Denise Welch, the Loose Women star, 63, has seen odds on her returning to Corrie slashed to 13/8 after a crossover episode was announced
The odds of Denise Welch making a return to Coronation Street have dramatically dropped, following a 25-year hiatus.
The Loose Women presenter is now at 13/8 odds to tread the cobbles again, a shift that coincides with ITV‘s announcement of a special crossover episode between its two soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Fans on social media are buzzing with speculation about which beloved characters might make a comeback, but ITV has remained mum on who will feature in the episode.
It’s believed that one character – possibly from the past or present – from each soap will come face to face. While Carla Connor from Corrie and Charity Dingle from Emmerdale are currently the favourites (11/8) for this encounter, odds suggest that Denise’s character Natalie Barnes could be a contender.
READ MORE: P Diddy’s sick ‘freak off texts’ to ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura shown in courtREAD MORE: Liam Gallagher to become grandad as daughter, 27, shares baby news with Liverpool FC star
However, the potential meeting between Carla and Kim Tate (Claire King) is also a possibility, with odds placed at 2/1. Could there be a business deal brewing between Yorkshire and Manchester?
It appears that the cobbles might see the return of Loose Women star Denise Welch (13/8) for this crossover event, reports the Mirror. Denise portrayed Natalie in Corrie from 1997 to 2000, and made a cameo in Emmerdale as a juror named Heidi late last year.
James Leyfield, Entertainment expert at Gambling.com, suggests another popular pairing could see Corrie’s Kirk Sutherland (Andy Whyment) and Dales legend Sam Dingle (James Hooton) team up, with odds of 6/4 for them to meet, according to the Daily Record.
Denise is also recognised for her portrayal of Alison Slater in EastEnders back in 2016, and as Steph Haydock in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road, a role she’s set to reprise this year in a reboot.
ITV bosses have yet to disclose how viewers will vote for their preferred pairings from each soap to interact in the crossover episode. One of the most eagerly awaited duos from Corrie and Emmerdale is Carla Connor, played by Alison King, and Charity Dingle, portrayed by Emma Atkins.
It would be a charming tribute to soap history if Ken Barlow, brought to life by Bill Roache, were to share a scene with Emmerdale veteran Eric Pollard, played by Chris Chittell. The odds are 5/2 for this duo to team up, but it’s almost as likely that villains from Corrie and Emmerdale will share a scene.
Gary Windass, played by Mikey North, and Cain Dingle, portrayed by Jeff Hordley, have odds of 3/1 to meet.
Steve and Jai have odds of 6/1 to cross paths in the crossover episode, and a similar scenario could occur between Corrie’s Nick Tilsley, played by Ben Price, and Dales matriarch Kim Tate. Claire and Ben had an on-screen romance on the cobbles when their characters Erica Holroyd and Nick got together.
The odds are 8/1 that they’ll reunite from separate soaps in the special episode.
Natalie Anderson’s fresh Coronation Street character, Danielle Silverton, has been given odds of 10/1 to cross paths with Emmerdale’s Jacob Gallagher, portrayed by Joe Warren-Plant. This comes after Natalie previously played the role of Alicia Gallagher, Jacob’s mother, in the Dales.
