The Royle Family's Sue Johnston set to 'stir up trouble' on Coronation Street

The Royle Family's Sue Johnston is set to stir up trouble when she joins the cast of Coronation Street, producer Phil Collinson confirmed today.

The 68-year-old actress will play the glamorous but terrifying mother of Rover's Return landlady Stella Price, played by Michelle Collins, who makes a surprise arrival in Weatherfield this summer.

Collinson revealed on ITV's This Morning: "I'm very excited to be able to tell you today that Sue Johnston is going to be joining the Coronation Street cast.

"She's going to play Gloria Price, Stella's mum and Leanne (Barlow) and Eva (Price)'s grandma. A really vivid, brilliant character.

"She comes over from Spain, where she's been running a bar in Torremolinos, so she's a little bit perma-tanned and very glamorous.

"She's a terrifying, over-bearing, domineering mother, so there are going to be some real sparks flying."

Johnston will start filming on the cobbles in a few weeks time and her first scenes in the soap will air in June.

Gloria arrives unannounced and tells Stella she is only on a flying visit. But as she begins to outstay her welcome, it soon emerges she has something to hide.

The older ladies of Weatherfield will have to lock up their men as the feisty grandmother quickly sets her sights on Dennis Tanner and Lewis Archer.

Johnston had a small role in Corrie in the early 1980s before she went on to play Sheila Grant for eight years in Channel 4 soap Brookside.

She has been a firm favourite as Barbara, wife of Ricky Tomlinson's slob character Jim, in the hit comedy The Royle Family, written by Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne.

Collinson added: "She is a national treasure and a stunning actress. She has been at the heart of the very best comedy and drama the UK has produced over last 30 years, and will step into the heart of Coronation Street."

PA