Corrie’s Kym Marsh is already clearing her throat in readiness for ITV1’s new classical reality show, Popstar to Operastar.

Blur’s Alex James, Bernie Nolan, McFly’s Danny Jones, ex-Pop Idol star Darius Danesh, Shakespeare’s Sister’s Marcella Detroit, Jimmy Osmond and Vanessa White from girl band The Saturdays complete the line-up.

In February this year Coronation Street’s Kym Marsh gave birth to baby boy Archie at just 21 weeks and five days. Sadly he died after a few moments of life.
There are over 50 000 babies born prematurely each year in the UK, one of the highest rates in Europe. The numbers are still rising, yet there is currently no accurate screening test available to identify women at risk. Prematurity is the greatest cause of infant death in Britain.

Reporting for Tonight, Kym investigates concerns that the issue of prematurity is not at the top of the agenda for the decision makers.
Kym says: “I’m hoping in doing this programme that maybe I might go someway to finding some kind of answer really as to as to why these things might go wrong with pregnancies. But also I’m hoping to maybe raise some more awareness of the situation because I think not enough is known about it.

“We need to do something more towards the research into premature birth so that maybe we can prevent some from happening, and it would be good to meet other people who have been in the same situation as myself because it just makes you feel a bit more normal, I guess.”
She visits neo natal units to meet other parents of premature babies who are fighting for life – and finds that the majority have no answers as to why they gave birth early. Kym asks why when you consider that the cost of prematurity to the NHS is close to a billion pounds a year the government is not ring fencing money for research into the causes of and preventions for early labour. And she finds comfort in meeting other parents.

“It is [comforting] because when something like that happens to you, you feel on your own, especially in situations where you see other people going in and out with their babies. You sit there and feel like you’re the only person it’s ever happened to so when you meet other people that see that situation a lot or that have been there themselves, then you feel like you have some support there.”
Kym also looks into the shortages of beds and services in some areas and meets a family living with disability as a result of their son’s prematurity.
In the final stage of her journey Kym meets Health Minister Ann Keen to discuss the findings of her report.
Monday, 9 November 2009, 8:00PM – 8:30PM on ITV1

Faye Mingo from Bounty interviews Kym Marsh

1. What did your kids say about you winning the award?
They were really pleased but quite matter of fact and said "Well you are the best mum."

2. Who looks after your kids while you're filming?
David and Emily are at school and if I can't do the drop off because of filming commitments my dad will take them and if I can't make pick up both my parents will collect them. They live just round the corner from us so it works well. They also see a lot of their Dad so they're well supported.

3. What do they think of your job?
They love it. We've always watched Corrie as a family, in fact I can remember my mum bathing me in the kitchen in front of Corrie. David watches me in Corrie if I've got a major storyline but Emily watches it regularly.

4. How did they react when you first found fame?
Emily was that bit younger so doesn't remember any different but David's quite shy. I remember taking them to a premiere of Cinderella and arriving at the red carpet. David just legged it in whilst I stopped for a few photos, but the next minute I turned round to see little Emily posing for the crowd. She loved it. Fame was also a real surprise to me though. I'd only ever dreamed of being in entertainment and never imagined I'd be in Britain's biggest soap especially when I look back to how I queued for Pop Stars auditions outside the Granada Studios where I work now on Corrie.

5. Do David and Emily like your character 'Michelle'?
Yes they really like her and think she's funny. Although David did say to me the other night that he thinks she's having too many boyfriends - he's quite a mummy's boy, but really protective of me and I enjoy that.

6. Do you think she's a good mum?
Yes I do. Michelle had her son Ryan when she was 15 so like me had a baby young. Although I had my own son David at 18 and Emily at 21 and we've had some tough times, I haven't had as many struggles as her but I think that if I hadn't been a young mum it would be hard to appear 'motherly' on-screen to Ryan - we may have just come across more as mates. Although, me and Ben are mates outside of work. He plays in a band and I often go along to his gigs.

7. You're set to snog a school boy in a Christmas plot - how did you feel about this as a mum and how have you prepared your children?
He snogs her! Basically a school boy develops a crush on me and misreads the situation. When I first heard about it I thought 'you can't do that to me!' It's been filmed now and my children know about it. They're fine - I know David gets ribbed a bit at school but laughs when his mates say his mum's fit. Thankfully, me and my children are very open with one another. I don't find it difficult to find the balance between being mum and friend and we talk about things that some kids may be embarrassed to talk about with their parents.

8. Who do you socialise with on the cast of Corrie?
Off set I mostly see Bev Callard (who play Liz the Landlady of the Rovers), Ali King (who plays Carla) and Samia Smith (who plays young mum Maria) and who recently became a mum in real life to baby Freya. The cast of Corrie are a friendly bunch and although we have our own dressing rooms there's a big Green Room where most of hang out together.

9. You've had an emotionally tough year - who have you relied on for support?
My family and my partner Jamie Lomas have been there for me and my children.

10. Have you made plans for Christmas?
Well David and Emily will be at their Dad's for Christmas but with me for New Year as we always alternate having the children and it works well for all of us. My son David is insisting we have a party so I better get organizing.

Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh has sworn off dating after being left heartbroken following her split from Jamie Lomas.

The Hollyoaks actor, 29, ended their 15-month relationship two weeks ago and moved out of Kym's Cheshire home.

Friends of the 33-year-old actress said she had hoped to marry and have children with Lomas and was left stunned when the relationship ended.

Friends of the former Hear'Say singer told Now magazine she was shocked by Jamie's behaviour towards the end of their relationship.

Kym was heard to say: 'I wanted marriage, babies, the works. I never thought this would happen in a million years. In the end, it was like living with a stranger and then he suddenly wanted out. I'm destroyed by it.'

A friend told the publication: 'When she spoke about wedding bells last year, Kym really meant it - this relationship was for keeps.

'They weren't getting on, but she still loved him, so she stuck by him. But it was Jamie who split them up.
'It's best in the long run, but for the moment the wounds are very fresh for Kym.'
Friends initially feared Kym had rushed into the relationship with Jamie when they started dating just four months after she split from husband Jack Ryder following six years of marriage.
They had been together less than two months when Kym fell pregnant with their child. However, tragically their son Archie Jay died moments after being born 18 weeks early on February 11.
The pair first met on a train to the TV Quick Awards in London in 2007 but got together in July 2008. 
Kym, who plays single mother Michelle Connor in the soap, and Jack were granted a divorce in March after the actress admitted adultery.
However, both parties recognised the adultery with Jamie occurred after her separation from Jack.
In court papers at the time, Jack said Kym had 'admitted that she has committed adultery, which is ongoing'.
Kym has two children David, 13, and Emily, 11, from a previous relationship.
Jamie, who recently left Hollyoaks after three years of playing bad boy Warren Fox, has a three-year-old son Billy from a previous relationship with Hayley Lever.
In May, Kym revealed she had undergone breast enhancement surgery, boosting her from a 34B to 34D.
She said: 'Since having my kids, there was nothing there. After having my second child they [her breasts] just disappeared.
'It really has changed my life. It’s made me much more confident with myself and that’s all I wanted to achieve really.'

Sexy Kym Marsh gave ex-boyfriend Jamie Lomas a full glimpse of what he's missing in this skimpy outfit.

The 32-year-old was pictured on the set of Coronation Street in a figure-hugging black mini-dress, which shows off her recently-enhanced boobs.

Kym donned the tarty outfit for her role as barmaid Michelle Connor - but it sent a clear message to ex-Hollyoaks star Jamie.

Kym and Jamie split last Thursday with his mood swings being to blame, as he struggled to get another job after finishing with the soap in May.

But he'll be wondering why he quit with Kym after seeing these sensational pictures.

One pal tells Now: ‘Jamie's been struggling with his weight recently and has even been to a fat camp, but Kym looks absolutely sensational. She's got a body to die for.

‘We're all wondering why he spent so much time either moping round the house or doing nightclub appearances away from home.

‘It really doesn't make sense, we think he's really messed up this time.'

Kym Marsh and Jamie Lomas have split up after 15 months together.

Former Hollyoaks actor Jamie, 29, has moved out of the 33-year-old Coronation Street star's house in Cheshire.

According to a spokeswoman for the ITV1 soap, no-one else was involved in the break-up.

The couple were said to be devastated when their baby son Archie Jay, who was 18 weeks premature, died moments after he was born in February.

Kym, who plays Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, used to be married to former EastEnders star Jack Ryder and has two children, Emily and David, from a previous relationship with Dave Cunliffe.

In a brief statement, Coronation Street producers said: "Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh has announced that she and former Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas have split up after 15 months together.

"Jamie has moved out of Kym's house in Cheshire. There is no-one else involved and neither party wish to comment at this time."

These soap stars show they know how to Corrie a tune - belting out classics to raise money for charity.

The Coronation Street actresses put on a show for When You Wish Upon A Star, which supports seriously ill kids.

Blonde Katherine Kelly, 29, who plays shrieking Becky Granger, did her best rendition of Dolly Parton classic Nine to Five.

And Tupele Dorgu, 31, who plays Kelly Crabtree on the ITV1 soap, sang Sam Brown's 1989 hit Stop.

Kym Marsh - who first showed off her voice as part of band Hear'Say - performed Mariah Carey's Hero on Saturday night.

And Kym, 33, who plays Michelle Connor in the soap, looked like she had found her own unlikely hero - when she planted a smacker on a huge cuddly toy at the bash

When stars have plastic surgery they usually go to huge lengths to hide the fact from the world. But not Kym Marsh.

The Coronation Street actress showed off  her newly inflated breasts and post-liposuction stomach in a revealing photoshoot. 

Kym said she was overjoyed with the results and that after years of feeling self-conscious, she finally felt at ease with her body.

'Since having my kids, there was nothing there,' she told Reveal magazine. 'After having my second child they [her breasts] just disappeared.

As my gran would say, I ended up with just the skins they were in!’

Kym, who had her son David at 18, and her daughter Emily at 21, went from a 34B to a 34D after surgery.

‘I wasn’t very confident when I was on holiday, and wearing a bikini was always an issue for me,' said the 33-year-old.

After numerous consultations over a year, including one where she tested different size implants in a sports bra, Kym felt ready.

And six weeks ago she went under the knife - also having liposuction on her stomach.
And she is thrilled with the results.

‘It really has changed my life,' she said. 'It’s made me much more confident with myself and that’s all I wanted to achieve really.

'It’s absolutely the result I wanted. I am happy with my body now.'

Her happiness follows a tumultuous year for Kym and her former Hollyoaks boyfriend Jamie Lomas in which their son Archie Jay died moments after his premature birth on February 11.

Kym says that despite rumours to the contrary they are not planning on getting married.

'We’ve had a pretty full-on first year together with one thing and another, so we’re trying to take our time now,' she said.