ITV Corrie star Alexandra Mardell on why she's leaving and says exit storyline for Emma Brooker is the 'right ending'

She's won hearts playing bubbly Emma Brooker for the past four years as Coronation Street viewers have compared her lovable character to Weatherfield icon Raquel Wolstenhulme. But now Corrie star Alexandra Mardell says she is now looking forward to taking on new roles after announcing her exit from the soap.

Alexandra, who arrived on the famous street as pink-wearing Emma in April 2018, can sing as well as act. And one of her ambitions would be to play the fearsome orphanage owner Miss Hannigan in Annie, which would be a far cry from sweet Rovers Return barmaid Emma.

The 28-year-old actress, who starred in the crime drama Vera and the short film Chocolate Pieces before Corrie, says her co-stars at the Trafford-based soap were supportive when she revealed she was leaving.

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"I just want to play another character," she explained to the Manchester Evening News and other press. "There are just some other people I want to give a go as well."

Alexandra's ditzy character arrived as an apprentice at Audrey Robert's hair salon. And she had a short-lived fling with Audrey's grandson David Platt.

The following year she was part of a major storyline when her mum turned out to be Fiona Middleton and she found out that her biological father was Coronation Street legend Steve McDonald after losing the man she thought was her real dad. Three weeks after filming her final scenes, Alexandra is already auditioning for new roles.

"It's a lot busier than I thought which is lovely. I'm kind of open to anything. TV, film, theatre, musicals. I really would like to give everything a go now," she told us.

And she added: "I wanted to be Miss Hannigan in Annie