Coronation Street’s iconic Rovers Return pub will be closed once filming resumes to reflect reality of coronavirus

Producers want the ITV show, which stopped production last month, to reflect the real struggles of the corona­virus crisis.

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One idea discussed by scriptwriters is having the boozer locked up and with Covid-19 notices on it.

The Rovers was previously closed in 1986 and 2013 when storylines involved it being gutted by fires.

A telly source said: “Producers think it would be slightly weird not to at least acknowledge the huge disruption the crisis has caused.

“How much it is acknowledged will all depend on when cast and crew are allowed back on set.

“They’re hopeful they will be able to start work on new episodes soon, but one way of nodding to the lockdown is shutting the Rovers.

“They want to make sure they reflect the reality of the world watching.”

An ITV spokesman declined to comment.

ITV bosses were forced to explain to viewers that they had pre-filmed many scenes going out during lockdown, hence why social-distancing was not being observed in Weatherfield at the pub and in Roy’s Rolls cafe.

And earlier this week long-serving star Andy Whyment, who plays dopey Kirk Sutherland on the show, warned that it may go off air for the first time since 1979, when strikes stopped filming for 11 weeks.

He said: “We’ve got until July in the can, so we need to get back mid-June otherwise it’s going to go off air.”

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