Dame Maureen Lipman signs new Coronation Street contract

Dame Maureen Lipman has signed up for another year on 'Coronation Street'.

The 'Educating Rita' star has praised her "exceptional" cast mates and insisted she "won’t hear a word against" the long-running ITV soap.

Maureen, 76 - who stars as Evelyn Plummer - told Reader's Digest: "I won’t hear a word against it. It’s full of quite exceptional actors working with very little rehearsal, very little direction.

"Am I envious of some of my peers? Sometimes, yes. Do I have the right to be? Of course not. Would I like to be in ‘Sex Education’? Yes, of course. Am I sorry I’ve signed up with 'Corrie' for another year? No, I’m not."

Last year, Maurren became the first dame of 'Coronation Street', after receiving the honour from the Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.

The veteran star became the first serving actor in the soap's history to receive a damehood or a knighthood.

Speaking about her wardrobe worries ahead of the big day, Maureen - who joined 'Coronation Street' in 2018 - shared: "It's been a long time coming because I heard about it in 2020 and then I couldn't collect it. And so the coat you bought becomes like something you don't want to wear.

"Then it becomes, 'What the heck do I wear on my head?', and then in the end I went to 'Coronation Street' and I said, 'Have you got any fascinators in wardrobe?', and they gave me seven.

"I travelled back from Manchester with seven hats and on Tuesday I had friends round and they said, 'Wear that, no that, not that.'

"And I completely blew it this morning and changed my mind."