Tony Maudsley joins Coronation Street

Tony Maudsley has joined \'Coronation Street\'.

The \'Benidorm\' actor - who played Kenneth du Beke in the ITV comedy - has swapped the Spanish sun for the \'Corrie\' cobbles as the son of undertaker Archie Shuttleworth, who was played by the late Roy Hudd from 2002 to 2010.

He wrote on Twitter: "I\'m chuffed to be staying at my @itv home and heading to Weatherfield and I for one, couldn\'t be happier.

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"As a long time fan of @itvcorrie I\'m thrilled to be joining the cast of my favourite show. Here\'s to the next exciting chapter! (sic)"

Tony\'s \'Corrie\' debut has been postponed due to coronavirus lockdown, but bosses are said to be "really excited" about his casting.

A \'Corrie\' source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper\'s Biz on Sunday column: "The bosses are really excited about Tony joining the soap.

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"He\'s a great comedy actor and created one of Benidorm\'s most-loved characters in Kenneth.

"So it\'s a shame he didn\'t get to start when he was supposed to.

"But he\'s looking forward to making his entrance when things finally get back to normal."

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Tony\'s casting comes after he previously appeared in a play, \'Our Lady of Blundellsands\', written by \'Coronation Street\' writer Jonathan Harvey, alongside former \'EastEnders\' actress Annette Badland.

Gemma Bodinetz, artistic director at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, said: "We have an extraordinary spring season this year featuring a wealth of new writing and the very best of touring work from around the country.

"We are proud to produce the world premiere of \'Our Lady of Blundellsands\' by Liverpool playwright Jonathan Harvey, directed by Nick Bagnall and featuring a stellar cast."