Coronation Street star Ellie Leach says she felt nervous returning to filming after six-month break.
The actress spent months away from the ITV soap when her character, Faye Windass, was sent to prison.
Faye was jailed for attacking Adam Barlow in the Bistro and confessing to her brother, Gary, on New Year's Eve 2020.
The teen hit Adam over the head as he drowned his sorrows in a case of mistaken identity.
Faye's intended target was sleazy former Bistro boss Ray Crosby after he tried to rape her.
In April last year, viewers saw Faye sentenced to three years in prison, leading to Ellie's exit from the soap.
But the Bury-born Corrie star, who joined the soap in 2011, was promised it was temporary and that Faye would be returning home to Weatherfield.
Ellie's return to the Salford-based set, however, did come with nerves and saw her phoning her Corrie co-star for moral support.
"When I came back, because I had been off for so long and there were new people, I felt so nervous," Ellie said.
"I've never been off that long before. I've been there 11 years and I've never had much time off.
"I remember that first day back I rang Colson [Smith, who plays Craig Tinker]... I was in the car park at work and I was like: 'I don't think I can go in.'"
She added: "But as soon as I steppe through the door everyone was like: 'Oh my God I've not seen you for ages, how are you?' and yeah, it was lovely to be back."
Though she does admit to doing 'nothing' with her time off.
"When I came back, everyone was like: 'What you bee doing while you've been off?'" Ellie explained. "But I was like: 'Nothing'.
"It was the most boring six months. I couldn't wait to get back to work.
"I would have liked to have gone away but obviously with the travel restrictions and stuff it meant that I couldn't which was quite sad but I'm sure there will be times where I can go away soon."
Faye has had a gentle start back into life on the cobbles, but the start of 2022 is going to risk Faye's freedom.
She was released on bail back in November and as a fresh year begins, Faye finds herself having to keep a huge secret when, driving back from a New Year's Eve party with Emma Brooker, Faye knocks over Ted, an elderly gentleman who stepped out into the road
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