The former soap star plays a devoted mum in a chilling episode of Inside No9...
Ex Coronation Street star Debbie Rush travelled to hell and back at the hands of the soap's infamous villain Pat Phelan, but now the former Weatherfield favourite will be starring in another dark tale about a family with a deadly enemy.
It's been nearly two years since the actress, who played the soap's much-loved cafe worker Anna Windass, left the cobbles after her character was raped, framed for murder and sent to prison.
But Debbie says that while she loved her time on Corrie, she's enjoying the freedom that comes with not being committed to Britain's longest-running soap.
"I had the best time on Coronation Street," says Debbie. "But I moved on because I wanted to do other things. I love having the freedom to choose, because when you're on a long-running soap you feel tied down and you can't do anything else! I’ve loved doing an episode of Inside No9 and Brassic on Sky One last year, but I wouldn’t have been able to do either if I hadn’t left Corrie."
She also admits that Anna's farewell storyline left her "exhausted" and she needed a "breather" after finally leaving the soap.
Ex Coronation Street star Debbie is now in InsideNo9...
In next week’s Inside No9, the soap star plays a devoted mother desperately trying to make ends meet in the run up to Christmas, yet finds herself haunted by a dark presence that hovers over her family.
For Debbie, being involved in Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's dark anthology show has been a dream ever since her daughter, Poppy, was in the first series.
"I’ve been a massive fan of the show since it first started and it’s one of the things I’ve most wanted to do since I left Corrie, so I feel really lucky," she explains. "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are such fantastic writers and the way they create these stories is just amazing.
"Poppy was in an episode called ‘The Harrowing’ and I remember sitting down to read the script after she was cast and thinking it was absolutely brilliant. We watch every episode together, so we were both so excited when I got the role. I can’t wait to watch this one with her and have a little toast to us!"
Debbie Rush guest stars in the third episode of Inside No9 on BBC2 on Monday 17th February
Main picture: WireImage
