Coronation Street favourite will make a sensational return to the show as new Rovers Return landlord… as ITV strike back after EastEnders reinstated Kat Slater and Alfie Moon at the Queen Vic

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To maintain the prominence of Coronation Street‘s iconic pub, its producers have made strategic changes in response to the return of Kat and Alfie Moon to EastEnders’ Vic Pub.

To maintain the interest of Coronation Street’s soap opera viewers, they have reintroduced Catherine Tyldesley, aged 41, (previously known as Eva Price), as the new alluring proprietor of the Rovers Return.

Instead of handling the drinking demands of Weatherfield all by herself, she’ll have some company, with Aaron McCusker, aged 46, joining her as her new on-screen husband to assist in the task.

A source informed The Sun, “Producers of Coronation Street weren’t about to accept EastEnders’ move to bring back Kat and Alfie at The Vic without a fight.

They carefully selected an appropriate actor to portray Eva’s husband, while she re-joins Corrie as the manager of the Rovers Return Inn.

When Aaron entered and joined forces with Catherine, it became clear to the management that they had found an ideal duo to manage the beloved pub featured in the soap.

The source remarked that their interaction sparkles with energy, implying Aaron exudes his captivating Irish allure at the pub while they both showcase a radiant aura of happiness and being deeply in love.

Although Aaron may come across as friendly, much like the Irish, it’s important to note that he should not be underestimated or taken lightly.

They added: ‘It’s the start of an exciting new chapter in the pub’s history.’ 

If you’re wondering, Cath departed from the show in 2018 to explore different acting roles, and it seems that producers have been attempting to persuade her to come back for quite some time now.

Although Aaron may be relatively unfamiliar with the cobblestones, viewers might recall him from the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, where he portrayed Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury’s partner.

The actor also made a name for himself in Shameless as Jamie Maguire. 

The news about the latest modification on the cobblestones surfaces following the announcement that the program experienced an unprecedented number of viewers since implementing a single recent adjustment.

The transition occurred in October 2024; starting that day, the daily broadcast of the long-standing series could be watched on ITVX, beginning at 7am.

This arrangement allowed soap viewers to pick between starting their viewing earlier or catching their favorite soaps at a more convenient time for them.

Following in the footsteps of BBC’s EastEnders, who made a transition to iPlayer some years back, my commitment led me to contemplate and eventually adopt a comparable choice.

After the change, both Corrie and Emmerdale, along with others who underwent the same shift, experienced a remarkable peak of 124 million streaming events during the first quarter of 2025.

This meant that there have been an impressive one billion streams on ITVX so far this year.

To help you understand the situation better, soap viewership has risen by 35% compared to the same period last year.

Over the last two years, ITV’s Media and Entertainment Managing Director, Kevin Lygo, has completely revamped our streaming service into ITVX.

Our teams, along with top-tier industry producers, collectively contributed to these outstanding results. We did so by creating, marketing, and distributing exceptional content for streaming audiences.

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2025-08-04 22:18