Coronation Street legend reveals if he has left soap as I’m A Celebrity stint is confirmed

Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall has confirmed his future with the soap after signing up for this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.

The actor – who has played Tyrone Dobbs on the ITV soap for the past 26 years – is one of 10 famous faces who are set to enter the jungle when the reality series returns on Sunday.

While fans might be questioning what this means for his character, Alan has assured them is not leaving Coronation Street.

He said: ‘Corrie has been fantastic with it all and I am definitely not leaving the soap. You just won’t see my character for a while on-screen.’

Due to how Coronation Street films in advance, this means Tyrone is likely to make a temporary departure from the cobbles in early January.

Alan was originally due to appear on last year’s series of I’m A Celebrity, but had to pull out due to a knee injury.

He revealed that he’d been inspired by a number of his fellow Corrie co-stars who’d previously done the show to take part.

‘I am very close to Andy Whyment and Jennie McAlpine [aka Corrie’s Kirk Sutherland and Tyrone’s wife Fiz Dobbs], who have both done it before, and everyone tells me they had such a great experience.

‘It’s a life experience and I am sure I will learn some new things about myself along the way too.’

Asked if they’d given him any jungle tips, he laughed: ‘I don’t think you can give a great deal of advice about something like this.’

Alan will be joined in camp by stars including Coleen Rooney, former X Factor judge Tulisa, McFly singer Danny Jones and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse.

He said that one of the things he is most looking forward to in camp is ‘meeting different people’, admitting it is something he has ‘always shied away from in the past’.

Alan explained: ‘You are never going to get me on the ice, dancing isn’t my thing and this will be much harder than filming a scene in Corrie. There I am pretending to be someone else and delivering lines that are written for me. This is a very different thing.

‘I will miss work too. It’s such a huge part of my life and I have been there for such a long time. I work with my best friends.’