Coronation Street legend Jim McDonald won’t be alone when he makes explosive return to the cobbles
The soap hardman will arrive back in Weatherfield with a sexy young woman in tow, which turns out to be the daughter he had with ex Liz
CORRIE legend Charlie Lawson’s return to the cobbles was always going to be explosive… and I can reveal he won’t be coming back alone.
The actor’s character Jim McDonald arrives on the ITV soap with a sexy young woman in tow.
It transpires she is the daughter he had with ex Liz, played by Bev Callard.
We had previously thought the girl, called Katie, had not survived long after she was born prematurely in 1992.
The news causes shock waves in Weatherfield and knocks Liz for six, as she struggles to cope with a ghost from her past.
She is forced to come to terms with the fact that her daughter didn’t die after all and Jim explains there was a mix up at the hospital. The daughter explains that she was adopted by a couple who then moved to Australia.
However, when she turned 18 she had vowed to track down her birth parents, finding Jim via his military records.
Jim even produces a DNA test proving she really is their daughter.
An ITV telly source said: “Producers are excited by Jim’s return to The Street so ensured writers created an astonishing storyline to go with it.
“The iconic character was popular with fans and is expected to cause plenty of drama again.
“They’ve cleverly cast the role of Jim and Liz’s daughter to a beautiful woman in the hope of making her the street’s new resident fox.
“It will be a turbulent time for the McDonalds over the next few months.”
The return of Weatherfield hardman Jim, known for his catchphrase “so it is”, comes after he was jailed for armed robbery in 2011. He tried to rob a building society so Liz could buy the Rovers Return.
Fans sound to certainly be in for a treat.
FROM soggy bottoms to hot baps – the Great British Bake Off is always filled with innuendos.
And more are on the cards in the new series, as host SANDI TOKSVIG said: “We’re being a bit naughtier.”
Co-host NOEL FIELDING says it’s often judge PRUE LEITH who is behind the cheeky comments – rather than PAUL HOLLYWOOD.
He added: “We don’t reject it. If it’s happening, we go with it.” Bake Off wouldn’t be the same without it.
Defiant Lucy: Grim is good
CORRIE actress LUCY FALLON has defended the show’s dark storylines.
The ITV soap has been criticised for its depressing plots, which have included mass murder, male rape, suicide and Lucy’s character Bethany Platt being groomed by an older man, Nathan Curtis.
Lucy at a Hits Radio gig in Manchester, hit back at fans who complain on Twitter. She said: “Someone sat in the comfort of their own home saying they found it uncomfortable I think is quite sad. We do it so well, the balance is really good.
“I prefer the darker stuff. All the Corrie storylines we’ve done raised so much awareness.
“I want to do challenging and gritty storylines, rather than the happy ones – which is a bit sadistic.”
Op theatre for Daniel
HE made his name in dramas, but now DANIEL MAYS is trying his hand at comedy by joining the cast of hospital sitcom Porters on the Dave.
The Line Of Duty actor is in the second series of the sitcom with EDWARD EASTON, whose character Simon thinks portering is a stepping stone to becoming a doctor – his true calling in life.
Daniel said: “I’m thrilled to be working on these hilarious scripts and joining the hugely talented cast of Porters series two.
“Not to mention re-teaming with the brilliant director Vadim Jean, who gave me my very first break, way back when.”
Well said… it always pays to remember the people who helped you on the way up.
COMICS AL MURRAY and PAUL CHOWDHRY, BANANARAMA’s SARA DALLIN and KEREN WOODWARD, astrologer RUSSELL GRANT and TV presenter MICHELLE ACKERLEY will all feature in BBC2’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
Soapbox
LIKE many soap killers before him, EMMERDALE’s Lachlan is discovering that one murder can often lead to another.
The budding serial killer starts hatching yet another deadly plan – and Liv is in the firing line as he suspects she is behind the texts.
He decides to silence her – and Robert too, for good measure – by fiddling with the carbon monoxide detector in Mill Cottage.
But Lachlan is later stunned to realise his little cousin Seb is in there too.
Meanwhile, over on EASTENDERS, Tina continues to struggle following her night out with sleazy Stuart. Sonia advises her to speak to police but Tina instead chooses to confront Stuart directly.
This is going to end badly.
What to watch
WHAT? You vs Chris and Kem, ITV2, tomorrow, 10pm