ITV stars joined the Manchester Village Pride celebrations in the city centre on Saturday, taking part in the annual parade. The broadcaster had been one of the eagerly anticipated floats for several years, often bringing the Rovers Return on tour for fans, but had not formally taken part since 2024 due to cuts at the station.
Marking a return this year because of the festival's new-look format, ITV had teased fans that it would feature cast members from Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
Corrie stars on the float
Among the famous faces were Corrie stars Sue Devaney, known for the role of Debbie Webster, and Antony Cotton, who has played Sean Tulley in the soap since 2003 and is also known for his appearance on Queer As Folk. Catherine Tyldesley, who appeared in the soap from 2011 to 2018 as Eva Price before returning last year, also took part, alongside Jodie Prenger, who has appeared since 2022 as Glenda Shuttleworth.
The news of ITV Pride's involvement was announced earlier this year, with advertisements for Manchester Village Pride also featured on banners in Weatherfield. Sophie Scott, Co-Chair of ITV Pride, said: “We’ve watched Manchester Village Pride return to its community-led, grassroots spirit, and with this year’s theme, No Place Like Home, it perfectly complements ITV’s own tagline, No Place Like ITV.”
Community and brand support
Carl Austin-Behan, co-director and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride, said: “The support from organisations like ITV Pride demonstrates the growing momentum behind Manchester Village Pride and our shared commitment to celebrating, supporting and championing our LGBTQ+ communities in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village and across the city.” He added that this year's theme recognises the Village as the historic home of Pride in Manchester while making clear that Pride belongs to everyone.
Also taking part in the parade were big brands like Tesco, Lidl and Co-Op, as well as local LGBTQ+ groups and organisations including Manchester FrontRunners, LGBT Foundation, George House Trust, and Rainbow Noir.
Weekend continues with performances
Manchester Village Pride continues throughout the weekend with performances from Kate Nash, Gareth Gates, Cascada, DJ Sammy, and Moss Side 90s girl group Cleopatra. Lead singer Cleo said: “The songs we released were always about uplifting and inspiring people, so being able to play events like Pride is always a great opportunity to just bring the fun. Manchester gave us so much love on the way up and they still support us now. So I think they deserve to have a party with us.” She added: “There’s going to be lots of surprises, and it’s just going to be a great time for everyone. We’re honestly so excited!”
