Corrie shows are right up star Patti's street

WHEN Coronation Street legend Patti Clare walks out onto The Lowry stage in Salford this weekend, it will be alongside colleagues with more than 150 years of Corrie gossip to share.

- By DIANNE BOURNE

Patti, who plays soap favourite Mary Taylor, is one of the Corrie stars gearing up to share behind-the-scenes stories and cherished soap moments in the brand new An Audience with Coronation Street event taking place for the first time.

The first of the shows took place in London last weekend, when Patti got a wonderful surprise in the form of Mary's celebrity crush, TV presenter Ben Shephard, turning up on stage. He was even wrapped up in a Mary-faced fleece in a nod to Mary's Ben version in the soap.