Blast From The Past: Helen Pearson
Former Hollyoaks star Helen Pearson tells us that she has no regrets about killing off her Chester alter ego…
Jack Osborne’s life hasn’t been a barrel of laughs since the tragic death of his wife Frankie in 2017. But as we catch up with actress Helen Pearson – aka Frankie – she says that leaving her screen hubby in the lurch was the right decision…
“Fifteen-and-a-half years was long enough,” she admits. “I think Frankie had done pretty much everything she could do on the show. She got up to some hi-jinks – she was quite a goer and had a couple of flings with younger men! It was fun, but I wanted to do other things.”
A heart attack saw Frankie meet her maker, but the exit opened the door to some exciting opportunities for Helen – including shooting a romcom in Rome.
“What a great place to film,” she grins. “They only needed me for six days, but they asked if I’d stay for three-and-a-half weeks! I played a fashion director – quite upmarket compared with Frankie!”
Helen’s latest project takes her to Manchester, where she’ll be starring in The Astonishing Times Of Timothy Cratchit over Christmas. The actress plays two roles, which will be quite a challenge…
“There are some quick costume changes, so I need to make sure I come on as the right character, and not turn up in the wrong costume!” she laughs. “The show is a sequel to A Christmas Carol – it’s about what happens to Tiny Tim a few years on. It’s great for the festive period. It really is magical.”
Helen also tells us that she’s keen to add another soap to her CV...
“I was in Eastenders in the 80s, and in 2000, I was in Emmerdale for a year,” she recalls. “My character [Carol Wareing] was a maneater, too! I just need Corrie now for the full house, so if anyone from
Corrie is reading, that’d be nice!”
The Astonishing Times Of Timothy Cratchit is on at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester until 29 December. For tickets, visit hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events