ITV Corrie legend shocks fans as she reveals painful injury and asks their advice

Coronation Street star Tracie Bennett took to Twitter to ask her followers for advice after suffering a painful-looking black eye. The Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actress received a flood of messages from concerned well-wishers as she shared a photo on her social media.

"Shall I even bother to put makeup on? It’ll get worse before it gets better," she tweeted. Tracie, who made a triumphant return to the famous cobbles as the villainous Sharon Bentley last year, was told her eye looked sore as her followers offered their advice and asked what had happened.

@tonypony told her: "Oh god bless you ...looks sore love." @AmandalikesRick exclaimed: "Oh No!!! What's happened Tracie?? Hope You're OK?? Take Care." @corlett_julian tweeted: "That looks blooming painful, Tracie!" And @derrickca asked her: "Oh jeez. What the…happened ? Hugs to you."

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@RougepoutBeauty advised: "Arnica will bring the bruising out quickly, if that helps." @NataliaGray95 gasped: "Oh my goodness! That looks awful and very painful. Ice and Arnica gel every few hours for sure." And @judy_uk said: "No Tracie , make up will just make it look worse I think, just crack on."

The London, LA and New York-based star has been starring on Broadway with David Threlfall in the dark comedy Hangmen. Last March she reprised her role as Sharon after 22 years away from Weatherfield.

Sharon, the former foster daughter of Rita Tanner, turned out to be the aunt of fearsome drugs lord Harvey Gaskell, played by Will Mellor, who had snared Leanne Battersby and her adoptive son Simon Barlow into his gang.

Bad Sharon was finally shopped to the police in