She has been widowed, sexually assaulted and lost a baby, however it seems that Maria Connor won’t be leaving Coronation Street any time soon.

Samia Smith – who plays the Weatherfield hairdresser – was speaking on ITV1′s Lorraine yesterday and admitted that she loves her job on the ITV soap and has no plans to bow out in the near future.

Admitting that she loves the fact that her alter-ego always get some of the more gritty storylines on the show, the mum of one said:

“Maria is always in the more gritty drama side of Corrie, rather than the comedy side.

“That’s lovely, but it’s also more challenging to do the dramatic stuff.”

Samia has just signed a new 12-month contract.

She added: “There’s no reason to leave – it’s perfect.”