Soaps
'Coronation Street' stars Bill Roache, Michelle Keegan dig in at soap's new home: Picture
Published Tuesday, Sep 6 2011, 17:00 BST | By Daniel Kilkelly | 13 comments
Coronation Street stars Bill Roache and Michelle Keegan today donned hard hats and picked up spades to "break the ground" at the soap's future new home.
The pair, who play Weatherfield's Ken Barlow and Tina McIntyre, visited the 7.7 acre site which will become a standalone production and studio centre for Coronation Street from 2013.
Joined by representatives from the Coronation Street production team, ITV senior management, project partners and local councillors, Roache and Keegan made the trip to mark the imminent launch of building work on the site.
Pictured: Bill Roache and Michelle Keegan "break the ground" at Coronation Street's new site.
Speaking of the forthcoming move to MediaCityUK, Roache commented: "It's over 50 years since I first walked on to a Coronation Street set and now I'm here with Michelle, starting the build of our new home - the one that will take us well into this century, and it feels fantastic."
ITV Studios' managing director Kevin Lygo added: "Our move to MediaCityUK is an historic one that will continue our commitment to the North, ensuring our longevity as the major programme maker in the region and make us a crucial part of Europe's biggest media population. It is a very exciting time."
Building on the new site is expected to continue until spring 2013. Coronation Street's production will then relocate from central Manchester to the new base.
ITV first announced its plans to move Coronation Street back in December 2010.
> Read more Coronation Street news and spoilers
The pair, who play Weatherfield's Ken Barlow and Tina McIntyre, visited the 7.7 acre site which will become a standalone production and studio centre for Coronation Street from 2013.
Joined by representatives from the Coronation Street production team, ITV senior management, project partners and local councillors, Roache and Keegan made the trip to mark the imminent launch of building work on the site.
Pictured: Bill Roache and Michelle Keegan "break the ground" at Coronation Street's new site.
Speaking of the forthcoming move to MediaCityUK, Roache commented: "It's over 50 years since I first walked on to a Coronation Street set and now I'm here with Michelle, starting the build of our new home - the one that will take us well into this century, and it feels fantastic."
ITV Studios' managing director Kevin Lygo added: "Our move to MediaCityUK is an historic one that will continue our commitment to the North, ensuring our longevity as the major programme maker in the region and make us a crucial part of Europe's biggest media population. It is a very exciting time."
Building on the new site is expected to continue until spring 2013. Coronation Street's production will then relocate from central Manchester to the new base.
ITV first announced its plans to move Coronation Street back in December 2010.
> Read more Coronation Street news and spoilers
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