Coronation Street has announced a nationwide search for a disabled actor to join the cast in a new starring role. The soap is seeking a male actor with a visible disability, aged in his 40s, to play the character Howie, described as a 'cheeky chappy'.
Auditions will be held in London, Glasgow, and Manchester. The character is set to appear on screen in the autumn and will be connected to an existing cast member, though further details have not been disclosed.
A spokesperson for the show said: 'Howie is a new disabled character that is being written into storylines starting on screen in the Autumn. He will be connected to a current cast member, although that’s all we can say at this stage.'
The move is part of efforts to increase diversity on the cobbles and provide opportunities for actors with disabilities. The soap currently features wheelchair-bound Izzy Armstrong, played by Cherylee Houston, who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and was the show's first disabled actress when she joined in 2010.
