Comedy Christmas to ‘warm your cockles’ planned on Coronation Street

By Eleanor Barlow, PA

Coronation Street is set to end the year with a comedy Christmas which will “warm your cockles”, its producer has said.

Viewers of the popular ITV soap can expect laughs and possibly a few tears, according to Iain MacLeod.

He said: “It’s got loads of comedy in it, loads of family fun, loads of warmth.

“I cried twice in the viewing of it, and I’m not given to tears, but it was just really moving and lovely – not moving in a sad way, just moving in a, kind of, warm-your-cockles way.

“I really think the fans are going to love it.”

Fiz Stape, played by Jennie McAlpine, and Tyrone Dobbs, played by Alan Halsall, will take on one of the main festive storylines.

Mechanic Tyrone is set to pop the question to his long-term on-off partner in the run-up to Christmas, rounding off a turbulent year for the couple which saw Fiz walk down the aisle with someone else.

MacLeod said: “The Fiz and Tyrone strand is probably the centrepiece.

“It’s just really good fun. Just the right amount of silly, loads of really brilliant writing, the performances in it are obviously exemplary, as they are across the show generally, but, you know, Alan and Jennie are absolutely marvellous and the kids are great.

“It just feels totally Christmassy, totally Corrie, a really sort of warm, good-spirited end to the year for us really.”

He added that the show is in its “wheelhouse” with the festive episodes, after going a “little bit Die Hard” with action-packed storylines in previous years.

“It’s fun and warm and family-oriented. Corrie historically has always done that,” he said.