Queen Elizabeth chatted about hotpot on Coronation Street set

Sally Ann Matthews and Queen Elizabeth chatted about hotpot when the monarch visited the 'Coronation Street' set last year.

The queen - who died on September 8th aged 96 - visited the ITV soap at Manchester's MediaCityUK in July 2021, and Sally (Jenny Connor) has told how the late royal had the "sparkliest, smiley eyes" and enjoyed talking about the show's fictional Rovers Return pub's signature dish.

She said: "We were still operating under COVID restrictions so we were all at two metres.

"It was phenomenal and she had the sparkliest, smiley eyes you've ever seen and I chatted to her about take-away hotpot."

Sally was impressed with how engaged the monarch was considering how many visits she made over the years.

Speaking on 'Lorraine', Sally added: "She was so engaged and for someone who's met everybody and does three or four engagements in a day she listened to everybody and you could see she was taking it all in.

"We were all in the Rovers practising our curtsy."

Upon her visit to the 'Corrie' set last year, the queen was greeted by soap stalwarts William Roache - who plays Ken Barlow, the soap's longest-serving character - Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner), Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) and Helen Worth (Gail Platt) outside the Rovers Return.

She looked delighted to meet the 'Corrie' quartet, and during her cobbles visit - to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary - she learned how the soap adapted its filming process amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Upon her arrival, the monarch was greeted by ITV's chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette, and John Whiston, managing director of continuing drama.

She later headed to a different part of the studios to go inside the Rovers, where she met other cast members, including Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe), Alison King (Carla Connor), Shelley King (Yasmeen Metcalfe), Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby) and Colson Smith (Craig Tinker).

The queen walked off the cobbles, down a red carpet, to the iconic 'Corrie' theme tune playing in the background. During her visit, she was presented with her very own cobble.