WE’VE seen a lot less of Vicky Binns recently.
There are two main reasons for that:
1) Her Coronation Street character Molly Compton has been largely absent from our screens.
2) Vicky has shed two-and-a-half stone after filming a weight loss DVD.
There’s an interview with Vicky in today’s MEN Style section. The online version is here.
But, as ever, it wasn’t possible to include all of our chat.
For example, did Vicky have to ask Street producer Steve Frost for permission to change the look of baker’s daughter Molly?
“No, Corrie were fine with it. They’ve been really supportive about it all,” replied the Bury actress.

I also wondered if she had suffered from what co-star Alison King calls “soap bloat” – long hours on set where the temptation is to eat.
“You’re in the Green Room for too long, nibbling on things,” agreed Vicky.
“Hurry up and wait, someone called it the other day, which is exactly what it is, those waiting times. And there’s the canteen thing as well.”

As happens with all Corrie characters from time to time, Molly appeared to fall into the Red Rec Triangle for parts of 2007.
You know the sort of thing – someone vanishes for weeks or months at a time, before suddenly re-appearing in the Rovers.
Or they’re featured briefly in a scene concerning someone else and not seen again for a month of Sundays.
Recent victims include Kelly, Claire and Ashley, Jamie and even Ken and Deirdre, now returned to the fold.
But expect to see more of Molly in 2008, at least in terms of her Weatherfield storylines.
She’ll be involved in the aftermath of Vera’s death, which is screened on Friday Jan 18.
Vicky said she and screen partner Alan Halsall – mechanic Tyrone Dobbs – have nothing but praise for now departed actress Liz Dawn, who played Vera.
“We’ve worked with her quite a lot. In a way, it was nice to know that she was leaving for good because you can savour the time.
“We can’t drag her back now. I think it’s good for her to know that it’s an end.”
Then there’s the continuing storyline involving Jack and Vera’s grandson Paul (Tom Hudson).
“Paul has added a new dynamic and that triangle is going to be a constant.
“He’s always slightly redeemable, so there’s never quite a conclusion as to whether he’s bad or not, which is great. Just a constant intrigue.”
And there’s Mollys double act with Dev (Jimmi Harkishin) in the corner shop.
“We’re doing more of that, which is brilliant because Jimmi is just so easy to work with.
“His character is crackers. There’s no acting involved. You just look at him and think, ‘This man is supposed to be running seven shops?’”
As for that DVD…Vicky forgot to prepare her mum Pam for the cover shot, which features the actress in a tiny pair of silver hot pants.
“My mum said, ‘Oh my goodness, I thought you’d be in a track suit.’”
Hot Cakes To Hot Pants
Corrieblog
ITV Coronation Street Site
Dance It Off With Vicky Binns