There were plenty of laughs when two Coronation Street stars took the Isle of Wight Medina Theatre stage for an entertaining, exclusive show last Friday (April 19).
Featuring a live and unscripted interview and audience Q&A with Mikey North and Ryan Prescott, best known for playing Corrie’s Gary Windass and Ryan Connor, the evening was hosted by presenter Kenzie Benali, who kept the show running smoothly.
People of all ages travelled from across the country to attend the Seamless Entertainment show.
The event began with the stars explaining how they both started in the acting industry, from Mikey’s work experience to Ryan’s drama school and being inspired by Jim Carey.
Ryan recalled drinking real Budweiser beer during scenes with Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle) inside the Woolpack during his time in Emmerdale.
On his beginnings in Coronation Street in 2008, Mikey said he was “very lucky to have landed the biggest of all.”
“It was a surreal experience... Walking into the toilets, and Ken Barlow is there!”
The pair discussed their character’s stories, from Mikey’s romantic and villain arcs to Ryan’s acid attack storyline, which led to his character starting online sex work.
Ryan spoke about the interaction he receives with the real world, with people reaching out to him to discuss his character’s traumatic story.
Photos of the stars’ past were shown on stage, unbeknownst to Mikey and Ryan, which brought on some vivid memories and laughs from the audience.
Mikey delved into his decision to learn to drive on All Stars Driving School on Channel 4 and his love for cricket, while Ryan expressed his fondness for art and pottery – with Mikey suggesting that if Ryan competed in The Great Pottery Throw Down, he would take part in MasterChef.
Away from the cobbles, Mikey and Ryan discussed their visit to Osborne House, with Mikey ‘geeking out’ at all the paintings during their two-and-a-half-hour visit but being dismayed at missing out on seeing Queen Victoria's private beach.
Read more: Arsenal legend and renowned Sky Sports pundit to visit Island for live show
I had the pleasure of meeting the Corrie pair backstage during the interval, where Mikey expressed: “If I lived here, I would spend most of my time at Osborne House!”
Travelling to the Island, the pair were photographed piloting the Red Funnel ferry, with Mikey admitting that Ryan was the better of the two at navigating between the buoys on the Solent, saying that he enjoyed it so much that he is considering a career change!
Ryan told the County Press he enjoyed the Island’s vibe and the much calmer and slower pace.
The duo said they planned to hire a car from Central Garage Citroen in Newport on Saturday (April 20) to travel around the Island, visiting tourist destinations and taking the Military Road from Blackgang across the south to see The Needles.
In the evening, Ryan said he was looking forward to visiting The Hut in Colwell Bay and trying the beachfront restaurant’s lobster.
Returning to the stage for the audience Q&A, Mikey and Ryan were posed some challenging and insightful questions, including how they resist becoming their characters after spending so much time on set and delving into their admiration for Corrie’s businessman Dev Alahan, portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin.
The show also featured an online silent auction, which raised funds for the Island’s branch of Wessex Cancer Support and boasted items of signed memorabilia from Coronation Street and the world of music, sport, film and TV.
A spokesperson from showrunners Seamless Entertainment said: “We'd like to thank everyone who attended the event.
“It was a pleasure to see everyone having such a wonderful experience with Mikey and Ryan, who were fantastic and brilliantly hosted by presenter Kenzie Benali.
“The auction raised £860 on the night, helping to raise funds for Wessex Cancer Support on the Island, which was brilliant, so we'd like to thank everyone for their generous support.
“We'd also like to give a huge thank you to our sponsors Central Garage/Citroen in Newport and Red Funnel Ferries, for their continued support.”
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel