Coronation Street last week gave us a lot to take in, what with bars exploding, trams crashing and plenty of tears flowing.

But eagle-eyed fans may have spotted one notable absence during the milestone episodes - Michelle Connor.

The barmaid turned factory employee, played by Kym Marsh, was said to have nipped up to Scotland to see her son Ryan.

Now actress Kym Marsh has explained why she wasn't around for the anniversary week, which included an hour-long live transmission.

In her New! magazine column, she wrote: "The Corrie 50th anniversary episodes went down a storm and everyone was delighted with the reaction. You probably noticed that I didn't appear, and that's because there were stunts involved.

"Because of my pregnancy, the producers thought it would be better if I didn't take part. They explained my absence by saying Michelle had gone to see Ryan in Glasgow.

"Of course, I was a little disappointed not to be part of it, but there's no contest when it comes to the wellbeing of my baby.

"It was great to watch the episodes as a regular viewer and I also really enjoyed the screening of the first ever episode - the humour was evident from the beginning!"

Kym announced her pregnancy in March. It comes less than two years after she and fiance Jamie Lomas tragically lost their baby Archie Jay, who died moments after his premature birth.

Meanwhile, Corrie's Michelle is certainly in for a shock when she returns to cobbles...