Coronation Street use a REAL couple to film Tyrone and Alina’s steamy kiss

Coronation Street bosses have revealed they used body doubles to film Tyrone and Alina’s steam kiss scene in a bid to follow Covid guidelines.

In place of co-stars Alan Halsall and Ruxandra Porojnicu, producers drafted in soap extra Alex Mulvaney and his wife Hannah to record the shocking liaison, with clever camera angles used to hide their identity.

After weeks of tension with the stunning Alina, Tyrone finally succumbed to temptation during Friday’s show, cheating on his partner Fiz by moving in for a kiss.

Due to Covid pandemic, actors on the Corrie set are ordered to stay two metres apart between filming, meaning any close contact or kissing would be out of the question.

To accurately depict the chemistry in Tyrone and Alina’s affair, bosses drafted in Alex, who is an extra on the soap, and his wife Hannah, who bear some resemblance to the pair.

For the scenes, actors Alan and Ruxandra recorded their dialogue separately before being edited together in post-production.

To ensure the pair maintained the illusion that they were looking into each other’s eyes, producers used a pair of sunglasses taped on a telescopic radio aerial.

Alex and Hannah, who wore hair paint to make her tresses look more like Ruxandra’s, were then brought onto the set to record the kiss, with the camera pulling back to show the pair in a clinch on the Victoria Gardens bench.

Speaking after filming the scenes, Alex said: ‘My agent said that Coronation Street needed extras who were in a support bubble and because I used to be an extra three times a week and they knew half of my family had done extra work on the show it worked out perfectly.

‘My partner, Hannah, hadn’t done any extra work before, but my agent knew she had dark hair like Alina’s so I asked her if she wanted to do it. Hannah was nervous at first, but she is a big Coronation Street fan. 

‘I had been on set many times before, and I was able to talk her through what to expect and she was a bit starstruck when she saw the actors.

‘I thought it was a really inventive idea, especially the sunglasses on the car aerial to keep the actors’ eyeline. Given what is going on in the world this was the best way to do it safely. 

‘It was a really enjoyable day and it was clear that all the cast and staff follow COVID rules strictly. The organisation and care taken is second to none.

‘I wasn’t nervous because I have done a lot of television work in the past and this wasn’t my first on-screen kiss. 

‘I love Coronation Street, but I tend not to watch it when I know I am going to be on it. I usually cringe, but the rest of my family will be watching.

‘My dad has been a regular on the cobbles and in the Rovers for forty-two years and he is still going strong. He pops up in Roys Rolls on occasions, now with my mum, brother and sister all joining as extras. It’s quite the family affair!’

Ruxandra, who plays Alina, added: ‘Filming the kissing scene under the Covid restrictions where we had to keep two metres apart was definitely a challenge, but one as an actress I really enjoyed. 

‘It was difficult not being able to look into each other’s eyes for the emotion of the scene but Coronation Street came up with a clever way to cheat that with sunglasses on an aeriel. 

‘Everything that’s been said in the scene leads to the kiss which is very important for Alina because it is the first time that she has said out loud to Tyrone that she is falling for him.’ 

Explaining the decision to use extras for this specific scene, producer Iain MacLeod said: ‘For the most part, our brilliant writers, cast and crew have cleverly worked around the inability of our characters to get within two metres of each other. 

‘We have therefore told the same stories throughout the pandemic that we would have told in ‘normal’ times. 

‘But it just felt wrong to tell a story of an illicit liaison, where someone betrays their partner based on lust and sexual attraction, only for us not to see any of the chemistry and closeness. Hence the smoke and mirrors here!’

For weeks viewers have seen Tyrone and Alina’s sizzling chemistry build, with Friday’s climax seeing her finally confess her feelings after dumping her boyfriend Seb (Harry Visinoni).

Clearly conflicted about whether he wants to marry his partner Fiz (Jennie McAlpine), it remains to be seen whether Tyrone will come clean about his infidelity.

Due to the Covid pandemic, Corrie bosses have been forced to get creative to ensure they could continue filming while adhering to government guidelines.

Cast are ordered to stay at least two metres apart during scenes, with clever camera angles used to hide the gaps between characters.

However there have been some exceptions, as in December Geoff Metcalfe’s shocking death was filmed in close quarters with all cast members completing a two-week quarantine and being tested ahead of filming.

Coronation Street continues on Monday at 7:30pm on ITV.