STRONGER THAN EVER
Coro star Kym talks tough
It might be hard to believe, but Kym Marsh has been playing Michelle Connor on Coronation Street for more than 11 years now.
And while she’s had her fair share of traumas on and off the screen during that time, reaching her 40s wasn’t one of them, she says. “I had more of a crisis about 30 than 40,” Kym tells the Weekly. “There’s a few things going south, but hey, that happens. I put weight on easier now and find it harder to lose. There are ups and downs.”
Kym turns 42 in June, but she seems to have hardly aged since she first burst onto our screens as a wannabe diva on the reality series Popstars, which saw her become part of the made-for-TV band Hear’Say.
Certainly, her boyfriend, personal trainer Matt Baker
(27), can’t take his eyes off her as he pops in to watch our photo shoot. We’ve been told not to ask Kym about their relationship, but as he chats to us about Kym’s 19-year-old daughter Emilie’s “beautiful” singing voice and six-year-old Polly’s love of performing, it feels like we’ve been welcomed into the Marsh clan for the day.
Family is everything to Kym. In addition to Emilie and Polly, she has a 22-year-old son, David. It doesn’t take any fancy maths to work out she was just 18 when she became a firsttime mum – not the usual route to fame and fortune.
The relationship with David and Emilie’s dad didn’t last, but with plenty of determination and the help of her supportive parents, Kym still managed to make her dreams come true.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Kym smiles. “But being a young mum isn’t an ideal situation. I certainly wouldn’t tell anyone to run off and get pregnant at 18. It’s hard.”
Of her eldest children, the actress says, “We grew up together and have a mate-like relationship. They talk to me about everything. Yes, sometimes I want to put my fingers in my ears, but I’m so grateful they feel they can share.”
After her seven-year marriage to actor Jack Ryder ended in 2009, Kym started a relationship with fellow soap star Jamie Lomas. By then, David and Emilie were 17 and 15, but Kym wasn’t ready for an empty nest.
“I hadn’t had a baby since I was 21,” she explains. “I was in my mid-30s and I just wanted to experience it all again.”
The couple were thrilled to find out in 2009 that they were expecting, but in February 2010, Kym went into premature labour and their baby boy Archie died within minutes of being born. “He tried to take a breath and then passed away,” she says quietly. “He was tiny but perfect. I thought my heart would break.”
The following year, the pair welcomed Polly into the world. The actress shared her joy with her fans, but behind the scenes, she was soon dealing with another nightmare – cyber-stalkers were using social media to impersonate her.
Crazed fans set up fake profiles for her, David, Emilie and even Polly, and also posted images of the family home online. Creepily, flowers were delivered to Kym’s home with the message, “Sorry you couldn’t make our date.”
She had no idea who they were from. “When we delved into it, we found someone was pretending to be me for 10 years, having conversations with this guy as if they were having some sort of relationship. It’s just really strange.”
Not letting the crazy stuff get her down, Kym is concentrating on her busy career and also her gig as an ambassador for the UK charity Saying Goodbye, which offers support for anyone who has lost a baby in pregnancy, birth or infancy.
She feels passionately that mothers who have lost babies born before 24 weeks should be able to place their children’s names on the national register as a way of acknowledging that they existed. Kym also wants special maternity wards where bereaved mums can be treated away from the cries of newborns. “That would be far more humane,” she says.
As she ages, Kym is learning to take better care of herself. “I don’t party hard. If I do, it wipes me out for a month.” That includes giving up smoking.
“I never classed myself as a smoker, but as soon as I had a glass of wine, that was it,”
Kym confesses.
“I would smoke 20 fags on a night out. I decided to go cold turkey and I’m so pleased I’ve done it. I hated the way it tasted, smelt and made me feel.
“It’s so pointless. I want to be around for my kids and to meet my grandkids.”