Former Coronation Street star Denise Welch has opened up about feeling 'incredibly lonely' while working on the show.
The actress and Loose Women panelist, who played Natalie Barnes, says it was a 'daunting time' starting out on Corrie in 1997.
Denise, who had left the North East with her family, says she felt lonely during her first three or four months on the Manchester-based soap
Speaking on the ITV chat show Loose Women she explained: "It was a very daunting time going into it, bearing in mind I was in my late thirties and I'd done things like Soldier Soldier and Spender and I was kind of used to people going 'oh are you her off the thingy.'
"But nothing can prime you for what happens when you go into a soap opera.
"And I went in there and I like being alone, I'm very happy with my own company and I need times of aloneness but being alone and lonely are two different things but everyone thought I was having this brilliant time but for the first three or four months I was incredibly lonely."
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The 61-year-old mum-of-two played Rovers Return landlady Natalie, who had a fling with Kevin Webster and went on to marry Des Barnes, until 2000.
She said about starting out on the famous cobbles: "Everybody on the show pretty much lived in Manchester and I just kept thinking 'is anyone going to invite me for dinner or anything?' and I just felt really, really lonely for a time.
"So I always made a point when people came in I would make sure they were alright and also tried to look after the young people.
"I could kind of deal with what happened to my life in my late thirties but for young people their life can change very quickly."
Denise added that she's made lifelong friends on the soap including Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe, Charlie Lawson, who played Jim McDonald and Kevin Kennedy who played Curly Watts.
She said about Kevin: "We both had alcohol issues during our time in Coronation Street and we kind of helped each other through those times as well."
And, remembering the late Anne Kikrbride who played Deirdre Barlow, she recalled the Weatherfield icon 'dragging' her to the legendary Manchester shopping emporium Afflecks to get her belly button pierced.
"She dragged me off to get my belly button pierced. I just remember Annie kirkbride dragging me off to Afflecks Palace in Manchester and making me get my tummy button pierced," she told the panel.
"And then when I was pregnant it popped off and I never saw it again. She was hilarious."
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