Colne actress to appear in ‘Coronation Street’

She has a new role as Tyrone’s latest girlfriend on the popular soap.

Natalie – who won our Howard Rigg Leader Times Stage Young Performer award in 1996 – is now playing Kirsty Soames in the world’s longest-running TV soap opera.

She proved her skills as a young actress, appearing on stage here in Pendle at the Hippodrome Theatre and the Little Theatre, Colne.

And her performance as Tricia in “Visiting Hour” with Colne Dramatic Society earned her our best young performer award.

The 27-year-old has made plenty of television appearances over recent years, including “Doctors”, “Wire in the Blood” and “Emmerdale”.

She was born in Burnley and brought up in Chatham Street, Colne, by mum Imogen.

She was a pupil at Park High School and a member of Pendle’s Chippendale School of Dance.

When she was 11 and a member of Pendle Hippodrome Youth Theatre, she got her big break when she was picked by BBC producers to help present the north-west regional insert for “Children in Need” in 1995.

She attended the London Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2003 from a three-year course in acting and musical theatre.

She is best known for playing China in BBC Three’s “Ideal”.

But she now has a key role in “Corrie”, and she said: “As a Northern lass who’s grown up watching Corrie, I already feel at home on those famous cobbles.

“From the moment I read the script, I knew I was going to play Kirsty, and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!

“This is a dream role for me and I’m looking forward to creating a huge storm in Weatherfield.”

Natalie’s first Corrie appearance was brief but went very well on Wednesday evening.