Corrie's Vera: 'I hid my lines all over'

Rex Features

Coronation Street legend Liz Dawn has admitted that she used to hide her lines "all over" the soap's set because she struggled to remember them.

The 70-year-old actress, who made her final appearance as Weatherfield's Vera Duckworth in January 2008, told PA that her script troubles began when she started to suffer from lung disease emphysema.

Discussing how her life has changed over the past two years, Dawn explained: "I don't have the stress of having to learn lines."

She continued: "The crew helped me - especially the cameramen. I used to have my lines on the Duckworths' table, lines in Roy's café, in the frying pan - lines all over, really. I think half of that was worrying about my breathing."

Dawn, who recently thanked doctors for saving her life, added that she has been on seven cruises since bowing out from Coronation Street.

She said: "The sea air does you good. I wish everybody who's got what I've got could go and get that fresh air."