Coronation Street launches search for newest castmember – and your DOG could win a starring role
The ITV soap has teamed up with This Morning to find Weatherfield's newest pooch in a competition open to the public.
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The competition was announced on This Morning this week with Strictly's Shirley Ballas revealing she, Corrie actress Jodie Prenger and vet Dr Scott Miller will be on the judging panel.
"We'll be looking for the best little pup in Great Britain, so I'm very excited about that and would like to see that we have some obedience," she said.
"Good behaviour - we're looking for something with [a] really good temperament.
"[The dog will also have to be] loving, kind, caring, well groomed and not easily distracted on TV sets, and maybe some good little tricks would be nice."
Jodie added in her own film from the cobbles: "From Schmeichel to David [and] Eccles, many paws have graced these famous cobbles and they've probably cocked their legs on a few lamp posts as well.
"Your furry friend could be joining that illustrious list. I am so excited to be part of the judging panel that will be putting the pups through their paces to see who will win the walk-on part in the nation's longest-running soap."
The Glenda Shuttleworth actress added: "So if you think your pooch should play the part, then what are you waiting for?
'And who knows, you could be watching your four-legged furry friend make their television debut."
An assistant director from the soap added: "They need a bit of star quality.
'They need to be as cute as a button because they're going to be on screen…
Coronation Street heartbreak as Ken Barlow's dog Eccles is put to sleep
'They need to engage the audience - if they can do any tricks, well that's just an extra!"
Pup Idol is open now with the competition closing on July 25 at 12.30pm. Fans should send a video no longer than one minute long alongside up to 250 words describing why your dog should be on Coronation Street.
Full details are available here.
Corrie's famous pooches
The cobbles has been home to many dogs over the years but these four stole viewers' hearts
David
Of all the characters to have a dog named after them - David Platt lucked out when a client left him their beloved pooch in their will - named David.
The little terrier has survived more Platt family tragedies than Gail's had wedding days, and is still knocking about to this day.
Cerberus
Evelyn Plummer's beloved greyhound was unusually refined for a soap dog.
He didn't get into any trouble or scrapes and was far calmer than his owner.
Viewers wept when he died in 2023 after Roy Cropper stupidly let him eat a toxic eccles cake.
Schmeichel
If EastEnders has its willy, Corrie has its Schmeichel.
The iconic great dane is seared into the memory of the nation after joining Les Battersby and Cilla in the bath - and plunging through the floor.
Eccles
The dog that seemed to live forever. Already elderly when she was left to the iconic Blanche Hunt in her friend's will in 2006, she was the dog that just kept doing.
After Blanche died, she was passed to Deirdre, then to Ken, then to Tracy when he went away.
And by 2020, the now no doubt record breaking dog sadly died after the vet found an inoperable tumour.
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