Doc Martin star Stephanie Cole joins Corrie

It has just been announced that Stephanie Cole has joined the cast of Coronation Street. The veteran actress, best known for roles in Doc Martin and Tenko, will be playing Roy Cropper's elderly mother and will come to stay with Roy and Hayley in the New Year according to the soap's official website. "I am absolutely delighted to be joining," says Stephanie. "In any great drama - be it on television or on the stage - the writing comes first, and Coronation Street is brilliantly written." "When I worked at Granada Television a lot in the 1980s, I used to play bridge with Doris Speed (Rovers landlady Annie Walker) and I remember thinking, 'Maybe one day they will offer me a role on Coronation Street. Well that day has finally come and I am thrilled." "I am a huge Roy and Hayley fan, so to be joining their family on screen is a privilege for me and I can't wait to get started." 'Coronation Street' producer Phil Collinson said: "I am delighted to welcome Stephanie Cole to the cast." "I have long been an admirer, from the brilliant dramatic performances she gave in Tenko, to the side-splitting Diana in Waiting for God' - she is one of this country's finest actors. Life at Roy's Rolls is never going to be the same again."

TOPICS