Melanie Hill

Actress Melanie Hill, who plays Cathy Matthews on Coronation Street, was in good spirits a few weeks ago when it was announced the BBC school drama Waterloo Road has been scheduled to return to our screens. Now that’s good news, she tweeted. Melanie stars as Maggie Budgen in the series which she joined in 2012.

Playing the role of the precious princess Aveline was a brilliant chapter in a career of playing feisty northern lasses, which started with Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and has worked well for the much loved Corrie favourite.

Fitting into the Bread cast like a Liverpudlian glove, Melanie went on to star in several series, such as Playing the Field, The Syndicate and of course Cathy Matthews in Corrie.

She also had a stint in Emmerdale in 2005, playing Avril Kent.

Film roles include Ditchwater Sal in Starstruck and Sandra Ormondroyd in Brassed Off!

Melanie was in fact the second Aveline, replacing the original played by Gilly Coman, who sadly died in 2010. Melanie stayed with the show until it was brought to an end in 1991.

Previously married to fellow northerner Sean Bean, Melanie is now wed to writer/producer Jimmy Daly.