'Coronation Street' actress Patti Clare has come up with the perfect situation for Ben Shephard to make a cameo appearance in the soap.

Patti Clare

Patti Clare

Patti plays Mary Taylor on the ITV show who is a super-fan of Ben's, and she has an idea for 'Corrie' bosses to give the 'GMTV' co-host a small role.

Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Patti said: "We have to get him on! Ben could be passing through, and pop into Preston's Petals to buy some flowers, just as Mary is having a really bad day. But nobody will believe her when she says he's been there!" Such is the extent of Mary's obsession, her character even has a blanket with Ben's face on it, and the 44-year-old actress admitted that she and her co-star Anthony Cotton (Sean Tully) even concocted a plan to get Mary on Ben's ITV gameshow 'Tipping Point'.

Unfortunately that won't be happening owing to it being "difficult to film", but Patti did reveal that she's been asked to appear as herself on an upcoming charity version of 'Tipping Point'.

She said: "Well, Antony Cotton had a brilliant idea where Sean and Mary go on 'Tipping Point' and it all turns ugly as Mary becomes very possessive of Ben. The producers got excited about the idea, but unfortunately it would be difficult to film. "However, the 'Tipping Point' people have invited me on as Patti this October for a charity version of the show, which is fantastic!"

Ben, 45, previously admitted that he would love to take to the cobbles in person in the near future to shoot a scene with Patti, but not until COVID-19 social distancing guidelines have been relaxed.

He said: "I would be there in a shot. Honestly, it seems quite surreal. But I can't come up until we're allowed to hug, though. This is really important.

"The idea of being able to come up and actually having to social distance from Mary would be difficult ... for both of us!"

Patti has been nominated in the Funniest Performance category at this year's Inside Soap Awards.

She is up against 'Corrie' co-star Maureen Lipman, who plays Evelyn Plummer, 'EastEnders' stars Lorraine Stanley (Karen Taylor) and Ricky Champ (Stuart Highway), Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk) and Lisa Riley (Mandy Dingle) from 'Emmerdale', as well as 'Hollyoaks' actresses Jessamy Stoddart (Liberty Savage) and Lysette Anthony (Marnie Nightingale).

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