CORONATION Street actress Jane Danson has a lot to thank Hannibal the Cannibal for.

That was the song that set the Radcliffe youngster on the road to stardom.

Speaking exclusively to the Bury Times in between filming scenes for the nation's favourite soap, Jane explained: "When I was about seven I sang it in a contest when I was on holiday at Pontins."

Perceptive blue-coats at the holiday camp spotted a talent and urged Jane's parents to take it seriously.

So mother Lynn, a care assistant in Bury, and father Jack, a bricklayer, eventually got her a place at Oldham's famous Theatre Workshop when she was ten.

Radio work and television appearances in GBH, The Bill, The Grand, In Suspicious Circumstances, The Ward and Sloggers quickly followed, and, when she was 18, Jane got the call that would change her life.

"When I auditioned for Coronation Street I was up for the role of Zoe. I didn't get it, but what I didn't know at the time was that they were also looking for actors and actresses to play the Battersbys," explained Jane.

Jane, a former Radcliffe High School pupil, admits to being nervous when she first started on The Street.

"It was a weird feeling joining such an institution and meeting all these icons you grew up watching on television. I was really star-struck.

"Fortunately, there were four of us joining together (the notorious Les, Janice and Toyah Battersby) so we could talk to each other about what we were going through and go out for meals together." But any nerves soon disappeared when she got down to the arduous workload the show demands.

"We work six days a week, Sunday to Friday, 12 hours a day. But it all depends on your storyline: sometimes you're not needed at all so that gives you the chance to catch up on all the normal things like going to the dentist and seeing friends."

Jane is still very much in contact with her friends from school and those she grew up with in Radcliffe.

"We're all doing different things now, but we do meet up. We don't really talk about me being on television; we're more interested in catching up on all the gossip."

Fame may not affect her friendships, but it can interfere with her life away from the television screen.

"When I go shopping I get people staring at me or asking for my autograph, and even on holiday abroad, people recognise me. I wear glasses away from The Street and at first I thought that would help as a sort of disguise, but it doesn't."

She added: "You do lose some of your privacy and it can be a problem if you're having a bad day or not feeling well, but you can't really blame people because you're going into their homes four times a week."

And fame has given her the financial freedom to treat her family to holidays and buy a three-bedroomed semi in Bury for herself.

But, despite her fame, there is one source of regret for Jane in her glittering career. Her real surname is Dawson but, because there is another actress in Equity with that name, Jane had to change. "I was a bit disappointed because it's my name after all, but it does have its advantages. I'm Jane Danson the actress, but Jane Dawson with my family and friends, and it helps me separate the two sides of my life." Since joining the show, Jane has had an eventful time. Leanne has eloped, married, had an abortion, divorced and taken up gambling. And that's on top of Ken Barlow falling through the ceiling onto her bed and her numerous run-ins with residents of Britain's most famous street. "I enjoyed the abortion storyline because it was really challenging from an acting point of view," said Jane.

"Leanne started to get a bit cosy when she married Nick, but I prefer it when you get to see her more wild side."

Leanne has worked at The Kabin alongside Rita and Sharon and is currently pulling pints at the Rovers Return.

"I like having the chance to work with different people such as Denise Welch who plays Natalie, but when I first started in the Rovers I was absolutely rubbish at pulling a pint. Half of it was head and it was obvious I'd never worked in a pub!"

Although she is a celebrity Jane has not forgotten her roots and last year she took time out to launch and run in a fund-raising fun run at her old primary school, St Andrew's CE on Graves Street.

Headteacher Mrs Alwen Bowes has fond memories of the young Jane.

"She was a lovely girl, very talented, but not a show-off. She was quite shy, but when she got on stage she lit up. We first noticed her because of her singing voice; it's beautiful."

Last week you may have heard the voice when Jane appeared as Posh Spice in a repeat of Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes. So can we look forward to an album in the future?

"I'll grab whatever chances there are and I'd like to develop my singing, but it's a bit of a cliche isn't it, soap stars releasing a song?"

And, with that, the interview was over as Jane got a call telling her Leanne was needed back at the Rovers.

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