27 June 2023 , 11:49
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Kimberley Walsh missed out on an iconic Coronation Street role before she was picked for Girls Aloud.
The singer, 41, shot to fame on Pop Stars: The Rivals when she was chosen alongside Sarah Harding, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle.
The mum-of-three went onto enjoy years of chart-topping success, but Kimberley's future could have been very different if she'd bagged the role of Maria Connor on Corrie.
Revealing she almost got the gig before losing out to Samia Longchambon, she told The One Show: "I got down to the last two or three for Maria in Coronation Street, so yeah, things could have been very different."
Kimberley Walsh missed out on an iconic Coronation Street role before she was picked for Girls Aloud (Dave Benett/Getty Images for The)
Amy Walsh is Kimberley's younger sister (Dave Benett/Getty Images)Kimberley may not have been destined to have a soap career, but her sister Amy definitely was.
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The mum-of-one is stealing the show as Emmerdale's Tracy Metcalfe, who recently returned to the show following Amy's maternity leave.
Amy left the soap in scenes aired in January 2022 as Tracy headed away from the village to accept a new job, leaving partner Nate devastated.
She returned briefly for the show's 50th anniversary in October last year, but at the time confirmed she wasn't ready for a permanent role after welcoming her first child, Bonnie, with Toby Alexander Smith.
She's been stealing the show in Emmerdale (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)However, Tracy is now back with a bang and in true soap style, all hell is about to break loose when Moira and Cain spot the mum-of-one back in the Dales after 18 months away.
Amy won widespread praise for her portrayal of grief-stricken Tracy, who was struggling in the aftermath of the factory fire that led to the death of dad Frank Clayton back in 2019.
One viewer tweeted: “Dear Emmerdale, please keep Amy Walsh in mind when it comes to putting people forward for awards.
“She’s one of your stand-out performers. She consistently delivers funny, emotional and heartbreaking performances. Brilliant. Looking forward to seeing where Tracy’s story goes.”
Amy's future on Emmerdale looks bright, but Kimberley revealed she was turned away from the soap despite her sister's success.
The Girls Aloud star says she once auditioned for a role in the Dales, but didn't get the part - made stranger because her sister Sally has starred in the soap too.
Kimberley told The Sun's Fabulous magazine: "They haven’t asked me. I auditioned for it in the past, but they haven’t gone for the hat-trick. It would be funny to go in for a couple of episodes, but that’s definitely Amy’s thing, and I’m happy to leave it to her."
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