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Coronation Street reveals first look at new actor cast to play Todd Grimshaw

Welsh actor Gareth Pierce will be taking over the role of Todd Grimshaw in the autumn.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th August 2020
ITV / Coronation Street

ITV and Coronation Street has offered fans the first look at the new actor set to play Todd Grimshaw following the recasting of the character.

The character of Todd Grimshaw, son of long-standing character Eileen Grimshaw, has not appeared on the street’s famous cobbles since actor Bruno Langley was axed from the show back in 2017 following sexual assault convictions.

Welsh actor Gareth Pierce – who may be familiar to viewers of Ruth Jones’ Sky One sitcom Stella, as well as appearing on radio stalwart The Archers – will be taking over the role of Todd Grimshaw.

Speaking on his casting to the popular soap, Gareth Pierce said: “I’m thrilled to be joining such an iconic show, and to have been entrusted with taking Todd forward into some really exciting storylines. It’s an honour to be part of the dedicated Coronation Street team in such unprecedented times.”

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ITV / Coronation Street

Pierce will be making his first on-screen appearance in autumn, but the soap is apparently intending to “sow the seeds” for Todd’s return before this date however.

Following the sacking of Bruno Langley, viewers were told that Todd had “gone on the run” after assaulting a police officer, and the character’s return is set to see him still in trouble.

It’s said that a letter will arrive in the post from the Grimshaws’ ex solicitor asking for money as early as next week, and with Eileen away in Thailand visiting her other son Jason, the letter is opened by Mary and Sean who break the news to Todd’s former partner Vicar Billy Mayhew.

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The trio will then embark on a manhunt to try and track him down.

Coronation Street currently airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at 7.30pm on ITV.

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Army ‘on standby’ as UK prepares for more postal, rail, lecturer and nurses strikes in December

Danny Jones Danny Jones December strikes army to help NHS industrial action

The armed forces are said to be “on standby” to help fill various roles ahead of a new raft of strikes across health, education and postal sectors this month.

Royal Mail workers, university lecturers and sixth-form college staff are committed to walking out over pay disputes on Wednesday, 30 November as various organised strikes persist across the country.

Countless employees from various industries who feel they are underappreciated and underpaid are set to join the ongoing rail strikes, as well as the thousands of nurses expected to follow suit on the picket line throughout December.

Now, as per the interim chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery, given the strikes’ proximity to Christmas, roping in the British military now seems likely. Dr Emma Runswick of the British Medical Association said there is there a simple way to put an end to mass industrial action: pay people fairly.

Speaking to Sky News on Thursday morning, Cordery confirmed that while the army is waiting in the wings to help fill relevant NHS roles, “the reality is if the army or other armed forces step in it will very much be at the margins rather than going out and driving ambulances”.

It remains unclear whether army personnel will be needed to combat the impending labour shortage across other industries. Regardless, the Communication Workers Union are going ahead will a series of strikes in December.

Having formally called on Royal Mail employees to join the national demonstrations for strike action on the following days:

  • Friday, 9 December
  • Sunday, 11 December
  • Wednesday, 14 December
  • Thursday, 15 December
  • Friday, 23 December
  • Saturday, 24 December

As for rail workers, RMT Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey shared a similar sentiment, assuring that while the train drivers and the transport sector, in general, are standing firm, negotiations with Network Rail and other operators continue this week.

In addition to RMT members across 14 rail companies striking on 13-14 and 16-17 December, as well as 3-4 and 6-7 January, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said that staff working onboard and station roles will take action against Avanti West Coast on 13, 14, 16 and 17 December.

On top of the cost of living and energy crises, Christmas 2022 looks set to be a difficult one.

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Meanwhile, the National Education Union (NEU) which represents 77 sixth-form colleges in England are also striking over pay, stating that in real terms, teachers have suffered a pay cut of around 20% since 2010.

Furthermore, the University and College Union (UCU) already held a 48-hour strike last week and is now set to hold another 24-hour walkout among university staff. As well as organising a large rally in London, union members across at least 150 different institutions will be joining the December strikes.

It’s going to be an interesting end to the year and it remains to be seen what, if any measures the government will take to curb what has been described as the greatest period of industrial action since the 1980s.

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Featured Image — Communication Workers Union/Royal College of Nursing/Wikimedia Commons

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An MP took the mick out of Harry Maguire in Ghanaian parliament and we can’t get over it

Danny Jones Danny Jones MP mocking Harry Maguire in Ghanaian parliament

Hello and welcome to another edition of ‘Headlines We Never Thought We’d Write’. In this week’s episode, a Ghanaian MP mocked Harry Maguire in the middle of parliament and we want answers.

Now, if you’re coming here looking for answers as to exactly why a random politician all the way over on the other side of the world, of all people, chose to mock Harry Maguire in Ghanaian parliament, we’ll stop you right there: we’re just as confused as you are.

That being said, let’s go on this journey together.

Here is Ghana’s Isaac Adongo, MP for the Bolgatanag Central, going in on the Sheffield-born United defender as a way of digging out the opposition:

As you can see in the rather surreal two-and-a-half-minute clip, Adongo is taking aim at the government’s Vice President and Head of the Economic Management Team, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, when he decides to use the 29-year-old centre-back as a simile.

The MP explains that despite being perceived as one of the best defenders in the league when the club signed him, he went on to become “the biggest threat at the centre of Man United‘s defence”. Ouch.

Adongo goes on to add that Maguire was “tackling Manchester United players and giving assists to [his] opponents”, joking that even if they missed “he would score for them” and dubbing Bawumia the “economic Maguire” for scoring own goals against his own nation. Deary me.

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To make things even more damning, the reaction from his peers says it all, as one by one they erupt in laughter and one MP is even compelled to get off his seat and walk away in sheer amusement.

We have no idea why, of all the analogies in the world the politician, chose to involve Harry Maguire’s misfortune at Man United, but the undeniably funny clip has left thousands online in tears.

Regardless of the fact the England international is currently doing the business in the 2022 World Cup thus far, it’s fair to say he’s had enough stick in recent years.

It feels as good a time as any to dig this one out:

Luke Shaw says Harry Maguire has had ‘more stick than I’ve ever seen in football’

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — JoyNews (via YouTube)

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