Former Coronation Street actress Katie McGlynn has revealed being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age left her feeling ‘uncomfortable and low’.
Katie first arrived on the famous cobbles back in 2013, when she was was just 19-years-old, as the sweet-natured Sinead Tinker.
However, the pressures of looking good at red carpet events and being compared to her cast mates left her feeling self-conscious and worried about being targeted by cruel trolls.
“I was always paranoid that girls would judge me and bitch about me, when they probably weren’t even looking. But even if they were, they’re not my friends,” she told The Sun.
“There were certain times when I felt uncomfortable and low.
“But luckily, everyone at Corrie was lovely and some of them are my best friends now.”
Katie eventually left the series in 2019, with Sinead sadly dying in a heartbreaking cancer storyline.
But as Katie has grown up, she’s learned to embrace her body, and the actress now feels more confident than ever.
“Now if I see nasty comments, I’m not fussed,” she said. “But when I was younger I would have been upset because I never felt I measured up to the other girls on Corrie looks-wise.”
The star credited her on-set best mates Brooke Vincent (who plays Sophie Webster), Lisa George (Beth Tinker) and Sam Aston (Chesney Brown) for keeping her head above water.
Now the actress is making a comeback into soapand , appearing on Hollyoaks beginning this week as Becky, a new mum who becomes friends with Diane (played by Alex Fletcher).
However, there’s more to Becky than meets the eye.
It’s soon uncovered that the young mum is obsessed with fake news and online conspiracy theories, and is using them to manipulate her new friend.
This could prove disastrous for the vulnerable Diane, who is trying to keep her OCD at bay as she adjusts to life as a new mum.
After fearing that leaving Corrie would end her career, Katie will be on our screens for at least nine months as part of this long-arching storyline.
Hollyoaks airs weekdays at 6pm on Channel 4 and 6.30pm on E4.
