Ahhhhh, the Tuesday after a bank holiday. It's near lunchtime and the brain is still residing somewhere behind my right ear, comfortably reclined and refusing to take calls. Opinions will take a backseat today in favour of the direct regaling of "facts". Yes, I would neck a coffee like a normal person if it didn't give me panic attacks, but such is life.
OK, here's what's happening today - Vicky Entwistle's Janice Battersbyis one of the many names to be knocked off in the coming months on Corrie. Whether she'll get killed in the much publicised tram crash (Molly and Tyrone are also due to get axed, with any luck Kirk, Dev, Sunita, Sophie, Sian, Eddie Munster, Fiz and Jolin Fishtape will also follow suit), or die of unrequited Trevor love and biscuit abuse has yet to be made known. One thing's for certain, I'll miss staring at her perfectly manicured nails, wondering how a factory worker who spends a large portion of her time negotiating a sewing machine in the dark after a lunchtime in the boozer manages the upkeep of such a luxury.
Here's her statement: "Corrie means so much to me and I could easily have continued to play Janice for the rest of my acting career. But I've been thinking of leaving for some time, and couldn't deny those feelings. I've a hankering to do other drama projects and so if I don't make this move now I never will. The programme has given me my husband Andy [Chapman], as we met and got together when he worked on the show, and I've had a fantastic time playing an extremely feisty character. I'll miss the great friends I've made during my time in Coronation Street, but I know we'll stay in touch and I'm grateful to be part of the show's 50th anniversary as it's a huge landmark in British television."
Corrie producer Phil 'The Axeman' Collinson followed with this statement: "When she first appeared on screen in 1996, Janice Battersby caused a stir and has continued to do so ever since. Vicky created a strong and uncompromising battleaxe with a heart of gold lurking underneath - in the true tradition of great Coronation Street women. She'll be missed by us all and we wish her well."
Not so, says an insider letting rip at The Sun: "Phil is really shaking things up and senior cast members resent that. Vicky struggled to get along with him and made her feelings known. They had a furious row last week after Vicky demanded to know why her name had been scribbled off call sheets. They decided they couldn't work together and Vicky felt she had no choice than to resign."
As for her darling husband, Andy Chapman, the paper reports that Vicky's "exit comes days after her husband Andrew Chapman appeared in court charged with hitting a fan. He denied assaulting a man who asked to take Vicky's picture on a train in April. Chapman, 47, is being represented by celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr Loophole' Freeman's company and will face trial in October. Vicky is likely to give evidence."
