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Coronation Street bosses have taken action to ensure the show’s infamous pub isn’t outshone by EastEnders’ reinstatement of Kat and Alfie Moon at the Vic.
In a bid to ensure that soap fans’ eyes are also on the Rovers Return, they have brought back Catherine Tyldesley, 41, (AKA Eva Price) as the pub’s new sexy landlady.
She will not be alone in catering to the drinking needs of Weatherfield and will be joined by Aaron McCusker, 46, who will play her new husband.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Corrie bosses were never going to take EastEnders’ shrewd decision to reinstate Kat and Alfie at the Vic lying down.
‘So they took their time looking for the perfect actor to play her husband to Eva as she makes her return to Corrie as the new boss of the Rovers.
‘When Aaron walked in, and once paired with Catherine, bosses knew they had the perfect partnership to run the soap’s iconic pub.’
In a bid to ensure that soap fans’ eyes are also on the Rovers Return, Coronation Street bosses have brought back Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price) as the pub’s new landlady
Coronation Street bosses have taken action to ensure the show’s infamous pub isn’t outshone by EastEnders’ reinstatement of Kat and Alfie Moon at the Vic (portrayed by Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie)
Describing the pair’s chemistry as ‘electric’, the insider noted that Aaron will bring his Irish charm to the pub as the pair put on a ‘happy and loved-up’ display.
However, despite having all the friendliness associated with the Irish, the insider stressed that Aaron is not a character to be messed with.
They added: ‘It’s the start of an exciting new chapter in the pub’s history.’
In case your memory needs refreshing, Cath left the show back in 2018 to pursue other acting opportunities and bosses have reportedly been trying to convince her to return for years.
While Aaron is a newbie to the cobbles, fans might recognise him from the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, where he played Freddie Mercury’s partner, Jim Hutton.
The actor also made a name for himself in Shameless as Jamie Maguire.
News of the latest change on the cobblestones comes after it was announced that the show had been pulling in record viewers after making one recent change.
The change took place in October 2024, when the long-running show became available to view on ITVX from 7am on the day of broadcast.
Cath (pictured in 2017) left Coronation Street back in 2018 and reporters have reportedly been trying to convince her to return for years
While Aaron is a newbie to the cobbles, fans might recognise him from the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, where he played Freddie Mercury’s partner, Jim Hutton
Describing the pair’s chemistry as ‘electric’, the insider noted that Aaron will bring his Irish charm to the pub as the pair put on a ‘happy and loved-up’ display
This meant that soap fans could either chose to tune in early or watch their favourite soaps at a time that better suits them.
The decision to make the change came after BBC soap East Enders made a similar switch to iPlayer a few years ago.
Following the change, both Corrie and Emmerdale, which also made the switch, have enjoyed a record 124 million streams in 2025’s first quarter.
This meant that there have been an impressive one billion streams on ITVX so far this year.
To put the change into context, compared to this time last year, soap viewing has increased by 35 percent.
ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo said: ‘We have totally transformed our streaming offer with ITVX over the past couple of years.
‘All our teams internally, alongside the best producers in the business, have helped deliver these brilliant numbers, by producing, promoting and delivering this fantastic content to audiences to stream.’
