Will Sınead keep mum?

Corrie’s Katie McGlynn on the agonising dilemma that’s tearing her character apart as she awaits the birth of her child

She’s secretly battling cervical cancer, which could see her have to abort her unborn child to receive life-saving treatment. On top of that, Coronation Street’s Sinead Tinker is suffering in silence as she’s worried how her husband Daniel Osbourne will react.

But Katie McGlynn, the actress who plays Sinead, hopes that broadcasting the story to millions will help pregnant women in the same nightmare position.

‘I want to raise public awareness that this does happen, so women going through it know that they’re not on their own, and whatever decision they make they shouldn’t blame themselves,’ says Katie. ‘Whether they decide to abort the baby and try to get better, or keep the baby, they need to do whatever is best for them.’

Sinead had been thrilled to get pregnant, especially having been pressured into having an abortion by Daniel’s dad Ken last year. But joy soon turned to despair when doctors discovered her cancer.

‘Her world fell apart and she’s been left bewildered about what to do,’ says Katie. ‘Doctors tell Sinead it is nothing to do with her previous abortion, but she still blames herself.’

Sinead has decided to keep it secret because she doesn’t want to

hurt her husband, says Katie. ‘She loves Daniel so much and knows it will break his heart and he probably won’t pursue his plans to do a Master’s degree. He’ll be fuming when he finds out she hasn’t told him, but she has his best interests at heart.’

This week, Ken – who found out about Sinead’s illness after a chance encounter with her at the hospital – will put pressure on Sinead to tell Daniel the truth. ‘Ken will keep mithering her, but Sinead will resist as much as she can,’ says Katie.

So what will happen to Sinead? ‘You’ll have to wait and see, but she’s got a maternal instinct and is constantly thinking about the baby and not herself,’ says Katie. ‘That will be the theme throughout.’

To research the storyline, Katie met Pete Wallroth, the founder of

Mummy’s Star, a charity dedicated to women and their families affected by cancer during pregnancy. Pete lost his wife to cancer soon after the birth of their child. Katie also talked to a woman who had cancer while expecting a baby.

‘It was enlightening to gauge what they were feeling throughout it,’ says Katie. ‘ There are so many women affected by cancer during pregnancy, but it’s one of those subjects nobody really hears about.’

The 25-year-old actress, who has been in the show for five years, isn’t worried by the possibility of her character being killed off.

‘We will have to see what happens,’ she says, ‘but if that’s where the writers take it, I will be happy as long as it stays true to the story.’