Kym Marsh has lots to be excited about right now. Not only had she just turned 30, she has also just landed herself a regular role in Coronation Street, playing feisty singer Michelle. To celebrate both of these life-changing events, the former Hear’Say beauty whisked husband Jack Ryder. 24, and her children David and Emily off for a sun-drenched break at the luxurious five-star Coral Beach Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus.
We caught up with the bronzed beauty and her other half to find out how they enjoyed their time away and what life has in store for them now Kym has been offered such a thrilling opportunity…
Kym, you turned 30 on holiday…
I’d been dreading it for ages, but as it got close, I realised that I was quite happy with what I’ve achieved. I have a beautiful family, I’m happily married and my career is going where I want it to. Staying at the Coral Beach Hotel on my special day was amazing. Jack and I treated it as a total relaxation because we’ve been so busy that it was the first week we’d been together as a family in ages.
Kym, they say women reach their sexual peak at 30… have you had some quality time together on holiday?!
Erm, the children were with us, so you know….
You could’ve sent them out for sweets….
Jack: There’s always time for those kind of shenanigans. Having children has always been n the cards for us. It’s going to be harder now that Kym’s off to do Corrie and I’m in the theatre, but I definitely want a child of our own to celebrate what we have together.
Is it hard to find time together with the kids around?
Kym: No, not really. David and Emily go and see their dad every fortnight so Jack and I get to catch up then.
If you were, by any chance, to find out you were in the family way after your holidays, would you name your offspring after any of the places you’d visited?
Kym: Ha ha! No, Never. We’ve talked a lot about kids and we have names in mind that mean something to us, not places we’ve been to. I certainly wouldn’t call any of my children an unusual name like Geri Halliwell’s daughter Bluebell Madonna. I like old-fashioned names.
So, Kym, you’ve just started on Coronation Street. How’s it going?
It’s fantastic! I am in it for six months initially, with an option after that, so we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully ill impress the producers enough for them to hold on to me.
Jack: She’s so good at what she does, she has a raw talent.
Jack, you’re doing a lot of theatre work. Are you enjoying the change of pace?
I love it. Because it keeps you out of the press, which is such a relief. I prefer life when it’s quieter.
Would you ever do another soap?
Not at the moment. When you’re in the soap you’re always in the public eye. Kym’s lucky, as she did all that with Hear’Say. She’s experienced all that intrusion, so she should be used to it. Luckily Corrie stars don’t get that much press. It’s usually the Eastenders stars that get the hassle, but that’s because the show has a younger audience.
Were you fuming when they killed you off?
Not at all, it meant I had to get off my a**e and find work – I couldn’t sit there waiting for Eastenders to call me back.
You went very quiet after Eastenders…
I loved it. The best thing was I didn’t get hassled by screaming girls. At the time I was winning things like Sexiest Male so I was getting a lot of attention. It was flattering, but to be 17 and have that was mad, so when I left I shaved my head to detach myself from the golden locks thing. I just wanted to go out to the park and play football with my son.
You also suffered from a serious illness following your departure….
I’d gained a lot of weight before I left Eastenders. I was over 13 stone, but when I went down to eight and a half stone in just three months. Doctors thought I was seriously ill but it turned out to be food poisoning bacteria that had stayed in my stomach. It was like the SA of MRSA, which was pretty serious in itself. It was scary at times. I looked like I was dying. I was oblivious to it, but Kym was terrified.
So Kym, now you’re acting, is music on the back burner?
Well it has been for a while now. I did Eurovision but I said I didn’t expect anything to come of that. I just wanted to sing again on telly and remind people what I do. It’s still early days – I never expected to get a permanent role quite so soon in my career. Who knows where it will take me?
Would you ever strip for a role?
I’m not really into all that malarkey. I like comedy and family films.
When Jack was on TV, were you jealous when he was snogging Natalie Cassidy?
Nah, it’s all acting. You’re never going to sit there and be ecstatic about it, but its all part of the job.
The World Cup is nearly over, but what did you make of Victoria Beckham’s penchant for hotpants?
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. She has a great figure, so why not. I have to say that when she admitted a while ago she wore clothes from GapKids, I thought that was slightly irresponsible, but she goes through periods of being ultra skinny and looking good again. But she certainly shouldn’t be broadcasting that she wears children’s clothing.
Your mate Suzanne Shaw’s ex Darren Day has got engaged for the sixth time. What do you thing?
I don’t understand women who like men like that. I was watching Big Brother the other day and one of the girls said ‘I like bad boys,’ and I thought to myself, why? You’re just asking for trouble.
Have you been invited to Michelle Heaton’s wedding?
Er…no! Which isn’t very nice, as she was invited to mine! Ha! I should get on the phone to her. But bless her, it’s her wedding day and she should have who she wants to and not just invite people for the sake of it.
Michelle and Andy Scott-Lee are having a TV crew follow them around. What do you think about that?
We did kind of do that, but we didn’t let the cameras into the ceremony. I wouldn’t want anyone to see me doing my vows. I guess it’s a bit like a very expensive wedding video, but I’m not sure I’d want millions of people to see it. You need to keep something sacred.