A Coronation Street barmaid looks completely different from her time working at the Rovers after leaving the Street 26 years ago.

Deborah McAndrew, 56, grew up in Leeds, but got her first big role playing student Angie Freeman in 1990, while she was a lodger at number seven. She dated Des Barnes and was Curly Watts’ love interest, but after leaving uni, she headed to Mexico, before returning in 1996. After going into business with Mike Baldwin in 1997, the pair started lingerie factory Underworld together. But Angie went down south to London, leaving the cobbles behind.

But Deborah didn’t leave her showbiz career behind, instead turning her hand to radio acting, before focusing on playwriting in the 2000s.

She’s worked on productions of Robin Hood, The Great Gatsby and Song of the Sytch, as well as co-founded the Claybody Theatre Company in Stoke-on-Trent. Deborah is married to actor Conrad Nelson – the couple share a daughter.

Sources recently revealed ITV chiefs faced with shrinking budgets have been forced to scale down costs by taking on a “minimal” approach, including cutting down on group scenes, like those filmed in Angie’s old stomping ground, the Rovers Return. But the stars of the show have kicked back – many of whom are paid by the scene – and they are said to have noticed a marked difference in the scripts last month.

The number of extras used is also said to have been slashed, with an increase in “back-to-back” filming, when actors have to be on set at 7am for filming all day.

An insider told Mirror Online: “The bosses have decided we will take a far more minimal approach to storylines going forward, and are cutting the number of actors who appear in them. As large numbers of the cast are paid by scene, that means paying fewer actors to be on set.