Smith reveals inspiration for Corrie plot

Coronation Street star Samia Smith has revealed how her mother Patsy inspired her to "do justice" to her forthcoming stillbirth storyline.

In scenes to be broadcast later this month, the actress's character Maria Connor will discover that her baby is dead after six months of pregnancy. She later decides to face the trauma of giving birth to a lifeless baby boy without her partner Liam by her side.

When Samia spoke to Patsy about the plans for her character, she was shocked to discover that her mother had once suffered the same ordeal.

"It's the most challenging storyline I've ever had," Samia told The Mirror. "It was awful. No aspect of it is nice.

"When I confided in Mum she just looked at me and said, 'I can't believe it - the exact same thing happened to me 30 odd years ago.' She told me that before my brother and I were born she'd been pregnant with a son. Sadly, he died when she was six-and-a-half months pregnant. She then had to go through the ordeal of giving birth.

"It is so painful for her even now and she finds it hard to talk about. Something like that you never get over. Because of my mum I wanted to do the scenes well, but they left me feeling exhausted and drained. I know Mum will be watching it at home, as will thousands of women who've been through it, so I needed to do it justice for them."

Samia also confirmed that she has no plans to leave the ITV1 soap in the near future.

"I love Corrie. I've been here eight years and I have no intention of leaving," she explained. "I'm getting the best storylines I've ever had."