'I'm Too Boring For Strictly'

C orrie star Jane Danson is celebrating her 20-year anniversary playing Leanne Battersby! There’s been affairs, drug abuse and even prostitution for the actress, 38, to get her teeth into, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. We sat down with Jane, who’s married to actor Robert Beck and mum to Harry, 11, and Sam, eight, to hear more...

- Kerrina Gray

Hi Jane! Our jaws dropped when we heard what was going to happen this week…

As did mine!

Steve McDonald proposes to Leanne! How does it come about?

It’s all a bit of light relief I suppose because we’ve had such dark stories this year. Leanne’s homeless again and her sister Toyah’s finding it all a bit much with the pressures of wanting a baby, so Leanne sort of says, ‘I get it, I’m in the way.’ And Steve says, ‘Why don’t you move in with me?’

Are they just friends at this point?

They’re both parents and, rather than to and fro with Oliver, if they’re all in the same place they can share the load. But Steve’s feelings get a bit confused and he starts thinking, ‘Maybe something else could happen.’

And then they get drunk…

She gets a bit drunk on a night out and things get a bit silly, but rather than one thing leading to another she passes out and makes herself at home! They’re just mates really but they’re both so unlucky in love that his proposal comes out of a daft situation.

Are you enjoying the partnership between you and Simon Gregson [who plays Steve]?

Yeah it’s really fun, particularly for me because Leanne has all the drama and is always a bit worn down. Simon is just joyful to work with, he’s so funny. I don’t know how I’ve got through it really. There was one scene we did and I couldn’t stop laughing, I lost the plot!