Coronation Street star wanted to return but left gutted as soap bosses never called back
Sally Lindsay who is best remembered for playing Shelley Unwin in Coronation Street admitted that she would have loved to of returned to the cobbles if she were given the chance.
Ex Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay admitted she would have returned to the soap opera – but was never asked. The 50-year-old revealed she and former co-star Suranne Jones – who played Karen McDonald, respectively, on the long-running ITV soap – were both keen to reprise their roles for legendary character Betty Williams’ on-screen funeral in 2011 after actress Betty Driver died.
The on-screen star reflected on her time on the show after confirming she wanted to make a one-off comeback to the cobbles.
She was left shocked when she never got the call. While speaking with Prima Magazine, she said: “I definitely would have gone back. I loved every minute!”.
Sally played Shelley Unwin from 2001 until 2006, where she met her best mate Suranne Jones. The pair have remained close and regularly meet up.
Surrane, 45, portrayed the feisty Karen MacDonald, but has since become a face for ITV having starred in a string of award-winning dramas. Sally and Surrane both admitted that they would have gone back as Betty was a “very dear friend”.
They felt they owed it to the character as they got on so well off-screen.
Back in 2011, Betty died aged 91 following a short illness. She was in hospital for six weeks, but sadly never recovered and in April 2012 she was subsequently written out with the character dying off-screen.
The network dedicated an entire episode to the acting legend and even brought back her son Betty’s Gordon Clegg, who made a one-off return to say farewell.
Sally shared: “Suranne and Jennifer James [Geena Gregory] are still my best friends.
“We just had a weekend away in Norfolk together. “I definitely would’ve gone back to Corrie for Betty’s funeral because she was a very dear friend.”
She added: “Suranne said she would have done as well, but they never asked us.”
Back in 2022, Sally opened up about those who believe landing a role in the ITV soap “think it’s all about being famous”.
“A lot of people, when they join Coronation Street, think it’s all about being famous and… going to awards and that’s it, you’re made. And you’re not. You’re really not’, she told Kate Thornton, host of the White Wine Question Time podcast.
She continued: ‘You know, you’ve got someone like Bradley Walsh, who does everything and people say ‘oh that’s amazing’, but if you do it, they’re like, ‘aren’t you an actor though? Yeah, yeah, I am, I’m a really good one, but I can do that as well.’
Sally’s exit storyline in Coronation Street saw her character offered a new job in the Peak District. While Suranne has gone on to appear in a variety of hugely successful TV dramas including Vigil and Doctor Foster.
