'I've never played Cluedo' says soap star taking-up iconic role as Miss Scarlett

Coronation Street's Ellie Leach 'confesses' never playing Cluedo to ITV Granada correspondent Rob Smith

A former soap star has revealed she has "never played" the board game Cluedo, as she takes up a theatre role as one of its characters.

Ellie Leach says she still knew who Miss Scarlett was, before joining the cast of a comedy stage show based on the game, because she is "iconic."

The Mancunian actor played Faye Windass in ITV's Coronation Street for 13 years and, after leaving the show, won the glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing.

Ellie joked that playing Miss Scarlett while never playing the board game was "quite bad." Credit: ITV News

Ellie laughed as she told ITV News: "I've never played Cluedo. I know that's quite bad, isn't it?

"To be fair, I think because I didn't know what to expect I was, like, I'll just throw myself into it.

"We didn't grow up playing board games, really. We're not really a games kind of family.

"I think that, even if you've not played the game, obviously it is so iconic. The characters are iconic."

The colour-coded suspects have been a feature of 'games nights' in British homes since 1949. Credit: Cluedo 2 UK Tour

"The characters have no backstory," Ellie added.

"But I think what's amazing is that you can really just create that character and make it into your own.

"Obviously, a lot of people around the world love playing Cluedo and so it's really exciting to be able to bring those picture cards to life."

She believes performing in front of live audiences for last year's Strictly Come Dancing was good preparation for a first theatre role. Credit: PA

The Cluedo 2 show is Ellie's first move into stage acting and she believes competing in, and winning, last year's Strictly was a huge help.

"I'm used to acting for TV, which is completely different to acting for stage.

"Obviously with stage, it's live and you have the fear of not knowing what's going to happen every night.

"But also you have the energy of the audience, which is kind of what I got through Strictly, with that being live."

Solving the game's mystery can be "so competitive," says another cast member. Credit: ITV News

Guessing the mystery combination of who, where and with what weapon, can be "so competitive" according to the show's Colonel Mustard, Jason Durr.

The former Casualty star said: "Rather sweetly my kids bought me a vintage version this Christmas.

"So, we all got to argue over Christmas dinner as to who did, with what and where.

"It's sort of life imitating art, art imitating life.

Jason Durr, who plays Colonel Mustard, says audiences keep guessing throughout. Credit: ITV News

"People, in the interval, go: 'Was it Mrs White with the dagger in the hallway? No, hang on, it's got to be Mustard in the ballroom with with the rope!'

"They're all guessing. It's so fast paced and funny."

Cluedo 2 is at the The Lowry in Salford until 6 April. It plays at Blackpool Grand in October and New Brighton's Floral Pavilion in November.