Ryder signs £100,000 Corrie contract

Coronation Street actress Kym Ryder has signed a new £100,000 contract to stay with the ITV soap for another year.

The 32-year-old, who plays Weatherfield barmaid Michelle Connor, reportedly negotiated a pay rise from £60,000 a year in addition to more flexible working times in a bid to ensure that she is able to spend as much time as possible with her two children - ten-year-old David and Emily, 12.

A source told the Daily Record: "When producers offered her a new contract and more money, she didn't hesitate to say yes."

In March, it was announced that Kym and husband Jack Ryder were to end their six-year marriage on "amicable" terms.

She has since been romantically linked with Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, who plays Warren Fox in the Channel 4 soap.

Earlier this week, Kym's co-star Katherine Kelly - Becky Granger in the Manchester-based soap - was also rewarded with a new year-long contract.