It’s been almost 15 years since Suranne Jones departed Coronation Street, but she still keeps in touch with her former co-stars and recently had a catch up with Jennie McAlpine, aka Fiz Stape.
Suranne and Jennie had lunch together and Jennie shared a snap to her Instagram pointing out they were joined by plenty of other Corrie co-stars – in the form of a cast picture on the wall behind them!
Fans loved the photo of the two together and were quick to comment. And they all had one thing in particular on their mind: a return to the cobbles for Suranne’s character, Karen McDonald.
“Come back Karen. Shake things up,” said one.
Another added: “Ah come back Suranne.”
“Barren Karen…..come back!!!!” begged a third.
Suranne starred as Karen, Steve McDonald‘s second and third wife, from 2000 to 2004. But a return to Weatherfield seems unlikely given the success Suranne has had since she left.
After award-winning roles in dramas such as Scott and Bailey and Doctor Foster, Suranne’s latest project sees her take on the role of wealthy landowner Anne Lister in BBC series Gentleman Jack.
The 19th-century diarist is regarded as a pioneer in LGBTQ+ history, partly because she documented her same-sex romances in code in order to keep her love life under wraps.
Read more: Suranne Jones denies Gentleman Jack’s sex scenes are gratuitous
Set in 1832, Gentleman Jack depicts Anne returning to her Shibden Hall estate in West Yorkshire after a long period travelling, having been on a mission to breathe new life into her faded ancestral home and find herself a partner.
The series has already aired over in the US on HBO.
Meanwhile, Jennie is currently on maternity leave from the soap following the birth of her second child, daughter Hilda, seven months ago.
But she recently revealed she plans to return and is going to stay on the show for as long as she can.
The actress has played Fiz for 17 years and wants to continue for years to come to emulate her idols Jean Alexander, Eileen Derbyshire and Bill Roache.
“I’m still on the Whatsapp group,” told The Humans of XS Manchester podcast.
“Even though I’m not there. I’m still getting all the gossip from that so it’s like I’m still there.
Asked about how she felt playing Fiz for so long, she said: “Because I was so young, I’m now so much different to those actors who did a lot of other things before joining.
“I think people either like it or they don’t like it and some need to leave and play other characters. I’m kind of fine playing this one character.”
Read more: Coronation Street fans want Todd Grimshaw back
And as long as the writers keep writing for her, she will remain on the cobbles.
She said: “The thing is you never never know and I can’t take it for granted because they might have other ideas but for now I love it.
“And I live in Manchester, I’ve got my life in Manchester, now I’ve got two children in Manchester. I mean it’s the easiest job in the world.”
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