Coronation Street fans are set to see Simon Gregson as they've never seen him before. The actor is, of course, best known for playing Steve McDonald in the ITV soap but he'll be swapping the cobbles for the stage as part of Lorraine Kelly's new ITV show.
Simon will reunite with his I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here campmate and former EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt and Love Islander Chris Hughes who are among the stars who will undergo “the ultimate drag makeover” for a new competition.
TV fitness instructor Mr Motivator, Union J singer George Shelley and England rugby player Joe Marler will also compete in the one-off special, Queens For The Night. ITV presenter Lorraine will serve as host while the judging panel will feature Melanie C of the Spice Girls, comedian Rob Beckett, Australian drag artist Courtney Act and West End star Layton Williams.
The programme will see each famous name paired with drag mentors – including Blu Hydrangea, Kitty Scott-Claus and Asttina Mandella – as they prepare their alter egos before competing on stage. The show will then culminate in a cabaret-style performance, voted on by the studio audience, as they showcase their newly acquired skills, including singing, dancing, lip-syncing, impression and comedy.
It will then be over to the judging panel who will offer their thoughts on the celebrities' performances, but the results won't be in their hands. It will be up to the studio audience to decide the winning queen of the night.
Lorraine said of the show: "I'm so excited to be hosting this show. I am a huge fan of drag and can not wait to see a host of well-known stars embrace this uniquely wonderful and uplifting skill. It’s a show that will have humour, warmth and above all lots and lots of glamour, I can’t wait to get started."
But all this may not be new to Simon, who has spent more than 30 years on the Corrie cobbles. During his stint in the I'm A Celeb castle last year, where he finished in second place, his wife Emma revealed his secret talent for poetry, and how he loves to let loose at one of Manchester's most iconic bars.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, the former Hollyoaks actress said: "He’s always writing, he keeps books at the end of the bed so when he can’t sleep, he’ll have a dream or he’ll have a thought and will write it down. His poetry is brilliant, he’s a really good poet. He’s also writing a children’s book. He started during lockdown and was also doing it while he was isolating before he went on I’m A Celebrity."
When not writing, Simon loves a laugh and visiting the New York, New York bar in Manchester’s gay village – where he has been known to dress up in drag. Emma said: "Our good friend owns it and it’s always been a safe place for Simon to have a few drinks and cause mischief on the stage. He loves a laugh."
