If there’s anything that Corrie fans love, it’s a fan campaign (a fanpaign?) – and the latest one was to save Corrie stalwart Rita from potential death.
But it looks like actually, it might not be needed, as Corrie big boss Kate Oates has suggested in an interview to Metro that Rita will survive anyway.
Here are the clues:
One: she says the show is ‘lucky’ to have Barbara Knox.
Two: she says she wants to bring her back to the centre of the street. And you can’t be at the centre of the street when you’re, er, dead.
Here’s the full quote: “We have a heartbreaking story with Rita which I hope will really pull on heartstrings as we are reminded of how lucky we are to have the great Barbara Knox.
“Hopefully we can bring her back to the centre of the Street!”
On Friday, viewers thought that there may have been a reprieve from what was reported in the newspapers as a dementia storyline for Rita as the character said her recent memory loss was actually down to some medication that she’d been taking.
Meaning that Rita might be selling crossword books and doing more than the NHS recommended amount of midweek drinking for many a year to come?
BUT lots of viewers thought that was a red herring and that Rita was lying to cover up the real situation, with many fans worried that we were in for A LOT of heartbreak along the way.
And their fears seem to be coming true, with reports that Rita will receive a devastating diagnosis just before Jenny’s wedding, throwing the nuptials with Johnny up in the air. Which is shocking really, because soap weddings normally go very much to plan and without incident.
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Sally-Ann Matthews, who plays Jenny, says that we can expect major scenes around the two plots.
“When Corrie is 150 years old, you’ll still be seeing clips of this wedding – it’s that epic!” she told Metro. “And the week is just jam packed with so many different stories which intertwine.
“There’s high drama, heartbreak – and ridiculous comedy which is classic Corrie stuff.”
And Sally says she’s really enjoyed working with Barbara on the storyline.
“These emotional scenes are very easy to do with Barbara Knox because she is so brilliant and a consummate professional – and the scenes really will tug at your heartstrings.
“I think on Friday 14th, Twitter will go crazy in terms of Rita’s storyline. It’s a story that Barbara is so deserving of. She has been very involved with how it plays out – she has worked her backside off on it and it’s amazing that she has done all of this while being 84.
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“It’s a discussion that has been ongoing with producers for several months and Barbara is fully on board with it.”
Still, at least it’s looking like she won’t actually… you know… oh god, someone pour us one of Rita’s large sherries anyway, just in case.