Jennie McAlpine wants to stay on Coronation Street

Jennie McAlpine hopes she’s still on ‘Coronation Street’ when she’s “old”.

The 37-year-old actress has portrayed Fiz Stape for 20 years and she’s amazed at how quickly the time has passed, and despite her involvement with the soap, she’s still a big “fan” too.

She said: “I’ve been Fiz longer than I’ve not been Fiz.

“It’s gone so fast. I was a fan and I’m still a fan. I don’t take it for granted, but I’d love it if I was still on the cobbles when I was old.”

Jennie – who has Albert, seven, and Hilda, three, with her spouse Chris Farr – admitted her Christmas planning was done in a hurry because ‘Corrie’s filming schedule left her confused.

She explained to Woman’s Weekly magazine: “We film it in October and I spent three weeks wearing Fiz’s Christmas earrings, so when the real Christmas comes I think, ‘Well, we’ve done that haven’t we?’

“Then I suddenly realise, ‘Oh crikey, I’d better get on with actual Christmas now!”

The actress admitted she spends several months using the prospect of Christmas presents as a way of getting her children to behave.

She said: “The children have been beyond excited and it’s hard to curb it.

“But I do try to use that a lot of the year.

“I’ll say, ‘Father Christmas only comes for good boys and girls.’

“They’ll say, ‘When is Father Christmas coming?’ And I’ll say, ‘In about three months!’ “