Corrie: Sally Whittaker

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Corrie star Sally Whittaker loves being a scheming cow on TV
The People
20th of December 2008

CORRIE star Sally Whittaker is used to being branded a snotty, stirring bitch - and relishes every minute of it. Not that the 45-year-old actress is anything like that in real life. But after 22 years as conniving knicker stitcher Sally Webster she is delighted to play a character with some of the soap's most memorable scenes.

She told The People: "Sally can be such a scheming cow but I love her when she's like that. When I get my scripts to learn I pray that there are going to be storylines where Sally is getting all of the others' backs up."

The uppity Underworld machinist is at the heart of Weatherfield's Christmas week episodes after drunkenly telling widow Maria Connor - played by Samia Smith, 26 - that her husband cheated on her with factory boss Carla Gordon. It's the latest twist in a saga that has kept viewers captivated as Sally married garage mechanic Kevin Webster, divorced, remarried - and landed in a tangled series of relationships along the way.

In a rare interview, the real-life Sally said: "When I read the script where I broke the news to Maria I knew instantly it was going to be one of those memorable Coronation Street nights. As an actress it is the sort of storyline you want to be involved with. You know you are taking part in a plotline that will leave millions of people debating the rights and wrongs. After more than 20 years I still get the same pang of excitement over a good script as I did when I first joined the show. Sally meddles in everyone else's business and thinks she is so much better than the rest of them but really she is just the same."

"There aren't many dull moments. Sally is a fabulous character and I know I am so lucky to play her. All those years ago when I started she wasn't like this so I am so pleased that the producers have made her change. It has only been over the last five years that she has turned into a right cow. That is brilliant because it means I can show what I can do as an actress. I know some viewers hate her, others love her, but I am pleased she is talked about. I hope she carries on being like this for a very long time to come." Sally particularly enjoys working with Vicky Entwistle, who plays Janice Battersby. "She and Sally are always at one another's throats," she said.

The actress was 22 when she joined Corrie in January 1986 as young tearaway Sally Seddon. She had a brief spell as a barmaid at the Rovers before falling for Kevin Webster, played by Michael Le Vell. Romance blossomed under the disapproving eye of Hilda Ogden and the couple married and had two daughters.

Kevin was thrown out by Sally when he cheated on her with his boss Natalie Horrocks. Sally then launched into a string of affairs. She also had to fend off Joe Broughton when she was child-minder to his son and dallied with Gail Platt's hubby Martin. She finally remarried Kevin in 2002 but there has been no shortage of drama since. Sally fancied tutor John Stape (Graeme Hawley) only to find he was bedding her daughter Rosie. Then deranged Stape kidnapped Rosie and locked her in his gran's attic.

In the ITV1 soap Rosie, played by Helen Flanagan, 19, and sister Sophie (Brooke Vincent, 16) are a real handful for their mum. Away from the Corrie set, Sally and her scriptwriter husband Tim Dynevor find life is rather more settled as parents to Phoebe, 13, Sam, 11 and five-year-old Hattie.

"Thank God they are nothing like Rosie or Sophie," said Sally. "I don't know what I would do if they were. They all have their moments but they are angels in comparison to those two of mine on Corrie. It is one thing after another with them. They are so naughty, aren't they? If I had two daughters like that at home I honestly don't know how I would cope. Maybe that is why Sally is so mad sometimes. The poor woman, you do have to feel sorry for her."

Sally, chatted happily to The People as she mingled with disabled youngsters at a party held for them by Chancellor Alistair Darling at 11 Downing Street. She laughed: "My kids say that I'm not really like my character at all. What is even nicer is that they tell me that all their friends know how nice I am. I bet Rosie and Sophie's friends don't think that about their mum."

Tim writes for rival soap Emmerdale but that does not lead to clashes at their Altrincham home in Cheshir, which is handy for the Granada studios. Sally revealed: "We have this rule that we don't discuss what is going on in each other's shows. Tim works from home and has his own place to do his writing. I go off and learn my lines in another room. But there is rivalry, particularly when Corrie and Emmerdale are running similar storylines. He'll say, 'We wrote that first', and I'll say, 'Actually, I think you'll find Corrie did' but it's all fine really."

Sally is busy juggling work and domestic demands as her character takes centre stage this week. On Christmas Eve viewers will see flirty Rosie disappoint her mum again as she cops off at her 18th birthday party with new Street tearaway Gary Windass - played by Mikey North. There is another bombshell soon when Sophie admits she is pregnant - at 14. That's bad news for Sally Webster but great news for Sally Whittaker, who looks forward to the challenge of another gripping storyline.

She said: "I've had 22 years of brilliant stories. I won't be leaving anytime soon and want to carry on playing Sally forever. I am so lucky, I cannot imagine a better character to play. There are so many more people's lives for her to meddle in yet."

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Sally: Corrie cast changes are hard

Coronation Street's Sally Whittaker has confessed she finds it hard when characters are written out of the soap. The soap star has played Sally Webster for 23 years and admits it's sad when cast members she has befriended leave the cobbles.

Sally said: "It is really hard because you start to get a relationship with people and some people you get really close to." She continued: "And obviously a lot people who've worked on Corrie live in London and then they're off doing things and you just don't get to see them. I've got a few people that I keep in touch with, but it is really hard because everyone's so busy."

The 45-year-old actress also said she found the famous cobbled street a very nostalgic place. She said: "There's been so many characters in Coronation Street over the years and credible people. There's pictures all over the building of various scenes and you walk past and go 'Oh yeah I remember that day, it was really good. I miss him, he was such a nice man'. But you walk down the cobbles and it just brings it all back again. Anybody who's been away from Coronation Street for a few years says the moment they're back they feel like they've never gone and it's true really. It's a wonderful place to work and everyone is so nice, which sounds like a bit of a cliche but it's true. It's got a really special feel about it Corrie, I do love it."

Sally is backing ActionAid's PoverTee Day. To help got to www.poverteeday.co.uk

[SpursFan1902]

I knew there was a thread about Sally out there somewhere! I felt so sorry for her in the Christmas epi...she truly looked scared. Now Molly sees where she really fits into the scheme of things. Good, I don't really like her. I adore Tyrone. He is so big hearted and sweet and she is such a bovine. I don't really like Sally either, but still....

[SpursFan1902]

Ooohh, the scene with Rosie and Sophie really had my waterworks going!

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Sally in real cancer agony
She has disease just like in her Coronation Street soap plot
By Jane Atkinson & Matthew Acton,
02/05/2010
newsoftheworld.co.uk

CORRIE star Sally Whittaker has been secretly fighting breast cancer - in a real-life tragedy which mirrors her TV character's storyline. Millions of fans have been moved by Sally Webster's heart-breaking battle with the killer disease in the soap. Today we can exclusively reveal how a cruel twist of fate meant actress Sally, 46, was fighting cancer for REAL at the same time.

The mum-of-three was diagnosed six months ago - just before the storyline was filmed. A source said: "It was a bombshell and horrendous for her. She had just been told about the plans for her character and then she found out she had cancer for real a few days before filming. It was utterly horrific. But Sally knew she had to stay strong and vowed to beat it."

The courageous star put her personal battle to one side and selflessly continued filming so the soap could raise awareness of the disease. The source said: "Many actresses would have pulled out but Sally decided to go ahead. There was never any doubt in her mind that she could battle this."

But viewers knew nothing of her personal agony when Sally told her on-screen family - hubby Kevin and daughters Rosie and Sophie - at Christmas that she had breast cancer in real life. Astonishingly, just weeks earlier, she had broken the same grim news to her scriptwriter hubby Tim, daughters Phoebe, 15 - an actress on BBC drama Waterloo Road - Hattie, seven, and son Sam, 13. The source added: "She has been amazing and has tried to remain positive throughout. Her determination, as well as her family's support, has helped her fight."

The actress's nightmare started last autumn when she found a lump in her breast. The source explained: "At first she didn't panic because she had one before which turned out to be nothing. She hoped it would be the same this time. But she went for tests and got the news every woman dreads - that she had breast cancer."

Corrie bosses scheduled filming of her scenes in an intensive block in October so Sally could take time off work for treatment straight afterwards. She took a six-month break from the soap but is now bravely preparing to return to work. The source went on: "She has finally turned a corner. She is feeling better and now all she wants to do is get back to Coronation Street."

Soap bosses have revealed they got a positive response from the Websters' moving cancer plot - and hospitals said the number of referrals soared on the back of it. Ironically, actress Sally spoke out to promote the storyline in September, even revealing a previous cancer scare for the first time and how she has fund-raised for breast cancer charities. At the time she said: "A few years ago I found a lump. Luckily, it proved to be nothing but waiting for the results was agonising. So when I was told about this storyline I was determined to do it justice for all the women out there who are going through what Sally Webster is."

Producers worked with a panel of breast cancer experts and charities to make sure the storyline was realistic, and Sally was considered the ideal actress because of her tireless campaigning. She is patron of prevention charity The Genesis Appeal and last year took part in its 10km walk which raised nearly £75,000.

But weeks later, as actress Sally prepared for the most harrowing scenes in her 24 years on Corrie, she was told she had breast cancer too. Our source said: "It was a huge shock for her. She has always been fit and healthy. She discussed her cancer with her family and oncologist and decided she wanted to carry on filming. She spoke to the bosses at Corrie and explained she would need time off but she made it clear she was going to fight the cancer."

In the soap, viewers saw Street busybody Sally get the crushing news she had the disease the week before Christmas. She bravely kept it from her screen daughters, Rosie (played by Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent) before breaking down on Christmas Day and blurting it out to cheating hubby Kevin (Michael Le Vell). Mechanic Kev, who'd been having a fling with neighbour Molly, ended his affair and stood by his wife as she underwent treatment.

What viewers didn't know was that by then the actress was fighting cancer for real and had taken a break from the show. That was explained on screen by saying her character was recuperating with her family outside Weatherfield. Brave Sally, who joined Corrie in 1986, then had to tell her devastated co-stars Michael, 45, Helen and Brooke.

The source said: "The girls have grown up with her as a second mum. Telling her real family was horrendous but telling Helen and Brooke was nearly as hard. They were distraught, as was Mike. He has worked with Sally since day one and he was devastated for her. When she told the rest of the cast and crew that her personal life was mirroring her screen life everyone was upset."

It made the emotional Christmas scenes even harder to film. The source continued: "The cast and crew were crying for real. It was sad because we knew Sally was going through it all herself in reality, but she was a professional and just got on with it. It was everybody else who fell apart. She seemed so brave. Looking back on those scenes now you can see the true emotion. They're difficult to watch."

At the time, Helen, 19, said the storyline was "really emotional" to film. And Brooke, 17, paid tribute to her stoic performance - but didn't reveal her real-life agony. She said: "Sally's like our mum. The writing really made us cry. We wanted to get it right because cancer affects a lot of people. Sal was amazing and her performance led us so much."

Now the star is set to return to work and will talk publicly about her cancer ordeal in a magazine interview on Tuesday, donating her fee to breast cancer charities which she has long championed. The source said: "She is feeling upbeat and can't wait to see all the cast and crew who have been supportive throughout her illness. She is speaking with the scriptwriters to make sure everything is realistic. Now, sadly, she knows exactly what women go through when they have breast cancer."

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[Twirley]

What a cruel twist of fate! Not sure I would have had it in me to carry on acting, especially knowing the storyline. What a trooper! Hope she comes through the other side and beats this thing!

[SpursFan1902]

Really amazing! When I see someone go thru that kind of experience, I often wonder if I would have the same strength...I don't know, I would hope so. Sending much love and health to Sally and her family.

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Shown this morning...

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I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO PREVENT CANCER RETURNING
Sally Whittaker is back on the Coronation Street set after her all-clear. She tells PENNY STRETTON what she is doing to ensure she stays fit and well
May 25,2010
express.co.uk

AS SHE strolled triumphantly back on to the Coronation Street set just days after completing breast cancer treatment Sally Whittaker looked relaxed, happy and confident. The popular actress, 46, has been given the all-clear after months of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy but she is well aware that her fight to prevent the disease coming back has only just started.

Specialists now believe women who put on even a few pounds during or after treatment for breast cancer could see their chances of the disease returning soar. Studies have shown gaining 11lb (5kg) after diagnosis could increase their risk of cancer recurring by 30 per cent.

"This was a real shock for me, " explains Sally. "I was leading a pretty healthy lifestyle before I was diagnosed and never really thought I was at risk. My consultant explained how lifestyle factors including diet and exercise could contribute to the cancer coming back so I am going to have to have a very good look at what I eat. I never ate processed foods anyway but I enjoy the odd takeaway and I love chocolate so this is a minefield for me."

The star, who now uses her married name Dynevor, adds: "I had no idea about the links between excess weight and getting secondary cancer. I knew eating a good diet and trying to be active might help in the fight against it but now I know if I don't stay healthy I could be more at risk. I've really got to look after myself. It's as simple as that."

Six months ago Sally, married to scriptwriter husband Tim, 47, with three children - Phoebe, 15, Sam, 13, and Hattie, seven - was diagnosed with a 1.8cm grade 1 tumour. Tests revealed the diseased cells had spread to the lymph nodes under one arm. In a cruel twist she discovered she was suffering from the disease just as her Weatherfield character Sally Webster was diagnosed with it. She has spoken movingly of how her research into the storyline may have saved her life as it prompted her to seek help quickly when she found a lump in her breast.

Producers on the soap worked with a panel of breast cancer experts and charities to make sure the storyline was realistic and consultant surgeon Lester Barr, who advised the scriptwriting team, was the doctor who broke the news to Sally that she had cancer. Mr Barr, also chairman of The Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Appeal, says breast cancer is caused by a combination of a person's genetic make-up along with environmental and lifestyle triggers such as diet and alcohol consumption. "We think the Western processed diet is part of the problem, " he says. "Processed foods including cakes, biscuits, chocolate and hamburgers all contribute and we are advising Sally and others to eat more fresh produce. It's important to adopt the principles of a Mediterranean diet. That means eating lots of oily fish and having meat just once or twice a week. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and drink alcohol in moderation - no more than a glass of wine a day. Low-fat dairy is good for you, although we advise limiting high-fat cheese and full-fat milk."

Researchers at the Genesis Appeal, of which Sally is a longstanding patron, have recently helped to establish a link between rising rates of breast cancer in the UK and the surge of obesity. Dr Michelle Harvie is working on a diet that could help reverse the trend. "A lot of women who go through breast cancer put on weight, " she explains. "The treatment makes them very tired and their energy levels are depleted. They become less active - sometimes for up to 18 months. Sometimes they put on weight because they feel hungrier or eating helps them to feel less sick or because they enjoy treats more often than they normally would."

Exercise during and after treatment is also believed to be beneficial in the fight against secondary breast cancer. "Women shouldn't push themselves but trying brisk walking, aerobics, cycling or gentle swimming are options, " explains Dr Harvie. "The worst thing people can do is put their feet up and do nothing."

It's a problem Sally can identify with. "I put on 5lbs during treatment which I now have to shift, " she says. "I'm looking forward to getting back into exercise. I went swimming throughout my treatment so I'll continue with that and I'm also thinking about learning yoga. I will get back to doing some running eventually as well as I'm now so aware of the importance of keeping fit and trim. I've got to try to fit the exercise in around my kids and work but I will do it and stress to anyone else in my position how important it is." She adds: "As soon as you start to get your health back again you think: 'I never want to be in that position again' so there is no better time to do it. Once you get over the initial shock exercise makes you feel great."

Sally is kick-starting her regime with a 10km fundraising walk in aid of the Genesis Appeal. Next Sunday she will don a pink tutu and line up with hundreds of other walkers, many also breast cancer survivors, in Manchester. "I was one of the women who thought this would never happen to me but it did, " she adds. "Now I know and want others to know we can try to stop it coming back and it's really worth a go."

The Genesis Keep Fit & Pink Day is on June 6 from 1pm at Spinningfields in Manchester's city centre. The event includes a 10km walk and family activities. To take part or for more information on preventing breast cancer visit www.genesisuk.org or call 0161 291 4400.