Coronation Street stars banned from Strictly Come Dancing

According to a report in The Sun, Coronation Street stars have been banned from signing up for the forthcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.

However, the Corrie cast will be allowed to consider offers from the likes of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Dancing On Ice.

In 2011 for example, Antony Cotton - who plays Coronation Street's Sean Tully - signed up for I'm A Celebrity, finishing in fourth place. He's the first Coronation Street actor to be given time off to do a reality show.

Michelle Keegan (the Street's Tina McIntyre) was rumoured as a Strictly Come Dancing target, but the insider revealed she was not given permission.

The common denominator between I'm A Celebrity and Dancing On Ice? They're ITV1 shows. Strictly is on BBC1. From the commercial channel's point of view, it's probably a bit rich for contracted ITV1 stars to swan off to a rival channel and help them win the ratings war.

The next series of Strictly Come Dancing hits TV screens soon; TV presenter Fern Britton and former England cricketer Michael Vaughan are said to be taking part.