Catherine Tyldesley doesn’t take any chances with her health because she wants to be on the planet "as long as possible" to spend time with her son.
The former ‘Coronation Street’ star has four-year-old boy Alfie with husband Tom Pitfield, 32, and she is determined to always be in the "best health" she can be to because the youngster is a "fountain of energy".
She said: "It’s no longer just about me. I need to ensure that I am on this planet for as long as possible.
"I’ve always been quite in tune with my body but certainly since Alfie arrived I have got so much to live for.
"And I want to make sure I am in the best health I can be and have loads of energy because he’s just an absolute fountain of energy. It’s a lot of coffee."
The 35-year-old actress also trusts her own instincts about her body more than she used to following the death of her friend from ovarian cancer.
She said: "We had a family friend. She had ovarian cancer in her family and the doctors kept saying to her "Oh you’re fine it’s probably just IBS."
"By the time they actually listened to her it was too late."
Catherine hopes she can play a part in helping women to overcome the "ridiculous stigma" surrounding smear tests, and she cannot stress enough the importance of having your ovaries checked.
She added to MailOnline: "I think women are often very embarrassed to even talk things like having your ovaries checked. I really want to get rid of that ridiculous stigma.
"I think it’s really important to listen to your body and not to be embarrassed. We’ve all got these bits and pieces. All women have the same thing. The doctor has seen things a million times."
As well as looking after her son, Catherine – who played Eva Price in ‘Corrie’ from 2011 to 2018 – will return to acting soon after she recently landed her first post-cobbles role, in Channel 5 crime series ’15 Days’, in which she will star alongside ‘Unforgotten’ actor Tom Rhys Harries.
Catherine Tyldesley wants to be alive ‘as long as possible’ for son
