Things could’ve been totally different! (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Former Coronation Street star Channique Sterling-Brown has been speaking about a very unexpected storyline idea that had the potential to change everything.
Channique, who is 29, played the role of Dee-Dee Bailey in the ITV soap from 2022 until 2025.
Dee-Dee headed to Weatherfield after spending three years working in Los Angeles. She wanted to be closer to her family, and quickly became a hugely loved member of the community.
During Aggie Bailey’s (Lorna Laidlaw) prolonged absence from the household, Dee-Dee attempted to keep the family together, and worked hard to help dad Ed Bailey (Trevor Michael Georges) with his gambling addiction.
After the news of her departure hit the headlines, Channique took to Instagram to reflect on her time in the show.
‘After three whirlwind years of Dee-Dee Bailey, I’ve decided to say farewell to the cobbles,’ she wrote.
‘Bittersweet to be saying goodbye, but I am so excited for pastures new and enjoying the end of playing Princess Diana and her many expressions.’
Actress Channique recently spent time reflecting on the journey she had on the cobbles. In a chat on the Tis Yourself podcast, the star discussed a storyline idea that would’ve potentially changed everything for another character.
‘I had this massive thing where I would always flirt with DS Swain because obviously I knew she would be getting with Carla. I just wanted to throw the fans off. So I was like, I’m going to flirt with DS Swain. I don’t know, I was like, that just makes it interesting’.
‘You never know what the Corrie writers are gonna do, right, if they see something they like, so I was like, imagine they really like it and they made Dee-Dee gay.
‘I was like, where’s the thing that me as an actor can play with in this?’.
The character left the cobbles towards the end of last year to start a new life in Singapore.
Dee-Dee was part of a huge storyline throughout 2023 and 2024, as she began a relationship with solicitor Joel Deering (Calum Lill).
For months, Dee-Dee and the rest of the Weatherfield residents had no idea that Joel had been grooming and sexually exploiting Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton).
Joel died in 2024, when Lauren attacked him.
