Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley is – somewhat inexplicably, given she’s drop dead gorgeous – currently single, and it seems having had some “bad” experiences in the past with romantic entanglements, that suits her just fine right now.

However, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, Catherine revealed that men rarely ask her out on a date, and she suspects that may be because they’re “intimidated” by her larger-than-life Corrie character, Eva Price.

Catherine – who has of course also starred in Emmerdale – said, “When I’m out I never get approached, unless it’s by some drunken idiot…

“I get the occasional person who will talk to me and there has been some interest, but nothing outrageous. I certainly don’t get chatted up.

“Possibly men are intimidated by my screen character, I don’t know.”

She added, “I’ve been single for a while. I’ve been on a couple of dates, but it’s been quite a long time now…”

However, as mentioned, her status as spinster of the Corrie parish isn’t one that bothers her.

She said, “I’m not bothered, though. I haven’t got the time and it’s not a priority. It wouldn’t be fair to be in a relationship.

“Work is full-on at the minute so it would be a case of: ‘Well, I can fit you in between three and four’.

“Eventually I would love to settle down and I love kids, but at the minute it’s not on the radar.”

And Catherine went on to reveal that in the past, she’s struggled to cope with romances that go awry.

She said, “I’m so disillusioned with men at the moment. I’ve been treated badly in the past.

“When you are younger you stand for things, but now I’m 28 my patience levels have gone down! There are things I wouldn’t put up with now.

“I am a good person and if I’m in a relationship I give it 110%, so that’s what I expect back in return and I’ve never had that.

“I’ve never been with somebody where I’ve been a priority really. Maybe it’s the age of the guys I’ve been dating, because even some guys my age still act like they’re 18.

“I can’t be doing with it. I need somebody who is a bit older-minded.

“I’m not a party animal and I’m not into clubbing, it’s rare that I get drunk, so maybe I’m a bit of a granny – I’m old before my time.”

Finally, when asked if she’s planning on staying on Corrie for the foreseeable future, Catherine said, “I’d like to stay in Coronation Street for as long as they’ll have me. I’m really happy here.”