Michelle Connor-McDonald (Kym Marsh)

[Perdita]

Kym Marsh has said that there is "no need" for Hear'Say to consider a reunion.

The 'Pure and Simple' group were formed on 2001 reality series Popstars, but split in late 2002, just months after Marsh had quit.

Now starring as Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, Marsh backed former bandmate Myleene Klass's comments that a reunion would not happen.

"A journalist recently asked my friend and former bandmate Myleene Klass if she would
consider a Steps-style reunion for Hear'Say," the actress wrote in her New magazine column. "Myleene said, 'Not a chance in hell. It was hard enough the first time around, with us all arguing and bitching'. I feel exactly the same!"

She continued: "We're all doing well in our individual fields, so there's just no need to go back there. And, let's face it, we didn't have enough material for us to do a greatest hits tour!"

In her autobiography released earlier this year, Marsh recalled how she had fought with Klass during their time in the band. However, she revealed that the two had rebuilt their relationship following the death of Marsh's son Archie in 2009.

"Myleene really was there for me. She helped me choose the music for Archie's funeral and sent the most beautiful bouquet of flowers to the crematorium," she said. "We have both grown up now that we have children of our own. Life is too short to hold grudges and what happened back then isn't anyone's fault. I am determined not to let anything or anyone come between us again."

[Perdita]

Coronation Street star Kym Marsh has admitted that she embraces the "bitchy" side of her alter ego Michelle Connor.

The actress, who has been part of the Weatherfield soap since 2006, said that she is grateful to play a character who has so many different sides to her personality.

Marsh told PA: "What I love about Michelle is she's many different things and she can be everything. She can be a real bitch but she's not playing the bitch character - what that essentially means for me as an actress is she can be in many different places on the Street and slot in.

"It's not like she would never talk to that person because she's too much of a bitch. It's really lucky for me because I enjoy being many different characters."

The 35-year-old said that her current contract with Coronation Street keeps her at the soap until the middle of next year.

She confirmed: "I'm there till June for definite, and then after that who knows?"

This week's Coronation Street episodes see Michelle's wedding plans in jeopardy after her partner Ciaran McCarthy (Keith Duffy) gambled away their cash for the venue.

[alan45]

Coronation Street star Kym Marsh has admitted that she embraces the "bitchy" side of her alter ego Michelle Connor.

The actress, who has been part of the Weatherfield soap since 2006, said that she is grateful to play a character who has so many different sides to her personality.

Marsh told PA: "What I love about Michelle is she's many different things and she can be everything. She can be a real bitch but she's not playing the bitch character - what that essentially means for me as an actress is she can be in many different places on the Street and slot in.

"It's not like she would never talk to that person because she's too much of a bitch. It's really lucky for me because I enjoy being many different characters."

The 35-year-old said that her current contract with Coronation Street keeps her at the soap until the middle of next year.

She confirmed: "I'm there till June for definite, and then after that who knows?"

This week's Coronation Street episodes see Michelle's wedding plans in jeopardy after her partner Ciaran McCarthy (Keith Duffy) gambled away their cash for the venue.

[sarah c]

answer me this re Michelle Connor? when Ciaran was talking to her last week he said with regard to her wanting more kids - 'you're only 33' she replied, 'yes but thats 5 to midnight in my book...'

anyway if she is only 33, how come she has a 19 year old son ?

even my maths can see that doesnt quite work out

[alan45]

answer me this re Michelle Connor? when Ciaran was talking to her last week he said with regard to her wanting more kids - 'you're only 33' she replied, 'yes but thats 5 to midnight in my book...'

anyway if she is only 33, how come she has a 19 year old son ?

even my maths can see that doesnt quite work out

Two possible reasons

1. She was a 14 yr old slapper

2. Crap scriptwriting of what was a stupid storyline anyway

[sarah c]

Two possible reasons

1. She was a 14 yr old slapper

2. Crap scriptwriting of what was a stupid storyline anyway

well I think I'd have to go for option 2....because Ryan's father when spoken about in the context of his tragic death, was always mentionned as her long term bloke?

writers need to watch a few more old episodes!!

[alan45]

SHE left her new daughter at home to return to work, but Corrie star Kym Marsh says she’s sick of being judged by other mums.
The 35-year-old returned to the *Weatherfield cobbles this autumn, six months after the birth of her fourth child Polly.
But she faced the wrath of other mums who accused her of going back to work too early.
Kym, whose third child Archie died three years ago, has two older children from a previous relationship.
She admits she was surprised by the reaction to her decision to go back to Coronation Street.
She said: “I’ve actually had a bit of a backlash on Twitter, with people thinking I shouldn’t have gone back to work after having a child. I had 10 months of my 12 month entitlement off.
“But they asked me why I went back to work after having my baby. I responded to it, saying because I have to work, and they told me I should stay at home and just live off my partner’s money.
“I think some people live in the dark ages. It’s *outrageous. Working mums everywhere have a right to know that there are such bigoted people out there.
“People might think we’re all millionaires and that we can take as much time off as we want. But people need to get with the times.
“As far as I can see, you can’t win. If you go back to work, you’re abandoning your child. If you don’t go back to work, you’re sponging off the government. You just have to get on with it and do what you feel is best.”
Kym lost Archie, her first child with current partner, Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, after he was born 18 weeks premature in 2009.
She was previously married to actor Jack Ryder, but the pair divorced in 2009.
She endured a difficult pregnancy with Polly, and has found her early months to be a test too.
She said: “She’s not been the easiest baby, it has to be said.
“She’s had gastric reflux, which has been horrendous at times. I have to keep her up after feeds, which is really tough in the middle of the night.
“She was on medication but has had to come off that now, but it did make things very difficult. She’s settling down now, though.”
Having been down the motherhood road already, after raising teenagers David, 16, and Emily, 13, you’d have thought she would have taken the latest tot’s early months in her stride. Not so.
She said: “I was 18 when I had my first baby, so had a lot more energy. And I wasn’t working full time with either of them. I had a lot more time on my hands.
“When you’ve got to juggle a job, as well as being mum to a new baby, things are very intense. It’s much more difficult this time around but I do have much more patience than I did when I was younger.
“Polly has been on set, she’s been to see *everybody a couple of times. She’s had the Corrie tour.”
Kym returned as feisty Michelle Connor after her maternity leave in September, a matter of weeks before long-running cast member Betty Driver - who played Betty Turpin for 42 years - died.
She said: “I wasn’t around that week when she died. I got a phone call from the press office at Corrie to let us know, which was nice of them, otherwise we’d have been reading it in the papers.
“I was lucky enough to have filmed some scenes with her over the years and was very fond of her.
“She was an amazing lady, such a strong woman. It was obvious to everyone, as time went on, that she was becoming more poorly, but it was still a shock.
“We all knew what age she was and what an amazing life she’d had. So many of the programmes on the telly after she died told such an amazing story about her.
“She did some amazing things and will be sorely missed here, she really will.
“Betty had only been coming in every so often, lately, she was only in now and then.
“For some of us, it really hasn’t sunk in yet, the knowledge that we won’t be seeing her again.
“It’s a strange feeling. I suppose, when we give her character her send off on the Street it will hit everyone then.
“I have no idea what the storyline is for that one yet, but I’m hoping it’s a party of some sort, rather than a sombre affair. I think we should celebrate her life in style.”
Her own character is facing a *pre-nuptial tussle with other half Ciaran, who gambles with her savings for their wedding in an impromptu poker match, but there’s also the death of another Street favourite to contend with.
Schmeichel, Chesney’s Great Dane named after the former Manchester United and Denmark goalie Peter Schmeichel, has chased his last ball.
“Poor Schmeichel,” said Kym. “These dogs only live for so long, seven or eight years. But several dogs have played Schmeichel over the years. The one they use at the moment is a much younger dog than Schmeichel.
“So they’ve had to put chalk on his face to make him look older. He’s actually such a popular character, it’s the end of an era.”
The beginning of a new chapter for Corrie was marked with the arrival of Michelle Collins, as Stella Price, and Scot John Michie, as Karl Munro, earlier this year.
The pair - specifically Collins - attracted criticism from fans who were unconvinced by their accents. But Kym - who watched their arrival while off on maternity leave - said: “They’re both doing really well, I don’t see what the problem was.
“It was probably down to the fact that Michelle was a southerner, and because she played Cindy (in EastEnders).
“But it’s always the same when new families arrive in Corrie. There seems to be a bit of snobbery towards them.
“But I think they’re both great, and I hope Michelle and Karl have a bit of a fling in the future.”
Kym, of course, achieved fame through ITV’s Popstars spin-off band Hear’Say. Given the number of acts from the Noughties who have reformed, including Boyzone and Steps, has there been a clamour for a Hear’Say reunion?
No. And nor is there likely to be, thankfully.
Kym’s not surprised.
She said: “I can safely say there’s no reunion on the cards at all. I’m quite happy where I am. Steps had a bit more of a career than us. Hear’Say were together for a year before I left them and they continued for a bit longer and that was it. We couldn’t exactly have a greatest hits album.
"Fair play to Steps. They’re doing well. Take That were the same, and the Spice Girls. So it does seem to be a bit of a pattern. There’s some call for it. But I’d never say never, as far as other singing projects go, because you never know what’s around the corner. But I really love what I’m doing now.
“I love the feistiness that Michelle’s bringing back to the show. It’s nice to have her fiery side back, and I’m hoping I get more of that.”

[Perdita]

Coronation Street star Kym Marsh reckons Weatherfield could do with some older hunks.
The actress, who is back on screens as feisty Michelle Connor, would like to see some new faces on the ITV1 soap, particularly of the male variety.
"They need some new men, I think. We're very women heavy in Corrie, aren't we?" she said.
"We've got to have some eye candy, particularly of our age, like in our 30s. There's not really many guys to go round for girls. They do tend to be muscle-bound hunks, but we don't mind that."
Kym has enjoyed her alter-ego's passionate romances on the Street, which have included Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and her current squeeze, fiance Ciaran McCarthy (Keith Duffy).
"I've been very fortunate because I've had some really great partners on screen, Simon being the one I was with for the longest. We had good fun together," she recalled.
"I really enjoyed my brief stint with Chris Gascoyne as well. I think he's so heavyweight, he's brilliant, and obviously Keith who's missed by everyone, so yeah I've been really lucky."
The 35-year-old is keeping mum about the future between Ciaran and Michelle: "'Keith's left, but whether or not they get married remains to be seen. You'll have to wait and see what happens."
:: Kym is fronting a new campaign launched by Childnet to give parents practical advice on how to discuss using the internet responsibly with children. The new tips for parents can be found at www.childnet.com/downloading.

[Chloe O'brien]

She's got to keep asking for more male characters otherwise she wouldn't have a job on Corrie.

[Perdita]

Corrie’s feisty Michelle Connor is used to pulling pints but when it comes to fellas she might as well forget it.

Smarmy charmer Ciaran McCarthy became the latest man to break the ex-barmaid’s heart when he gambled away their £1,000 wedding deposit.

Michelle’s party on Friday turned into a leaving do as the couple split up and chef Ciaran ran off to sea.

But as the temporary knicker *factory boss packs away her sexy wedding gown she might be excused a smile.

On Coronation Street handsome Ciaran has joined the likes of Steve McDonald and bisexual Sonny Dhillon in her list of doomed relationships.

But in real life Kym Marsh, who plays Michelle, is far happier and *planning to wed former Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, 31, next year.

But unlike Michelle, Kym, 35, is far more grounded and more realistic about her big day.

Kym said: “Marriage is very *important to Michelle. She wants the white knight on a horse and the fairy tale, when in real life we know that doesn’t exist.

“I’ve three lovely kids and a lovely little guardian angel who is looking over us. The next step will be an intimate wedding.”

The guardian angel is Archie, their 18-week premature son who tragically died in 2009. Kym and Jamie now have eight-month-old daughter Polly, they have been *engaged for two years and *recently Kym said she didn’t mind if they never tied the knot.

Intimate

She says: “Jamie keeps saying we’ll get married next year.

“We were *supposed to last year then it didn’t happen. We thought about it for this year and then I fell pregnant with Polly.

“It’s one of those things that has kept rolling over and now he thinks we should just do it.

“We’ll probably go away *somewhere. It will be quite last minute – we don’t want something massive, we want it to be intimate.

“If it was in Britain we’d have to start inviting everybody and it would become a huge affair. We want it just to be the two of us, our children, our parents and siblings and maybe one or two close friends.

“We’d probably have a big party afterwards for friends but we want quite a small ceremony.

Kym met Jamie in 2008 and became pregnant later that year but Archie died moments after his premature birth in February 2009.

Jamie proposed on Christmas Day that year and in March this year Kym gave birth to Polly.


Loved up: Jamie and Kym at British Soap Awards

She says: “We had planned to get married before but lots of things *happened that made it impossible for us. It’s not a big deal though.

“We’re committed to each other. We have a baby together and we’re engaged. Marriage is the next step but it’s not necessary to make us a firm couple – we already are one.

“I think marriage these days is not the same as it was years ago. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t think it’s a big issue or a big priority.

“Maybe it’s my age too. When I was younger I wanted to get married and be the princess but, to be honest, it’s one day and it’s over in a flash. We definitely will do it but now I’m older it’s not the be all and end all of life.”

Jamie certainly looks a better bet than Ciaran, played by Boyzone heartthrob Keith Duffy, 37.

Kym, who has two children, David, 16, and Emily, 13, from a previous relationship, has been married once before – to former EastEnders star Jack Ryder – but they split in 2008.

Just a few months later she met Jamie and it is clear they are devoted to each other. “I think what we’ve been through as a couple has definitely made us stronger,” she explains. “A lot of people would have walked away and it says how much we care for each other that we stayed together.

“Jamie is special to me – not like anybody else I’ve ever met. We’ll always have Archie and Polly and everything we’ve shared.”

Kym was a 24-year-old single mum from Wigan living on benefits when she first hit the headlines in 2001 as one of Hear’Say, winners of ITV1’s music reality show Popstars. Their debut single Pure and Simple sold 1.2million copies and is one of the fastest-selling non charity record of all time.

But Kym was missing her children and quit after a year. She enjoyed a successful solo career before joining Coronation Street in 2006.

As well as juggling work *commitments and a new-born baby, devoted mum Kym has also recently found time to get involved with a new campaign to warn teenagers about the dangers of downloading films and music from *illegal websites. She says: “David and Emily are the same as any other *teenagers, and they simply didn’t *realise what could happen as a result of *downloading illegal music or films.

“You can end up with a virus on your computer which allows hackers to get access to your bank details. I’d recommend parents look at www.childnet.com/downloading for advice on downloading safely and legally.”

Kym does allow her children on Facebook but was shocked to discover that imposters had set up fake *accounts, pretending to be them. “My children have their own private *accounts that only friends they know can access but I’ve had to have a couple of people removed from the site for pretending to be them,” she reveals.

“Somebody pretending to be Emily even posted a picture of a baby claiming it was Polly when she’d just been born and it wasn’t Polly at all.

“Thankfully neither of them have been bullied online, but I have seen the odd sly message here and there – I think girls are the worst for it. They play little mind games. The internet can be a scary place so it’s important that parents know what their children are doing.”

Kym admits she’s not yet decided exactly how she will spend this Christmas, although David and Emily will be with their dad and she and Jamie are likely to have Jamie’s son Billy, aged five, from a previous relationship.

When they all get together it’s certainly a full house and Kym insists she won’t be having more kids. “No, I’ve done my bit,” she laughs.

“For whatever reason my body can’t carry babies any more and I just have to accept that, but I feel very lucky.”

While she admits being a working mum is tiring she insists she would not have it any other way.

She’s contracted to stay on the cobbles until at least June next year and has not got itchy feet despite the imminent departures of co-stars Katherine Kelly, who plays Becky McDonald, and Helen Flanagan, who plays Rosie Webster.

“I’m happy as things are at the minute,” she explains.

Exhausted

Katherine had a leaving bash last week but Michelle missed it as she couldn’t get a babysitter.

“I heard it was a great do. Kate was very popular at work and everyone will miss her – she was a huge part of the show. It’ll be weird without her.”

Not that Kym is complaining about missing a night out.

Down-to-earth and relaxed, she admits that since hitting her 30s she has stopped worrying about things so much. And that applies to the last remaining pounds of baby weight she’s not yet managed to budge.

“It’s still hanging on in there,” she laughs. “When I get a chance I’ll go to the gym but until then it will just stay there. Now I’m in my 30s I don’t bother about things like that anymore.

“I’m not obese. I’ve got a tiny bit of weight to lose but Polly is still only eight months old. I’m exhausted with looking after her and work, so the last thing I’m going to do is punish myself in the gym. I’ve got other priorities.”

Kym is fronting a Childnet campaign to give parents practical advice on how to discuss using the net responsibly with kids. The new tips can be found at www.childnet.com/downloading, along with the free downloadable guide.

The People