Coronation Street star Alan Halsall to become a father

Alan Halsall and Lucy-Jo Hudson attend the National Television Awards at 02 Arena on January 23, 2013 in London (Getty Unages)

Coronation Street star Alan Halsall has revealed he is to have a baby girl and said she has had a lucky escape - because a boy would have been named after a Manchester United player.

Halsall - who plays long-serving character Tyrone Dobbs in the ITV soap - is expecting a child with his actress wife Lucy-Jo Hudson.

And, as he told for the first time that they are having a daughter in an interview with Hello! magazine, he said: "The baby would have been named after a Manchester United player if he was a boy."

The couple made a special visit to see Liz Dawn, who played Vera Duckworth for many years, as well as Bill Tarmey's widow Alma to break the news they were expecting.

Halsall was particularly close to Tarmey - who starred as Jack Duckworth and died in November - telling the magazine his death was a "tough time".

Hudson, who played Katy Harris in Corrie for many years, revealed she has suffered severe morning sickness.

"I couldn't get out of bed some days," she said, adding she has a craving for nibbling ice.

Hudson also had a slight struggle to keep her pregnancy under wraps when she attended the National Television Awards in January, to see her husband collect the award for best serial drama performance.

"I'd tried on my dress a few weeks prior and on the night it was quite tight," she said.

The couple, who married in 2009, are due to become parents in August. Hudson added: "I've always wanted a baby girl."

:: The full interview is in the new edition of Hello! magazine, which is out now.

PA