Suranne Jones: I was told to strip for lads' mags

Suranne Jones claims she was told to strip for lads\' mags when she started on \'Coronation Street\'.

The 41-year-old actress - who played Karen McDonald on the long-running show - has accused soaps of using their actresses, admitting she feels uncomfortable with how she was treated by her former bosses.

Suranne - who joined \'Coronation Street\' in 2000 - shared: "The first few months was about me being whisked off and put in a bikini in Barbados.

"At this time I\'d only been on one holiday abroad to Spain with my mates. I was like, \'Wow\'.

"Then I was on a celeb special for \'Stars In Their Eyes\', then put in a magazine with a bra and knickers on. They\'d give you a glass of champagne to get you a little loose.

"I remember thinking it was fun at first, but I realised it wasn\'t what I signed up to."

Suranne admits to feeling awkward about some of the photoshoots she did during her time on the show.

But she doesn\'t think \'Coronation Street\' was alone in putting their female stars under pressure.

The actress - who left the soap in 2004 - told the \'Give Me Strength\' podcast: "I don\'t think \'Coronation Street\' was alone in that. I think all of the soaps used their girls in that way."

Meanwhile, Suranne previously revealed she would\'ve returned to teaching if her post-\'Coronation Street\' career didn\'t work out.

The actress - who left Weatherfield in 2004 - planned to return to teaching if she didn\'t "make it" in other shows.

She said: "I never wanted to be in a soap forever.

"I felt I could go and teach, because I\'d been teaching, so I felt if I didn\'t make it I would then go and teach rather than go and repeat myself back at \'Corrie\'. And I would live a life that suited those means.

"I really believed in that."