Ellie Leach is set to say goodbye to Coronation Street as Faye Windass leaves Weatherfield. The actress has grown up in front of viewers' eyes, but it's time for the 22-year-old to bid farewell to the cobbles.
She's spent more than 12 years on the ITV soap and since, has been faced with various challenges and tackled many harrowing storylines including her character falling pregnant at the age of 12, reports Manchester Evening News.
Next week, viewers will see Faye pack up her things and leave, after reconnecting with her daughter Miley and ex Jackson Hodge. Ellie was asked to describe her last scene on the show and how she felt.
"It was very, very emotional. Obviously, it's Faye leaving the street after 12 years but it's me leaving the street after 12 years as well," she said. "I think the saddest part of the scene is we're in the taxi, we're on our way and then we just see Criag on his own, walking up the street and then Faye's obviously like, 'stop the car!'
"She gets out and she's like, 'I'll always love you. I always have and always will,' and it was just so, so emotional. I think you can see that there are two people here who do love each other but there are so many other factors. Love isn't always enough and I think you can definitely see that in that last scene."
As she looked back at her time spent on the cobbles, Ellie shared how she doubted she would get the part when she first auditioned. She said: "I went up for the audition. There were a few rounds and I got down the final five and literally walked in and there were four other girls who were all in their first year of high school and I was in my last year at primary school," she explained.
"They had like skirt, tie, blazer, hair straightened, tall. I was tiny and I had a little school cardigan on with my hair in pigtails. I looked around and I was like, 'Mum, I’m nothing like these girls. I can’t get this part.' And my mum was like, 'It’s ok, just be yourself and do the best that you can.
"'If it happens it happens and if it doesn’t it doesn’t'. They all looked similar and I looked the odd one out. I’m guessing now it worked in my favour."
Despite not expecting to get the role, Ellie soon received the good news. "I remember I was at my friend’s birthday, she was having a sleepover," Ellie said. "And her mum said my mum was on the phone. And she was like, 'you’ve got the job'."
And filming her last scenes at the Salford-based set was a big day for the soap star. "It was emotional but it was happy tears," shared Ellie, who filmed on her last day with Colson Smith (Craig), Lisa George (Beth Tinker) and Mikey North (Gary Windass).
Her family were also able to join her and Ellie was given some special gifts to leave with. She said: "We finished and loads of people came on set and brought me gifts and it was really emotional and so, so nice. I got a really lovely handbag, some flowers, a big Millies cookie which said, ‘Faye Windass Forever,’ and I got a really beautiful, engraved necklace from the cast which means I can always have Corrie with me wherever I go," she said. "It’s engraved with two hearts and it says FW for Faye Windass."
But she also took a few of her own momentos from the set including some of Faye's comfy pyjamas. "I took a few of Faye's clothes, which to be honest I wasn't going to because she's not really got the best sense of style. I took a few jumpers to remind me of Faye," she said before revealing the more unusual item she has kept hold of.
"I had a coat on a few weeks ago and I put my hand in my pocket and was like, what's that? I pulled it out and it was a fake nail from when we filmed the Ted storyline from the nail that went down his sink and Craig had to go and get out." She added: "So I said I'm definitely taking that home, a green sparkly nail."
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