McKellen hoping for soap opera hat-trick

The Da Vinci Code actor Ian McKellen is hoping to star in two more British soap operas after wowing TV fans with his star turn in Coronation Street last year.

The 67-year-old realised a life-long ambition when he played artist Mel Hutchwright in nine episodes of Coronation Street - and now he wants to play the same character in rival shows Eastenders and Emmerdale.