Sally Lindsay has revealed that her car was “burnt out” in a random attack that took place outside a pub. The actress, 52, had spent many years driving around the country going on various theatre tours in the years before she got her big break in television.
In 2001, the star landed the part of Rovers Return barmaid Shelley Unwin on Coronation Street and was celebrating getting a job on one of TV’s top soaps, only to return to the pub car park afterwards to find that her reliable vehicle, which had seen her through years of financial hardship, had been set on fire.
She said: “I remember when I got Coronation Street, I had an on-my a**e car. It was blue and I called it Colin Bell – he was a Manchester City player. I used to break an egg in it instead of [using] Radweld, because it was cheaper, before you put the water in. I was really good at engines, you have to be when you’re a touring actor.
“I remember when I got Coronation Street, I left it in the pub cark park, celebrating because I got the job – and some f****r burnt it out in the car park.
View 4 ImagesSally was celebrating landing the role of Shelley Unwin on Coronation Street at the time (Image: PA)
The former Loose Women panellist, who left Coronation Street in 2006 and has since gone on star in dramas like Cold Call, Number One Fan and also found huge success by creating The Madame Blanc Mysteries for Channel 5, couldn’t even afford to vehicle removed from the car park, but still has one keepsake from it all these years later.
Speaking on the Once Upon A Time podcast, she added: “I’ve still got the keys to him now. That bloody car took me all round the country, to every theatre when I was on tour! l came back and it was burnt out.
“I just went, ‘Oh f***!’ And then I walked away because I’d have to pay to have it removed and I hadn’t been paid yet. So I just scarpered. The good thing about having a s*** car is it doesn’t get nicked, it just gets firebombed!”
4View 4 ImagesSally has gone on to star in a number of dramas for Channel 5 (Image: Getty Images)
4View 4 ImagesThe TV favourite recently received an MBE for services to drama (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
During her time on Coronation Street, Sally’s character was at the centre of a high-profile domestic abuse storyline at the hands of Charlie Stubbs, who was eventually murdered by Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) and also married bigamist Peter Barlow before leaving to manage a pub in the Lake District.
Sally was recently joined by former co-star Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald, on her podcast A Night In With Sally Lindsay, and explained to her friend why she left.
She said: “So, when I started Coronation Street in 2001 and then it was me, you and Jennifer James [who played Geena Gregory], a dear friend of ours. We were the trio at Coronation Street but when you left, I was really bored so I left! Everyone thinks it was this big career move, but, I just missed my mates!”
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Last year, Sally told The Mirror that she hadn’t watched Coronation Street since she left. When asked why, she explained: “Because I was in them, so you tend to not bother when you leave.”
Back in 2018, Sally revealed that she couldn’t face watching Coronation Street any more because so much had changed, and almost 10 years later, she had stuck to her decision. Back then she said: “I don’t actually watch Corrie. It’s difficult watching it as it’s changed so much – it’s like looking back at an old place of work.”
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