Is that really you, Tracy? Former Corrie star shows off stage look
DERBYSHIRE actress Tracy Shaw has shared a picture from her latest role showing how her days on the Coronation Street cobbles are firmly behind her.
The Belper-born actress played hairdresser Maxine Peacock on the ITV soap from 1995 to 2003.
But 19 years on, the actress, now 48, is barely recognisable in the retro glam image with lashings of red lipstick and hair swept up in a glamorous, curled bouffant.
Tracy took the selfie behind the scenes at the theatre adaptation of 1939 comedy mystery The Cat and the Canary, in which she played lead role of Annabelle. She said: “Last 2 shows playing Annabelle West at the Grand Theatre Leeds. We started this play before we’d even heard of Covid, on our second leg of tour.
Tracy Shaw on The Cat and the Canary “Three lateral tests a week for Covid, we’ve been able to open many theatres, and hopefully entertained our audiences with an amazing cast!
“I feel very emotional to say goodbye today to a wonderful part...”
Her highest profile theatre role was in 2003, when she played Sally in The Blue Room alongside Jason Connery.
Tracy first appeared on the cobbles as a friend of Fiona Middleton and her time there saw her have a one-night stand with Fiona’s boyfriend - Steve MacDonald.
During her time on the show, she was involved in romances with the likes of Curly Watts, Des Barnes,
Andy McDonald and Tony Horrocks. In 2003, Maxine died at the hand of serial killer Richard Hillman after the TV villain broke into her and husband Ashley’s house.
Richard had hoped to make it appear as if elderly babysitter Emily had been killed during the burglary but Maxine returned home alone early.
Tracy told Loose Women in 2019, that over the years since leaving the high-profile role she’s taken many breaks away from the spotlight to be with her children.
The star, who lives in Berkshire and has sons Louis, 16, and Luca, 15, said: “It was a huge pressure just because of the viewing figures [of Coronation Street]. When I had Louie, I used to take him out for a walk with Angela [Griffin] with the push chairs and it just didn’t feel right to have photographers take pictures of the boys and they haven’t got a choice in this.
“I took some time out just because it all got a little bit too much for me and I needed to respect that my kids were going to be brought up in the world I was living in and I felt really uncomfortable about that.”
We started this play before we’d even heard of Covid, on our second leg of tour.