Sachs to join Coronation Street

Sachs will join the soap "some time later this year"

Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs is to appear in Coronation Street, it has been confirmed.

"We've been in discussion with Andrew for some time about a possible role," a spokesman told the BBC News website.

He added that the new character would be shown on screen "some time later this year".

The actor, 78, hit the headlines last year after Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on his voicemail on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show.

The Coronation Street spokesman would not comment on what role Sachs would play or how long he would appear in the soap.

Sachs told Saturday's Daily Telegraph that Coronation Street bosses had sent him a synopsis but that he could not talk about it because "it is deadly secret and they would probably behead me".

The veteran actor added he had been "absurdly busy" and inundated with work "since this whole Ross business".

He is also due to appear as a dictionary corner guest on the new series of Channel 4 quiz show Countdown for a week from 12 January.

Ross is currently suspended by the BBC while Brand resigned from his Radio 2 show.