Lorna Laidlow is best known as Coronation Street’s Aggy Bailey since she joined the iconic ITV soap in 2019.
However, the actress had already had an on-screen career spanning 25 years before she joined the Weatherfield based soap.
Lorna, 58, has earned a series of nominations and awards for her work and has managed to maintain her career even when battling to keep healthy under coronavirus restrictions in the UK.
The divorced actress – who has two teenage sons – trained as a social worker before embarking on her TV career.
Now, as Aggy is set to clash once again with Grace, Daily Star is taking a look into actress Lorna’s life.
Children’s TV role
(Image: AdrianJohnsonTV/Youtube)
Between 2009 and 2014 Lorna was seen on the CBBC series Grandpa In My Pocket, on which she played the much loved role of Miss Smiley.
As well as that, the actress was one of the presenters on the BBC children’s series Tikkabilla from 2002 to 2007 making her a staple of kids’ TV for an entire generation.
She hosted alongside the likes ofJustin Fletcher, Sarah-Jane Honeywell, Simon Davies and a number of other names.
Rival soap stint
(Image: Getty Images)
Lorna’s work on BBC daytime soap drama Doctors led to continued career success for the actress as she gained prominence amongst an older audience.
She joined the cast as Mrs Winifred Tembe in 2011 and remained part of the show until 2019.
Her work on Doctors earned her a Best Actress nomination for three years at The British Soap Awards.
She won the Royal Television Society award for Best Actress in 2012, and the gong for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards in 2017.
In 2016 self-confessed Denzel Washington fan Lorna also directed three episodes of Doctors.
Lorna quit the role in January 2019 saying: “The character was just fantastic but I think I’d done as much as I possibly could with her at that moment.”
Coronation Street
(Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX)
Lorna joined Coronation Street, making her on-screen debut in June 2019.
Aggy Bailey and her clan were the first all-black family to appear on the show since 2013.
The character has gone from strength to strength on screen as the Bailey’s storylines have explored her husband’s gambling addiction, her son James struggling with his sexuality, and her returning to her original profession as a nurse.
Covid-19 shielding
(Image: ITV)
Fans of the soap noticed that Aggie was missing from their screens in March 2021 leading to speculation that the actress was clinically vulnerable and shielding from Covid-19.
However, Lorna had actually stayed away from the set because her mother was shielding and she did not want to put her at extra risk.
Her absence was explained on-screen by script-writers making Aggie self-isolate in between her shifts at the hospital – though she did appear via video chat to talk to her family during key plot moments.
Blonde ambition
(Image: Getty Images)
Lorna shocked fans of comical Botswanian receptionist Mrs Tembe when she revealed the character’s glossy dark bob was in fact a wig and her true hairstyle underneath was an edgy blonde tightly-curled look.
Back in 2011, Lorna rocked her real ‘do on the red carpet at the British Soap Awards in Manchester – and looked amazing while doing it.
Pairing the look with a stunning black strappy dress, the star opted for a low-key silver necklace and earrings to debut her bold hairstyle.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV from 7:30pm
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
