“OH. I’ve just seen some of my friends.”

I’m talking with Amanda Barrie, who has just spotted a Coronation Street disaster news item on the television screen in her dressing room.

The former Corrie and Bad Girls actress, currently playing the Fairy Godmother in the Pavilion pantomime Cinderella, reveals that since leaving the Street, she has become an ardent fan.

“I never watched it when I was in it because I used to think ‘Oh my God I’m going to come on. I don’t want to see myself” she says.

What does she think of the shock 50th anniversary story line?

She says: “I love it and I know it’s going to get better. It’s on ITV2 later so I shall be catching up. If you see a fairy dashing downstairs it’s because I’m trying to watch Coronation Street.”

As I sit down on the small sofa, Amanda excuses herself as she quickly tucks into crackers spread with peanut butter.

“I haven’t had any breakfast.”

As we talk she frequently glances at the news channel.

She says: “I’m a news addict. I always have been. I have to go to every news station and listen to everyone. I quite often wake up in the night and put the news on.”

She describes her profession as “the army and eyelashes” because you have to work hard and be glamorous at the same time.

Soap operas are very tough to do, she says.

“Coronation Street is a lot of work. It’s like a machine. Everybody really works flat out the whole time. There is an awful lot of lines to learn and you don’t have a long time doing scenes.”

What was it like joining the Street’s iconic cast?

“You never think you’re going to be there very long and then you suddenly find you’ve been there 15 years,” she says.

“I just absolutely worship Rita. I think Barbara Knox and Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop) are both very nice to work with and Bill is a great giggler. You wouldn’t survive if you didn’t have a few laughs.

“I used to like it when I was in the café because we used to pinch all the bacon and chips.”

And who does she predict will die in The Joinery explosion and tram crash?

“Coronation Street has a way of getting rid of baddies when they get too bad. I reckon there’s a question mark over John’s head. How much worse can he be?

Amanda, who revealed she was bi-sexual a few years ago, also approves of the recent storyline involving Sophie and Sian’s gay relationship.

“The two girls are absolutely smashing. I think they’ve done it so well,” she says.

And what is the secret of Coronation Street’s success?

“It’s very character-based and I hope that stays. That’s what makes everything work.

“Now people expect more and more infidelities. Half of them could go on Jeremy Kyle. So it’s a very fine balance, which I think they do,” adds Amanda.