Soap watchers reacted in disbelief as Coronation Street favourite Brian Packham reached for a packet of cigarettes in Monday night's episode. Viewers were amazed to see the staid former headteacher lighting up a sneaky ciggy with his cousin Isabella.
His pal Mary Taylor was furious when she spotted the pair puffing away on the cobbles and marched over to stamp them out. Mary reminded Brian that he doesn't smoke, but he protested in the comical scene: "I used to be a 40 a day man."
Fans hadn't seen smoking scenes for years, with one pointing out that the last character they remember with a cigarette in hand was Underworld worker Vicky Jefferies, played by Kerri Quinn from 2018 to 2019. Iconic Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch is the street's most famous smoker and was seen on screen through the 70s, 80s and 90s with a cigarette in hand. Over 26 years she smoked 569,400 cigarettes.
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@Dee_Cee95x tweeted: "Someone having a fag on #Corrie? WHAT YEAR ARE WE IN?!" @RyanTheSoapking said: "Brian smoking I'm dead." And a surprised @mikepriestley13 remarked: "Brian smoking now."
Conversation Street Podcast @ConversationStr exclaimed: "First time we’ve seen a real cigarette on the street since Vicky started working at the factory…? We all know how that ended!" And @rozlaws commented: "Oh Brian, honestly."
Mary has been left unimpressed by the arrival of Brian's glamorous relative from Naples after he had a DNA test which informed him of his Italian descen, thinking she's leading hinm astray. Brian introduced Isabella to former cruise ship singer Glenda Shuttleworth, but when she tried to engage her in a conversation about Italy, Isabella ignored her leaving Glenda and Mary taken aback.
Viewers fear that Isabella has arrived to scam Brian. Later this week in the Rovers, Mary notices Isabella’s sticky fingers but decides to let it go for Brian’s sake.
Isabella asserts that she can’t wait for Brian to visit her in Naples but makes it clear that Mary’s not welcome. Isabella calls in the café in tears and tells Brian that during the renovations at her flat, the builders have discovered subsidence and it’s not safe for her to return.
The new character is played by Flaminia Cinque. The 58-year-old has voiced roles including Lillian Gopher and Merv Wombat in Gophers!, Flamingo in Tinga Tinga Tales and Ester in the children's animated television series Thomas & Friends and played three characters in the program Casualty for three different episodes.
She also portrayed Rita in the BBC miniseries Man in an Orange Shirt and has also appeared in films Mr Bean's Holiday, The Knot, Leap Year, Holy Cannelloni, and Brothers of Italy. After Isabella arrived, Mary was soon asking about her life in Italy, concerned if she was hiding something.
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