CORONATION Street will welcome back Abi Sharpe actress Rachael Elizabeth next month, but as a completely different character.
The Sun Online can reveal she’ll play a mum who clashes with Gemma Winter at her parent and baby group.
She has already been back on set, with a source revealing: “She’s already filmed several episodes and will be onscreen in early March.”
Rachel played Police Constable Abi Sharpe from 12th December 2007 to 12th December 2008.
She featured in just 14 episodes during that time and was seen having an on and off relationship with bookie Dan Mason.
After needing eye surgery which was caused when she tried to break up a fight, Abi exited the show in 2008.
Insiders tell The Sun Online that Rachael’s character will clash with Gemma, has been struggling since giving birth to the quads.
She has found it tough coping with the needs of all her children and keeps referring to herself as a bad mum, despite encouragement from boyfriend Chesney and her closest friends.
She also lost confidence after the advertisement campaign for Freshco’s edited her and Chesney out of the promotion posters and only used the babies.
Gemma keeps thinking she isn’t good enough and Rachael Elizabeth’s character showing up as a new character in the baby and parent group is only going to make matters worse.
Rachael will not be the first actor to play different characters in the same soap.
Gemma Winter’s mum Bernie, who arrived on the cobbles in July 2019, previously appeared in Weatherfield in a different guise 35 years ago as Sue Clayton.
Bernie (Jane Hazelgrove), originally played cheeky teenager Sue, the youngest sister of a family who moved to the street between January and August 1985 – but the family failed to make an impact on the street and were quickly written out.
Actor Mark Chatterton has played a staggering four different roles in Corrie, with his first coming in 1986 and his latest role as a pawn shop owner coming last November.
