Coronation Street viewers have been familiar with soap favourite Sue Nicholls for 43 years.
The star has been a fans' favourite for decades as hair stylist and former Weatherfield mayoress Audrey Roberts.
But many will not be aware of the star's real-life aristocratic background.
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Sue, 78, is the daughter Sir Harmar Nicholls the former Conservative MP for Peterborough from 1950 to 1974, who also served as MEP for Greater Manchester South from 1979 to 1984.
Her father was given life peerage with the title Lord Harmar-Nicholls.
Being the daughter of a life peer Sue is entitled to be addressed as 'The Honourable Susan Nicholls'.
As the long-suffering mother of Gail and grandmother of David Platt, her character Audrey has been through her fair share of drama on the famous cobbles
And back in 2011, an episode of Corrie potentially saved Sue's life when fan Anna Bianconi-Moore spotted an unusual mole on her shoulder.
The nurse, who worked in the dermatology clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, had just returned home from a shift when she switched Corrie on.
Audrey, who was in a romance with Lewis Archer played by Nigel Havers, was wearing a sleeveless nightgown.
She told the Daily Mail : “I noticed it was irregular in shape and had at least three different colours.
“These are two of the red-flag signals that distinguish the most deadly form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma.
"I was obviously incredibly worried for Sue, and felt I needed to do something."
Anna got in touch with the show’s medical team and Sue was referred to skin cancer specialist Stewart Watson who operated on the mole and the diagnosis of malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer, was confirmed.
Sue had the mole and surrounding tissue removed at Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle.
She was given the all clear and, after tracing Anna, she invited the nurse to the Corrie set to thank her in person.
“I’m a great believer in fate and in this case it was a positive fate that Anna happened to be watching that particular episode that evening," she said.
Sue was married to fellow Coronation Street star Mark Eden, who played the iconic villain Alan Bradley for three years.
His abusive character is famed for the scene in which he was struck and killed by a Blackpool tram while chasing his partner Rita Fairclough in 1989.
The actor died at the age of 92 on New Year's Day 2021 after living with Alzheimer's.
