Coronation Street actress Jodie Prenger has called for the revival of the musical theatre reality shows that launched her career, nearly two decades after she won I'd Do Anything.
The 47-year-old beat Jessie Buckley to be crowned the nation's Nancy in 2008 and went on to play the role in a West End revival of Oliver! She has since appeared in productions including Annie, Tell Me On A Sunday and Shirley Valentine, and has spent the last four years playing barmaid Glenda Shuttleworth on Coronation Street.
Plea to Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Prenger said: "I always say never be ashamed of where you've come from, never be scared of where you're going. That show made me, it gave me the springboard to be here. I don't know if I would even be on Corrie without I'd Do Anything. I'd love them to come back. I would love it. I'd love them to do another one."
She added: "I really, really, really would love them to do another musical theatre search for... They could search for a Mary Poppins, they could search for Phantom of the Opera. There's so many great characters they could do."
The talent searches were led by impresario Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh, with Graham Norton hosting. Prenger said: "I think we should start a campaign. I think let's start a campaign. Let's get on the phone to Cameron and Andrew and go, 'Right, come on, pull your socks up, get your programmes sold, and let's do another one. Come on!' Graham Norton, he's got another one in him! Let's do it!"
History of the searches
For I'd Do Anything, 12 women competed live on television for the public and judges Denise van Outen, John Barrowman and Barry Humphries. Several contestants went on to major theatre careers, including Rachel Tucker and Samantha Barks, who landed leading roles in shows such as Wicked and Frozen.
The format began in 2006 when Scarlett Johansson was in talks to star as Maria in The Sound of Music, but negotiations fell through and Connie Fisher won the role through How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? The following year, Lee Mead won the part of Joseph through Any Dream Will Do. Webber's final search aired in 2010 as Over the Rainbow, with Danielle Hope landing the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
A decade before joining Coronation Street, Prenger played Elsie Tanner in the musical Street of Dreams, created for the soap's 50th anniversary. The show ran for just two performances at Manchester Arena. She said: "The wig wasn't right! The wig was awful!... The music was good on that show, it just... yeah, just kind of fell on its backside."
Life on Coronation Street
Prenger's character Glenda is an ex-cruise ship singer who hosts karaoke nights at the Rovers Return and runs the local theatre group. Prenger admitted playing her can be "quite nerve-wracking", adding: "It's quite nerve-wracking because you never think your two worlds would collide in that way. But then it's almost like I remember all those working men's clubs and bars and, predominantly gay bars, that I used to sing at.
"If I'm honest, it doesn't feel that alien, even though it's on a set, because I've sung in bars like the Rovers. I mean, I've sung in Strangeways prison!... it's a weird collision of worlds, but I do kind of enjoy it even though I get really nervous."
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
