Coronation Street’s Samia Longchambon admits playing Maria Connor ‘frustrates her’ as she prepares to scale back soap appearances
The Corrie crimper's life is set to get a whole lot worse as she is sent to prison for her sham marriage to Pablo
MARIA Connor leaves actress Samia Longchambon frustrated.
The actress - who has played hairdresser Maria since 2000 - has admitted that her character's bad choices in life leave her annoyed at her, but glad because it's really fun to play.
Currently Maria is facing a year behind bars for marrying hairdresser Pablo to give him the right to stay in the country, while simultaneously having an affair with Aidan Connor behind the back of his girlfriend Eva Price.
Speaking on This Morning, Samia said: "Maria's not completely faultless and she frustrates me like you don't believe.
"I love Maria but I don't always like her. Some of the storylines I always read and I get so frustrated. Why are you making another bad decision after another bad decision all the time? But that's what makes it fun to play."
The caught up with Maria over her sham marriage earlier this year after she admitted she only got hitched to Argentine Pablo Duarte as a favour to help him get a visa so he could be with his British boyfriend.
The storyline will see Samia be involved in less shooting than regular actors - but she will still appear in prison scenes.
A source said: “Maria will be handed a 12-month stretch but she’ll be back on the cobbles in the new year because of good behaviour.
"The scene is set to shock fans as they know she didn’t murder Caz but won’t see the sham marriage sentence coming.
“It will be one of the most shocking court storylines in the soap’s history and likened to Deirdre Barlow’s wrongful conviction [for fraud in 1998].
“Usually these plots are arranged to give actors a break but Samia will be seen from time to time in jail and will do some filming.”
Maria, left, has been in prison after Caz soaked her flat in blood and planted stained hairdressing scissors in her bag.
- Coronation Street airs weeknights on ITV
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