Coronation Street star Melanie Hill quits after seven years as Cathy Matthews
15.05.2022 - 00:29
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Melanie Hill has quit Coronation Street to spend more time with her family after spending seven years playing Cathy Matthews.
The actress announced she had come to the “emotional” decision after Covid made her consider how much time she was spending away from her family.
Cathy Matthews and husband Brian have become one of Coronation Street's most beloved pairings for their comedic roles in the iconic soap.
Melanie, who turned 60 this year, said: “It’s not been an easy thing to decide. My family has been important but the pandemic has made a lot of people think about the future.
“It has changed a lot of things in my head. You’ve just got to see what’s important to you.
“I absolutely love everybody but it’s made me think about my family a lot and what the priorities are in my life.”
Melanie had to rush up to her native Sunderland two weeks ago to look after her 88-year-old mother Sylvia, writes the Mirror.
The actress, who has appeared in Corrie for seven years, now believes the way forward is to take on more roles like her part in BBC One drama The Syndicate, which will allow her to have more time between commitments.
Melanie said: “I’ve been at my mum’s for two weeks and what’s nice is I’ve got the freedom to do that because soaps are pretty relentless. You never stop, really, and you’re always on call.
“My sister Samantha normally helps look after my mum but she is in hospital with a smashed leg.
“It’s lucky that I finished shooting just over two weeks ago so I’m here the whole time. If I was still working on Corrie, I would have been going out of my mind with worry. I cannot stand letting people down – and even if I’ve been ill, I would turn up for work. Now I don’t have to worry as much.
“If you get a drama series, you