Jennie Alpine had to snog a panda mask on 'Coronation Street' due to COVID-19 filming restrictions.
Jennie McAlpine had to kiss a panda mask
The 37-year-old star's character Fiz Stape - whom she has played on the ITV soap since 2001 - is caught up in a love triangle with Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Phill Whittaker (Jamie Kenna), and Jamie revealed how the pandemic has made things awkward on set.
He's quoted by the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column as saying: "It's tricky, especially with a new relationship - there's me snogging a cushion, she's snogging a panda costume.
"One of the lowest points of my career is making sounds on my arm to make snogging noises. It will be good to get closer."
Alan agreed that the restrictions made things "challenging" for the actors as they have to keep their distance.
He said: "Doing the story at two metres is very challenging. How do you show chemistry, you can't even hold hands. I was pretending to kiss a pair of sunglasses."
Despite the difficulties, Jennie recently revealed her alter ego would have a wild Christmas on the cobbles.
She said: "Fiz wants peace at Christmas… but that never was likely. She doesn’t get much peace at all.
"Spoiler alert - there’s an injured pigeon, Tyrone is drunk and it ends with Fiz and [Dame Maureen Lipman's character Evelyn Plummer] rolling their eyes at everyone having a jolly time.
“And an inflatable unicorn is involved… unless the director’s cut that out because it's so ridiculous."
Jennie has “no idea” how the team managed to capture the festive spirit during the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “I had no idea how we filmed it in a pandemic.”
But the actress added: “It’s a gorgeous moment where they’re all together.”
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