Coronation Street stars to attend Anne Kirkbride memorial

Stars from Coronation Street, along with members of the public, are set to attend a memorial service at Manchester Cathedral to remember Anne Kirkbride who played Deidre in the long-running TV soap.

Speaking ahead of the event on Saturday, actor William Roache, who worked with Ms Kirkbride for 35 years, told Good Morning Britain about his "beautiful" co-star who he described as a "love bomb because she exploded with love".

Roache, who said he felt his co-star's "presence" on the soap set after she died, will give a reading at the service.

Kirkbride was one of Weatherfield's best-known performers and was loved by millions for her portrayal of husky-voiced Deirdre, famed for many years for her oversized spectacles.

Ms Kirkbride had been away from the soap since September after taking a break following her diagnosis with cancer and died in January.