Corrie actress Anne Kirkbride to take extended break

Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride, who plays Deirdre Barlow, is taking a two-month break from the soap.

A spokesperson for the soap confirmed Kirkbride's leave saying: "Anne Kirkbride requested a slightly extended period of leave from the show, a request the company was happy to grant."

The 60-year-old has been a constant on the show since her first appearance in 1972.

William Roache, the actor who plays her onscreen husband Ken, returned to the show in August after being cleared of charges of rape and indecent assault.