Male TV soap stars ‘drank no water for days’ ahead of nude scenes reveals Coronation Street star
Coronation Street star Tony Hirst has shared the extreme lengths some of his co-stars went to in preparation for nude scenes in the ITV soap.
The Paul Kershaw actor was a regular face on the cobbles from 2010 until 2013.
Paul first arrived on our screens as a firefighter in the aftermath of the epic tram crash.
He went on to form a relationship with Eileen Grimshaw, but left Weatherfield after their split.
During his time on the cobbles, Tony filmed a ‘Full Monty style scene’ with several of his co-stars, which saw the characters strip as part of a fundraising event in the Bistro.
‘I remember doing a Full Monty style scene on Coronation Street where we had to be naked,’ he recalled.
He continued to the Daily Star: ‘Some of the younger lads purposefully didn’t drink water for two days beforehand so they wouldn’t be bloated, and others were in the gym, trying to look as buff as possible.’
Tony is no stranger to the world of soap, having also appeared in Hollyoaks as Mike Barnes from 2006 until 2010, before reprising the role from 2016 until 2017.
Mike’s return to the village would ultimately end in heartbreak when daughter Amy Barnes was murdered.
Tony praised the work of soap stars to the publication, noting that ‘a lot of the best actors have experience working in soaps’ and that the speed at which they are filmed makes it ‘seriously hard work’.
‘I feel like soap acting doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s seriously hard work. If you don’t make quick choices in a soap opera, you’re either going to look absolutely silly or you’re going to be gone.’
He continued: ‘You have to think quickly, make good choices, and you might have 12 scripts on the go, all being shot out of order.
‘You get very little direction, so you have to be accurate, efficient, and on it all the time. You’ve got to learn lines quickly, and those are real key skills.’
