Coronation Street's Bailey family is set to expand as bosses shared details of the latest arrival in Weatherfield. Aggie, Ed, and their two sons Michael and James arrived on the street back in 2019. They were then followed by Ed's brother, Ronnie Bailey, early last year.
But later this month viewers of the ITV soap will finally get to meet the much-talked-about Dee Dee Bailey, Ed (Trevor Michael Georges) and Aggie's (Lorna Laidlaw), daughter, who has never been seen, with newcomer Channique Sterling-Brown cast in the role
"I love this character. I loved her long before she physically existed, just by the way she was described in the Bailey family," Corrie's producer Iain MacLeod told the Manchester Evening News and other media during a preview of what's to come this autmn. "But essentially, you can expect a certain amount of chaos.
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"She's got an incredibly big heart. She's incredibly competent at her job, but you'd never guess that to meet her. Dee Dee works in law and she's the sort of person that will issue a point-on-point takedown of a team of hotshot lawyers to defend her client but will then turn to leave the courtroom and you'll realise that she's done the whole thing with her skirt tucked into her knickers."
He added: "She's just amped up chaos in every regard, apart from she’s got this incredibly sharp mind. But she's loads of fun." Iain also promised that Dee Dee will be involved in a major storyline, but not one involving a shock secret from her own past. "Whenever you introduce a new character, it's the default setting to go, 'And what is her dark secret that she's concealing when she arrives?' Ordinarily, that serves you very well," he said.
"But actually, with this character we thought, 'Well, I don't know if I want her to have one'. She's so exuberant and just seems so bulletproof and impervious to the travails of modern life that she dusts herself down and gets on with it. I didn't want to discover that she's got some terrible burden.
"Actually, it was really refreshing when we all came to that decision, which was, 'Let's not do that'. Instead it's, 'Oh yeah. She can just be incredibly joyous.'"
When discussing casting Channique in the role of Dee Dee, Iain praised the actress for her "energy" and "vibrance". He added: "I'm really, really excited to see her crash land into that family."
The arrival of Dee Dee will also come after a health scare for brother James. In scenes to air this week, footballer James will be seen stepping in for Tim Metcalfe at the Rovers Return versus Flying Horse football match. Weatherfield County player James is tasked with helping out at the charity game and puts the Rovers team through their paces. But as Dev Alahan gives a pre-match pep talk, Tim thinks he's making a dig at his impotence.
Accusing Peter of betraying his confidence he storms out. Left with little choice, James agrees to step in. As Tim opens up to Aggie Bailey, the match kicks off. The Flying Horse take the lead but with only minutes remaining, James gives the game his all, putting the Rovers in front. But suddenly he collapses and his dad Ed rushes across the pitch frantically calling an ambulance as eldest son Michael performs CPR.
In hospital James is told he has a condition called cardiomyopathy and will be fitted with a device to prevent further cardiac arrests. As James is wheeled away to theatre, Aggie breaks down.
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