Coronation Street signs up rival soap hunk in dark Todd & Billy storyline 8 years after being brutally murdered onscreen
The former soap star is making a sensational return to TV as part of a dark new plot involving Todd and Billy.
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Casualty hunk Richard Winsor - who played Caleb Knight - will be joining the ITV soap in a shocking twist.
His character Caleb was stabbed to death by Scott Ellisson in Casualty in 2017.
He was killed during a fight while trying to protect his brother, Ethan.
Richard also starred in Hollyoaks as the sexy priest - Father Francis - who had an affair with Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna).
Richard will play brand new character Noah Hedley in Coronation Street.
The character will first appear on screen later this month as he comes to visit his friend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank).
Noah's arrival on the cobbles soon sends shivers down the spine of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) who instantly recognises Noah as one of the members of the conversion therapy sessions that he used to be forced to attend by his religious parents.
Theo is spooked by Noah's presence and soon reveals all to his boyfriend Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) about who Billy's new pal really is.
Meanwhile, Ryan Thomas is set to make a comeback to Coronation Street for Sue Cleaver's exit - after almost a decade away.
The actor-turned-reality-star played builder Jason in the ITV soap from 2000 until leaving in 2016.
Corrie fans slam 'creepy' character as secret romance is almost rumbled
Ryan says he wanted to pay the soap that made him famous back.
He said: 'It was a mix of nostalgia and gratitude for what the show has done for me. When they told me Eileen was leaving, it felt right to be a part of that storyline for her and revisit where it all started.'
Jason has barely changed since the last time he was on the cobbles.
Actor Ryan says he's "still that happy-go-lucky, lovable guy" - who is set for a romantic twist in his upcoming scenes.
Corrie cash crisis: shock exits for 2025
ITV bosses are locked in a battle to save the cash-strapped soap.
This means that a number of stars have either been axed from or have abandoned the long-running serial drama.
Colson Smith - Craig Tinker
The character of Craig Tinker has been axed by bosses after 14 years. After he was told of the news in Autumn 2024, Colson Smith confirmed that would be written out of the show with scenes to air later this year. Craig's on-screen mum, Beth Tinker, also left the show in the summer when actress Lisa George was written out from the role.
Sue Cleaver - Eileen Grimshaw
After 25 years playing Eileen Grimshaw, former I'm A Celebrity campmate Sue Cleaver will quit the show. The Sun on Sunday reported in January that she's already begun to film her exit scenes. However the character will not be killed off in case Sue opts to make a return in the future.
Luca Toolan - Mason Radcliffe
Bosses decided to axe the teenage character after just 16 months after he first joined the show. Recent scenes saw Mason stabbed by his criminal brothers after his pal Dylan brought a knife in an attempt to defend him.
Sue Devaney - Debbie Webster
In November 2024, we revealed that Debbie Webster is set to be killed off after 40 years on the cobbles. The character will die as part of a heartbreaking long-running dementia storyline.
Charlotte Jordan - Daisy Midgeley
The actress became the fifth star to leave Coronation Street in just one month. We revealed that she will bow out of the ITV soap later this year after four years on-screen. Charlotte told sources that she's hungry to see what other opportunities await.
Shelley King - Yasmeen Metcalfe
The actress has played Yasmeen Metcalfe on the cobbles for the past 11 years and we revealed in January that she finished filming her final scenes. This follows the departure of her on-screen partner Stu Carpenter.
Ryan said: "He makes it up as he goes along, has a loving heart, and is all about family,.
"He certainly hasn't changed when it comes to women, straight away he is taking someone back home with him and getting himself into hot water with his brother.
"He's struggling for money, his girlfriend left him, and he needs his mum.
"He says he's come back for Eileen, but he really needs a cuddle and his safety net."
Eileen Grimhshaw is set to exit the cobbles with actress Sue Cleaver quitting the soap after an incredible 25 years.
But former I'm A Celebrity campmate Sue will not be killed off in case Sue opts to make a return in the future.
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The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Everybody was fondling underwater!': an oral history of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at 50
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in cinemas in late 1975 with little fanfare, but the provocative musical, with its campy parody of sci-fi and horror B-movies, fabulous costumes and rollicking songs, dug its glittering heels in and refused to let go for the next 50 years. The film was an adaptation of the hit musical The Rocky Horror Show, created by Richard O'Brien when he was an unemployed actor. The story of Dr Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), an alien, transvestite scientist, decked out like a bewitching glam rock god and hellbent on seducing everyone around him, galvanised audiences into participating in a way that had never been seen before. As its popularity grew, audiences began to take an active role in screenings – dressing up, dancing, singing along and adding their own lines of dialogue. Screenings also became safe spaces for LGBTQ+ fans, drawn to the film's unabashed celebration of queerness, sexual liberation and gender fluidity. It remains the longest-running theatrical release in film history and still plays in cinemas today. We look back with the cast and crew to find out how the film became such a cult phenomenon. The year was 1974. Actor Richard O'Brien decided to adapt The Rocky Horror Show for the big screen, working with the show's director, Jim Sharman. They kept most of the original cast but the studio, 20th Century Fox, insisted that the lead couple, Brad and Janet, were recast with Hollywood actors. Richard O'Brien, co-screenwriter, composer and Riff Raff (a 'handyman')I was approached by Mick Jagger's people to buy the rights because he wanted to play Frank. I spoke to Jim, and he went: 'No, don't do that.' I said: 'Why not?' He said: 'Well, that means we won't be able to make it.' It had never occurred to me that we'd be allowed to. By the time we got to Los Angeles, Lou Adler was the producer, and he made the overture to 20th Century Fox. Suddenly we were allowed not only to make the movie, but all be in it. The kids were allowed into the sweet shop. Jim Sharman, director and co-screenwriterI was given two options. One was a reasonable budget with rock stars and the other one was a tiny budget keeping the original team together. I said: 'Great, let's do that.' I thought it was fine to have Americans playing the Americans, and it was great to have Barry [Bostwick] and Susan [Sarandon], who were, at that time, not particularly known. Barry Bostwick, Brad (a 'hero', who stumbles across Frank-N-Furter's castle one stormy night along with his girlfriend Janet, played by Sarandon) It was interesting because [Susan and I replacing the original Brad and Janet] was a parallel to the characters coming into a new, strange world. Susan and I stepped into a very vibrant, glam, rocky environment in London. We were fish out of water; naive, wide-eyed and curious. Nell Campbell, Columbia (a tap-dancing 'groupie' and Frank-N-Furter's former lover) For [Bostwick and Sarandon] it was definitely a little difficult stepping into, basically, a theatre company because we'd all worked together for at least six months. Patricia Quinn, Magenta (Riff Raff's sister and Frank-N-Furter's 'domestic')Sharman said: 'Let's go around to [associate producer] John Goldstone's house, and take a look at the sets and the designs.' So I went and saw this pink laboratory set. I saw Transylvanians [Frank-N-Furter's alien companions] on motorbikes. I saw my dinner dress sketched by Sue Blane, the amazing costume designer, and I said: 'Oh, I'm doing this.' Tim Curry, who had cut his teeth in the stage musical as Frank-N-Furter, made his film debut as the sex-crazed, corset-wearing scientist. Bostwick I was enamoured with Tim's acting chops. To watch him balance the meanness and darkness with the charm and seduction of that character, few people could have done that. O'Brien When we did it on stage, [Frank-N-Furter] was a bit more German expressionistic theatre, a lot more gothic and ghoulish, and the makeup was rougher. But when we got into the studio, Frank became very glamorous, and it was rather lovely. Production started in October 1974, on a budget of $1.4m, for nearly two months – on location in Bray Studios and Oakley Court, a country house in Berkshire, which were both used for Hammer horror films. Sharman We shot at the Hammer Horror studios as a bit of a homage. But that proved to be a little bit impractical. I made many impractical decisions. It was freezing, the middle of winter, the conditions were far from perfect. Bostwick It was a miserable shoot. I was always wet, I was in my underwear, and every 20 minutes, the prop guy was spraying me down with ice-cold water, because they apparently didn't know how to heat up water in England at the time. So, Susan got pneumonia, and everybody had colds. I remember cursing a lot before scenes when the guy had to come by. At one point, I took the spray and started spraying him, just so he got a taste. Campbell It was hilariously unglamorous … Mercifully, I had a fantastic silk padded dressing gown which got me through the shoot because we were half naked a lot of the time. We would have to hike to the bathrooms. And we were all being paid a very small amount. Quinn Everything was a bit of a surprise on this film. Nothing was explained. [The dining table scene didn't have] anything to do with the play. Tim Curry was told to pull the tablecloth off the table in one fell swoop. Underneath was Meat Loaf [who played Eddie, a motorcyclist murdered by Frank-N-Furter]. I thought: 'Oh my God,' because nobody told us. I got hysterics. Richard said to me: 'Shut up.' It was hilarious, and it's all in the film. There was no time to make mistakes. Bostwick The orgy in the swimming pool … We ended up on the stage, wet, in high heels, trying to do the high kicks. It took every bit of balance, energy and camaraderie to do that. Everybody was kissing and fondling underwater. And then when we got out, we went into a little warming booth. We had a cup of tea, and as we were leaving, it caught on fire. Everybody was afraid it was going to burn down the whole set, and we would be shut down. We got out just in time. They used an unusual technique to get the opening scene. Quinn Jim said: 'Have you ever seen Man Ray's Lips, the painting?' 'Never.' He said: 'We could have your lips miming to Science Fiction.' They [erased] my face completely and painted my lips. I started to do it but the lips kept going out of frame. The lighting guy said: 'You see that lamp, that's clamped in that clamp? Bring it down and clamp her head.' So they brought over [the clamp] and screwed in the top and the sides so I was clamped … The most famous lips in cinema history. The intense shoot meant that no one had time to socialise. O'Brien We were there first thing in the morning at six o'clock. You went home, straight to bed, to get up the next day. We didn't have time to party. Bostwick I don't remember having dinner with anybody. I think I got to know the makeup guy better than anybody else … I was experiencing London for the first time. I spent my time at flea markets if I had a day off. Quinn We were exhausted. I never even got to know Susan. Barry said to me once: 'You never liked me.' And I said: 'No, I didn't, because I thought you were Brad' – you know, that dull person. There was no time for chit-chat. Bostwick There was a lot of pot going around in the ranks of the Transylvanians. The film flopped on its release in August 1975 and was panned by critics. O'Brien We had our first viewing of the movie. We all left a little bit depressed. It seemed slow to me. It was a fast 90 minutes on stage. The film seemed more dreamlike, languid. I thought: 'God, people should have picked up their cues a bit quicker.' Campbell It was my big break, so the fact that it disappeared without a trace was very disappointing. Bostwick It never opened in New York. Then I found out later that it hadn't been a big hit when it opened in London. The film was rereleased in midnight screenings in April 1976, with word-of-mouth spreading during its run at New York's Waverly Theater (now the IFC Center). Fans started to yell out their own responses to lines during screenings, and 'shadow casts' dressed up as the characters and lip-synced their own performances in front of the screen. The film was embraced by the queer community, who found a sense of belonging in these immersive screenings. O'Brien I was at home one day, and someone said to me: 'Have you heard about your movie?' I said: 'Yes, opened and closed.' 'No, it's doing this midnight business.' That was a surprise. Sharman In a funny way, I felt it would find that audience. Quite irrationally, because there was no reason why it would. But I always felt that there was something special about it. Lou understood the potential and persuaded people at Fox, who had more or less washed their hands of it, to start playing it at late night [screenings]; and so it grew. Quinn When I was in South Africa, people said it was being banned for corrupting the youth. They said it had been banned in Germany for cannibalism. I thought: 'Wow, we're going to be a hit.' The first Magenta [fan] ever to dress as me became one of my closest friends. Bostwick It started out as a gay event … The audience were outcasts, in a way, from their own society. They found their family there. They found someplace to go and be seen. They were exploring who they were authentically in the world, and they were witnessing something in the film that they had never seen before; that there is an alternative way of being. Campbell In the beginning, there weren't that many things [they would call out to the screen]. Now they pretty much call out after every line. The original things were very witty and hilarious. But now – and I know that my fellow cast members agree – it's too much because you can hardly hear anything without them screaming out. Sharman People said: 'Are you horrified that your film is being used as wallpaper for a party?' I said: 'No, it's fantastic.' Sharman and O'Brien teamed up again for Shock Treatment, a loose follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show released in 1981, which featured several of the same characters. O'Brien The first draft had Rocky (a creature created by Frank-N-Furter and played by Peter Hinwood in the original film) rising from the grave, pulling Frank's body from the rubble and dragging him back to Dr Scott (Jonathan Adams) to get him reanimated. The producers liked it. Jim said: 'No, we're not doing that.' Everything was reworked and Shock Treatment came up. It's a flawed piece. I'm not happy with it, truthfully. Sharman I felt Rocky Horror Picture Show was self-contained and resisted the idea of a sequel. Having moved on, I was also cautious about 'putting the band back together'. I was, however, keen to work with Richard again. We depicted an America enslaved by reality TV run by a megalomaniac. It didn't fly – maybe the satire seemed too dark and far-fetched for the time – though it has proved prophetic. The Rocky Horror Picture Show went on to gross more than $115m worldwide and is now the longest-running film release in cinema history. It continues to screen around the world. O'Brien I find it astonishing. People try forever to write something which has legs. It's like a musical that was written in a 13-year-old boy's bedroom … [LGBTQ+ fans] come and say that it was something that changed their lives. They found that they weren't alone, that somehow there was a place for them in the world. They weren't going to be laughed at, ridiculed. Bostwick I think that my kids, if they have children, will be able to take their children to it and say: 'That was your grandfather, and they used to call him 'asshole' [a common refrain called out by the audience during fan screenings] for his whole life. But he wasn't. He was a great dad. He was just associated with this iconic story.' I'm very proud of it, and I'm a champion for its worldviews. Campbell We're the only positive cult I can think of. The great joy has been what this film means to so many people. It is still difficult for a lot of people to come out as gay or cross-dressers or bisexual or trans. This 50-year-old film still brings people together because of the shadow casts. I've met so many people that have met their partners that way. Sometimes at a screening I will meet an entire family dressed up as the characters. It's just marvellous. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is screening at selected cinemas across the UK from 22 August
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
What 'shocking' chapters of real royal history influenced Game of Thrones' Red Wedding and Cersei Lannister's walk of shame?
From the War of the Roses to Hadrian's Wall, author George RR Martin drew extensive inspiration from real British history to construct his fantasy series A Game of Thrones. On this week's episode of the Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, hosts Kate Williams and Robert Hardman explore how two of the series' most shocking moments mirror shameful chapters from the monarchy's history. This episode is part of a new miniseries which explores how history's most wicked royals rival any fictional villain. You can listen to the latest Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things by clicking the below or here. Podcast All episodes Play on Spotify Cersei Lannister's Walk of Shame and Richard III One of the most arresting scenes from Martin's fantasy epic is Cersei Lannister's naked walk of shame through King's Landing. Peasants throw stones and faeces at the Queen Mother while a religious fanatic follows slowly behind her chanting 'shame.' In the book and popular television show, Cersei must walk through the streets as an act of penance after her incest and adultery are uncovered by the High Septon. Historian Kate Williams draws parallels between Cersei's slow march and the real-life fifteenth-century flogging of Jane Shore, ordered by the infamous Richard III. She explained: 'Jane Shore was a mistress of King Edward IV and she continues to be his mistress until his death. She's almost like a Queen herself. 'Jane's a fixer, a diplomat – she's very intelligent. When Edward dies, his son comes to the throne – who's one of the famous princes in the tower. 'When Richard succeeds Edward – the new King realises Jane's allied to his enemies. After Edward, Jane begins an affair with the old King's stepson, Thomas Grey, the first Marquess of Dorset. 'That is dangerous for Richard – but he chooses not to kill her, instead making her undergo a public penance.' On trumped up charges of adultery and conspiracy, Jane was forced to strip and stand before the peasantry near St Paul's Cathedral. For a noblewoman, this treatment was highly unusual. Punishments of this nature, as Williams told the podcast, were typically reserved for prostitutes and courtesans. 'Jane is forced to walk the streets of London wearing only a kirtle, a type of underwear', Williams said. 'Her promiscuous lifestyle was used against her because she's had affairs. This form of shaming is strange, the same ritual used for sex workers. 'To see a woman dressed like that, is absolutely shocking. One account says her beauty attracts a lot of attention from men, who line the streets to watch her progress. 'The big difference from Game of Thrones is the public's reaction. The crowds don't throw stones, nobody shouts shame. They just watch and feel sorry for her.' The event only adds to Richard III's already divisive reputation - he would eventually lose the crown to Henry VII after being killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Jane would have the last laugh: after spending some time in Ludgate prison, she was freed and would marry Thomas Lynom, Richard's solicitor general. The marriage was reportedly a happy one and Jane was able to live out the rest of her years as a member of the English aristocracy. 'What you have here is Richard the III behaving very cruelly', Williams said. 'Overturning social mores in this way, as this is what you'd expect to do to a working-class woman - the people were absolutely shocked by it.' The Red Wedding and Scotland's 'Black Dinner' Another chapter of British history that Kate Williams believes Martin drew inspiration from was Scotland's Black Dinner of 1440. One of the most memorable moments of Game of Thrones is when 'King in the North' Robb Stark is murdered at his own wedding. The Red Wedding, the result of scheming between the ruling Lannisters and minor lords, sees an entire rebellion extinguished as Stark's family is brutally murdered in a surprise attack. The surprise killing of a rival noble family did occur in Scotland, with the Earls of Douglas being drawn to Edinburgh Castle on the promise of peace talks with a 10-year-old King James II. The brothers William and David, who led the rebellious Douglas clan, were invited to dine with the new King in late autumn but a trap had been laid, as Kate Williams explained. 'The brothers think, perhaps with a new king, there might be an alliance', she said. 'They think that they're going to set aside their differences and have a conversation. They all dine together in a great hall and reportedly are having a good time. 'Then, someone leaves a black bull's head on the table in front of the brothers. This is the Scottish emblem of death. 'The brothers are seized and taken away to a mock trial. They are charged with treason, and the jury sentences them to death.' The child king James II was supposedly unaware of the plan to lure the Douglases to the castle and pleaded with his guards not to go ahead with the execution. 'He's only ten', Williams said. 'The King thought maybe they were going to be friends – so he begs for them to be spared. 'But the axes indeed fall and in the end, it's on James's authority because he is King. 'This is seen in Scotland as a huge moment – to lie, lure and break the rules of a diplomatic dinner is really shocking. 'Game of Thrones goes further, having the murders set at a wedding, there's no fake trial either – it all just happens in a moment.' James II would meet his own tragic end at the tender age of 29, after being killed in a freak accident while besieging an English castle in 1460. The King had pioneered the use of cannons by the Scottish army but died after a cannon exploded and a piece of metal sliced through his thigh. To hear more connections between Royal history and Game of Thrones, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Times
16 minutes ago
- Times
Marcus Brigstocke; ‘500 people adore you, then you're alone for 22 hours'
I live in Balham, 'Gateway to the South', as Peter Sellers called it in a sketch. Pleasingly, at the top of Balham Hill lies the Gateway Hotel, which is a nod to Sellers. When I first moved here and sent out my change of address, I added Gateway to the South in brackets after Balham. One of the utility companies incorporated this into my address when billing me, which was delightful. Nothing in particular. I gigged at the Balham Banana quite a lot. Every single comic living in the bottom half of the country has probably played the Banana on their way up. It took about six months before I realised what a gem I'd found. It's a village. I know the local grocer, the butcher, a couple of people who run the cafés. I think that's rare in London, but it's beautiful and very important for me. • Marcus Brigstocke: 'I've found my chameleon dangling off the curtains' Fourteen years. I confidently predict that I will never leave. Rachel [Parris, also a comedian] and I have moved around in that time. Until a year ago we lived a little further along in Balham. With the arrival of our baby boy, Billy, we wanted a slightly different shape of house. We're very close to Tooting Common. With a child and a very small garden, it's the ultimate gift. It's a four-bedroom Victorian terrace, but modernised. The room we spend most time in is open-plan, opening out to our rear garden. I really like open-plan living because I spend a lot of time on my own, moving around the country on tours, so I appreciate a big communal area. We're also fortunate to have a studio at the top of the house, where we record the How Was It for You? podcast. With a three-year-old, and with the nature of our work, we didn't want to do a lot. The guy who lived here before us was an architect with amazing taste. A lot of this house is his design. For example, the doors out to the garden are arched, which is really unusual because most people in this sort of set-up have Crittall doors, or big glass doors with a steel frame. The biggest change we've made is to the front room, which is separate from the open-plan area. We painted it a bright green, with panelling and green wallpaper. It's like living inside a mojito, but with a Jane Austen vibe, mainly because Rachel is mad about her. It has a sofa, two armchairs, loads of books on bookshelves, a record player, but no television. It's what people used to call a 'withdrawing room', a quiet room for reading, writing and working on show ideas. When you first become a comic your first show is usually brilliant because they're the jokes you've worked on for years. You've probably got plenty of ideas for your second show, but by the time you've reached your third, you have to write something from scratch. I found that unless I cared about the subject I was talking about, I couldn't really sustain it. So I take a subject that matters to me, such as masculinity and the modern man in the show Vitruvian Mango, and make it funny. • Marcus Brigstocke review — how to move on from toxic masculinity There was a wine cupboard here when we moved in. I don't drink, so I had it converted into a vinyl-storage cupboard. When I open it up the lights come on and I can see all my records. I'm an active listener, in that I'll have the sleeve in my hands while playing the record. I love the ritual of carefully placing the needle on the record, standing up and turning it over halfway through. I like noise. It's music and cheese for me. That's another way of relaxing. I don't eat sugar — no puddings, cakes, ice creams, biscuits. Years ago I noticed that even really good restaurants serve bad cheese badly. You know, brie that's been cut hours before serving, and then served straight from the fridge? I got interested in this and started learning about cheese. I got qualified with the Academy of Cheese and now I'm a level 1 cheese associate, which is good enough for me to judge in the World Cheese awards. It's taken 30 years to learn. Tours are bad for you because you're on your own, then 500 people adore you for two hours, then you're alone for another 22 hours. I swim in the sea if convenient. I go on long walks, and I ring home a lot. Rachel has to put up with very, very long phone calls and WhatsApps. Tickets for Marcus Brigstocke's Vitruvian Mango tour are available from
