Next week sees Michelle Collins step into her new role as Landlady of the Rovers Return as she begins to film her first scenes on the cobbles, and now we know what exciting plot made her take the role.

Collins, most famous for her long term role as Cindy Beale in rival soap Eastenders, will join the cast as feisty Landlady Stella, with a secret to unpack into the already bulging closet of skeletons harboured by the pub.

For it would seem that Stella is the long lost mother of Leanne Barlow, The Mirror reports today.

Leanne Barlow (Jane Danson) first appeared on our screens in 1997 as part of the first ‘rough’ family, The Battersby’s, including dad Les, sister Toyah and step Mum, Janice.

There were very little reference to Leanne’s real mum, and not much was ever known about her. But it would seem that this is all about to change.

The storyline is set to be surrounded in shocking drama, and a source of the show has commented: “This was genius by the bosses. And it makes for a massive future for Michelle in the show. There has been a lot of cloak and dagger involved in the arrival of Stella.”

Collins was said to be ‘gobsmacked’ at this huge plot entrusted to her straight away, and Danson is said to be thrilled with the storyline too. We have to take a moment here to think of poor Peter, having just gotten rid of Janice, quite arguably one of the most trying mother in laws in history, we wonder how her replacement will compare?