It’s safe to say Sherrie Hewson has had her fair share of TV roles - from playing Maureen Webster in Coronation Street, to the iconic Joyce Temple-Savage in Benidorm, and most recently Martha Blake in Hollyoaks.
Now, speaking exclusively to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, the former Loose Women panellist has lifted the lid on her colourful TV career - including whether she’d return to the Corrie cobbles after three decades.
Opening up on her time on the ITV soap, Sherrie reveals she’d love to make a comeback, as well as a potential storyline for her character Maureen to date soap legend Ken Barlow, and how she really felt after being axed in 1997.
She also shares her most memorable moments from filming Benidorm, whether the hit series could return, and why she believes it was so successful - plus how her 2015 Big Brother nearly ‘broke’ her.
Speaking to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, Sherrie Hewson reveals:
What are you up to at the moment?
I'm writing my next book. My book came out 14 years ago, so they asked me to do a sequel to it. It's quite hard work because I write it myself with an editor, so I'm going through things like Big Brother, Benidorm, and Loose Women. There’s also lots of stuff I haven't spoken about, so it's quite hard. It's just remembering things, and then when you get into the zone, you think, ‘Oh my God, did I really? Oh s**t.’
It’s exciting, but it’s quite daunting as well. I was on stage from a young age because my mother never believed in school - it was only for my brother. I was on the stage very young, doing three shows a week by the time I was five. That's all I knew. I didn't know about real life at all, so it’s quite hard to look back on.
In my business, times have changed, and it's a very different world now. I come from a different time when there were 52 weeks a year of work. Now, there's nothing much around. Reality TV kicked in and then took over. It's a very different world we're living in now.
Most recently, you appeared in Hollyoaks, but you were also in Corrie and Emmerdale. What did you love so much about working on soaps?
I was also in Crossroads, what we call the new Crossroads, which was in 2001, 2002, and 2003. It was outrageous because it was so funny. It was filmed in the Nottingham studios, which no longer exist. We had some of the old members of the real cast of Crossroads in it, so that was just fantastic to meet them. It wouldn't have ended had Granada bought out Carlton Television, and Crossroads was made by Carlton Television. I was doing a sitcom there at the same time called Barbara, and that was bought out as well.
Before that, of course, I did five or so years on Corrie, which was amazing. I did Emmerdale for three years and Hollyoaks for around two-and-a-half. I've always done long-running things like soaps, but the soap world is a fascinating world because I didn't know when I went into Corrie what Maureen would become. I remember meeting the producer, and he said, ‘We're going to put you with this character called Reg Holdsworth. Do you know him?’ I said yes, he's a very big character. So she said, ‘We think with all the things you've done, all the comedies over the years, all the dramas, we think you can match him.’ I just thought, what did they mean by that? I don't know what they meant. But once I met him, of course, I knew exactly what they meant because he was a powerful character.
What was your relationship like with Ken?
In an actor's life, you very rarely meet a partner that is like a soulmate, but not in life - I mean on screen. Ken and myself rehearsed together off screen, and we could say each other's lines. We knew what each other was thinking. I could say his lines before he said his. It's a kind of soulmate on screen. Now, as an actor, you never meet somebody that you're as in tune with as we were. It was very clever writing, though. The writing was just absolutely amazing - funny, poignant, and relevant to the time. It really meant a lot to us to have such wonderful writers and directors.
I remember one day we were walking down the street, saying these lines - and this is how in tune we were - as I was walking down the cobbled street, I fell. I slipped and fell on my ankle. He carried on with his speech and picked me up under his arm, just carried on walking, and I carried on with my line. That's how in tune we were. It’s incredible to meet somebody that you are that close to, so it was fascinating.
Did you enjoy working on Coronation Street?
It was brilliant and very hard work, but I loved every second of Coronation Street. It was a wonderful show to be part of. I still watch it now. I love it, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. Maureen's still alive, and I think my character lives in Germany? I married Fred Elliott. Then I married Kevin Webster's father, Bill Webster, and we went to Germany. I’m Sally Webster's ex-mother-in-law, so I still belong. Bill Webster owned the garage, so I believe Maureen has part of that garage. I think Kevin Webster owes her some of that garage, and I could go back and demand part of the garage, so there's a storyline!
You’ve previously spoken out about how your character was axed from the show. How do you still feel about that?
I always tell people, when they go into soaps, take your year's contract. That's all you've got, and if you get another year, it's a bonus. You're very lucky if they go, we like this character, we'll write for this character, and we'll keep this character. That is luck, and it's fabulous, but it might not happen. I was there for a long time. I was very sad to leave and sad to say goodbye to everybody. I was terribly sad to leave, but in these soaps, you don't go in them for life. That's how everybody should look at it and go, it's been great to be here, but I understand if my stories come to an end or the writers feel that there isn't anything else to write about.
When he left, Reg and Maureen were no more, and it had been such a big thing in my life. When he left, it left a void for Maureen. She'd only got her mother, and her and her mother didn't really get on anyway. I kind of thought, actually, what are they going to do? They married me to Fred Elliott; that didn't really work. They married me to Bill Webster, but it was very hard to know what to do with Maureen after Reg left. I can see, as a writer, that possibly it would be quite hard to fix, and I understood that, but I was terribly sad because I loved every second of it.
Are you still in touch with people from Coronation Street?
I speak to a few people. I love Sally [Dynevor]. This world, acting, is a funny world because when you do things with actors, you very rarely see them again. We're like nomads; we wander around the world, and you very rarely see them again. But I've kept in touch with people from things like Corrie, Crossroads, Emmerdale, and, of course, Benidorm, which will be in my heart forever.
You’ve not long since left Hollyoaks, but your character had quite the impact…
I know! How fabulous is that? I loved it.
How did you find your exit on Hollyoaks?
I now know how to be a serial killer! It was brilliant - I loved it. I think it is quoted in the press that Martha is something like the oldest serial killer on television! The sad thing is that my son killed me. Both Jeremy [Sheffield] and I were sad about that because we all got on so well. Me, Anna [Passey], and Jeremy all got on so well. When it came to Jeremy coming to kill me, we laughed a lot. We shouldn't say that, really, but we did because it was funny. Jeremy supposedly had to stab me - I think it was with a knife. But, of course, you can't see that on television, so it did make me laugh a lot. The director said to me, ‘Could you please stop laughing because you are dead?’ I said, ‘But I might not be dead?’ He said, ‘No, you are dead. Could you please stop laughing?’ I had to gird my loins and stop laughing in the end and take it seriously, but I did enjoy it. It was such fun until that moment, obviously.
It was quite a long time I ended up being in it - I don't think I was supposed to be in it that long. They're just the nicest bunch of people, and the crew are fantastic. That was Hollyoaks, but Emmerdale was a bit of a different one because she was an odd character. I did it for about three years, so I didn't feel she had established herself to where she could get married or buy a shop. Again, I'm very aware of what can happen with characters - they can dissipate and sort of not be as strong as they could be because people are not writing for them. Although I loved everybody on it and I love being up there, it didn't go anywhere in the end - it sort of fizzled out. I feel that was the only soap I was on where I fizzled out.
You've said you’d definitely be up for a soap return, but have you ever turned down a return in the past?
Not at all. I would certainly return to Corrie. I mean, as I say, you've got to have what people call ‘hooks’ to return. My hook is Sally because I'm her ex-mother-in-law, and Kevin Webster, who I want to pinch his garage. You've got Ken Barlow, who needs a girlfriend - so there you are!
Soaps have a reputation for being a tough gig - how did you find working on them?
They are fun to work on. However, what you have to remember is, every day, you're given a pile of scripts. So every night you sit and you learn, and that never ends, never stops. I remember the lady who played my mother, the lady in a wheelchair called Maude. Her real name was Elizabeth Bradley. I loved her so much, but, of course, she was a lot older. I think she was 80-something then. She had a flat opposite the old studios, and we’d sit together and we would go through these endless scripts. She used to say, ‘God, this is the hardest thing, but it's fabulous writing.’ When it's brilliant writing, like Benidorm was, they're easy to learn because they immediately write for you as a character.
They are hard in the sense that they're relentless, every day. If you're in a storyline, you're on set right till about 7pm. Then you go home with the next scripts, and then you sit and learn them again. It's a big machine that constantly turns, like on a conveyor belt. I take my hat off to every actor in every soap. They are brilliant and work so hard. Yet, they deliver the most incredible performances every day of their lives.
If you look at Liz Dawn, who played Vera Duckworth, she was absolutely amazing. When we used to do scenes, she used to say, ‘I might have my lines on this piece of paper here, if you don't mind?’ But her delivery was just the best in the world. She was the funniest person ever. Every one of those actors are brilliant. I really admire them in every way. I know it must look easy, but it isn't easy. It's really hard, really, really hard. You get so frustrated because you don't have many takes. You might have one take. Whereas, on other dramas, you'll have five, six, or seven takes, possibly. On a soap, you've got one chance to get it right.
Why do you think Benidorm still has a massive fan base?
First of all, it's on twice a day, every day, so you can watch it all the time. It's on Netflix as well. Also, it's the writing. Derren Litten knows how to write, for women in particular. I think that's quite rare. He also casts very well. All those characters were cast, like Tim Healy as Les - every character was cast beautifully. He would look at somebody and just know that was who he was going to write for. His writing was just superb. People say to me, ‘I've got an auntie just like Joyce Temple Savage, or my mother's just like Joyce.’ Viewers can relate to all the characters. Everybody loves it because, apart from anything else, it's so funny. The music makes me smile to this day.
I do a thing called Benidorm Nights, which is me as Joyce Temple Savage. It's brilliant, and everybody wants to know everything about Benidorm. Where did Kenneth get those shorts? They all fell in love with Matteo and, of course, John Challis, who eventually played my husband, who passed away. Everybody wants to be part of it, wants to know about it. I think it's one of those things that will go on forever.
What did you make of the show’s guest stars?
We had all the bands appear on the show. Bananarama - every band you can possibly imagine came over. Tony Hadley - everybody wanted to come and be on it, and then they wouldn’t want to go home! They’d go, ‘Can we stay on?’ If it was reborn and brought back, the amount of people that say to me, if it does come back, can you please say, can I be in it? There's a long list of everybody who still wants to do it.
Who would you really like to come on if you were to go back to it?
Of course, Joan Collins played my boss. She was fantastic. I mean, she's a proper old-fashioned diva. She's a proper film star. When she came to Benidorm, she was going to do a scene, and she had to arrive in a limo. Derren Litten, the writer, dressed up as Elvis. So Elvis opened the door, but the streets were lined with people waiting for Joan Collins. When she got out of the car, the whole street, as far as you could see, clapped and cheered. She just waved, so we had to start again. We had to say, ‘Could you please stop clapping because it's not Joan Collins?’ She was in character as Crystal Hennessy-Vass. She loved every second of it.
There's so many people out there that would be fabulous to have on it. People like Alfie Boe have said to me he'd love to do it. My mate Les Dennis, who I adore, he’d come like a shot if he was cast in it. You have to watch your space. You never know - it may come back, but we don't know anything yet.
There have been rumours that it might be returning…
We'd be the last people to know, I'm afraid. We'll be told when the whole world knows, I guess.
If it was to come back, do you think it could pick up from where it left off, or do you think it would need a new spin?
I think Derren would bring in other people, different acts in the Neptune's bar, different singers, and different families. It would be the same kind of thing, but you have to move on, don’t you? There are people that couldn't be in it because we've lost people. You'd have to move on and bring in new characters, which is actually quite exciting. Joyce would actually have to vet them all - that would be brilliant.
Are there parts of Benidorm you think probably wouldn't be made today?
I mean, with woke, everybody has to watch their language, shall I say. There was never anybody I know in this world who was ever offended by Benidorm. There was nothing offensive about it. If it ever did come back, I can't see what they could do to make it different. It would be the same, but it would have new people. Maybe that would move on to a different level.
Have you got some memorable moments that stand out from filming?
Well, every day was an adventure. The first shot I ever did was when I knocked Kenneth's teeth out. What it was is that Tony [Maudsley] had actually walked into a wall and knocked his two front teeth out. He had to go to the dentist in Benidorm to have two new teeth. Derren said to him, ‘Do you mind if we do a scene where Sherrie hits you so your teeth fall out, so you've got no teeth?’ So that's what we did. It was the funniest scene ever because he also had to pour a whole jug over my head. We went outside the pool, and as I turned around, he picked up a jug and just poured it over me. I was soaked from head to foot - it was disgusting. Then, when we got to the pool and I knocked his teeth out, we had to have this fight, so I shoved him in the pool! We had the best of times because actually none of us cared how silly it was. We were just silly with everything.
Jake [Canuso] and I had to do a scene where we got botox. Obviously, we had a plastic film across our face, which pulled our faces. Jake loved it; he kept his on to go out that night. I also had to do a scene where I had to go into Neptune's, and they had to pick me up, but I was as stiff as a board. They had to drop me. I wanted to do it, but they said no, not insurance-wise. So a stand-in did it. The next day, I had to do another scene where I fell down a flight of stairs, which was in the reception. What I did with the stunt girl - I fell down two steps, she jumped in and rolled up and down all the steps, I jumped in and was in the middle of the staircase, laying there. Everybody thinks that I've done that stunt, and I didn't. I did half of it, but I was so proud of myself doing a stunt rolling downstairs.
When we finished work on a Friday, we would go out for dinner. Saturday night was what we called ‘out out’. In Benidorm, everything is karaoke. Now I'm the only person in that cast that can't sing. At the bar, I'm going to get up and sing, then Tony [Maudsley] went, ‘Sherrie, don't. You can't sing. Please don't get up and sing.’ Anyway, I'm going to get up and get on the stage, and the guy doesn't know, and he says, ‘What do you want to sing, love?’ And I said, ‘Kung Fu Fighting.’ So I started with Kung Fu Fighting and fell over. The guy picked me up and got me by the shoulders. He said, ‘Come on, love, get off the stage, don't punish yourself anymore,’ and he shot me out the door and locked the door. I was left on the pavement on my own - isn't that terrible? We've had endless silly stories like that.
Are you still in touch with the people you worked with on Benidorm?
Tony [Maudsley] because he's on Corrie now. We stay in touch most days. It's one of those shows where we actually text each other, funnily enough, which you don't normally, but we do. If there's anything going on with Benidorm, then people say, ‘Oh, well, you know, I'm doing this,’ because we all try to support each other. We all love remembering and thinking about it and still being part of it.
You also appeared on Big Brother - what was the most challenging part about the show?
You’re locked into the house - the shutters come down, and it's a sealed house. You can't get outside. Every mirror or picture is a camera, so every move you make, a camera is watching you. The cameras were on you 24 hours a day. It's extraordinary because you're with 14 people you don't know. I don’t like everybody in life, but I think it's probably a very good experiment because it shows you how people don't cope and how people can cope. It must be like being on a desert island, really.
Nobody voted me out, and I was in it right to the very last day. It was four weeks away from my daughter, and it nearly broke me. Anyway, I did it. I remember Emma [Willis] saying to me when I came out, ‘How the hell did you cope with all of that, Sherrie?’ It was a long time ago now, but I survived.
Would you ever do any other reality TV at all?
Not really. I’m A Celebrity - I wouldn't do any of the Bucktucker trials, so everybody would die of hunger. My mother and father were ballroom dancers, but I think it's a bit late for me to be going on Strictly. I think I'm too old for that. Dancing on Ice - I've always been an ice skater, but that's gone, so there's not much reality left. I would do Celebrity Bake Off or something like that because I used to own my own restaurant in Surrey. I don't know what else it would be for me now, but you never know - never say never.
