‘I love the chaos of my FAMILY'

Coronation Street actress Jennie McAlpine has been looking forward to a peaceful Christmas as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of daily life

- SUE CRAWFORD

On screen, she’s got two men fighting to take her out, but away from the cobbles, Jennie McAlpine admits she’s been too busy for a date with her husband for three years!

The actress juggles playing Coronation Street’s Fiz Stape with bringing up the couple’s two young children. Throw into the mix the fact that husband Chris runs a busy restaurant and it’s not surprising that nights out prove tricky to fit in.

‘I have friends who swear by date nights once a month, but we’ve not had a date night since Hilda was born three years ago!’ Jennie laughs.

‘We will sometimes get a takeaway hot chocolate and sit on the bench outside Albert’s school and have a 10-minute date on the bench before we pick him up!

‘But one night recently, Chris was home and the children were in bed, and we sat with a brew watching The Great British Bake Off, and that was my idea of absolute heaven. I said to Chris, “If someone offered us a babysitter right now, absolutely nothing would get me off this sofa!”