TV

Corrie actress Tracie Bennett ‘watched friends die from Covid on FaceTime’

The ITV star has revealed how hard Covid-19 has hit her

| Updated:

Corrie actress Tracie Bennett has revealed some of the harrowing impacts of Covid.

The actress, 59, plays Sharon Bentley on the ITV soap.

Tracie has revealed that during the early months of the pandemic she was forced to race home to the UK from New York.

Tracie Bennett has opened up about the impact of Covid-19 (Credit: ITV)

Corrie star Tracie Bennett reveals heartbreaking impact of Covid

Since returning, Tracie has endured some incredibly heartbreaking moments.

In fact, the star has lost 12 friends to Covid since the pandemic began.

“Nobody trains you how to say goodbye to your mates on FaceTime,” she told The Sun. “That was so traumatising. In one way, technology is brilliant. But in another way, you don’t want to be saying goodbye to your mate and watching them die on FaceTime, do you? That was hard.”

Read more: Classic Coronation Street: How long did Deirdre spend in prison and how did she get out?

She continued: “What it was all my American mates in the main, I’ve got a lot of older ones too, and it was like ‘Hi, how you doing?’ ‘Trace, Trace, we’re in the hospital, he’s there, you’ve got to say goodbye, he’s dying.’

“I was like 5 o clock my time, and it takes you a while, and suddenly you go on and you have to say goodbye to your mate, and then they die. Traumatising. I was like ‘Is this a thing?’ I can’t deal with it. And one after the other, I think in about four weeks, I lost about eight.”

Tracie has had 12 friends die of the disease (Credit: ITV)

Tracie Bennett returns to Corrie

Since leaving Corrie Tracie has won two Oliver awards for her role in West End productions.

Sharon was last seen on the cobbles in 1999, and upon her return no one was more surprised to see her than Rita.

The pair previously fell out over Sharon’s attempt to sell The Kabin after it was gifted to her.

Discussing her return to the cobbles, Tracie said it was a “dream come true”.

When is Coronation Street on tonight?
Tracie called her return to Corrie a “dream” (Credit: ITV)

Read more: Who is Sharon Bentley in Coronation Street and why did she fall out with Rita?

“I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to the cobbles. I had such an amazing time there and I am looking forward to working with Barbara again and getting my teeth into the storylines they have planned for Sharon.

“When I was first approached about coming back about 18 months ago, I was keen and excited to see what was in store but my work schedule and then the pandemic has meant that it has taken till now for it all to come together,” she added.

YouTube video player

Coronation Street airs on Mondays and Wednesdays 7.30pm and 8.30pm with an hour long episode at 7.30 on Fridays on ITV.

Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.