Coronation Street star Kym Marsh has been portraying Michelle Connor on the cobbles for 13 years, with her character due to leave just after Christmas. And earlier this week, the mother-of-three opened up about her reasons for leaving her character behind – for now. Talking to reporters including HELLO! at a press day, the star explained that she is eager to experience new jobs outside of the soap, but that she very much wants to return in the future. "In my head it was just a case of wanting to go and try other stuff. I had been at Hear'Say, had a solo career, went into musical theatre, did about four jobs and then went into Coronation Street. I haven't experienced an awful lot of stuff outside of the show so I just thought it would be quite nice to tick those boxes and have that little bit more experience," she said.
Kym Marsh has revealed the real reason she's leaving Coronation Street
When it came to making the decision to go, Kym and her bosses at Coronation Street were on the same page. "We very much equally thought it was a break. We didn't see it as me saying goodbye," she said. "I don't want to sit here saying I'm leaving for good, I love the character and the show and it definitely isn't the end of Michelle – unless they kill me off-screen, in which case it will be! But no, I really wouldn't want to shut the door on this. There are no set plans for me with a set date that I'm coming back, but it really is a conversation to be had in the future."
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Kym is set to star in Elf: A Christmas Spectacular alongside her youngest daughter Polly
While fans are hoping Kym's break won't be too long, the star admitted she doesn't know just yet how long she will be away for. "It's just a case of what works for us all really. They aren't going to want me back next week," she said. Kym's character was at the centre of all the drama on the street on Wednesday night when her alter-ego dumped Robert Preston at the altar, which will pave the way for her departure. The star admitted that although she knows she will be back, it was nonetheless emotional to film her final scenes. "It was really emotional. Crying wasn't a problem. I was actually crying on tap!" she said. "My final scene was in the Rovers with the Connors. The last viewers will see of Michelle is of her leaving in a taxi."
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Kym also admitted that her departure from Corrie hasn't sunk in yet as she has been so busy rehearsing for stage production Elf: A Christmas Spectacular, which she will be starring alongside her daughter Polly. "It's great fun, it falls just around the Christmas period and only on weekends which is the dream. But it's a huge show as it's in an arena so you can imagine to show a story in an arena is quite difficult as there has always got to be something going on all the time. There are aerial acrobats, there's snow coming down, a Christmas tree that runs around the entire aisle, there's something going on in the arena everywhere you look," she said.
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