FROM ITV STRICT EMBARGO - No Use Before 0001hrs Saturday 06/04/19 Coronation Street New Bailey Family Dad Edison Bailey (Trevor Michael Georges) Mum Aggie Bailey (Lorna Laidlaw) Older son Michael Bailey (Ryan Russell) Yellow Jacket Younger son James Bailey (Nathan Graham). Picture contact - David.crook@itv.com Photographer - Mark Bruce This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms
Soaps

Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod teases arrival of Diana Bailey

The Bailey sister is talked about, but hasn't been cast yet

Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod is “desperate” to bring Diana ‘Dee Dee’ Bailey to the cobbles.

The producer has opened up on the daughter of the Bailey family.

Dee Dee hasn’t joined the rest of the clan after they debuted on the cobbles last year as he wants to wait until the time is right to introduce her.

He told Digital Spy: “There are no plans at the moment [to introduce Dee Dee] but I am desperate to meet her as she sounds like a brilliant nightmare!

“But not at the present time.”

There’s a Bailey sibling we haven’t met in Coronation Street yet (Credit: ITV)

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He added: “We wanted to make sure that the Baileys we’ve already met had a chance to bed in, before we hit them with a meteorite from outside.

“She’s certainly on the table and will make an appearance at some point, but there’s no immediate plans.”

I am desperate to meet her as she sounds like a brilliant nightmare!

Who are the Bailey family in Coronation Street?

The family – made up of mum Aggie (Lorna Laidlaw), her husband Edison (Trevor Michael Georges) and sons Michael (Ryan Russell) and James (Nathan Graham) – are yet to be reunited with Dee Dee, despite her being mentioned in the casting announcement.

Iain previously explained his plans to build anticipation for the eventual big reveal when she finally arrives on Corrie.

Dee Dee is a whirlwind (Credit: ITV)

He said: “We’ve not cast her yet – she will be an off-screen presence a bit like Brenda from Streetcars – and will be a source of comedy friction around the dinner table.

“It’ll be like, ‘Aw on WhatsApp, your sister has just sent a picture of her new convertible!’ So, hopefully there’ll be some anticipation of the kind of character she is before she arrives.”

Meanwhile, Lorna admitted she is pleased the soap is adding more layers to the character before she joins the cast.

She said: “We have no certainty about any of it. The longer we can hold off on seeing this girl, is a joy.

“Audiences will have painted her a certain way in their minds, dressed her in a certain way, but then we can go anywhere we want with her.

“She’s a ghost character and there’s a table place setting for her. I think it’s interesting because we could bring her back as anything.”

Racist abuse for the Bailey family on Coronation Street

Ed Bailey will fight the racist abuse in Coronation Street (Credit: ITV)

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Next week sees the Bailey family face a tough challenge as Ed is subjected to racial abuse from new Bistro manager, Don.

Although Ed refuses to rise to it at first, at the Bistro reopening he can’t bite his tongue any more.

He reveals he’s put up with abuse all his life and will always fight to stop it.

Coronation Street has worked with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence on the storyline. Stephen was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993.

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