Maureen Lipman joined ‘Coronation Street’ after receiving a sign from her late husband.
The 72-year-old actress is set to star on the ITV soap as Tyrone Dobbs’ battleaxe grandmother Evelyn Plummer and when she was unsure about whether to take on the role or not, she received guidance from Jack Rosenthal, who died in 2004 after suffering from cancer.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, she explained: "I’ve got a picture of my late husband, a triptych, and there are lights above it.
"And I was saying: ‘I don’t think I can do it’, and then the light came on – above his picture. So I thought, ‘Okay’."
Maureen can’t wait for viewers to meet her character Evelyn, describing the woman as a "monster".
She said: "I am now a character in the Street – and a pretty nasty one at that. I’m playing a monster."
Maureen will make her first appearance on the cobbles in September and Evelyn is set to stir things up in Weatherfield after Tyrone makes contact with his family, following the death of his estranged mother Jackie.
‘Coronation Street’ producer Iain MacLeod said: "I am beyond thrilled that we are introducing such a great new character, played by someone of Maureen’s pedigree.
"Evelyn is eye-wateringly withering and will add a fresh dollop of northern humour to the show as she turns Tyrone and Fiz’s lives upside down."
Evelyn is set to cause trouble for Tyrone and his partner Fiz Stape, just as they have finally reunited after months apart.
This is not the first time Maureen has appeared on the long-running soap.
Back in 2002, she played tough Rovers Return manager Lillian Spencer, who annoyed staff and customers with her commanding behaviour.
However, the new character of Evelyn is unconnected to Lillian.
Tyrone (Alan Halsall) has been left devastated by the death of his mother Jackie Dobbs – who was portrayed by Margi Clarke in two stints in the late 90s and late 00s – despite their chequered history.
Her last major storyline saw her return to the cobbles in 2008 to support Tyrone after his wife Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) left him.
But she returned to her mischievous ways and he ended up throwing Jackie out when she told Tyrone that Molly was robbing his house, when she was just packing a bag to leave.
The plan backfired on Jackie because Tyrone felt sorry for Molly, opting to throw his mum out instead.
Maureen Lipman’s late husband sent her a sign to join Coronation Street
