Coronation Street legend Sally Ann Matthews left the soap towards the end of last year and insisted that she doesn’t want to “waste her time” on things she doesn’t enjoy anymore
Sally Ann Matthews will forever be cemented in the minds of die-hard Coronation Street fans as Jenny Bradley, the rebellious teenager who arrived in Weatherfield in 1986 and departed in 1993, only to come back more than two decades later – and eventually rise to the coveted position of Rovers Return landlady.
But last year, the actress announced she had left again, having already filmed her final scenes on the ITV soap, and Sally Ann, 55, made a swift exit from the cobbles in October, as Jenny jetted off for the sunny shores of Tenerife.
Here, the Oldham-born actress, who has two grown-up sons, James and Louis, with her husband of 26 years, senior barrister Nick Rhodes, opens up about life post-Corrie, her new role in the Steps musical – and why her 50s are her most liberating decade yet…
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“Every year, when your contract comes round there’s that question: ‘Am I enjoying it?’ If I am, I say ‘Yes I’d like to stay.’ When you come to a point where you’re not enjoying it, you say no,” she says, when asked about her lengthy tenure on the world’s longest-running TV soap.
Candid as ever, Sally Ann insists that she no longer wants to do anything that doesn’t inspire her at this stage in her life.
“I’m very fortunate that I’m in a position where I can say, ‘I don’t want to do that’. It doesn’t excite me. It doesn’t challenge me. It doesn’t spark joy!
“I’m 55 now, I don’t wanna waste my time doing stuff that I’m not enjoying with people that I am not enjoying doing it with,” she smiles, matter-of-factly.
By the time her acclaimed stint in Weatherfield was up, Jenny had lost husband Johnny Connor in a freak accident involving a sinkhole, then had to deal with the death of further lovers, and was conned out of thousands by stepdaughter Daisy.
“I was switching off from the show a bit,” she reflects. “I was supposed to go into The Kabin and then they couldn’t get The Kabin set in because there were lots of hospital sets and police station sets…”
These days, some might feel that the nature of the programme is a far cry from where it all started, with bosses pushing for increasingly dramatic storylines and favouring methods such as flashbacks, and a focus on big issues and crime stories above all else.
Sally Ann has strong opinions on the matter. “We, as a cast, have been having these conversations for three or four years, and the crew – their family and people in the street, saying they don’t watch it anymore. They said ‘Oh it’s all about the police, I don’t know who anybody is.’
“But all the research was coming back saying audiences want spoilers, non-linear storytelling, they watch true crime dramas on Netflix, so they want a lot of crime.
“So, apparently all these stories are all being led by audience opinion but I’m yet to meet a single audience member that feels that way.”
“It’s not just about looking back with rose-tinted glasses. The thing about soaps was about knowing those characters, knowing how they would react in a certain situation. Now, stories aren’t character-led.
“If I wanted to watch a police drama, I’d watch Line of Duty. If I wanted to watch a hospital drama, I’d watch ER! I really think the soap genre should stick to its USP!
“Obviously for ITV, Corrie brings in a big audience, which helps them hugely with their overall figures and it would be a big risk for someone to take, but Corrie needs to stay in its lane and be what it is – which is a soap!”
Upon her arrival on Coronation Street, Jenny found a foster mother in Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox) and saw her father Alan Bradley (Mark Eden) killed by a tram in Blackpool.
She also worked with other show legends like Julie Goodyear, who played the iconic Bet Lynch, and has nothing but gratitude when she looks back at those early days.
“It is a long time ago, though, it’s like 40 years, so changes happen! I feel very grateful that I was in it then and I was also put in with Barbara, Thelma [Barlow] and Mark.
“I’d not done anything, I was only 15 – so I learned everything from them. Nowadays, Barbara still tells me off and I say ‘Well you made me!’
“I ring her whenever I’ve got a good hour and a half because we’re on the phone for that long,” she laughs.
Overall, Sally Ann still thinks fondly of her final scenes, which saw Rita raise a glass to Jenny as she stood in the doorway of the Rovers after an emotional goodbye, noting that she didn’t want a “big stunt.”
Away from showbiz, Sally Ann and Nicholas Rhodes enjoy their life in London. After more than a decade of travelling to the Coronation Street set in Manchester, the actress says she felt ready to be at home more – even impressing her Instagram followers with her breadmaking skills.
“I was away constantly for 11 years and my husband works away, too – so it’s very normal for us. But the last six months have been really lovely because I’ve been at home,” she smiles.
Now, though, Sally Ann has found a new project that most definitely ‘sparks joy’ – she is back in the driving seat to star in Here & Now, a jukebox musical based on the songs of pop royalty, Steps – already hailed as the biggest musical of its kind since ABBA hit Mamma Mia!
The dance group, known for their hits like Tragedy and One For Sorrow as well as newer tracks like Something In Your Eyes, is made up of Faye Tozer, Claire Richards, Lee Latchford-Evans, Lisa Scott-Lee and Ian ‘H’ Watkins.
All set in supermarket Better Best Bargains, a play on the band’s 1999 hit Better Best Forgotten, the musical follows the lives of four employees who vow to find love before summer is over.
And Sally Ann, a huge fan of the band, jumped at the chance to play Patricia, the outrageous supermarket manager.
Taking on the part has also meant something to Sally Ann’s family as well. On her affinity for the group, she recalls, “I took my niece to see them when they were at the NEC in 2000, she was about six. In 2017, she took me to the NEC to see them.
“Then we went in 2021. And now she’s bringing her son, my great nephew, he’s five, to come and see our show. So we’re getting him indoctrinated with Steps at an early age! I remember my son being in his car seat in the back of the car at about 18 months, [doing the dance moves] to Tragedy!”
The soap star is such a fan of Steps that the part actually came about from within the group itself. “I never in a million years thought I’d be doing this! I’m not musical theatre-trained.
“So I didn’t think I would ever do a musical . It all came about via Claire [Richards]. She didn’t tell me, but she actually asked the producers to approach me,”
Sally Ann smiles as she recollects the moment. “So I messaged her and told her I’ve just had a phone call about Patricia. She said ‘Will you do it, please?’ Because she knows I just love Steps! It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Sally Ann Matthews stars in Here & Now – The Official Steps Musical currently touring the UK until 16 May 2026. thestepsmusical.com
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