Corrie's Mikey North releases statement after reports he 'kissed' co-star Alison King
He's called the reports 'ludicrous' and 'upsetting'
Coronation Street actor Mikey North has released a statement after 'ludicrous' and 'upsetting' reports suggested he'd shared a kiss with his co-star Alison King at the National Television Awards last week.
Mikey, who plays the role Gary Windass in the ITV soap, released a statement to OK! Magazine, categorically denying the reports.
He told the publication, "I would like to make one thing clear: I did not kiss my co-star Alison King during the recent National Television Awards. It is beyond ludicrous to suggest that I would or that I did.
"The grainy recording shows me simply speaking into her ear at what was a noisy public event. This report has caused me and my family a great deal of distress.
"I have an amazing wife who I adore and, as incredibly supportive as she is, it is unacceptable that she should have to deal with people seeing this kind of baseless gossip on the front page of a newspaper.
"I am so upset about this, and will not stand by while my personal reputation is tarnished. I have lodged an immediate complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation.”
The damaging and untrue reports come just one month after Micky's wife Rachel welcomed the couple's second child into the world, a baby girl called Eliza.
Check out all of the Corrie spoilers for this week:
Alya has been planning to take her gran for a massage, but Geoff ruins their plans when he says Emma's not available to be his assistant at Tianna's birthday.
Guilting Yasmeen into helping him out, Geoff has no sympathy when her claustrophobia makes rehearsing his crushed-in-a-box routine difficult.
On stage at the party, Yasmeen panics inside the box and ruins the magic trick. Though Geoff paints on a smile for his audience, Yasmeen knows he is seething.
The next day, Geoff doesn't hide his anger and tells Yasmeen she can make up to him by rehearsing with him. But when Yasmeen gets in the box, Geoff locks the door and heads to the pub!
Tim calls at the house and lets a shaken Yasmeen out of the box. When Geoff arrives home he insists the box was left unlocked, by Yasmeen tells Tim that Geoff locked her in deliberately. Who will he believe?
Later on, a concerned Eileen probes Cathy and Brian about Yasmeen's supposed drinking problem, wary that not everything adds up.
Elsewhere, Maria breaks the news to Liam that she's lost the baby, but is hurt when Gary tells him that he'll still be getting a little brother or sister.
After Maria tells Gary that he had been insensitive about the baby news, he's apologetic and tells her that he is determined to be with her with or without a baby.
Roy becomes concerned for Nina when she comes into the café looking disheveled and Beth reveals she caught her going through the factory bins.
When it becomes clear that Nina lost the flat weeks ago and has been sleeping rough, Roy is horrified and Nina finally accepts his offer for her to move in with him.
Meanwhile, Bethany is struggling to make sense of her blossoming relationship with Daniel, and she's not having a great time of it at work, either.
When Ray tells her he's got some potential investors, Bethany feels exploited and serves them the kids ice cream special. Ray is furious.
Tim is still in the dog house with Sally and tries to win her back by playing their first dance song through the letterbox – but Sally's unmoved.
Later on during Sally's research into Tim's divorce papers, she's caught off guard to find a mock up invitation to her own wedding. How will Tim worm his way out of this one?
Rita is stunned when she receives a parcel containing Dennis's ashes, and a note to request that they be scattered over the sea at Blackpool.
Shocked and saddened to hear of Dennis's death, Rita confides in Ken who agrees to go with her to Blackpool.
But when Jenny gets wind of their plan, she organises a coach trip for everyone, convinced they could make a day of it.
Amy, Audrey, Carla, Eileen, Emma, Evelyn, Gail, Jenny, Ken, Mary, Nina, Sean, Tracy, Sally, Yasmeen and Rita, clutching Dennis's urn, set off for Blackpool.
Everyone piles into the bus and they set off for the coast. But tensions rise during the journey when it starts looking like they may not make it to their destination before nightfall.
This hour long episode to celebrate the UK's longest running soap's 10,000th episode (!) will see lives changed and one long-term resident leave Weathefield for good.
Coronation Street airs on ITV weekdays.