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Sally Lindsay on marrying her biggest fan, and why she’d never say never to a return to the cobbles
For long-time fans of Coronation Street, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since soap legend Sally Lindsay walked off those famous cobbles for the final time.
Today the actress, who made her mark as feisty landlady Shelley Unwin, may not be throwing left hooks at on-screen ex Peter Barlow, but she is still a force to be reckoned with. Since leaving Corrie she has starred in a series of hit TV shows, including The Madame Blanc Mysteries, and crime drama Scott and Bailey alongside Corrie pal Suranne Jones.
Would Sally, 50, ever consider a return to the cobbles? “It was a wonderful time,” she tells Yours. “Suranne and I get asked that a lot, and obviously we’ve been very lucky in our careers, so at the moment, no. Although, having said that, never say never, because we loved it –
I loved it. It’s the best place to grow, and to learn. I learnt everything on Coronation Street – it’s brilliant.”
She also recently revealed that she longed to return for one particular occasion. “I definitely would have gone back to Corrie for Betty’s funeral [played by the late Betty Driver] because she was a very dear friend. Suranne said she would have done as well, but they never asked us.”
Sally is still best friends with Suranne, who famously played Karen MacDonald on the soap. And she says she couldn’t have been prouder when her pal won a BAFTA, for her role in spine-tingling drama Doctor Foster.
“The night she won it, I was in a friend’s kitchen and I exploded,” she says. “I was so fiercely proud of her, and she’s an unbelievable actress. I’m so proud of her I could burst.”
However, Sally hasn’t quite left her Coronation Street days behind, after falling for her ‘biggest fan’, drummer Steve White. The pair married in 2013, and share 13- year old twins Louie and Victor, as well as adorable pup, Davey.
“His band’s manager was a friend of the executive producer of the show, and he introduced us. He said he was a bit of a fan of my work. And everything else… so that was it, he really was a fan of mine!” Sally laughs.
But while their love story may have stood the test of time, Sally has no intention of renewing their vows. “I’ve never really felt the need to,” she says. “But I think it’s a lovely idea, I really do. My best friend Jenny James [another former Corrie star] did it last year, with her husband Lee, and it was just amazing.
I thought, maybe, but we’d rather pay for a new kitchen!”
Sally – who says she
