Showbiz 5: Corrie, Recrudescence and Olivia Hussey

In the last newswrap of the year Penelope Teeth casts her views over recent entertainment news…

A disastrous performance in the Christmas Day ratings, a terrible plot to say goodbye to Gail (Helen Worth) following the unfounded allegations against Sean Wilson who had been due to return as Martin Platt and give the characters the farewell she deserved and the soap being more like The Bill than The Street has seen viewers fall out of love with Corrie in recent times.

And it seems not just those watching – the cast are restless too. Recently Sally Ann Matthews went on social media and noted the soap no longer has a budget to go on location, keeping everything confined to the ITV Studios in Salford. And this week The Sun reported that actors on the show ‘are set to be offered shorter contracts amid falling viewing figures and a financial squeeze. Cast members fear cash-strapped producers may guarantee contracts only until the end of 2025.’

The newspaper noted that cheaper younger cast are being used more, with some of the older characters on a reduced appearance schedule. Weatherfield-upon-Sun Hill still pulls in reasonable ratings, however appreciation on what is on offer isn’t overly pleasing to the long-term viewers of ITV1. It was noted in a comment this week, which sums it up perfectly, ‘EastEnders want to make a good programme for the viewers, Corrie just wants to look good with endless social plots and the viewers are an afterthought’.

Susie Dent’s 2024 Word of The Year is: Recrudescence according to an analysis of Britain’s most famous celebrity linguist Susie Dent’s social media. Countdown regular Dent has a massive X following of 1 million language fans to whom she shares her daily Word of The Day. Here are her top ten…

1.      Recrudescence (17th century): the return of something terrible after a time of reprieve. (6,4 million views)

2.      Respair (16th century): It means fresh hope, and a recovery from despair. One of too many lost positives we could do with bringing back. (937 000 views)

3.      Kuchisabishii (Japanese): boredom eating, or the making of frequent visits to the fridge in the hope of finding something new to munch on. Its literal translation is ‘lonely mouth’. (739 000 views)

4.      Struthious (18th century): prone to ignoring unwelcome facts and letting a situation worsen without any intervention.  From the Latin for ‘ostrich-like’. (636 000 views)

5.      Fudgel (18th century): to make a big show of working hard whilst actually doing very little. (585 000 views)

6.      Depooperit (18th-century Scots): exhausted and enfeebled both mentally and physically. (574 000 views)

7.      Constult (17th century): to act stupidly together. (533 000 views)

8.      Explaterate (19th century): to waffle on continuously as a means of avoiding a difficult question. (520 000 views)

9.      Absquatulize (19th century): to dismiss, send off, and put to flight. (510 000 views)

10.   Ultra-crepidate (19th century): to comment at length on a subject you know virtually nothing about. (495 000 views)

Research was conducted by word finding experts at Unscramblerer.com.

Former Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan – fondly remembered for accidentally flashing her tits in a bathtub snap back in 2013 – has excitedly announced that she is expecting her first child with telly reality regular Mark Wright.

The 37-year-olds were married in a lavish ceremony back in May 2015. The Mirror reports that ‘almost ten years on, they are now starting a family together as both their careers continue to soar – with Michelle managing to cleverly hide her growing baby bump over recent weeks.’

Mark is best-known for his long running stint on ITVBe’s The Only Way Is Essex while Michelle played Tina McIntyre in The Street from 2008 to 2014. Other roles have included parts in sitcom Plebs (ITV2), comedy drama Brassic (Sky Max), army drama Our Girl (BBC One) and thriller drama Fool Me Once (Netflix).

The couple announced their baby news on social media earlier today.

Actress Olivia Hussey who starred in ITC/ATV production Jesus of Nazareth as the Virgin Mary has died aged 73.

The daughter of Argentine tango singer Osdo Ribó Hussey was born in Buenos Aires spent most of her early life in her mother’s native England. She aspired to become an actress from a young age and studied drama for five years at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.

Hussey began acting professionally in her teenage years with her first major appearance in a 1966 London production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, opposite Vanessa Redgrave; this led to her being scouted for the role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Hussey garnered widespread acclaim and international recognition for her performance. In 1974, she starred as the lead character Jess Bradford in the cult slasher film Black Christmas. also played a role in the horror production Psycho IV: The Beginning.

Hussey reunited with Zeffirelli in the ITC/ATV for ITV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth in 1977 as Mary and appeared as Rosalie Otterbourne in John Guillermin’s Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile the following year. She appeared in several productions throughout the 1980s, including the Japanese production Virus (1980) and the Australian dystopian action film Turkey Shoot (1982). Olivia also worked as a voice actress, providing roles Star Wars video games such as Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998), Star Wars: Force Commander (2000) and Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011).

 Her awards included a Golden Globe Award and a David di Donatello Award.

Hussey died on December 27th, at the age of 73, following a months of reported ill-health from what was believed to be breast cancer. Her Romeo and Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting released a statement: “Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever”.

Jesus of Nazareth with Olivia Hussey as the Virgin Mary. ITC/ATV/ITV 1977

From everyone and I at ATV Today we’d like to thank you for popping in across 2024 and we hope to have your company in 2025 – and may it be a very happy new year.

The views expressed are of Penelope Teeth and not ATV Today. Penelope Teeth, Judi Dentures and Joanna Gumley are ATV’s exclusive showbiz drag queens with bite.