Coronation Street star Georgia Taylor revealed her closest friends on set as she discussed how the pandemic has impacted filming.
The Wigan actress has played Toyah Battersby on the ITV soap on-and-off for the last 24 years.
Like many, the last 18 months have been very different, with TV productions briefly being halted and, upon returning, having to abide by strict Covid rules.
Georgia says this has left the team missing the 'silly things' about heading to work on the Salford-based soap.
READ MORE: Ranvir Singh forced to stop presenting GMB to check on son after phone call interruption
"We're really used to it now. Because we wear masks in rehearsals, we only take them off when we’re going for a take, so you don’t get to see someone’s face until they say ‘action’, which is a bit strange," the 41-year-old told the PA news agency.
"I'm not a party animal any more by any means, but you miss the social side of it. When it's a sunny day and someone says, 'Let's go for a drink after work', or me and Jane Danson or Jennie McAlpine (my closest friends on set) can get lunch when we have a break.
"Those silly little things that make your day that bit nicer."
The Corrie star spent lockdown at home with her long-term partner, fellow actor Mark Letheren.
Mark, 50, played journalist Simon Kitson in the ITV drama The Bill and played counsellor Ben Harding in BBC One's Casualty.
"We're very lucky because we’re really close to a park, so we could exercise every day," Georgia, whose birth name was Claire Jackson, told PA when asked if she and Mark got cabin fever being at home.
"I like to run anyway, so I just cranked that up and enjoyed the amazing weather. We don’t have a massive garden, but we did a lot of work on it and turned it into our own little sanctuary.
"I exercise for my head as much as anything – it just clears my mind completely. I used to run to music, but now I run to podcasts. It gives you that bit of time when you can switch off, not worry about anything, and just have people talking."
As well as Corrie, Georgia has been back on screens in Celebrity Gogglebox with her pal Sunetra Sarker as they dissect the week's TV shows.
