Former Coronation Street star Kym Marsh shocked fans in 2019 when she abruptly departed the ITV soap after a 13-year stint. The actress, now 49, has revealed the true motivation behind her decision to leave the £100,000-per-year role, and it's largely down to a significant financial boost.
From the Cobbles to Bigger Earnings
According to reports, Kym Marsh, who played barmaid Michelle Connor, chose to walk away from the famous Weatherfield cobbles to capitalise on her acting talents and explore new opportunities. This strategic career move has reportedly paid off handsomely. Annual accounts for her company, Pade (Warrington) Ltd, show she has earned approximately £500,000 over the last two years, effectively doubling her previous salary from the soap.
Her departure in 2019 allowed her to pursue a wider range of projects. She has since taken on roles in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road and regularly presents on BBC's Morning Live. She also participated in Strictly Come Dancing in 2022.
Steamy New Role in Channel 5's The Imposter
Kym Marsh's latest venture sees her embracing her most daring role to date in the Channel 5 drama The Imposter. In the series, which is set in a sprawling family-run Australian seaside hotel, she plays main character Amanda. Just minutes into a recent episode, Marsh was involved in a steamy sex scene, stripping down to her underwear.
Speaking about the show, Marsh said, 'Episode two was particularly raunchy. It's the flashback to London where she first meets her Australian lover. There was quite a lot of stuff that I believe they've had to tone down.' She added that an executive producer praised her convincing performance.
The drama centres on a fierce family conflict, with Amanda's siblings attempting to cut her out of a future inheritance, leading to deadly consequences.
A Career of Highs and Personal Resilience
Kym Marsh first found fame in 2001 as a member of the pop band Hear'Say, formed on the ITV series Popstars. The band achieved two number-one singles before she embarked on a solo career.
She joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2006, winning two Best Newcomer awards in 2008. In 2017, she received the Best Female Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards for a powerful stillbirth storyline, which mirrored her own tragic loss of her son, Archie, in 2009.
Currently, Marsh is in rehearsals for the stage adaptation of the thriller Single White Female, alongside actress Lisa Faulkner.
On the personal front, Kym was recently seen publicly with her new boyfriend, Tom, confirming their romance on Instagram eight months after ending a relationship with Samuel Thomas, who was 19 years her junior. She is a mother to four children: David, 30, Emilie, 28, Polly, 14, and her late son Archie.
