By Patrick Cremona

Published: Wednesday, 10 November 2021 at 12:00 am


Soap crossovers are all the rage right now – and following the groundbreaking climate change event earlier this month, EastEnders‘ Janine Butcher and Coronation Street‘s Steve McDonald are now set to cross paths in a sketch for Children in Need.

The sketch sees the soap legends meet for a date at Fred Sirieix’s First Dates restaurant – as Janine’s (Charlie Brooks) quest to find love sees her paired with the seven-times married Steve (Simon Gregson).

In a first-look clip – which you can check out in full below – the pair share a somewhat awkward introduction at the bar, before Janine asks Steve what he does for a living.

“Um, drive a cab… got me own firm,” is Steve’s response, to which Janine exclaims: “Really? My dad used to own a cab firm. But he was most happy when he ran the pub.”

At this point, Steve interjects: “I used to run a pub!” and Janine says: “That is such a coincidence,” before ordering a vodka tonic from the bar.

Janine then asks Steve to tell her a little bit more about himself, asking him if he’s been married.

“Well, you could say that,” he responds, before answering seven when asked how many times he’s been hitched.

Janine has rather a strong reaction to this bombshell, appearing to choke on her drink and asking: “So you’re not afraid of commitment then?”

And with the last line of the clip, Steve retorts: “Or the divorce courts.”