Catherine Tyldesley found it tough filming such emotionally-charged ‘Coronation Street’ scenes leading up to her exit.
The 34-year-old star is quitting the cobbles after seven years of playing Eva Price, and her final storyline, during which her barmaid alter-ego regretfully gave away her baby to her sister Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) shortly after she was born, has tugged on her heartstrings.
Reflecting on the difficult scenes, she told BANG Showbiz: "It is tiring, because obviously you have to go there to make it believable, so your nervous system doesn’t necessarily understand that you’re only pretending, so it is tiring, but I think you’ve just got to look after yourself and try and laugh as much in between.
"Shayne Ward (Aidan Connor) was always good for that."
Mum-of-one Catherine – who shares three-year-old son Alfie with husband Tom Pitfield – admitted that being a parent has had a big impact on her performances, because Eva has struggled with the idea of having to give away her baby.
She added: "I can’t begin to imagine being in that position for me, personally. I understand why some people have to give their children away, but it’s just not something that I could do.
"That’s the last bit of Aidan and there are several times in the scripts when she says how much the baby looks like daddy, so it must just be horrendous."
Despite the heart-breaking scenes, Catherine has been delighted with the way her final storyline has played out, and heaped praise on departing boss Kate Oates for the way she handled Eva’s exit.
She said: "Kate Oates has just been wonderful and the writers have been wonderful and I’ve just been really grateful for the stuff they’ve given me; it’s a great exit storyline."
For Catherine, it was a difficult decision to move on from ‘Corrie’, and she has made sure to make the most of every moment in the company of her co-stars and the soap’s crew.
She said: "It’s surreal. I just feel like I’m trying to absorb everyone more than ever. Everyone that I’m seeing I’m like, ‘Hi! Tell me about your day.’ And just trying to get every last bit of it in, because I love it here, it’s not that I’m unhappy.
"The people are just wonderful, so it’s going to be really emotional."
Catherine Tyldesley struggled with emotional scenes
