Savident criticises young Corrie stars

Former Coronation Street star John Savident has criticised the show's young stars, accusing them of using "soap acting shortcuts" when on set.

The 70-year-old, who played Fred Elliot on the ITV1 show for 12 years, also said that some young actors "don't seem to bother" being creative with their performances.

"Don't misunderstand me, there are some fine actors in Coronation Street, as there always have been, but I do worry about some of the younger ones," he told The Daily Record.

"They arrive full of good intentions, but you see their performances deteriorate. They'll have come from some youth drama group and, gradually, you will start seeing them use soap acting shortcuts.

"The shoulder shrugging, the nose twitching and the head shaking to indicate emotions which they could be showing in far more subtle and carefully thought out ways.

"My great friend Steven Arnold, who plays Ashley, and I used to rehearse our scenes, turn things upside down and make them more interesting, but a lot of them don't seem to bother."