Coronation Street star Katie McGlynn is ‘grieving’ Sinead Tinker and says her death affected her mental health

CORONATION Street star Katie McGlynn has said she is “grieving” Sinead Tinker and that her character’s death has affected her mental health.

This week viewers will watch as Sinead loses her battle to cancer after first being diagnosed with cervical cancer last year while pregnant with her son Bertie.

Katie, 26, who has played the role for six years, recently watched the tragic episode and admitted that only now she realises the impact it had on her.

Speaking on Loose Women today, she said: “I kind of underestimated the effect it’s had on my mental health. I’ve only just noticed it.

“Walking away from filming and watching it on Monday, that part of me was grieving Sinead and it’s bizarre, but I’ve started doing like a fitness thing to safeguard myself and that’s helping me.”

The actress continued: ‘I sound silly saying it but I believe Sinead is real. I played her for six-and-a-half years. Me and Corrie created this character and I feel like she’s my friend.

“Watching her die was just awful, but it’s raising awareness and I just hope that we are doing that.”

Katie watched her final episode last week but says she doesn’t want to see it again.

She added: “I think once we were filming it you couldn’t really get out of it, you immerse yourself in the part so much that whenever we went back to Sinead’s room, people were just on and off crying, parts of the crew, me and Rob.

“It felt so real and the only way we could play this part was if we tapped our minds into it as it’s real, and all of it felt real for me.”