Tonight’s episode of Coronation Avenue is EXPLOSIVE. Right here star Pauline McLynn, who performs Maggie Driscoll, spills secrets and techniques from the set – and tells of enjoying an “previous crone” on Father Ted in her 20s

Corrie followers gasped in horror as they noticed The Rovers’ landlady Maggie Driscoll watch her husband tumble down the steps to his loss of life moments after having a blazing row. However actress Pauline McLynn – greatest identified for taking part in housekeeper Mrs Doyle in Father Ted – doesn’t care if the flashback scenes make her a hate determine with followers. “Even when individuals suppose there’s horrible villainy afoot, all of us love a villain, don’t we?” she causes. “One of the engaging characters in the entire of leisure is Hannibal Lecter. Simply saying!

“I’m not suggesting that Maggie Driscoll is the Hannibal Lecter of Coronation Avenue – not so far as I do know to this point, she isn’t. However I wouldn’t be afraid of that. So long as the viewers is entertained by what she’s as much as, I don’t thoughts whether or not they like her or not, so long as they wish to know what occurs subsequent.”

The dramatic scenes in tonight’s episode present Maggie making an attempt to slap her husband Alan throughout the face throughout a row. When tempers flared once more over an affair she had, she tried to cease Alan pushing previous her and he plummeted down the steps. Unaware of the plot when she took the function, Pauline – who believes Alan’s loss of life was an accident – says: “All I knew was that at some stage the rug can be pulled out from below everybody’s notion of who Maggie is, however I didn’t count on it to be this!

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“I did speak to Kate Ford, who performs Tracy Barlow, about it. “I stated ‘there’s a flashback for me and there’s a little bit of pushing on the prime of the steps and any person falls down them and dies.’ She stated ‘yeah, properly, I’ve killed 3 times and you recognize what? You simply must get on with issues.’ In order that’s the place I’m!”

Irish-born Pauline arrived on the cobbles in October because the mum of latest landlord Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) and the mother-in-law of Eva Worth (Catherine Tyldesley). In addition to Father Ted, her TV credit embrace the 2023 Channel 5 drama The Inheritance, the Daybreak French and Jennifer Saunders sitcom Jam & Jerusalem and EastEnders,the place she spent a yr as Nick Cotton’s ex-wife Yvonne.

Enjoying 65-year-old Maggie is the primary time Pauline, 63, has performed somebody near her personal age. “I typically play previous crones and have achieved since simply after I left faculty in 1983,” she says. “I used to be all the time very helpful because the older girl, so it’s been my life. Once I performed Mrs Doyle, I used to be heading for 30 and he or she was anyplace between 50 and 100! In actual fact, they initially wouldn’t see me for the half as a result of I used to be too younger. However, ultimately, they hadn’t discovered a Mrs Doyle and I used to be within the final sweepings of folks that they noticed. However now I’m practically the best age for every thing.”

Synchronising Maggie’s sixty fifth birthday with Coronation Avenue’s sixty fifth anniversary final evening, Maggie’s flashback scenes had been screened as household and buddies gathered to have a good time along with her. Tensions between her and Eva additionally rose, with Maggie undermining her daughter-in-law within the bar – accusing her of harbouring emotions for her former fiancé Adam Barlow. And Pauline warns that Christmas Day shall be much more explosive, as turns arch manipulator in a bid to separate up Eva and her son.

“There’s an terrible lot of unhealthy behaviour at Christmas,” she warns. “She goes all out to upset as many individuals as doable in her personal inimitable type. Everyone knows she will be cranky, ferocious and fiercely loyal to her household, however I feel that individuals might go ‘oh you’ve gone too far Maggie.’ She accuses individuals of issues – whether or not they’re true or not. I’ll depart the viewers to resolve. She’s all the time testing the boundaries of what she will get away with.”

Whereas Maggie is intent on inflicting hassle, Pauline’s personal Christmas shall be altogether calmer. She says: “I’ll be with my husband’s household in Dublin, together with his 94 year-old father. And I feel we’ll all sit round and watch Coronation Avenue, which shall be incredible.” Though Pauline admits she is extra like The Grinch than a Christmas fairy. “With my on-screen Christmas and my very own with my household, I’ll have had two Christmases by the tip of the yr and I’m not even that a lot of a fan of Christmas!” she laughs. “I feel it’s an terrible lot of fuss for little or no.

“I’ve purchased myself a load of Grinch stuff to put on. I bought a fantastic Grinch sweatshirt on sale in Tesco final yr. It’s meant for a 14 year-old boy I feel, however I can squeeze into it. And I simply level to it throughout Christmas if individuals come at me. This yr I’ve purchased a hat to go along with it, so I’m absolutely decked within the Grinch outfit. However as a lot as I’m not a fan of Christmas, I hate the New 12 months much more. There’s all the time any person lacking. So, on New 12 months’s Eve, I’m doing the ‘in memoriam’ part for individuals I’ve misplaced. I discover it a really unhappy time of yr, so I favor to skip the New 12 months’s events.”

Pauline is married to Irish expertise agent-turned producer Richard Prepare dinner. He’s based mostly in Dublin, whereas Pauline is now in Manchester, since becoming a member of Corrie. “He watches Coronation Avenue, principally once we’re collectively, which isn’t too typically today!” she smiles. “He has his work and I’ve mine and we’re in two completely different nations because it seems. However he’s extremely supportive. I’m most likely my worst critic. He’s a critic, however in probably the most optimistic approach. He’s been watching me performing for about 30 years, so he’s seen the lot!”

Performing, nonetheless, isn’t Pauline’s sole profession. She took up writing in 2000 and is now a profitable novelist with eight printed books. “They’re for an grownup viewers. That makes it sound like Fifty Shades of Gray!” she chuckles. “What I imply is that they’re for barely older readers, let’s put it that approach.”

She additionally has her personal on-line store, promoting her personally hand-knitted tea cosies. “I used to be taught to knit by my mum once I was a toddler and he or she is a superb knitter, as was my gran, so, it’s within the genes,” she says. “I discover knitting a really calming expertise. Every cosy is numbered and archived and comes with somewhat story as to why I made it as I did.”

It’s not a passion you’ll be able to think about hassle inflicting Maggie Dricoll taking to. However Pauline says: “I’ve seen relations of mine slagging one another and never getting on, despite the fact that they had been sisters and brothers and no matter else. You’re caught with your loved ones, so it is sensible to me that usually individuals don’t get on, and even actively dislike any person for some time.

“However, hopefully some individuals will like Maggie. The flashback is simply unhappy actually. It was an accident, not homicide. That’s what I feel anyway. It is extremely a lot open to interpretation, though I don’t suppose Coronation Avenue intends a full homicide trial or something like that. Although individuals change their minds on a regular basis, so who is aware of!”

*You’ll find extra details about Coronation Avenue right here, and on Twitter

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