By Samantha Masters
Coronation Street star Channique Sterling-Brown, who portrays Dee-Dee Bailey, is keen to tick things off of her bucket list, which includes playing a “completely different” role. The actress first graced our screens from Weatherfield back in September 2022, playing the soap’s straight-talking solicitor.
Channique’s role on Corrie came after she was turned down by Emmerdale producers for the character of Naomi Walters.
While this was a blow for the actress at the time, she soon landed a life-changing role in ITV’s other popular soap.
Before her time on-screen, the 28-year-old was working at a Covid testing centre, as well as a fresh food company on a zero hours contract.
Reflecting on her challenging journey to achieving her dream job, she confessed: “There were definitely ups and downs and rejections are hard, but I’m a big believer in what is for you will never miss you.”
Almost three years into her role on the Cobbles, Channique revealed that she is eager to take on a different role in the “big industry” she’s in.
She told My Weekly Magazine: “It would be great to play a villain, just for something completely different.
“I love Coronation Street, it’s a wonderful place to work and such a pinch-me defining part of my career.
“It’s changed my life and I’ve learnt so much, but I’m still young and it’s such a big industry. I’d love to try out different characters one day.”
Channique went on to say there’s also non-related acting roles she’d like to fulfil on her bucket list.
“I’ve love to see more of the world, I’d love to learn to play a musical instrument and I’d like to live abroad sometime,” she added.
“Even if it’s just for a short while, it would be great to embrace somewhere new. And I’d love to play Lady Macbeth.”
One of Channique’s standout storylines on the soap, includes Dee-Dee’s harrowing birth to her daughter Laila earlier this year.
The dramatic scenes shed light on racial disparities in healthcare and tragic birth complications such as pre-eclampsia and emergency hysterectomies.
Reflecting on the intense storyline, Channique confided: “I was nervous about it – it’s a big story to tell, it’s a complicated story to tell. For me, I’ve never given birth, so a big thing for me was honouring mothers and doing that well.
“Also honouring our NHS, they are understaffed, overstretched, and that’s obviously a factor. But I think also telling this story that does directly affect the Black community was important as well, and it’s been great to see people engage in conversations.”
Dee-Dee’s story isn’t over yet. Soon after the birth, she handed baby Laila over to her brother James (played by Jason Callender), who took her to America for a short stint.
He has since made a shock comeback to Weatherfield and the drama over Laila continues.