Saturday Magazine - 03.09.2019

SATURDAY MAGAZINE 5

INTERVIEW

cry at the drop of a hat. Jane Danson

[who plays Leanne Battersby] can’t

believe it. When she comes over,

she always says, ‘Go on, Freya, do

that crying thing that you do.’ Her little

lip will start wobbling and she’ll just

have tears within seconds. I don’t

know how she does it.

How did you wind up on TV at

such a young age?

I was performing and messing about

in the aisles of Kwik Save, of all places,

and a woman asked my mum if I did

modelling. She ended up being my

agent for 10 years. Andrew Whyment

(Kirk Sutherland) was my first friend

at drama school. I still remember the

moment I met him, aged six. He said,

‘Hiya, I’m Andy. Do you want a

Frazzle?’ So glam – Frazzles

and Kwik Save.

You actually made

your debut on Corrie

as an extra at the

age of seven. What

was that like?

It was on location in

a department store in

Manchester. Martin Platt (played

by Sean Wilson) was in a toy shop

and I was one of the children running

around in the background. I remember

being really starstruck.

Do you get recognised much

when you are out and about?

I answer to Maria – it’s like my second

name. We were in Lyon recently,

having a lovely lunch. At the end, the

French waiter asked Sylvain if I was

on Corrie – he’d worked in England

and loved the show. Sylvain was so

surprised that I’d been spotted in

such a random place.

‘Hiya, I’m

Frazz

and

Y

a

Ma

by Se

dI

‘My son

is already

speaking

French as a

chat-up line.

He’s three!’

Samia as Maria in

2000 with Tyrone

(Alan Halsall)

Words by: Rosie Hopegood Pictures by: ITV; Getty Images; Shutterstock