Actress Farrel Hegarty made her debut on the ITV soap during Wednesday’s (February 12) episode as Lou Michaelis

Coronation Street newcomer Farrel Hegarty has revealed landing the role of Lou Michaelis in the show isn’t her first stint on the a soap – or on the cobbles.

The actress made her debut on the ITV soap during Wednesday’s (February 12) episode as Lou Michaelis. It was previously announced the character and her husband Mick will be Weatherfield’s new ‘nightmare neighbours’ following on from the iconic Battersby clan back in 1997.

The couple will move into Mawdsley Street at the back of Chesney and Gemma Winter-Brown’s house, which will be the first time ever Corrie have extended the serial drama across the ginnel, and they will be willing to making life hell for anyone who dares to cross them.

During Lou’s first appearance on the street, she didn’t hold back as she was seen giving Aadi Alahan grief over a purchase in the shop. She was also seen immediately sparking up a friendship with Gemma, recognising each other from Bessie Street School, where Gemma’s quads and Lou’s two young daughters attend, before sharing a drink in the Rovers Return.

Mick, played by Joe Layton, won’t appear on-screen until Friday (February 14), when the audience will be shocked to realise his true identity – the man with the silver van who has been harassing Chesney, who is none the wiser to who Mick really is, for months.

Speaking about being part of Corrie so far, Farrel said: “It’s been so much fun! We definitely come in hitting the ground running and it’s so nice to come in as a duo – it’s like having a partner in crime there. I think for us, we are thick as thieves and that adds to the relevance of the characters, so it’s been so much fun so far and I’m really grateful to be here.”

Farrel was also quizzed on her experience before joining Corrie which is when she revealed that it isn’t her first time in the soap. She shared: “I went to drama school and did a bit of theatre. I was in Brassic earlier this year and have been in Emmerdale before. I’ve actually been in Coronation Street before in 2019, I played a reporter on the Boxing Day episode so it feels like a full circle moment which makes it even more exciting. But this is definitely my first big role.”

Speaking about how she bagged her new role on the cobbles, she shared: “So I did a self tape and then I got called up for the next round, which was a screen test. I went in and there were around five other couples. I was last in and when I auditioned, I was told to stay there and someone walked in with Joe. It was quite a heavy scene that we did for the screen test, I got to throw a sandwich at Joe, which I threw at his face – I think it was a spam sandwich! I remember thinking how fun it was, people get to call throwing a sandwich at someone’s face work?! When I got the call to offer me the part, it was incredible.”

And it was an emotional moment when she was told she had got the role of Lou. Sharing when she got the call, Farrel said: “I was working in a studio as a studio manager on the side of acting, so I’m glad I was at work because I had like 20 people who were around me at the time of waiting for the news.

“Everyone just kept asking me to let them know when I found out. I remember walking in and there were about six girls who gathered around me and it was such a lovely moment because there was so much support, I was crying – I’ve never physically shaken that much in my life, it was just a feeling of pure shock and joy.”