Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley has broken her silence on the potential recasting of Michelle Collins as her on-screen mother, Stella Price, following the actress's dramatic resurrection in rival soap EastEnders.
The 42-year-old actress, who recently returned to the cobbles as Eva Price after an eight-year absence, spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail about the possibility of another actor taking over the role made famous by Collins between 2011 and 2014.
On the Possibility of Recasting Stella Price
When asked if Coronation Street bosses would consider recasting the character of Stella Price, Tyldesley was initially emphatic. "You can't! Can you? That woman, there is not many people have [appeared in two soaps] she's super iconic," the actress declared.
However, she later acknowledged that recasting has happened many times throughout the show's history and didn't completely rule out the possibility of a new actor taking over the role.
The discussion comes after Michelle Collins, now 63, made television history by returning from the dead as Cindy Beale in EastEnders in 2023, despite having previously played Rovers Return landlady Stella Price in Coronation Street.
Hope for Gloria's Return and Soap's New Direction
Tyldesley went on to express her admiration for Sue Johnston, who played her grandmother Gloria Price until 2014, and revealed the 81-year-old actress has already shown interest in returning to the iconic soap.
"I did a film with her last year and I asked her would she ever go back and she said: 'Oh my darling, if you did of course I would' so I might just give her a call and hold her to that," Catherine revealed.
She described Johnston as "so iconic" and "so incredible," adding that she had admired the actress for years before they worked together.
The interview also touched upon the soap's efforts to return to its glory days amid plummeting ratings. Tyldesley explained that despite the changing television landscape, viewers have been demanding that the show, which first aired in 1960, returns to "character led storylines" with strong female characters.
Back to Corrie's 'Golden Age'
"What Kate Brooks our wonderful producer has done is bring back an old school Corrie feeling," Tyldesley explained. "She is super passionate about that and she is a big Corrie fan and that was one of the reasons I agreed to come back, was because of her vision for the show and where she wanted to take it."
She continued: "Finding those character led storylines, with strong women at the forefront is something Corrie has always done so well and that the audience seem to crave, and I think Kate is feeding that."
The actress reminisced about past iconic Rovers Return landladies like Bet Lynch, played by Julie Goodyear, and Vera Duckworth, portrayed by Liz Dawn, as her character takes the reins.
"It's important to move with the times but also know who your target audience is," she noted. "Everyone kept saying they want that 'old school Corrie vibe, we want it to be character led' and I feel the show is nailing that."
The return to classic Coronation Street comes as the show faces significant challenges. Earlier this year, The Sun reported that a January episode attracted just 2.5 million viewers - a stark contrast to the 27 million who watched Hilda Ogden's farewell in 1987 during the soap's heyday.
The episode, which was moved from its usual Friday slot to accommodate the FA Cup clash between Aston Villa and West Ham, found itself competing against BBC's reality game show The Traitors, which pulled in five million viewers.
The low ratings meant Coronation Street lost its most-watched soap crown to Emmerdale, which attracted 3.5 million viewers, while BBC's EastEnders pulled in 2.8 million. This marked the first time since Christmas Day that The Street fell out of the top ten most-watched shows of the day.
The ratings decline coincides with significant cast changes. Since November, multiple actors including Charlotte Jordan, Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, Luca Toolan, Paddy Bever, and Shelley King have announced they will be leaving the show or are being written out.
Other cast members have reportedly expressed concerns on a WhatsApp group about who might be next to depart. A source told The Sun: "Coronation Street used to be the jewel in ITV's crown. Now there's a despondency among actors."
A spokesperson for the show defended the ratings, stating: "Thursday night at 9pm is not our usual transmission pattern. It also does not take into account ITVX viewers."
Catherine Tyldesley spoke to the Daily Mail on behalf of the Connected Bedtime Story campaign by O2. As a mother to 10-year-old Alfie James and three-year-old Iris, she tested the first-of-its-kind 5G enabled book as she adapts to her busy filming schedule with Coronation Street.
The Connected Bedtime Story transforms traditional children's storytelling into a shared, interactive experience using 5G connectivity to place the parent directly into the book. The story, Look Up Little Bear: I'm Here Too, was created exclusively for O2 and features original illustrations by Laura Page.
When opened, children see heartwarming illustrations while their parent's face appears live within the book via a hidden paper-like screen, enabled by a two-way camera integrated into the pages.
"As a mum who often travels for work, it can be heartbreaking to miss bedtime reading with my children," Catherine said. "With my work schedule ramping up again, it's impossible for me to make it home for every bedtime. Whilst nothing can replicate the beauty of being snuggled up in bed reading with your little one, seeing technology used in this way to make that special moment of connection still possible is just amazing."
