Former Coronation Street star Denise Welch has revealed why she left the ITV soap.
The actress is returning to Waterloo Road this month as the character Steph Haydock. Before that, she was well-known for playing Natalie Barnes in another popular show between 1997 and 2000.
She said there was no reason to use her in the game if she became uninteresting and plain.
I’m always amazed by actors who can revisit a character they’ve played before. It’s something I’ve personally never done – once I move on from a role, that’s it for me. Throughout my entire career, I’ve never once gone back to play the same part again. I admire those who can, but I prefer to always look forward to new challenges.
That’s likely why we won’t see Natalie return to Weatherfield anytime soon.
I portrayed a manipulative character, but to keep the audience engaged, they often had to show a softer side, even to her,” she explained, referring to her role on Coronation Street.
Honestly, there was a moment where they’d changed Natalie’s character so much, she barely resembled herself – she was becoming someone else entirely, this person named Emily Bishop. I remember telling them, ‘This just isn’t working, I’ve lost track of who she is!’ Thankfully, they listened and dialed things back, really focusing on getting her character right again.
I’m really glad the Waterloo Road writers seem to be nailing Steph Haydock’s storyline – it’s working for me, and I’m genuinely enjoying where they’re taking her character.
Let me tell you, when Natalie arrived on Coronation Street, it was pretty clear she wasn’t there to bake cookies. The writers immediately set her up as a threat to Sally and Kevin Webster’s marriage. It was a classic soap opera setup: Kevin, a good guy at heart, fell for Natalie’s charms while Sally was away caring for her sick mother. It felt a bit manufactured, honestly, designed purely to create drama and drive a wedge between the couple. It was a simple, if somewhat predictable, way to shake things up on the cobbles.
When Sally came back, Natalie found out about the affair and realized she didn’t want to continue raising children that weren’t hers.
She later married Des Barnes, but he tragically died protecting her son, Tony. After this, she decided to change her life and bought the Rovers Return pub from Alec Gilroy.
Natalie eventually left, and the following year, she had a daughter with her ex-partner, Vinny Sorrell (James Gaddas). This happened off-screen, meaning it wasn’t shown on the program.
The new season of Waterloo Road (season 17) starts on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Tuesday, January 6th. You can watch the first two episodes on BBC One that same evening, starting at 9pm, with the second episode at 10:40pm. All previous seasons are already available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Don’t miss Waterloo Road! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.
Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing the latest news and spoilers for popular shows like Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even gained on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
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2026-01-01 12:09