She made her name in 2011, as Corrie’s Eva Price, the ditsy half-sister of Leanne. But Catherine Tyldesley, who left the soap in 2018, has always loved showing off her other talents.
She released an album, Rise, featuring classics such as Get Here, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and He’s A Tramp, back in 2016.
And she took the mic again for karaoke-themed comedy drama Scarborough, starring alongside Jason Manford, as well as delighting fans with her dance performances on Strictly.
But the role 38-year-old Catherine treasures most is being a wife to personal trainer Tom Pitfield, who she married in 2016, and mum to son Alfie, born the previous year. Now “AuntieCath” – as she’s known on Instagram – is expecting her second child, a baby girl.
Love Sunday magazine caught up with the Salford-born star to talk about her forthcoming appearance in ITV ’s All Star Musicals At Christmas, where she will be competing against the likes of Gyles Brandreth, Fern Britton and Anita Rani, while trying to impress mentors, including the legendary Elaine Paige…
Hi Catherine! We all love a musical at this time of year, especially after the past 18 months or so…
We’re so in need of TV like this, now more than ever. All Star Musicals At Christmas has that old-fashioned variety feel about it. It takes you out of the real world and transports you. I think people are going to love it.
Were you nervous about taking part?
The biggest challenge was that I hadn’t sung for a long time – I was really rusty. And when you’re pregnant, your body changes and you breathe differently. But I loved every second. It was so nice to get that opportunity to be around some incredible professionals because their advice was invaluable.
How does the baby react when you sing?
She kicks when I sing. So yeah, she was very active. I think she’s probably quite musical. She’s got jazz hands in there, absolutely.
How did you find working with the mentors?
Just incredible. I was with Elaine Paige. I’d say Elaine and Michael Ball were two of the biggest reasons that I fell in love with musical theatre as a child – I used to have one of their albums on vinyl and listen to it relentlessly. Elaine is one of my idols – I was starstruck. She’s just got such an amazing aura about her – she’s such a talented lady. It was a really special moment for me to meet her.
How do you think your performance went in the show?
Every time that I practised my performance, even on the day itself, I was able to come off stage and analyse everything that I’d done. But I came off stage and didn’t have a clue what had happened! I was like, 'Was it OK? Was that a bit flat? Did I move?'
It was a real out-of-body experience. I adored every second, though. As soon as I came off stage, I was like, 'I want to do that again!'
