Coronation Street actress is back filming after 9 years – but there’s a twist
Coronation Street has been known to use the same actor to portray multiple roles in its 65 year history.
One of those actors, and a face that fans may well recognise, Emma Matthews, is returning to the show, this time in a brand new role.
Emma had previously appeared intermittently as a nurse at Weatherfield General Hospital, clocking up episodes in 2012, 2013 and 2015, as she played a role in dealing with the many medical emergencies that inevitably develop on the street.
Her turn as a nurse came before she undertook a more substantial role when she appeared as Fiona Crawley, a social worker dealing with Abi Webster’s (Sally Carman) children, Charlie and Lexi Franklin, appearing in two episodes in October of 2017.
ITV have, thus far, been keeping quiet on what Emma’s new role will be, how long it will run for or what storylines it could impact.
Emma is currently starring in David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy in the West End’s Garrick Theatre, and has notched up an impressive theatre career, appearing in Cabaret, Oh What A Bloody Circus, The Hired Man, Stepping Out, and Gangsta Granny.
Her other television credits include: Prisoners Wives, Casualty, Trying Again, Doctors and The Bay.
While maintaining a busy acting career, Emma helps nurture the stars of the future, having also opened her own stage school in Bury back in 2013, telling the Bury Times: ‘Opening another stage school was something I had always wanted to do and moving back to the area gave me that opportunity.
‘We have lots of contacts in the industry including casting directors, agencies and TV and film companies, so many of the children we work with end up getting professional work’.
In conjunction with all of that, Emma has been pursuing a Masters qualification in Theatre Directing.
She recently directed an adaptation of Beautiful Thing – a play written by Coronation Street writer, Jonathan Harvey, no less – to complete the final practical assessment of her degree.
Emma isn’t the only multi-character actor who’s back in Weatherfield, though, as Elizabeth Rider recently resurfaced as Sadie, the mum of Asha Alahan’s (Tanisha Gorey) new love interest Sienna Milburn (Charlotte Tyree).
Sadie is suffering with dementia, though to a much more advanced degree than Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney), though her presence has absolutely shaken Debbie and her husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan), with them both considering Sadie to be an incredibly sobering look into the future.
Elizabeth previously appeared on the cobbles 20 years ago in 2006 as Kathleen Gutteridge, the biological mum of Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold), who she’d abandoned at birth, leading his birth father Fred Elliott (John Savident) to hand him over to his aunty Beryl Peacock (Anny Tobin), who became his adoptive mum.
She later showed up again as Genna, a social worker involved in the process of Les Battersby-Brown (Bruce Jones) adopting his step-son Chesney (Sam Aston).
Speaking to The Sun after her return was announced, a source said: ‘Corrie bosses are delighted to have tempted Elizabeth for a short stint on the cobbles. She’s a legendary actress with a huge amount of talent and everyone’s thrilled she’s here.’
