10 Unbelievable Facts About Coronation Street
Coronation Street is the longest-running UK soap, which is why we here at Heart Britain are offering 10 amazing facts on one the nation’s favourite serial dramas. What’s really in Corrie’s beer? And which world famous actor is a big fan of Liz McDonald? You’re about to find out with 10 unbelievable facts about the soap…
1. Corrie’s Beer
image via coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com
It’s the question on every Corrie fan’s lips. No, it’s not who is minding the kids when the parents are in the pub. It’s what is really in Coronation Street’s beer? Well, we here at Heart Britain are here to tell you that the beer served to the characters is actually weak shandy, and contains more lemonade than beer. The gin and tonic is also made with just fizzy water, and has a splash of lime added to it to appear more gin-like.
2. Gin and Tonics
image via www.digitalspy.co.uk
The Rovers Return has served its fair share of gin and tonics over the years? How many G&Ts exactly? Well, they sell an average of 100 G&Ts per week – and so have sold more than 250,000 gin and tonics since 1960.
3. Jack and Vera
image via www.dailystar.co.uk
Oh how we miss Coronation Street’s best couple: Jack and Vera. We loved nothing more than the couple constantly argue with one another – and then make up again later on. Some scenes called for Vera to hit Jack, and so the actor who played him, Bill Tarney, would always tell Liz Dawn he would duck when her character Vera had to hit him.
Liz once said: “If the script called for Vera to hit Jack, Bill always used to tell me that he would duck out the way, but he never did. He used to have lumps all over him. I swear to God, I once hit him with a frozen fish and sent him flying over the table.”
4. Liz McDonald
image via www.radiotimes.com
Beverley Collard, who plays Liz McDonald, revealed that she has quite a famous admirer. Anthony Hopkins reportedly loves her character and told her “you’re so real”. The actor was in the studio to watch the filming of the soap. Beverley remembered: “I was in one Liz’s hideous skirts and he said to me, ‘Can I have a Polaroid taken with you in the Rovers?’ I was like, ‘I can’t believe this!'”
5. Florizel Street
image via www.digitalspy.co.uk
Coronation Street was not the original name of the show. It was initially set to be called Florizel Street, but Granada soon changed its mind when a cleaner commented the title sounded more like a disinfectant. Do you think it would have had the same level of success if the name was different?
6. The Most-Watched Episode
image via www.theguardian.com
What do you think was the most-watched episode of Coronation Street? Was it the epic tram crash? The time Rita’s husband got his comeuppance by being hit by a tram? Well, no. No trams were actually involved in the most watched episode of Corrie. So, what was it? It was when Hilda Odgen left Weatherfield on Christmas Day in 1987. It drew in an incredible 26.65 million viewers.
7. Corrie Wedding Dresses
image via coronationstreet.wikia.com
Most Coronation Street brides will receive two to three wedding dresses for a wedding scene, as they are filming for long amounts of time. Tina O’Brian, who plays Sarah Louise Platt, had a total of five wedding dresses to her wedding to Jason Grimshaw, as she had to tear it and have red wine poured onto the gown.
8. Hair & Makeup
image via www.digitalspy.co.uk
A lot of time and preparation goes into the making of Coronation Street, especially the hair and makeup. The beauty team go through an incredible 50 boxes of tissues, 15 cans of hairspray, 20 makeup wipes, 10 lipsticks, six eyeliners, six- eye shadows, five powders and four blushers in one month.
9. The Crazy Cat
image via www.thetimes.co.uk
Who can forget the cats that featured in the iconic Coronation Street titles. The show has always loved their feline friends, and the very first episode was supposed to open with a cat jumping out of a dustbin and walking to the corner shop. The cat, however, went missing before the live show, and was therefore replaced by two girls playing with a ball. What a diva!
10. The Longest-Serving Props
image via www.digitalspy.co.uk
We all know Ken Barlow is the longest serving cast member on Coronation Street, but what are the longest-serving props? Well, it turns out its the Barlows dining room table and the painting of a boy scout that’s called The Pathfinder, which has been hung in the Barlow hall since the beginning of the show. The has also been reproduced for postcards, as well a stained glass church windows.
Would you like to know more about some of Britain’s most loved TV shows? Check 10 Exceedingly Good Great British Bake Off Facts.
