Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton has bagged his own teatime chat show, it was confirmed today. That Antony Cotton Show will air every weekday at 5pm on ITV1 - pitting the soap star against Channel 4's Richard and Judy and Paul O'Grady. The hour-long programme is billed as a mix of celebrity chat and topical humour and kicks off next month for a five-week run. Antony will continue to film his role as Coronation Street's Sean Tully, made easier because both shows are filmed at Granada Studios in Manchester. He told Broadcast magazine: "The Coronation Street producers have been kind enough to allow me to leave the cobbles earlier in the day to get into the studio next door to make the show. "It's going to be gossipy, light-hearted, chatty and irreverent but most of all fun, with lots of tea and cake." ITV bosses are hoping Antony, 31, will prove a teatime ratings hit, as he is one of the Street's most popular stars who, earlier this year, was named best actor at the British Soap Awards. ITV has struggled to attract viewers to the 5pm slot after O'Grady defected to Channel 4. Sharon Osbourne's chat show was a flop.
