Nothing’s truly hidden forever with the internet around.
This is something often said in the case of old pictures and videos having been dug up from the depths of recent history to be brought to the attentions of the masses on social media, and next up on this ever-growing list of retro videos to resurface right when you’d least expect them to is a mid-00s workout routine by one of the cobbles’ most iconic characters.
Shall we cut to the chase?
Today, we found out that Janice Battersby – the long-standing Coronation Street character played by Accrington-born actress Vicky Entwistle between 1997-2011 – has a fitness DVD, and honestly, it’s the perfect way to cheer you up on this dreary Tuesday.
Now, perhaps this title hasn’t come as a shock to you at all.
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Maybe it was firmly on your radar, regardless of whether you’ve given it a try out for size or not – especially if you’re familiar with the extensive collection of fitness videos released by British soap stars over the years – but it certainly took us by surprise when we stumbled across it on social media, and we know we’re not the only ones to be in the dark about its existence.
For those as unfamiliar as us, Vicky Entwistle’s Weight Off Workout was first released in 2006, and according to the synopsis, “demonstrates how she lost two and a half stone”.
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The over one hour-long video features Entwistle herself, along with her trainer Richard Callender – who specialises in quick re-shaping.
The synopsis reads: “Vicky Entwistle tells of her delight in losing two and a half stone, ten inches off her waistline and going from a 16 to a 6 in no time flat. In an easy-to-follow routine that doesn’t require ballerina dexterity and takes very little time out of your day, Entwistle takes you from flab to fab in four easy portions, [with a] ten minute warm up, twenty minute fat burner, ten minute toner and ten minutes of the patented belly-shrinker.”
Basically, it sounds pretty similar to a lot of other celebrity-lead workouts on the market, but just with one of the Manchester soap’s most beloved characters.
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It’s got some absolutely glowing reviews too, with many calling it “brilliant” and “the best workout DVD ever”, as well as one mum who admitted that she had “been doing this video for the past 10 years” to get back in shape after each of her three pregnancies.
So, even though there’s no denying it looks a little dated after well over a decade, it still must do the trick.
If you do actually fancy getting into shape with Vicky’s help though, you can still get your hands on a DVD copy of Vicky Entwistle’s Weight Off Workout from just £1.04on Amazon here.
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Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Emily Sergeant -
26th January 2021 
