Coronation Street has unveiled its newest cast member - 19-year-old Lucy Fallon, who will take on the role of Bethany Platt, after the actress who was hired originally was axed when it was discovered she lied about her age.
The soap dropped Katie Redford, who claimed she was 19, after it emerged that she was 25 - and would have turned 26 by the time she made her screen debut as the 14-year-old character.
Fans discovered her real age when they looked her up online after she landed the part as Gail McIntyre's granddaughter.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat at the time, Redford's agent defended the actress, saying it 'wasn't [Katie's] idea to audition as a 19-year-old'.
"People in the industry do it regularly and she sort of went along with what we said," Joanne McLintock said. "I'm feeling really stressed and so sorry for Katie. It's her first real job and she's a star in the making."
Lucy, who is from Blackpool, started filming this week. The part in the long-running soap is her first TV role.
She said: "Walking on to the set was surreal and nerve-wracking, but everyone has been really welcoming and I am thrilled to have been given this great opportunity."
She will be first seen in Coronation Street in March.
