McKellen eyes Corrie return

Actor Ian McKellen wants to return to 'Coronation Street'.

The 'Lord of the Rings' star - who played "dodgy novelist" Mel Hutchwright in the ITV soap in 2005 for 10 episodes - would like to go back as another character because he enjoyed his time there so much.

He said: "If the scriptwriters do a second character for me I'd love to go back."

Ian fulfilled one of his life-long ambitions when he was offered the role as author Mel, as he had always wanted to appear in 'Coronation Street'.

Before his appearance, he said: "I am nervous but raring to go. I don't yet know what Mel will look like nor sound like - a bit of my native northern accent maybe - but I'm already studying his lines."

He was once offered a role as Elsie Tanner's long-lost nephew - but turned it down because he was intimidated by the soap's regulars.

He said: "You can't just wander into Coronation Street and be good in it.

"They're all so brilliant at it, and they've been doing it for years."