Coronation Street star admits surprise over Maria's new storyline

Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon says she "can't believe" her character Maria Connor is pursuing a future in politics on the show.

In a new interview with Inside Soap magazine, the actor looked back on the 21 years she's been a part of the ITV soap, and admitted that she "would never have expected" Maria to put herself up for a local councillor gig.

That said, she reckons it makes perfect sense from a storytelling perspective...

"After what happened to Maria's son, Liam, in the summer with his asthma, it's happened organically. I get why she's doing it," Longchambon explained, referencing the fictional hairdresser's recent fight against air pollution on the cobbles.

gary windass and maria connor in coronation street

ITV

"She's in this for the right reasons, so I think Maria has integrity and would probably make a much better councillor than [election rival] Sally [Metcalfe], who is driven by status and feeling important. But maybe I'm biased!"

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When asked what it's like to spar on-screen with longtime co-star Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally, Longchambon admitted that the pair of them occasionally have a hard time keeping straight faces when they're yelling at one another on set.

"Sally [Dynevor] is a great friend, obviously we've known each other for decades," she said. "Sometimes we can't film together for laughing, which is so nice as it feels as though we're doing good old Corrie – the fun stuff, but with a serious message at the heart of it. We just don't stop smiling."

maria connor and sally metcalfe in coronation street

ITV

Longchambon went on to joke that it makes a refreshing change diving headfirst into a storyline that doesn't revolve around Maria having an affair with someone – something she puts down to the fact that the character has "learned a few lessons from her past mistakes and is trying to focus on putting her family first".

She added: "The headline is normally 'Man-eater Maria' – not 'Councillor Maria'! I don't want to say she's grown up but blimmin' 'eck, I'm nearly 40, so it's a bit late for that."

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7.30pm on ITV.