Corrie's Izzy to fall pregnant

Coronation Street is to break new ground, by featuring a pregnancy for wheelchair-bound character Izzy Armstrong.

The disabled factory worker, played by Cherylee Houston, discovers that she is carrying boyfriend Gary Windass' (Mikey North) baby in July, it is understood.

It would be the first storyline of its type in the ITV1 soap's history, and TV bosses plan to get every detail right by doing their research.

"Corrie has never shied away from tackling sensitive storylines. It is very clear that this is a sensitive subject and it will be treated as such," a source told the Daily Mirror.

"They will make sure they establish exactly what complications could occur during the pregnancy and how likely it is the baby could inherit Izzy's condition. Cherylee is absolutely thrilled that she is being allowed to take on such a challenging plot," the insider added.

Cherylee, who joined Coronation Street in 2010 after appearing in Little Britain, Emmerdale and Holby City, suffers from rare connective tissue disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which leaves her using a wheelchair like her soap alter-ego.