CORONATION Street fans have worked out where they’ve seen newcomer James Cartwright before – as three hunky new stars join the soap.
The ITV soap is bringing in a trio of new characters to shake up the cobbles in a series of explosive storylines.
A trio of new stars are coming to Weatherfield[/caption]
Fans have recognised one of them from a past role[/caption]
James Cartwright starred in a classic CBBC show[/caption]
Among them is actor James Cartwright, who will be playing Theo Silverton.
Before he’s even stepped foot on the cobbles, viewers have realised they recognise James from a past role.
He played care worker Nathan Jones in iconic CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker.
A fan penned on X: “Buzzing to see James Cartwright from The Story of Tracy Beaker head to Weatherfield.”
Nathan was introduced as a trainee care worker, but became fully qualified later on.
Meanwhile, Theo is a scaffolder who is set to cause tension in Weatherfield.
He gets on the wrong side of both Julie (Katy Cavanagh) and George (Tony Maudsley).
However, Todd (Gareth Pierce) helps him to patch things up with the locals.
Addressing his new character, James said: “I think Theo is a good guy, he comes in with the best of intentions, as most people do, but he may upset some people with his behaviour.”
The actor also gave an insight into his Corrie alter-ego’s antics.
He revealed: “I had a line the other day where I said ‘I think I left my trousers in the bedroom’ so make of that what you will.”
Announced alongside James is actor Jonathan Howard, who will be taking on the role of Carl Webster.
Carl is the younger half-brother to Kevin (Michael Le Vell) and Debbie (Sue Devaney) – who has yet to appear on the cobbles.
Jonathan said of his new role: “He comes into Weatherfield to ostensibly be with his brother because he’s found out he’s got cancer but then we’ll discover Carl’s got some money issues back in Germany where he’s been living.
“I don’t think Carl is going to be too bad but I don’t think he’s going to be good either, I think his heart is in the right place but he might be holding on to some resentment towards his brother because he’s left him to be on his own his whole life.”
Rounding out the new arrivals is Jason Callender, who is taking over the role of James Bailey.
The character was previously played by Nathan Graham from 2019 to 2022.
History of the Coronation Street set
By Jake Penkethman, TV Reporter
1960-1968 – Whilst the Coronation Street set remained on Quay Street for 53 years, it actually had three separate studio sites. The first was an entirely indoor wooden set which was used for the first eight years of filming. This encompassed a replica of the Street built entirely indoors. The set was known to be awkward for actors to use and the houses brought to three quarter scale.
1968-1982 – In 1968, the addition of an outdoor set was created to adjoin the existing indoor set which was still used for filming right up until 1982. The set was used only when required with many of the show’s cast reportedly hating it and describing it as ‘the coldest place on Earth’.
1982-2013 – A brand new set was officially constructed in 1982 and was almost built fully to scale but still only permitted for one car to drive down the cobbled street. The house were purpose-built using reclaimed Salford brick in order to give it the most authentic feel possible. During these years, some of the show’s buildings were adapted to allow for both interior and exterior filming at the same time. These locations included Elliott’s Butchers, Barlow’s Buys, Prima Doner and Webster’s Autos. The final scenes to be recorded on this site occurred in December 2013. By early 2014, it began operating as a tourist attraction for around two years before ultimately being demolished and re-purposed in 2017.
2014-present – In early 2014, the show’s set moved to the TV hub of the North – MediaCityUK in nearby Salford Quays. It is now located a stone’s throw from major TV studio Dock 10 as well as the BBC’s base in the North – home to Blue Peter, Newsround, BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport. The new set was even bigger and built to 9/10 the scale of a real street and allowed for two card to be travelling down the road at opposite sides for the very first time. The site has even undergone major expansions during its 10 years. Just four years after opening in 2018, a brand new set extension was unveiled which introduced viewers to Victoria Gardens for the first time in its history. The Weatherfield North tram stop also became visible as did a series of shops which became used as part of product placement advertising deals. Brands to have been seen on the Street so far include a Co-Op, a Costa Coffee and a branch of Hay’s Travel. Four years later in 2022, another brand new set was unveiled, this time being the heavily mentioned Weatherfield Precinct. It became the first time in 62 years that the area had ever been seen on screens. It fearued a variety of shop fronts, a playground and a number of small flats which have begun to house more and more residents on the street in recent months.
Speaking about the opportunity, Jason said: “I’m still waiting for it to sink in, I was completely speechless when I got told.
“You’re stepping into something that’s so iconic, Britain’s longest running TV show.
“Growing up it was always on in the background, my family absolutely love it, my nan is 93 years old and she still religiously watches it, so it’s amazing for me to be part of something that she loves and hopefully I can make her smile.”
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
He appeared in series two and three of The Story of Tracy Beaker[/caption]
What drama will Theo cause on the cobbles?[/caption]
