Coronation Street star joins rival BBC soap as 'no-nonsense' nurse

11 October 2023 , 10:48

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Coronation Street star Melanie Hill to 'ruffle feathers' with new role on rival soap (Image: WireImage)

Coronation Street star Melanie Hill is set for an exciting new role in a BBC soap, much to the delight of her loyal fanbase.

The 61-year-old has been cast as Clinical Nurse Manager Siobhan Mackenzie in Casualty, a character expected to "ruffle a few feathers" at the Holby City hospital with her "no-nonsense" attitude.

Melanie made her Coronation Street debut in 2015, joining the cobbles as the endearing yet somewhat chaotic Cathy Matthews. She was involved in a number of hard-hitting storylines during her time on the ITV soap, including an on-off relationship with Roy Cropper after the recent death of her husband. The café owner fell in love with Cathy after helping her overcome her hoarding addiction, after compulsively keeping possessions as a coping mechanism for her grief. Melanie left the show in 2022, however, in order to care for her 88-year-old mother.

Melanie played Cathy on Coronation Street from 2015 to 2022

"It's not been an easy thing to decide," she said. "My family has been important but the pandemic has made a lot of people think about the future. It has changed a lot of things in my head. You’ve just got to see what’s important to you." Melanie also said she had plans to travel to Australia, where several members of her family live. Luckily for Coronation Street fans, the door has been left open for Cathy to make a return. Rather than kill her off, the writers of the popular soap chose to have her drive away to a new life with boyfriend Brian Packham instead.

Cathy has a relationship with Roy Cropper after arriving onto the cobbles as a grieving widow

Speaking about her new role in Casualty, Melanie said that she was "delighted to be joining the cast" and "can't wait" to introduce fans to Siobhan.

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"She’s a supremely competent manager, who is firm but fair and expects nothing but the best from her nursing team," she revealed.

"However, get on the wrong side of her and she’ll make mincemeat out of you! I’m sure she’s going to ruffle a few feathers in the Emergency Department.”

Jon Sen, Executive Producer of Casualty for BBC Studios, said: “I am so excited to welcome Melanie to the team. I’ve been a huge admirer of her work for years and it’s wonderful to see her here at Holby. We’ve got brilliant stories lined up for Siobhan and can’t wait for the audience to meet her.”

Melanie has been married to Jimmy Daly since 2017, after divorcing her first husband, actor Sean Bean, in 1997. She has two daughter from the seven-year-long marriage, Lorna, 35, and Molly, 31.

Emma Dooney