INTERVIEW WITH MILLIE GIBSON AS SHE TALKS ABOUT HER CHARACTER, EXIT, AND MORE...

This is a bittersweet post as this interview is Millie Gibson's last one who as we all know is leaving Coronation Street as the wonderful Kelly Neelan after 4 years in the role.

At the start of the week, It's Aadi and Kelly's engagement party. So can you tell us how Kelly really does feel about Aadi? "I think she's completely beside with him. I think she's finally found really good morals in a man, and she's never seen that before, especially in her past, with obviously her dad, who's programmed to love her and to take care of her and to guide her, and to, you know, be her absolute rock, and she didn't have that in the end, because he ended up being a liar, and I think, with like Corey, who I keep blind to her as well. So I think Aadi is the only trustworthy person that she's met, and it's she's really really fallen hard for him. So I think she's very in love at the minute."

Do you think that Aidi and Kelly make a good match? "I think it's it's beautiful that the the polar opposites because it's just such a nice juxtaposition of angel and devil type personality, because Aadi's such a soft soul and really tries to calm down where she's going a bit like Oh, no idea what it was. Let's go crazy. Do all this. He's like. Ah, yeah, um, but it's just great working with Adam Hussain as well, because he's equally is like soft-hearted, and and he's just an angel to work with. So I think seeing our characters bounce off each other in our lines and our personalities. It's just a really great dynamic to work with."

So, can you describe to us the first thoughts in that moment that Sharon reveals the truth? "It's the moment we've all been waiting for this is like it's a full arc of my whole storyline. Her whole world just completely shattered before it, I mean. She thought that happened when her mum obviously passed away, but this is way worse. She's just shattered. She's completely beside. I don't think she even knows what to do with herself."

Does she fear for her life? "Yeah. Oh my gosh, yeah, I mean you'll see how intense it is. It's just like this poor seventeen year old girl like she's experienced so much in such a short amount of time."

Photo Credit: ITV/ Coronation Street

Did you also know Kelly was going to find out the truth? "Yeah, like I said, it had to happen. I mean it was just the amount of time it would take for her to find out was the question. Now it's all come ahead. It's just been really interesting to see how it played out, and I didn't expect it to happen this way... So every single time I was reading the scripts I was like oh, gosh! even though we all know this is gonna eventually come, come of age. It's happened in a way where you wouldn't expect."

Kelly's had some heart wrenching and emotional scenes in the past, and how did the filming for these ones compare? And how emotional was it knowing that these were your exit scenes? "I’ve been a wreck, you can ask anyone. There were a good two weeks where I was crying constantly because I was so overwhelmed and so grateful for these scenes and the storyline that had been given to me. There was a specific scene that sticks out to me where basically throughout my and Gary’s relationship we’ve never ever hugged. Even when I was breaking down in a basement he’s never hugged me. So there’s a scene where Gary hugs Kelly and it’s a really simple scene and as soon as we shot it I just burst out crying. I’m getting choked up now. I just burst out crying because it was like, ‘It’s the beginning of the end now.’ When we started filming our last scenes of being nice to each other that’s when we were like, Gosh, this is getting real now. It’s been an emotional journey."

We all know that this is your exit storyline, and I know you're still filming some of the last scenes - Why did you decide to leave Coronation Street? "I think Corrie is just such a it's a it's a home. It's it's I can't say that's the best way I can describe it, it's home, and because I'm so young, I just thought I need to leave home for a bit and spread my wings and see what could happen like I have no responsibilities. I don;t have like kids. I don't have a mortgage to pay or anything like that. Yeah, I'm still grateful to be living at home. So, I've just been a bit like I'm going to see what else the world has to offer, and if it does, it's does, that'd be quite good wouldn't it. But yeah, I've just been a bit like May as well see what?"

What has been your highlights of working on Coronation Street? "There’s so many scenes and storylines I can think of. The scene with my mum sticks out a lot because it was Kel Allen’s last day on set when we did the scene where I broke down on top of her on the hospital bed and I think we had such a special relationship and that was the first scene that I was really, really proud of because I really put my heart into that. It was easy to do working with Kel because she’s such a brilliant actress. Even though she’s just lying there, I kept saying to her, ‘Please don’t close your eyes until the take, because I can’t look at you’ - because she really looked dead. So that was really sad. Definitely that one. I think just having the relationship grow with Mikey as well. My first day on set was with Mikey when I was 14 years old. It’s been a great four years to grow that dynamic and that relationship. We really have become a little family. It’s been really hard doing my last scenes with them. We’ve been very emotional!"

Photograph by Mark Bruce/ ITV

What will you miss about the show? "I think just the routine of it all. Walking into the building, knowing the person on the desk. Just the familiarity of it all. I’ll miss Kelly, I’ll miss the cast, I’ll miss the crew. I bang on about it, but it’s a family. It’s just like leaving a family, so it’s sad. I’m trying not to get upset, but it is sad."

It was a difficult decision to make? "Yeah, it was. It was, it was just. It was a decision where it would always be in the back of my mind if I didn't make it so I had to just sort of go with it. And see what happens."

How emotional was it filming your exit scenes? "I can't say too much. There was a day with Mikey. It was at the end of the day. It was mine and Mikey's last scene and I could not stop. I've never cried on a film set now even on the line run where I was like, it's like a seven page scene. Just me and Mikey, I was choking from the line run. I'm going to try and have to save this, but it was so it was such a hard scene but I'm so excited to see it because it's just it's, it's a really good scene. It kind of wraps it all up. It's sad. But yeah, that was very hard."

You pleased with your exit? "Oh, my gosh! Yeah, when I heard about it. I was like that's really pulling out all the stocks for this one aren't they? I was absolutely buzzing. Yeah, I couldn't thank them enough, honestly I'm eternally grateful for this being the end and saying goodbye to Kelly Neelan."

How have you found working with Mikey and Samia? And is there any chance that they have given you for when you're leaving Corrie? "They've been my rock. They've just I'm trying not get chocked up here. They've betted on me through my whole experience, and I were so supportive when I first told them I was thinking of leaving, and then I couldn't have asked for a better response. Then they were just like, yeah, they were so lovely about it. And I think, like I said, I've known Mikey for like four years now. Over this period, I've seen him more than my dad."

Are you taking any souvenirs from the set? "I’m going to take her puffer coat. It looks like a bin bag, that black bin bag coat with fur on the hood and she wears it all the time in winter and every time it’s summer I miss her coat because I feel like her whenever I wear it. I’m going to take that for sure. This is a bit of a spoiler but I made sure in my last scene I was wearing that coat because I wanted to take it."

Would you ever go to another soap? "No, never. No."

These episodes of Coronation Street will air between Monday 19th - Friday 23rd September on ITV at 8pm for an hour long episode. (Episodes are subject to change)