Jennie McAlpine was thrown in at the deep end for her ‘Coronation Street’ return.
The 35-year-old soap star – who plays Fiz Stape on the ITV show – returned to the cobbles set earlier this month after going on maternity leave to give birth to her second child, eight-month-old Hilda, and she admitted she had to settle right back into filming without being eased in.
Appearing on ITV’s ‘Loose Women’ on Monday (15.07.19), she said: "I’ve got out of the habit of [learning lines], but actually it as just like riding a bike and I kind of just did it.
"They do that to you at ‘Corrie’ – I think they do it on purpose, they’re a bit cruel to be kind – they just threw me right in, day one."
While Jennie – who also has four-year-old son Albert with her husband Chris Farr – is finding the balance between her work and home life, she conceded she wishes she had more time to focus on each aspect.
She explained: "I think the ideal situation, if you could have it, is parallel universes where I could be at work all the time, which I love, and at home with my babies all the time which I love as well."
The actress previously admitted she was nervous about being back on set, but bosses had reassured her that there wouldn’t be too much pressure.
She said: "It feels a bit like going back to school after the summer holiday, I’ve got butterflies. I’m worried I don’t have enough space left in my brain to learn all my lines. But the producers have promised I’ll be eased in gently."
Hilda will be heading to the same nursery Albert went to because there is no creche on the ‘Corrie’ set – but Jennie admitted it is probably for the best because she wouldn’t get much work done if there was one.
She added: "It’s probably a good thing Corrie doesn’t have a crèche. I’d always be disappearing from set to see her. We have a great support network around us too, who can help. We’re very lucky."
Jennie McAlpine throw in at the deep end with Corrie return
