I need new sofa that keeps me awake
The actress – best known as Maria in Corrie and for 2013’s Dancing on Ice – on TV binges with hubby and getting her hands on her co-stars’ feet...
I’ve loved the Russell T Davies drama Years and Years. It was set a few years in the future and it’s really scary thinking that’s the way the world might go. We watched the last series of Fleabag in three nights. I can’t get enough of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, she is a genius. Absolutely. Sylvain (her ice dancer husband) and I would rather wait until all the episodes are out. When we watched Big Little Lies, we found it a bit slow waiting a week between them. We thought about just giving it a miss for six weeks then bingeing the whole lot. Do you squabble about what you watch? Luckily, we’ve got similar tastes. What’s the last show or film that made you cry? I’m a total cryer. Probably Fleabag was the last one – the ending was properly emotional and it really got to me. Downstairs, in the family room. The kids hog the remote control – my son Yves, four, always wants to watch Power Rangers or Blaze and the Monster Machines, and my daughter Freya, who’s 10, always wants to watch Nickelodeon.
Have you got any bad TV watching habits?
I fall asleep, but I blame my sofa because it’s too comfy. Sylvain and I are thinking we need to get a sofa that keeps us awake. I quite like getting my basket of ironing and putting Netflix on and watching some really rubbish TV. While I’m doing it I think, ‘Oh my god, this is so totally uncool’ but I find it very soothing.
Would you be tempted by a project other than Corrie?
I feel funny when people ask me about leaving. I’m an actress and I get to act all year round so it’s perfect. I get to go home and see my family at night – if I left, I wouldn’t be guaranteed to work in Manchester. That’s my priority. You recently trained as a reflexologist. Have you been massaging co-stars’ feet? I’m definitely planning to. I’ve asked them if I can do it in my dressing room. I love it, although funnily enough I don’t really like feet. I do a foot spa first so I don’t have to worry about any smells.
Do you ever feel like you’re merging into Maria, after playing the character for almost 20 years?
I feel old now. I’ve been on the show for my whole adult life – it’s more than half my life, in fact. It’s quite scary, though you never have time to get sick of it. Maybe I’m institutionalised. It would be really weird to leave. I would probably be like a fish out of water if I did. l Coronation Street is on STV, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.