Coronation Street signs up rival soap star for ‘dangerous’ new plot – amid cast exodus and ITV cuts
CORONATION Street has signed up a rival soap star as part of a dangerous new plot involving Ronnie Bailey.
The actress, who is also a West End favourite, is expected to crash into Weatherfield later this year.
Sara Poyzer has been a staple in BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers in the role of Leonie Schnell but she will soon be taking on a brand new character in Coronation Street.
Insiders have told The Sun that she’ll play Fiona Morley who arrives on the street to catch up with her ex-boyfriend and Street regular Ronnie Bailey, played by Vinta Morgan.
Her arrival on the cobbles comes in the wake of Ronnie's love split with fiancée Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney).
Fiona will make her mark as soon as she steps foot on the cobbles as she reveals her dodgy dealings to her ex-partner Ronnie.
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Fans will see Fiona offer her ex a dodgy business proposition to off some stolen cars for large amounts of cash.
Ronnie agrees to the deal at first but soon gets cold feet when he can’t go through with selling one of the dodgy cars to a grieving man.
Later, troublesome newcomer Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) seeks out Fiona and tells her that he wants in on her corrupt car business and that he will start selling the motors through his brother Kevin’s (Michael Le Velle) garage.
But will it be a secret success or be yet another thing that implodes on the Webster family?
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As well as being known for her time in The Archers, actress Sara has been on the West End stage for ten years in Mamma Mia.
She has toured the world in the role of Donna Sheridan as part of the musical alongside her radio role and other acting jobs.
Sara was at the centre of an AI scandal last year when she was ditched from a voiceover role with the BBC in favour of using a computer-generated vocal.
Sara had been booked to play the voice role of a dying person who can't speak as part of a then-upcoming BBC documentary.
However, the BBC later opted to axe Sara and use AI instead.
The BBC later clarified that the decision had been made after consulting with the family of the individual who the documentary was about and as a result of the highly sensitive nature of the programme.
Her signing on Corrie comes amid an ongoing cast exodus on the show.
A handful of stars have been axed from the programme including Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, Shelley King, Luca Toolan and Daniel Brocklebank.
Other famous faces such as Sue Cleaver, Helen Worth and Charlotte Jordan all opted to walk away amid a cash crisis that has seen the soap's budget and episodes cut alongside the cast walk-outs.
