The cobbles are never short on awkward moments, but this one hit a little too close to home. Coronation Street star Sally Carman has opened up about a situation that many actors dread; watching a co-star kiss her real-life husband on screen. And judging by her reaction, this was one Corrie scene she really didn’t enjoy sitting through.
Watching Her Husband Kiss Another Sally Was “Awful”
Sally Carman plays Abi Franklin on the ITV soap, while her husband Joe Duttine is best known to viewers as Tim Metcalfe. The couple met on the Corrie set back in 2018, kept their early romance quiet, and eventually married in 2022.
While they share the same workplace, their characters have never crossed romantic lines on screen. Instead, Joe’s on-screen wife is played by Sally Dynevor, who recently celebrated an impressive 40 years on the soap.
That long-running storyline meant viewers had to watch Sally Dynevor’s character locking lips with Joe, and that’s where things got uncomfortable for Carman. Speaking candidly, Sally admitted that watching those scenes was “awful” and laughed that she wouldn’t recommend working with your real-life spouse.
She joked that Sally Dynevor “was helping her out” by doing the kissing, before quickly clarifying that she very much enjoys kissing her husband, just not under Corrie filming conditions.
Why On-Screen Kisses Are Anything but Romantic
Sally didn’t sugarcoat what it’s really like filming kiss scenes. She described them as the “least sexy thing ever,” explaining that they involve packed sets, harsh lighting, strict schedules, and plenty of crew members standing far too close for comfort.
In that environment, romance is the last thing on anyone’s mind. She also made it clear that she has no jealousy issues when it comes to Joe working with other actresses.
According to her, once you’re in that highly technical, slightly chaotic filming setup, it doesn’t matter who’s doing the kissing; it’s just part of the job. However, working directly alongside Joe creates a different kind of challenge. Sally explained that her husband makes her laugh at exactly the wrong moment, often just before cameras roll.
Once she breaks, she struggles to pull herself back together, which leads to tears, makeup retouches, and a lot of internal pep talks that only make things worse. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers.