The Inside Soap Awards 2019: Soap Superstar & Best Show-stopper

You named Corrie’s Sally Dynevor as the Queen of the...

After 19 years of voting in the Inside Soap Awards, our readers know their onions when it comes to spotting top telly talent. So when we introduced our new Soap Superstar category last year, we knew you’d come up trumps with passionate and discerning suggestions for the prestigious title.

This year’s worthy winner, Coronation Street’s Sally Dynevor, has been walking the cobbles for more than three decades. And while we’ve taken her character Sally to our hearts, actress Sally has become an inspiration to many.

“Sally’s performance is always on the money, whether it’s comedy or high drama,” commented one of our voters, while another said: “She brings such depth to her character on Corrie. Sally could come over as an unpleasant social climber, but her vulnerability adds pathos and makes her likeable. That’s down to her brilliance as an actor.” You also mentioned her charity endeavors: “Sally deserves a reward for her work with Actionaid.” “She’s battled cancer herself, so it’s wonderful that Sally works so hard to give something back.”

Having received so many tributes to the star, we couldn’t have been more delighted as we handed over her

trophy on awards night…

Congratulations, Sally! It was lovely to celebrate with you at our party.

I’m really thrilled! When I first heard, I was over the moon. It means a lot to me, so thank you so much.

Did you have fun on the night?

I really did. It was such a nice evening. It was so nice to meet everybody else – all the other casts from the different soaps – and to get chatting with everyone. I had a really good night, it was lovely.

You came along with Connie Hyde, who played Sally’s sister Gina…

Yes, it was wonderful to have Connie with me, because we’re really close. She’s such a wonderful person, and

I’ve really enjoyed us working together. I don’t think we’ve fully explored Sally and Gina’s relationship yet, so one day I’m hoping we can explore their past.

It would be great to have them back together! Are you still celebrating your award now you’re back home?

Definitely! Everyone at work has been so lovely, the cast and crew are coming up saying well done, it’s been really nice.

You’ve been working with the Corrie team for almost 35 years – can you remember your first day?

Oh my gosh, I remember it so well! It was pretty scary coming into Coronation Street in those days, because it was such an established cast. So you really did

feel like the new girl.

Did it take you long to get used to working with such a legendary cast?

Yeah, it did. I think I was really shy the first few months, I kept my head down and didn’t say very much. Did as I was told. I didn’t think I was going to be staying very long, so I thought

I’d just do my job and be off. But my contract got extended and extended.

“I was really shy for the first few months – I didn’t think I’d stay long!”

At the party we played your very first Corrie scene – Kevin soaking Sally at the bus stop after he drove past through a puddle…

I’d been into make-up before that, and the make-up artist Kathy Ducker – who still works here – was like, “Why don’t we make Sally a punk?” I thought that was a brilliant idea, so I had the black eye-liner and purple lips. But I went outside to meet Michael Le Vell [Kevin], and he said, “Kevin wouldn’t go out with Sally like that!” So we washed off all the make-up and started again!

And the rest is history! You’re clearly still enjoying your time at Corrie.

I absolutely am – as much as I did when I started. You pick up a new script and get excited all over again. It’s just been a brilliant roller-coaster time. I’m loving it, and I feel very lucky to be doing it.

Why do you think people love Sally so much?

Well, she’s a bit daft, and people can relate to her. She makes daft decisions and says daft things, but I think the viewers know deep down that she has a good heart, that she’s a good person. There’s been a mixture of comedy and tragedy in her life.

She’s done a pretty good job bringing up her daughters, Rosie and Sophie?

Yes, she’s a good mum. Some of her decisions over the years have been a bit strange, but they’re her world, those girls. She’d do anything for them.

You must be very proud of Helen Flanagan and Brooke Vincent, who play them?

Oh yes, they’re gorgeous! We all went out for lunch together last week, and it was just so lovely. They’re great girls. I was looking at them thinking, they’re both adults now – they’ve always been little children that I’d look after and now they’re looking after me! And they have their own families now, which is amazing. Where does the time go?

Sally married her husband, actor and Emmerdale script writer Tim, in 1995. The couple have three children together – 24-year-old Phoebe, an actress who’s starred in shows such as BBC1’S Waterloo Road, Prisoners’ Wives and comedy drama Snatch – Samuel, 22, and 16-year-old Harriet.

Do you feel as though you’ve grown up with two families?

I do actually! It’s nice to finish work with one family and then go home to my own family. I’ve been very lucky that they’re only half an hour apart from each other. Corrie has been brilliant for me, in every way. I can go home and be a mum and get on with family life, as well as the job, which is quite rare these days, being able to juggle everything. But it does work very well.

Do you consider yourself lucky with Sally’s on-screen husbands, too?

It’s great working with both of them – Michael and Joe [Duttine, aka Sal’s current husband Tim]. I do love it when Kevin’s involved with Sally and Tim’s stories. He’s always going to be a massive part of Sally’s life, and I want to keep that, because they were married for 25 years, so it’s really important.

And Tim is certainly very different from Kevin…

It’s great that he has that comedy, daft value, which is great for Sally – that’s just what she needs to bounce off. But Kevin was her rock for such a long time and they’re very close still. She’s done all right, has Sally Metcalfe-webster!

How much has Sally changed over the years, do you think?

When she first started, she was really rough – Hilda Ogden said to Kev, “You don’t want to go out with her!” Every now and then I try to get that roughness back, but it’s been sort of ironed out, because now she thinks she’s doing very well for herself. She has a kitchen island, and Rosie went to private school!

What’s the most important lesson she’s learned?

After Kevin had his affair with Natalie Barnes, she had a string of terrible relationships until she met Tim, so I’m pleased that she’s learned how to trust somebody again. Tim is a good, stable man and she’s happy.

How might you fare as her friend?

Well, part of me would like to have a cup of tea with her – but the other part would worry that she’d tell everyone my business! Or judge me, think I’m not posh enough for her. But she has been a good friend to the likes of Gail and Rita, so I think she’s probably a good friend to have. And she loves a glass of wine!

It was while filming her character’s breast cancer storyline in 2009 that Sally also underwent treatment for the disease. She credits the show with saving her life, since it was the on-screen plot which prompted her to go for a breast examination. A decade on, Sally is a patron of the charity Prevent Breast Cancer. In 2016 she cycled from London to Paris raising funds for the organisation, and this year, is set to trek to Everest Base Camp…

You’ve been doing such a vital job in raising breast cancer awareness.

I hope so – it’s important. For a while I was worried about talking about it all the time. But it’s important to use being in the public eye for good. So make sure to check your boobs, no matter how old you are! It can happen to anyone.

You’ve certainly taken yourself out of your comfort zone with your charity challenges…

After I did the bike ride, I said, “Next time, I want two feet on the ground – no pedals!” So it will be interesting to see what happens with Everest. I hope we can raise a lot of money and even more awareness. The thing is, though – what will I do next year?

What might be in store for Corrie’s Sally before you go on your trek?

I have a very funny little story coming up which we’ve already started filming. I’ll be off for a few weeks for the Everest trip, but when I come back I have a serious story – it’s a nice mixture.

We’re hoping that Sally and Tim will be sticking together, though?

Oh yes, I think they’ll probably be together until death us do part…

So here’s to many more years of super Sally on the Street!

Ah, I hope so. I’ve had the best job in the world all these years, and I feel so lucky to be doing something that I love. I’ve always said that I’d leave Corrie if I’m not happy, but I’m enjoying it as much as when I first started. So to get this award is the icing on the cake!

“I’ve always said that I’d leave Corrie if I’m not happy – but I’m enjoying it as much as I ever did!”