Corrie’s Sally Ann Matthews announced recently that she’s leaving the ITV soap and there’s now speculation that a returning star could take over as the owner of the Rovers Return
The next owner of the Rovers Return on Coronation Street will reportedly be a returning character. The news comes after it was announced that actor Sally Ann Matthews, who plays landlady Jenny Connor, is set to leave the ITV show.
It’s been claimed that former cast member Catherine Tyldesley, 41, will be reprising her role as Eva Price, who will take over the pub. It would mark her return after a seven year absence, with her last seen in Weatherfield in 2018.
Catherine is said to begin filming her return later this month ahead of viewers seeing the scenes in the autumn. It comes after ITV fans accuse Alan Titchmarsh of ‘ruining’ garden as foster parents were left sobbing.
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Catherine has reportedly been persuaded to return with the promise of major storylines for her character. Eva was last seen on the show in 2018 when she left Weatherfield in a taxi for a new life in France with her daughter Susie.
According to the Sun, Catherine agreed to return to Corrie earlier this year. The outlet adds that she is due to start filming Eva’s comeback next week and her first scenes are then expected to be broadcaster sometime in the autumn.
A source said: “It’s one of the biggest jobs in soap, the landlady of the Rovers Return pub.” They further told the outlet: “Bosses were desperate to get Cath back. They came up with the perfect storyline with her being unveiled as the new landlady of the Rovers.”
It comes following speculation that Eva would return earlier this year. It was reported in February that Catherine would be back on the show, with it suggested that the proposal had been “too good of an opportunity to pass up”.
The actor had previously teased over potentially returning. Whilst on Good Morning Britain just last year, after sparking rumours after reuniting with former co-stars for a birthday celebration, she shared: “I mean, never say never!”
The news of her apparent return this year comes after the latest departure from the cast was announced this week. It was revealed that Sally, 54, who returned in 2015 after a more than 20 year absence, is leaving once again.
She shared the news on Instagram just days ago. Sally, who made her debut as Jenny in 1986, told fans that she hadn’t expected to stay for a decade when she returned. She however said that she wants to take on other roles.
Sally said in her post earlier this week: “I was supposed to stay for five months but ended up doing an extra ten years because I loved it so much. It’s time though to play those parts I always hoped I would when I’d ‘grown up’. Thanks Trafford Wharf Rd for the memories and endless laughter.”
Coronation Street continues tomorrow night from 8pm on ITV and ITVX.
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