'Coronation Street's Melanie Hill used to have an addiction to painkillers.
Melanie Hill as Cathy Matthews
The 53-year-old actress - who portrays Roy Cropper's new love interest Cathy Matthews in the ITV soap - has admitted she used to regularly pop Co-codamol while starring as Maggie Budgen in 'Waterloo Road' from 2012 to 2015 because her osteoarthritis, a condition which causes painful and stiff joints, became almost intolerable.
She told Woman magazine: "I needed a stick but I had to get rid of it when I was shooting scenes. I carried on for two years because I didn't want to take time out."
The British star, who was prescribed the pain relief drug after her hip replacement surgery, has revealed it took her three months to wean herself off Co-codamol completely.
She explained: "I was on the maximum dose of Co-codamol painkillers and after two years it was hard getting off them. It took me three months to get completely weaned off them."
Meanwhile, Melanie joined 'Coronation Street' back in April as viewers watched her blossoming romance with widower Roy (David Neilson) unfold over the past few months.
Speaking about the TV gig, she said previously: "When I got a call from my agent asking if I would like to be interviewed for 'Coronation Street' I've never been as happy in my life because it's been a life-long ambition."
She added: "I've grown up with it and I've got to a point in my life where I am happy to go into a long-running drama. Staying for a long time would be ideal for me."
Tagged in David Neilson