The actress, 20, on having an old head on young shoulders and spending the past decade as Corrie’s Faye Windass.

Was it scary joining Coronation Street when you were only ten?

It was daunting. I knew what Corrie was — my mum and dad and grandma and grandad watched it all the time, and obviously my cousin Brooke Vincent [who played Sophie Webster] was in it.

When I went for my final audition and I did a screen test with Debbie Rush [who played Anna Windass] I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, she’s on telly!’ I was quite young to process what was going on. I remember seeing Barbara Knox, who plays Rita, and thinking: ‘I can’t believe I’m in the same building as her!’

When I did my first scene with her, I went, ‘Oh my God, I need to make sure I know my lines and my cues and where I’m going and what I’m doing. I was so nervous but she was lovely and dead chatty.

Were you shocked when you first started getting recognised?

I get shocked now. If I see people staring, I wonder what they’re staring at — then I remember they recognise me from television. But when I first started, I was quite young and I’d say, ‘Mum, why are people staring at me?’ She’d say, ‘It’s because you’re on telly!’ It was hard to get my head around.

What did your schoolmates think when you were off acting?

Why is she leaving class all the time? But what’s great is that I’ve grown up with a group of friends who don’t see me as an actress. I like that. It allows me to separate work from my home life.

Did you miss out on your childhood?

I missed school trips and summer holidays when my friends were off school and I was working but I wouldn’t say it’s been detrimental.

If anything, it’s made me grow up more. I like how my life has panned out but I think even if I wasn’t in Corrie, I would be like that anyway. I’ve always had an old head on young shoulders.

Was it hard being in the public eye during your teens?

Because I’ve always been quite sensible, I’ve never really had to worry about being silly and someone seeing it.

Your character hasn’t had the easiest life — she’s been in prison and had a baby when she was 13. How would you cope in Faye’s shoes?

I don’t know if I would. She was only a baby when she had a baby. Life has thrown her so many curve balls. I think she’s doing quite well to cope with it all.

How did you spend the six months when your character was in prison?

I’ve never had that much time off work before but there were loads of Covid restrictions, which meant I couldn’t go away on holiday. So I actually didn’t do much. I just sat around for six months — it was a bit boring. I didn’t use my time very wisely.

Do you get booed or cheered in the street?

Mainly people love the storylines but Faye is covering up after knocking down a pensioner during a driving lesson.

People felt sorry for her when she went to prison but now they’re turning against her and calling her ruthless. They’ll come up to me in the street and say: ‘I can’t believe you ran over an old man and just left him to die!’

I can’t sympathise about the cover-up but I can understand why she doesn’t want to tell anyone, because she’s worried about going to prison.

What do you think of your character?

She’s got good intentions, she’s not a nasty person. She’s troubled but she’s had a troubled past. She’s not purposely rebellious, she just makes lots of mistakes.

We understand your boyfriend Reagan Pettman is a model…

No, he’s not! There are stories on the internet saying he’s a model. He studied performing arts at college, which is where we met, but then he decided he didn’t want to go into acting.

I said to him, ‘Everyone keeps saying you’re a model,’ and he went: ‘Ooh, maybe I should be!’

How long would you like to stay in Coronation Street?

I love it and it’s all I’ve ever known, really, it’s like my second home. I like everybody I work with and I enjoy my job, so as long as they’ll have me!

Are you and your cousin Brooke Vincent still close?

We’re more like sisters, really — and I see her every week, especially now she’s got the kids, Mexx and Monroe. I’m Mexx’s godmother and I love spending time with them. We haven’t got any babies in our family apart from those two, so they’re spoiled.

What do you enjoy away from work?

I just watch Netflix all the time — I’m such a homebird and I don’t really like going out. I don’t enjoy partying, so me and my boyfriend just chill on a weekend and watch telly and eat food.

For more information see itv.com/coronationstreet and on Twitter @itvcorrie

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