TV

Former Doctors actress joins Corrie as Craig Tinker’s new mentor

But will the two get along?

We reckon Craig Tinker deserves a promotion after his heroic exploits on Coronation Street recently.

The novice cop has been instrumental in bringing down his corrupt mentor Neil and rescuing Bethany Platt from her grooming ordeal.

But ITV bosses obviously think he’s not quite ready for a more senior role just yet – and they’ve given him a new mentor to replace his shamed former boss.

Give a warm Corrie welcome to former Doctors actress Donnaleigh Bailey.

Having played Michelle Corrigan in the BBC medical soap for four years, 34-year-old Donnaleigh knows a thing or two about hard-hitting storylines.

Not only was her character stalked by someone who tried to steal her identity, she was almost sacked after drinking on the job and had to lie to save her bacon.

So we reckon she’ll be prepared for just about anything the Corrie story writers can throw at her.

Read more: Coronation Street SPOILER: More heartache for Mary on her wedding day

Donnaleigh – who’s also appeared in Holby City – has only filmed two episodes of the Weatherfield soap so far, but she’s been tipped to stay on for longer.

The question is, will she get on with Craig (played by Colson Smith), or will the fresh-faced cop feel that he’s been overlooked, causing tension between the two?

That’s not the only thing Craig’s got on his mind at the moment. The red-headed rookie is also coming to terms with his feelings for Bethany, whose ordeal at the hands of Neil and her evil boyfriend Nathan appears to be finally over.

However, he might be out of luck on that front. Earlier this week, actress Lucy Fallon, who plays her, revealed to the Radio Times that she’d rather the two remain as friends.

Read more: Coronation Street boss teases new storyline so controversial it “scares” her

Said the 21-year-old: “I think it just has to be a strong friendship between Bethany and Craig.

“It works better that way, especially after everything she’s been through. She shouldn’t get a boyfriend straight away, because she’d certainly find it hard to trust people. I hope it stays with them being really good friends.”


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor