Coronation Street star Lorna Laidlaw, who plays the Bailey family matriarch, Aggie, has revealed why her character wasn't seen on screen for months at a time over the last year.
Fans of the soap were confused to see Aggie vanish from the cobbles just as the Bailey family were thrown into the centre of Weatherfield drama when Ed's brother, Ronnie arrived on the street.
It soon transpired that Aggie and Ronnie had history, leaving Michael to wonder if Ronnie could in fact be his father and not Ed.
But as her family was falling apart at the seams, fans were surprised that Aggie appeared in scenes via video call, rather than in person.
The soap managed to explain that Aggie was having to isolate in a hotel after coming into contact with patients at work who had tested positive for coronavirus, and it turns out that actress Lorna was also isolating.
Since the start of the pandemic, it hasn't been unusual for some of the cast members to be absent from screen because they were vulnerable or shielding, but for Lorna, her absence was all about keeping her mum safe.
She told Inside Soap how pleased she was to be back filming again: "It feels great [to be back] though I was pleased to dial into the Street via Aggie's video calls.
"I was supposed to be in these scenes, but I was shielding and protecting my mum, so I said to Corrie, 'Why don't we just do them over Whatsapp?'
"I did my own make-up and dressed my home to look like a hotel, as Aggie was meant to be isolating following her shifts at the hospital. Some days it was really hot, so I was wearing my nurse uniform on top of a pair of shorts and flip-flops, as no one was going to see them."
Thankfully Lorna is back on our screens once again, and just in time for another big Bailey drama.
This week will see Michael finally admit to Grace that he doesn't love her, and of course, the news doesn't go down well. Soon Aggie and Ed catch Grace packing her bags, determined to leave.
But when Aggie tries to stop Grace from fleeing, things take a nasty turn when a hurt Grace tries to blackmail Michael's parents into giving her a house that they have just bought to rent out.
Will she succeed in getting her own way?
Coronation Street airs on Mondays and Wednesdays 7.30pm and 8.30pm with an hour-long episode at 7.30 on Fridays on ITV - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also stream this week’s episodes on ITV Hub now.
