Sally Dynevor has said that after watching Sinead Tinker’s harrowing battle with cervical cancer and untimely death in Coronation Street, she wouldn’t want to reprise her own character’s cancer experience. In a shocking turn of art imitating life, the actress discovered a decade ago that she had breast cancer, at the same time that her character on the soap was battling the same disease.
Now fully recovered, Sally explained to this week’s OK! Magazine that the Sinead storyline bought back unpleasant memories for her, and that she never stops worrying about the illness returning.
She said: “You don’t ever stop thinking about it.
“That’s why I couldn’t watch Sinead Tinker’s final scenes on Corrie [when Katie McGlynn’s character died after battling cervical cancer].
“It brought back all those emotions. I could feel what she was feeling.”
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In a 2016 appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, Sally credited Coronation Street for saving her life.
She told Lorraine Kelly: “The Street saved my life.
“I would never have checked, I hadn’t even thought about breast cancer at 46. I thought I was far too young to get it.
She continued: “What is good and what has come out of it is the work I am doing now and working with Prevent Breast Cancer.”
Meanwhile, Katie has opened up about the mental and physical toll of her cancer storyline.
She said that she has had counselling since filming the tragic scenes, and also put on a stone in weight after comfort eating as a means of coping.
She told the Daily Mirror: “The emotion involved in Sinead dying meant I was just grabbing food and not really thinking about good nutrition.
“I was so tired when I got home that I’d order a takeaway. On set, there were a lot of chocolates, flap jacks and treats flying around.
Coronation Street continues on ITV tonight at 7:30pm