Estelle Harrington will make a spontaneous comeback to Coronation Street with Ruthie Henshall reprising the role one year after her last appearance.

The West End star, who has appeared in a plethora of productions in the likes of Crazy for You, Les Misérables and Chicago, made her debut in the ITV program in April, 2023, rocking up with an opportunity for Jodie Prenger’s Glenda Shuttleworth, with whom Estelle shares a long friendship after the pair met during a job on a cruise ship.

When she announced she was the co-owner of performing arts company Little Big Shotz, Glenda was keen to invest in the studio but when she learned she lacked the funds necessary, the Rovers barmaid turned to her brother, George (portrayed by Tony Maudsley), who lent her the money behind his partner Eileen Grimshaw’s back.

The siblings are known to share a close bond, fighting each other’s corners when times are tough but could Estelle drive a wedge between them?

While this remains to be seen, Ruthie looked back on her stint in Corrie last year and made it clear she was keen to return. “After the experience I’ve just had, yes I would [play Estelle again]”, she’d said. “I loved doing something different every day – it’s great for a girl whose attention span is not great.2

“In theatre I’ll rehearse a show for a month then I’m saying the same words eight shows a week. That is a kind of discipline – but in a soap it’s full-on if you’re in a developing storyline. The turnover is so fast”, Ruthie continued. She had then admitted she wanted her on-screen alter ego to undergo an ordeal of her own on the cobbles: “I want her marriage to break down, for her to get a love interest and cause a bit of trouble.”