Coronation Street's Alan Halsall, known for his role as Tyrone Dobbs, has confirmed his return to the soap after swapping the cobbles for the jungle in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
The actor was rumoured to be heading Down Under for the reality series, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, after reportedly pulling out of the 2023 series due to an ACL surgery. He was spotted arriving at Brisbane Airport over the weekend, looking cheerful despite the long flight, having spent quality time with his daughter, Sienna-Rae.
Alan is now confirmed for the I'm A Celeb' 2024 line-up, joining WAG and TV personality Coleen Rooney, Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse, McFly's Danny Jones and BBC Radio 1 DJ Melvin Odoom. As the stars head to Australia, the 2024 season of the popular ITV reality show will premiere on Sunday, November 17, at 9pm, with a 105-minute special, airing every night except Saturdays until December 8 when the final is expected.
This means Corrie fans may see less of Tyrone towards the end of the year and into 2025 as he takes a break from his role, which often involves filming up to six weeks ahead.
Alan Halsall, a Coronation Street actor, has confirmed his future on the soap. He said: "Corrie has been fantastic with it all and I am definitely not leaving the soap. You just won't see my character for a while on-screen.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
The actor is excited about his upcoming adventure, stating: "It feels like the worst kept secret ever! " Alan also shared his experience of recovering from a knee injury last year, comparing his recovery time to that of a professional footballer like Rodri.
He said: "It was a bit of a shock when I got the knee injury last year and whilst I am signed off surgically, I still had several months of physio ahead of me. But a top football professional like Rodri, for example, would take about a year to get back to playing football (after something like I've had) and he has the best medical staff in the world. So for your average Joe like me it is going to take longer."
The 42 year old actor revealed that one of the main reasons he agreed to participate in the show was because his colleagues Andy Whyment and Jenni McAlpine had enjoyed their experiences. He said: "I am very close to Andy Whyment and Jenni McAlpine, who have both done it before, and everyone tells me they had such a great experience. It's a life experience and I am sure I will learn some new things about myself along the way too."
However, when asked if they had given him any advice, he laughed and said: "I don't think you can give a great deal of advice about something like this. I have been watching this every year it has been on, so I know what to expect! ".
Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
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