Suranne Jones has come a heck of a long way since the cobbles of Corrie.
In the last few years, her career has taken off like a rocket, with a starring role in acclaimed BBC hit Doctor Foster which has run from 2015 to this year, as well as new job offers coming in right and left.
And she’s also stacked up a pile of gongs for her acting, from National Television Awards during her Coronation Street days to a stunning BAFTA win for Doctor Foster in 2016.
But she’s admitted to finding the work/life balance part of being an actor is something of a struggle.
And with even bigger parts looming in the near future – including starring in a new drama from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright and a stint on the West End, she’s spoken of the difficulties she’s faced.
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She told The Mirror: “I’m in a very, very fortunate position to play the leads in things – in Doctor Foster and in a job that is coming up, I’m in almost every scene.
“So even though I get time off now – and that’s amazing, and me and my son are doing lots of Christmas sing-alongs and I am going along to all sorts of playgroups – the seven months and theatre before that will be really hard.
“It’s 14 hours and then rushing in to put baby to bed, or just missing it and then trying to get up at 5am and the baby’s not got up until 6am… so you’re just snatching moments.
“The pressure of trying to be the best in those moments is really hard. What you end up doing is singing and dancing and doing all sorts of stuff, and the child is going, ‘What are you doing?’ They kind of distance themselves.”
Suranne gave birth in March last year, and in the middle of the whirlwind surrounding the second series of Doctor Foster, had to juggle parenthood with work commitments.
At one point, when her son came down with hand, foot and mouth disease, Suranne even had to bring him in to work with her.
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But as her career goes from strength to strength, it’s worth remembering what got Suranne where she is now.
She rose to fame in Corrie all the way back in the year 2000. Her role as factory worker Karen, who went on to marry Steve McDonald, helped spark her reputation for playing strong northern women.
All we know is, we love seeing her on our screens, so hope it continues for a good long while yet!