Coronation Street star Alison King has revealed her first thought when she picked up the scripts for the long-running show’s upcoming crossover with Emmerdale.

Fans will recall that earlier this year, it was announced that both ITV soaps would become one in an hour-long episode, dubbed Corriedale, that is set to kick off the network’s new ‘soap power hour’, which will see Emmerdale and Corrie air in half-hour instalments every weeknight.

To mark the change, producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes, with characters then returning to the soaps they are renowned for inhabiting in Manchester and Yorkshire, but with the horror that unfolds linking them forever.

A full 40-strong cast list across both soaps has been announced this week, meaning there are plenty of Weatherfield residents and Emmerdale villagers in danger – including the likes of Corrie’s Lisa Swain, Carla Connor and Shona Platt, as well as Emmerdale’s Aaron Dingle, Charity Dingle, Robert Sugden and Joe Tate.

And also among them is the other half of the beloved couple, ‘Swarla’, Carla Connor. As Corrie fans know, Alison made her debut in the fan-favourite role back in 2006, and while she has been part of many of the soap’s biggest moments over the years, Corriedale looks set to be even bigger.

While the full storyline is being kept under wraps, it was previously revealed that a catastrophic multi-vehicle pile-up would be at the centre of the drama, leaving the lives of those from the cobbles and the Dales at risk. In the chaotic aftermath, characters from both shows calling for help in the darkness as the emergency services arrive at the scene on a country road near the village of Hotten.

Asked what her aspirations were for Carla when she got the scripts for Corriedale, and what she was hoping to read, Alison admitted: “Nothing. I was just thinking, ‘What is this? What on earth is this?’ It was just one thing after the other… And obviously, I hoped I’d still be alive at the end of it. And when I got to the end, I was like, ‘Yes! Not even maimed’ Well, maybe a little bit.

“But yeah, I was just thanking goodness it was Duncan Foster [directing the episode], because he is like a very, very comfy, old, fluffy, sock, and honestly, we knew as soon as Dunc was in charge, ’cause I know him, he’s got everything written out in his head, and then no matter what, he just made every frame by frame work. And he’s cool. Cool as a cucumber. We just have a trust in him, really. And I sat and literally stalked the whole the weeks, didn’t I?

Duncan: then replied: “You did, you kept making me drink Red Bull and eat lots of sweets…” Alison chimned in: “And some vitamins,” before adding: “Yeah, so I loved it.”