It's not because she's broody...
Coronation Street star Katie McGlynn, who plays new mum Sinead Osbourne, says she misses the prosthetic bump that she had to wear when her character was pregnant, because she could eat what she wanted and didn't have to worry about what she looked like on screen.
Viewers recently saw Sinead give birth to a premature boy, after doctors insisted she had an emergency caesarean section so that she could begin radiotherapy treatment for her cervical cancer.
Says Katie: “I’m not going to lie; I’m missing the bump! It used to keep my belly warm and it used to hide a multitude of sins. I could eat what I wanted, and I was tucking into cakes. Whereas now, I can’t hide from anybody, and now that I’m back at work after Christmas, I feel a bit podgy and I’ve got no security bump!"
She adds: “It did help with the story because you do feel that you’ve got something in there (your stomach). It’s odd, but it definitely does help. But it’s easier to go to the loo now!”
Sinead and husband Daniel’s son was born three months premature. Because their baby would, theoretically, be very small, she and co-star Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel, are currently working with a prosthetic doll, known in the industry as a "jelly baby". A real baby will be introduced in the coming months.
Adds Katie: “They’re quite realistic. The only thing that isn’t so realistic is the hands; they’re a bit webbed.
“To be honest, I'm nervous about working with the real thing. The only experience I’ve had with babies is with my niece, who’s one now, and she was really good.
“I don’t like having the responsibility of having someone else’s child. When they’re small, I’m scared that I’ll break them!”
Coronation Street continues on ITV.
