Coronation Street star confirms soap return after months off screen – and fans don’t have long to wait
CORONATION Street star Kelli Hollis has confirmed she’s returning to the soap after months off screen – and fans won’t have long to wait.
The actress will reprise her role as troublemaker Paula next week, teasing that her comeback will be anything but “plain sailing”.
Kelli announced the news on Instagram alongside a selfie video featuring a still from an upcoming episode.
She wrote: “Paula’s back on the cobbles next week! No spoilers… but trust me, it’s not going to be plain sailing. Tune in to find out.”
Speaking in the clip, Kelli revealed she had been keeping her return under wraps after bosses booked her for more episodes.
“Obviously I couldn’t say anything,” she explained.
“I did a stint on Corrie back in January, with poor Debbie – and after that they booked me for some more episodes, and they’ve started sharing stuff today.”
Viewers will remember Paula as the fearsome prison inmate who made life a misery for Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney.
The pair crossed paths behind bars earlier this year, when Debbie was jailed following the fatal Corriedale car crash.
But their history went back further, with Paula holding a grudge after previously being thrown out of Debbie’s Chariot Square hotel bar.
Already struggling with her dementia diagnosis, Debbie found herself targeted by the prison bully as she tried to adjust to life inside.
Now Paula is heading back into the action – and Kelli’s ominous warning suggests there could be more trouble ahead.
The actress will also be familiar to Emmerdale fans, having played Ali Spencer between 2011 and 2015.
Ali was mum to Amelia and Sean Spencer, the ex-wife of Dan Spencer and partner of Ruby Haswell.
Kelli also played shopkeeper Yvonne Karib in Channel 4’s Shameless, with her further credits including Ackley Bridge, Waterloo Road and Casualty.
