly denied by ITV.

An ITV spokesperson stated that Bruce is not returning to the soap and was merely collecting something from his dressing room when he was spied on-set. 

Bruce is currently starring in  Jack and the Beanstalk at Blackpool North Pier.

It's not the first time ITV have been quick to deny rumours that Bruce Jones is returning to the show. Back in 2015 the same thing happened - have a look here.

Bruce was sacked from Corrie in 2007 - read about it here
 
I doubt he'll ever be allowed to return. However, the character of Les Battersby is one that I think could be re-cast. We need a lovable layabout, someone for Tim to be good mates with!
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Will Todd Grimshaw be the one to bring down Phelan?

Pic from blogger @elhynes on twitter
Our blogger Ruth asked the question 'What happened to Todd in that London?' on the Coronation Street Blog this week.

Whatever did happen to Todd, he's returned to Weatherfield more cynical and sceptical than he ever was. And he's devious too.  Remind you of anyone else on the cobbles right now?  Yup, Pat Phelan.

Blogger Emma posed the question on twitter yesterday, asking if Todd might be the one to expose Pat Phelan and bring about his downfall.  Ooh, I do hope so. 

The makings of it are already there, aren't they? That oh-so-not-cosy family dinner the other night with Eileen, Phelan, Sean and Todd.  Todd made his feelings to Phelan (sorry, it's too easy) very clear, didn't he? He's onto him.  And let's hope that whatever might happen in the storyline, we're cheering on Todd from our sofas in the coming months.

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Preview of tonight's Coronation Street - Weds 30 March

Wednesday 30th March
NICK AND CARLA RELAX INTO THEIR NEW LIFE In the bistro, Robert assures Steph and Zeedan that Tracy won’t be bothering them in future and that he and Leanne are now in charge. Meanwhile, after a successful shopping trip for the wedding, an upbeat Carla and Nick arrive in the Rovers, clearly loved up. Tracy’s furious at their apparent bliss.
MICHELLE AND WILL RECONNECT When Will arrives for a meeting with Michelle, the attraction between them is evident. As Will regales Michelle with stories of people they were at school with, it’s obvious she enjoys his company. Liz is unimpressed.
GEMMA SETS HER SIGHTS ON JASON Gemma finds Bethany bunking off school and lures her into the kebab shop. She offers Bethany a new phone in return for the lowdown on Jason.
ELSEWHERE Gary reluctantly agrees to score Izzy some more cannabis to help with her pain relief. Dropping the drugs off Gary warns Izzy to be careful as they’re stronger than usual. But will Izzy heed his warning? When Sally accidentally steps on an egg in the garden she turns on Sharif and orders him to mend the hole in the fence.

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Tuesday 29 March 2016

Jenny Bradley and Johnny Connor film a date in Blackpool

Paparazzi pictures today come in from Blackpool where they show Jenny flaming Bradley with Johnny Connor on the seafront.

Jenny and Johnny shared a cheeky kiss and chatted on the seafront.

The MEN have the pictures here
.

We already know that Jenny and Johnny are going to become more than just friendly.   Let's hope it ends in happiness for them both, eh?  I like the sound of these two together and think it just might work.  What do you reckon?

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Coronation Street film another funeral - but whose is it?

Paparazzi pictures online today show Coronation Street cast members filming a funeral.  The Daily Mail have the pictures which are here.

The Mail say that the funeral will be that of Jason's dad, Tony Stewart.  We already know that Tony is being killed off, so that could well be correct.

Cast members pictured at the funeral filming include Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price),  Ryan Thomas  (Jason Grimshaw),  Bruno Langley (Todd Grimshaw), Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) and Connor McIntyre (Pat Phelan).


The service looks set to be conducted by Billy the Vicar, who is also in the pictures in his vicar's robes.

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Top 25 Favourite Corrie Females - No. 9

9. LIZ MCDONALD (241 VOTES)

Duration: 1989-1998, 2000-2001, 2003-2011, 2013-
Played by: Beverley Callard
2012 character poll position (women): 13

The barmaid who’s been the Rovers landlady on and off since 2006.

Originally married to Jim and mother to twins Steve and Andy, Liz embodied the strong woman that had been the core of Corrie’s success since the beginning. A no-messing character, upon her arrival she struck up a friendship with Deirdre Barlow that lasted until Deirdre’s death.

Before she became the Rovers landlady, she did have a brief stint as landlady of rival pub The Queens in the 1990s.

Like every Corrie woman, she suffered lots of drama and heartache: she lost her daughter Katie prematurely, Jim abused her, she divorced and remarried and divorced Jim and she married drummer Vernon Tomlin only to divorce him as well.

Her conquests over the years include Colin Barnes, Michael Wall, Charlie Stubbs, Harry Mason, Lloyd Mullaney, Derek the drayman, Owen Armstrong and Tony Stewart.

She fulfilled her dream of running the Rovers in 2006 and did so until she left in 2011. She returned in 2013 and has since been a strong presence behind the bar and many say that she echoes the qualities of Bet Gilroy as landlady. Despite nearing 60, Liz isn’t going to grow old gracefully with her questionable choice of clothes and shoes. She is indeed the best landlady the Rovers has had in a while.

Are you a fan of Liz?

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Liz McDonald's new man has been in Corrie before - three times!

Next week on Coronation Street, grandma Liz takes young Amy to her music lesson. Also taking his grandson to the class is a fella called Chris, who will take a shine to Liz and take her out on a date.

However, Chris calls in the Rovers for a drink and explains to Mary and Eva that if it hadn't been for Sam's music club, he'd never have met Amy's beautiful mother Liz!

Amused, Mary and Eva promise Liz her secret is safe with them. Mary offers Liz words of wisdom that maybe she should take up Chris's offer of a date as a change of her usual type of man might do her some good. Liz is thoughtful.

Chris is played by actor Stephen Casey who has played three earlier roles in Coronation Street.
He played:
  • Det. Inspector Grey in June 1998.
  • A Prison Governor in June 2009.
  • The Barrister who was present at the trial of Tyrone Dobbs in March 2013.
He has also appeared in Soldier Soldier, City Central, Outlaws, Casualty, Doctors, Heartbeat, The Bill and Holby City.


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Spoilers for next week's Coronation Street, April 4 - 8

Without any piffle, here's the storylines for the week ahead on Coronation Street, all wrapped up nicely in 50 words or less.

Week of Monday Monday 4 April to Friday April 8


Tracy thinks she's pregnant, Andy leaves for Brighton, Sally and Sharif argue over garden fence, Sophie and Kate kiss, Eva gets her job back, Liz goes on a date.

The full weekly preview, with pictures is right here on Corrie.net

Missed last week's Corrie?

Catch up with the Coronation Street Weekly Updates

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Platt To The Future

Tonight's Coronation Street brought drama, comedy, scenes of people passively aggressively insulting one another over a rancid stew.  But the most important part for me was the PLATT-TILSLEY FAMILY ALBUM!  Not least because it deftly mixed the different heads of well-loved characters.  And Sarah-Louise.


This two page spread, for example, cleverly mixes Corrie promotional shots with pictures clearly torn from Jack P Shepherd's own family album.  Those two snaps in the red jumper are clearly of a young JPS: look at that devilish grin, later used to malevolent effect whenever David went evil again.  To the left, we've got Gail marrying Martin; it'd be nice if Martin turned up to congratulate his adopted daughter on her new child, but I suppose he's too busy flogging cheese to bother with parenting these days.  Let's also note Audrey pointing at a garden centre statue like it's the Venus di Milo.


On the next page, I'm guessing we're getting pics of the young Tina O'Brien, but mixed in with snaps from Corrie past.  That Blackpool picture gives us a glimpse of the first Sarah-Louise, if you squint hard enough.  More importantly, that's Original Flavour Nicky Tilsley, next to Grandpa Don!  I hope they sent Warren Jackson a fiver for using his picture.  It's also a handy reminder, something I like to emphasise as much as possible, that the current Nicky Tilsley is meant to be in his mid-thirties.


Our final page is very much Brian Tilsley-oriented, though we don't really have a glimpse into Imperial Phase Tilsley with his frosted tips.  It's funny how professional all the shots of Brian look, almost as though they were taken by a man from the TV Times and not Gail with an Instamatic.  Still, another glimpse of Warren Jackson, bless him, so another fiver I hope.

At this point, Bethany made a crassly insensitive remark, as is her wont, so we didn't get to see the rest of the pages.  Who knows what they contained?  A teenage Sarah-Lou being groomed by an internet pervert?  David being sent to a juvenile offender's institute?  The whole family plunging into the canal as their stepdad attempts to murder them?  Second Nicky's abs?  Such a missed opportunity.

By @Merseytart

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Monday 28 March 2016

Todd Grimshaw - whatever did happen to him in that London?

This is the great unanswered question. - what exactly did happen to Todd in London?  When Todd returned home to Weatherfield and number 11, from London in 2013, there was clearly a reason, but, as yet, that reason has not been revealed. We can surmise, conjecture and speculate, but the actual truth would be far preferable. For what it's worth, I would imagine he couldn't repay debts or couldn't afford the astronomical London rents. Or perhaps he caused, or at least was somehow involved in, a nasty break up.

So what happens in circumstances such as these? Have the writers forgotten to explain the reason why Todd returned home? Or have they decided to shelve it and when we have all forgotten about it, a big reveal will come our way. It is frustrating either way, if one of these is the plan, as the viewer may lose interest in the reason for his return, as it was so long ago.  If either of these possibilities is the case, then we have lost a moment of great drama. There could have been a conversation between Todd and his mum, maybe with Jason and Sean also partaking, as Sean is like a brother to both Grimshaw boys.

When I interviewed Bruno Langley, who plays Todd, at the old set in 2013, the revelation as to what had brought Todd back home was trumpeted as a great thing to come. Not so much a trumpet then - more a broken penny whistle.

Regarding Todd himself and his role and development in the show, we will all have noticed an improvement. His support and concern for Sarah during her pregnancy  has been heart warming, all the more so because there is nothing that he can gain from helping her. His motives appear to be wholly altruistic - a wish to support his ex-girlfriend and to give her strength after the tragedy of their baby Billy's death.

His concern for Bethany has been impressive too, albeit that Gemma's 'see off the bully' technique far outstrips the more gentle methods.

At one time it was hard to believe that there was any good in him at all. Taking a brief look back, he stated an affair with Marcus when Marcus was with Maria. He even admitted to Jason's dad, Tony, that he was using Marcus.



At the building yard Todd cut corners to make the job cheaper, resulting in Tyrone falling through the cheap floorboards and sustaining serious injuries. Todd's family took umbrage but Todd tried to make amends by taking his family out for a meal. They didn't turn up, and Todd blamed them for his assault, that same evening, by a gang of thugs who stole his phone, beat him up and caused a permanent scar on his face.

Todd, out of vindictiveness and revenge decided to ruin his mother Eileen's relationship with Adrian, who Eileen liked. Todd adopted the identity of 'Jeff' online, and 'Jeff' said he would meet Eileen in the Bistro, as well as promising her the earth. Todd relished the moment when he was able to humiliate his mother. 'Oh you stupid old bat,' he said.

In revenge against his brother, Todd was at least partly responsible for the breakup of Jason and Eva, a relationship in which the two of them seemed to be most suited.

Then again, it does bear remembering too, that Todd, on hearing that Jason had been beaten up by Callum Logan, went to the hospital to ask about kidney donation when he believed his brother needed a kidney. In the end, Jason didn't need a kidney, but it does show that like most bad people, he is not ALL bad. An exception here may be Tracy Barlow.

So what now for Todd? Is he really going to carry on working at Preston's Petals with Tracy as his boss? Viewers will remember how well he was doing at school and how Eileen believed that Sarah Platt was holding him back. Both Eileen and Todd had hopes of a university education for him in one of the best institutions in the country.

It may well be that Todd's best work is yet to come. Already suspicious of Phelan's motives regarding Eileen, Todd may be the one to ward his mother off him after witnessing a dodgy Phelan action. It may well cause a row between Todd and Jason and Todd and his mother. But isn't that par for the course?

Todd is worthy of redemption and we are worthy of discovering just what did happen in that there London. Pleeeaaase...

by Ruth Owen. Twitter @ruth1722

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GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!

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