TV great Rula Lenska has opened up about her career and recalled how soaps such as Coronation Street have salaries that are "notoriously badly paid" compared to other work.
Lenska played Claudia Colby in the long-running soap opera between 2009 and 2011 before reprising the role between 2018 and 2020, where she stepped away from the cobbles for a second time. Colby returned for a third stint in Weatherfield last month.
The 74-year-old actress has admitted that working on the iconic TV show does not even compare to the some of the eye-watering sums of money she earned in the 1970s and 80s through television adverts.
Lenska spoke openly about the her fortune she made being the face - and hair - for hairspray Alberto V05 in her heyday.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: "Appearing in Rock Follies opened the door to me securing a lucrative advertising job, promoting a hairspray in a series of US commercials.
"Unfortunately, my agent at the time didn't appreciate quite how lucrative a job it could have been.
"I still got paid £5,000 for the first and £10,000 for the second year of the ad, not bad money for the time.
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"I made about 15 in all. I've done a fair bit of telly but things like Coronation Street are notoriously badly paid."
She has twice been married to actors, firstly to Brian Deacon for 10 years between 1977 and 1987 who shares one daughter with, Lara Parker.
Lenska then married the late Dennis Waterman in 1987 until 1998 after meeting him on the set of Minder in 1981. Both marriages ended in divorce.
According to her website, rulalenska.co.uk, she is fluent in English, Polish, German, French, Spanish and Italian. Rula is also a qualified hot air balloon pilot.
One of Lenska's good friends, Dame Maureen Lipman has confirmed she will return to the soap after a "little holiday from Corrie".
Coronation Street star Maureen, 76, is returning to the title role of Rose in a live stage production of the one-woman play on the West End, which follows a formidable Jewish woman’s journey from Nazi-ruled Europe.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain last month, she said: "This has just come at a time where I’ve got a little holiday from Corrie – I’m going back, because I like Corrie, I like the people."
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