A face who may be familiar to some Mancunians is joining the cast of Coronation Street, and will play a role in what is being described as a “shocking storyline”.
The longest-running British soap – which is set in the fictional Manchester town of Weatherfield and has been on our screens for an impressive sixty years – has signed up a former Greater Manchester Police officer-turned actor to appear in some significant scenes this week.
We’ve all heard of life imitating art, but for Oldham-born Daniel Jillings, it’s a case of art imitating life as he takes on the role of PC Brody in Corrie.
He may have been a police officer earlier in his career, but Daniel has been making a name for himself in the world of acting for quite a few years now, and is known for his role as Mick Cooper in the World War Two film Enemy Lines, opposite Ed Westwick and John Hannah, as well as also having appeared in Hollyoaks as Billy Parker, and Doctors and Casualty.
Surprisingly though, assuming the new role of PC Brody won’t actually be the first time Daniel has appeared on Corrie, and it’s also not his first time playing the role of a police officer.
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He also played the role of PC Ashcroft on the ITV soap back in 2012 too.
Away from his television career, Daniel also co-founded the children’s bereavement charity Once Upon a Smile in 2011 with Emmerdale star Danny Miller, and in 2019, the charity opened Manchester’s first dedicated children’s bereavement centre, Sidley House.
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But what can we expect from Daniel’s new Corrie character? And what do we know about the so-called “shocking storyline” he’s set to be a part of?
As some fans may be aware of, it has already been revealed that characters Michael and James Bailey will become victims of an unprovoked racist attack, and viewers will see the siblings test drive a sports car after James is offered £30,000 for his interview after publicly coming out.
A police car then pulls them over and when James questions the officer as to why, the officer arrests James for obstruction and handcuffs him.
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James then trips and injures his leg just as Craig Tinker come rounds the corner to see him in agony.
It’s a case of art imitating life as Daniel Jillings takes on the role of PC Brody / Credit: Twitter (@DJillings) / ITV
Michael’s convinced that they’re victims of an unprovoked racist attack and tries to convince James to make a complaint, yet he refuses – but the pair are then shocked to discover that someone filmed their arrest and posted the video online, leading to James accepting that they should make a formal complaint to the police.
We then see more of PC Brody when he confides in Craig that James and Michael have lodged a formal complaint about the arrest and accused him of racism, and later in the week, PC Brody sidles up to Craig and asks him not to mention the fact that he thought James’s driving was fine and didn’t warrant being pulled over.
But what will Craig do? Viewers will have to keep their eyes peeled as episodes featuring the new storyline begin tonight at 7:30pm.
Featured Image – ITV
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
26th July 2021 
