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Ex Corrie star learned Cockney accent from EastEnders legend

Photo credit: Ian West/PA Wire
Photo credit: Ian West/PA Wire

Former Coronation Steet actress Paula Lane has made her much-awaited TV return tonight after being killed off on the soap five years ago.

Ditching the role of rebellious Northern lass that was Kylie Platt for a more mild-mannered 1960s London mum, Paula appeared on tonight's (Sunday, May 16) episode of the BBC drama Call the Midwife.

But the trip from Weatherfield to the East End wasn't without its challenges.

In an interview with the Mirror, The West Yorkshire native admitted she had to ditch her Manchester accent to take on the Cockney one. And to study it she turned to none other than the competition.

Photo credit: ITV
Photo credit: ITV

"I watched loads of Barbara Windsor films from her Carry On days," said the actress. "I mean, she's the Queen of EastEnders, isn’t she?

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"Obviously, making a return to television, I needed something to completely take me away from Manchester and Coronation Street.

"For me, personally, I couldn't have wished for more because people can be like, 'Oh my god, she's completely different to Kylie!'" said Paula.

Turning her back on TV in 2016, deciding to leave the ITV soap, the actress knew she had to take a break and come back as something completely different to be able to truly shed the character she was known as for six years.

Her return to TV with Call the Midwife was announced at the beginning of April, after the actress had quite the successful touring theatre career.

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

Opening up on the Soap From the Box podcast, the star described her time filming on the BBC show saying: "There was a lot of separation anxiety going on when I went to film for Call the Midwife.

"I remember feeling quite strange – I should be feeling excited about this, what's going on? And of course, there was this underlying anxiety there about leaving my family. But I've got to say I just love TV... I just love the intimacy of it."

"l think the excitement that was buzzing around me when I first went on set – obviously under slightly different circumstances being behind masks and everything – I was just like, gosh.

"I remember being in the green room. I'd just watched the Christmas episode [of Call the Midwife] which was magical with my mum on Christmas Day. And I was sat with all these amazing actresses like Linda Bassett and Jenny Agutter, I couldn't believe it."

Call the Midwife airs on BBC One on Sundays at 8pm.


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