Coronation Street wedding chaos when bride-to-be Bernie Winter suffers terrifying health scare as she ties the knot with Dev Alahan - amid claims soap is set for 'huge cast cull'

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

Coronation Street lovebirds Bernie Winter and Dev Alahan are finally set to walk down the aisle in the coming weeks, but their big day won't go off without a hitch.
The couple's big day is set to be full of drama including stag party shenanigans, a burglary, surprise proposal, shock collapse and a hospital dash midway through the ceremony.
The week starts with the stag and hen parties, with Bernie celebrating her wedding with a low-key hen party in The Bistro after saving money by buying cheap suits for Dev and his son Aadi.
But suddenly, word reaches the hens that the boys have hired a pole dancer at the Rovers, and a furious Bernie storms into the pub to find the stags cheering on the performer - is all as it seems?
In scenes set it air on Wednesday, August 6, as the big day dawns Dev and Bernie's dream wedding goes from bad to worse when the quads fall ill and have to watch with Joseph on live stream.
As she gets ready to walk down the aisle in her unconventional wedding dress, Bernie forgets her lucky charm locket containing the photo of Paul, and when she runs home to get it she disturbs a burglar.
Meanwhile the restless guests back at the Bistro are entertained by a song from Debbie Webster who surprises Ronnie with a proposal, will he accept?
After such an eventful start to the day, the guests take their seats for the main event and a glowing Bernie walks down the aisle towards Dev to make their vows.
With the service about to start, Dev and Bernie share loving looks, but suddenly Bernie struggles to breathe and collapses in front of a shocked Dev.
Is the dramatic day about to end in tragedy or will Bernie and Dev tie the knot?
Speaking about the chaotic build-up to the big day, actress Jane Hazlegrove, who plays Bernie, said: 'The day goes from bad to worse!
'That's what is so brilliant about Coronation Street, you don't know what you're going to get until you open the page of the script and that's what is so fantastic about how it plays out – we've got this woman raving down the aisle and the next minute she's collapsed and an ambulance is on its way!'
Jane also revealed that she had a hand in the design of Bernie's unconventional wedding dress.
She said: 'I knew that Bernie wouldn't go down the road of wearing a traditional dress. I had seen some old footage of Elkie Brookes on TV and she was wearing a kaftan.
'I am a big fan of Elkie so that was the initial inspiration, but this is for Bernie so it needed to be a bit extra.
'Our fantastic talented costume department came up with the 1970s style white dress that is a bit Elkie Brookes, a bit Demis Roussos and very Bernie Winter.'
It comes after it was reported on Sunday that Corrie and its rival Emmerdale could be hit by a massive cast cull, with proposals to 'cut one in ten cast members' as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures.
The broadcaster has announced plans to slash £15million from its budget, after revealing profits have plunged by 44 per cent to £99million for the first half of the year.
Now, both soaps are reportedly being targeted in a bid to bring spiralling production costs under control.
It has been reported that around 10 per cent of the current cast lists - which include 84 regulars on Corrie and 70 on Emmerdale - are expected to be dropped.
Scripts and episode structures are also under review, with producers being told to reduce the number of scenes per episode and tighten shooting schedules.
A source told The Sun: 'It's brutal. We've known it was on the cards for a while, but they're really cranking it up now and it's across the soaps.
'They're looking to save millions and Corrie and Emmerdale are the obvious places. They're very expensive shows.'
Most actors are contracted per episode and guaranteed a set number annually - a system which is thought to have become unsustainable.
Some long-serving cast members are reportedly concerned about their job security, particularly those who rely on a steady income from the soaps.
The source added: 'Many who have been there for a long time are reliant on their income staying as it is.
'The amount of cast has spiralled out of control and focusing on dialogue, not action, could also save money.'
The proposed cuts come as ITV undergoes a wider restructuring across its daytime programming, with major job losses already hitting shows including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women.