As her exit looms, Dame Maureen Lipman has been critical of her time in Coronation Street. During a recent press chat, the actress, known on the ITV programme as the straight-talking Evelyn Plummer, admitted working on the Manchester-based show was nothing short of a challenge as she confessed how "tough" it really was. The 78-year-old has plenty of experience working in the long-running series as she first appeared in Corrie in the early noughties and she's also taken multiple breaks from filming on the show.

Before gaining recognition among fans as Tyrone Dobbs' ( Alan Halsall ) grandmother, Maureen appeared as the Rovers' snooty landlady Lillian Spencer for six episodes in 2002. She re-joined the line-up as Evelyn for the first time in 2018. "I think it’s a tough job because there’s no time to rehearse", she told news outlet Best magazine .

"It didn’t use to be like that. Coronation Street used to have a fully planned-out run by producers, but now you’re in and you’re out." She added, deeming the experience "scary": "I mean, it sorts the weak from the strong, because you’ve got to be able to do that.

"It’s pretty scary when you start, but it’s fine – it’s good for you. As a young actor you’ve got to be on fire , and as a writer, you’ve got to be pretty quick off the mark, and sometimes it could be better." This comes after the actress announced she'll be taking a well-deserved break from the show and won't return until 2025 as she prepares to dazzle.