Shelley King is famed for portraying Yasmeen Metcalfe in Coronation Street, having now been on the cobbles for over a decade

Shelley King is best known for portraying Yasmeen Metcalfe in ITV’s Coronation Street but she’s also famed for playing Jay Harper in the BBC drama series Angels and has made appearances in shows such as The Bill and Silent Witness.

Away from acting, Shelley, 69, has been open about her struggles, including her sexuality and autism diagnosis. She previously revealed she was diagnosed with autism at the age of 67, which helped her to become “less scared of life”.

“I don’t think 67 is too old, it’s never too late. It’s been a great outpouring and it’s making me less scared of my life and that I’m not doing things right,” the actress said at the time.

Shelley has played Yasmeen Metcalfe in Coronation Street since 2014 (Image: ITV)

Shelley added that she thinks autism may have drawn her to an acting career, saying: “I always wanted to perform… if I sing, it makes me feel better. Most actors are damaged in some way. They go into acting to fill a big hole in themselves or become somebody else.”

Speaking to Kaye Adams on her podcast How To Be 60 at the time, just hours after her initial autism assessment, Shelley said: “This morning has been quite a big deal for me. I’ve always had a temper, I’m very pedantic and I like to plan things. Simple things that people take for granted have not been easy for me.”

She credited her partner of 25 years, director Trilby James, with helping her cope with autism-type symptoms, saying: “I’ve learnt a lot more about myself as she has helped me to become more tolerant and to like myself more.”

Shelley and Trilby have been together for 27 years. Shelley has described Trilby as her “soulmate” and how she came out to her parents after getting into a relationship with her.

Shelley King and wife Trilby James (Image: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

“Then I met Trilby, 27 years ago. She had never had a relationship with a woman and it was so difficult for both of us. But almost instantly we had an inexorable attraction. We are soulmates. It’s as if there is an umbilical cord between us. It’s not always plain sailing, but the ship will never break,” Shelley previously wrote in a heartfelt piece for Metro.

She added: “After we got together, I ‘came out’ to my parents aged 42. They were not in the least surprised. Our families love us together and she made the wait to find my other half worthwhile.”