ITV banned me from appearing on Strictly while I was in Coronation Street, says Catherine Tyldesley

Catherine Tyldesley has said that ITV banned her from appearing on Strictly Come Dancing while she was still in Coronation Street.

The soap star, 35, spent seven years, from 2011 to 2018, on the cobbles as the feisty barmaid Eva Price.

She bade farewell to Corrie last year after being involved in a suicide storyline, which saw Eva’s partner Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward) take his own life.

Tyldesley said she had only been allowed to appear on ITV shows such as Dancing On Ice during her time in the long-running soap.

She told the PA news agency: “I have spoken to (the show’s producers) before but it felt like this was the right time.

“It had to work for us as a family, and this is the right time.

“When you’re in Corrie they’re not going to let you… they won’t let you do it. They’ll only let you do ITV things like Dancing On Ice.”

The long-time Strictly fan was the fifth celebrity revealed to be taking part this year.

Explaining her love for the programme, she said: “I’m a massive fan of the show. Huge fan of the show.

“And it’s like my husband said – we watch it every year, but now I’m actually doing it.

“I’m like: ‘Oh, it’s not quite the same as watching it on the telly, it’s all a bit real.’ But yeah, the opportunity to learn a new skill.”

Her roles before Corrie included small parts on Emmerdale, Holby City, Shameless and Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps.