Sharon Osbourne tried and failed. Top Gear's Richard Hammond had a go but wasn't asked back. Plans for Bradley Walsh to do it didn't come off. They're all victims of the hard-to-crack talk show circuit. Undeterred, Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton is attempting to give ITV1 a ratings hit with his weekday chat show.

That Antony Cotton Show will run from Monday to Friday for a five-week period at 5pm. ITV1 is desperate for a popular show to fill the teatime slot. They did have Paul O'Grady until he defected to C4.

Cotton is well aware that people will point out that, like O'Grady, he's also a Northern gay man hosting a chat show. As he's a big fan of the artist formerly known as Lily Savage, he's not complaining and admits to watching The Paul O'Grady Show.

"I've been a fan of Paul's stand-up all my life," he says. "Paul is a fantastic entertainer and he's fabulous at what he does, a true master of his craft. I also enjoy watching The Friday Night Project. Alan Carr is a terrific co-host and the show has me in stitches."

Lancashire-born Cotton, who won best actor at the British Soap Awards this year, will continue to present his daily show from the Granada Studios in Manchester while still appearing in Coronation Street.

The show "will reflect the host's light-hearted look on life with a combination of celebrity chat and topical humour" and be filmed in front of a live audience.

"I'm delighted to have been given this opportunity," says Cotton. "I love working on Coronation Street and the producer has been kind enough to allow me to leave the cobbles earlier in the day to get into the studio next door to make the show.

"It's going to be gossipy, light hearted, chatty and irreverent but, most of all, fun with lots of tea and cake."

He's become a firm favourite with viewers since joining the Street as Sean Tully in 2004 but doesn't underestimate the task of establishing himself as a talk show host and he's never done anything like it before.

"On an emotional level, I'm feeling nervous. But it's nervous excitement. I've got butterflies, but I think it's a good thing. I'm full of adrenalin," he says.

We can expect "good old-fashioned entertainment" with plenty of interaction and participation with the studio audience.

"I'm hoping that we'll have a nice mixture of famous and non-famous guests, like the local lollipop lady. I want people from all walks of life who have a great story to tell," he says.

"Shirley Bassey would be a fantastic guest because she's so talented and people absolutely adore her. I would love to have Elton John on the show as well as Catherine Tate, Sarah Cox, Gordon Ramsay and Joan Rivers.

"I'm hoping that, across the five weeks, we'll have some favourite faces from Weatherfield on the show as well."

The show marks the latest phase in 32-year-old Cotton's performing career which began with dance classes when he was five. Then he went to Oldham Theatre Workshop alongside the likes of Lisa Riley, Anna Friel and Suranne Jones, who became the Street's Karen McDonald.

His first notable appearance was hosting the Saturday morning magazine show, UP2U, with Anthea Turner, followed by playing camp-as-a-row-of-tents Alexander in C4's Queer As Folk series.

He wrote and starred in his own BBC sitcom, Having It Off, as camp hairdresser Guy La Trousse, and shortly after in 2003, appeared in the Manchester drama, Burn It, written for him by his friend Matt Greenhaigh.

Playing Sean in the Street has earned him most popular newcomer awards and funniest performance prizes. In January, he also took won ITV1's Soapstar Superstar.

Cotton faces a busy five weeks running back and forth between the Street and his show. "Coronation Street is my dream job and I absolutely love it. I've just signed a contract for a further year, so I'm going to be very busy over the next few months and the storylines for Sean are fantastic," says Cotton.

That Antony Cotton Show: Monday to Friday, ITV1, 5pm.

Coronation Street: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, ITV1, 7.30pm.