Sally Carman says engagement came as a 'complete surprise'

Sally Carman admits getting engaged amid the coronavirus lockdown was a "complete surprise".

The \'Coronation Street\' actress accepted co-star Joe Duttine\'s marriage proposal during the health crisis, and she\'s now revealed it came as a massive shock at the time.

Sally - whose fiance plays Tim Metcalfe in the soap - shared: "I got engaged during lockdown, which was a complete surprise.

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"Joe took me and his kids for a walk. He was talking about the Coiners, who used to hide forged coins in the dry stone walls, and told us to see if we could find any.

"I was totally oblivious and found the engagement ring hidden in the wall. It was really beautiful."

Sally has played the part of Abi Franklin, a drug-addicted mother, on the ITV soap since 2017.

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And the actress revealed fans still tell her that they don\'t like her on-screen character.

She told My Weekly magazine: "There are still a few people who say to me, \'You know, I can\'t bear your character.\' They didn\'t like Abi at all when I first joined.

"It\'s a credit to the writers that people believe in her so much. What\'s really brilliant about \'Coronation Street\' is that they\'re not afraid to tackle big issues, like Abi giving her children away."

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Sally also acknowledged that the lockdown has thrown up a few "continuity issues" for the soap.

However, she doesn\'t think it\'ll be a problem for her own character, admitting she typically looks like a "scrag-end".

Sally - who resumed filming last month following the lockdown - explained: "A character\'s hair might have grown two inches overnight. But viewers will enjoy going, \'Oh look!\'

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"They\'ll appreciate that we\'re doing our best and respecting the law, but for me it\'s not a problem, because I always look a little bit of a scrag-end anyway!"