ITV Coronation Street star, 48, unrecognisable after character married soap icon in huge ’90s plot
Former Coronation Street actress Chloe Newsome has stunned soap fans with her social media, where she looks completely unrecognisable 27 years after leaving the ITV soap.
The 48-year-old star, who played Vicky McDonald from 1991 to 1998, has swapped her mousey brown hair for a platinum blonde look.
Newsome was the second actress to take on the role of Vicky, replacing Helen Warburton who originated the character in 1990.
During her seven-year stint on the cobbles, she appeared in 256 episodes before departing in 1996, with a brief return in 1998.
She also featured in the 1999 spin-off After Hours, which followed Steve McDonald and Vikram Desai on a trip to Calais where they encountered Vicky and other Weatherfield legends in Brighton.
After leaving Coronation Street, Newsome largely stepped away from the spotlight, making only occasional television appearances.
In the soap, Newsome’s character Vicky was Alec Gilroy’s daughter who found love with Steve McDonald, becoming his first wife.
After her parents died in a car accident, she was raised by Alec and Bet, inheriting a quarter of a million pounds when she turned 18.
Her marriage to Steve became complicated when he took her money and lost it all on stolen whiskey.
Vicky eventually testified against Steve in court when he faced charges for handling stolen whisky and perverting the course of justice.
She later fled to Brighton to set up her own wine bar but faced financial difficulties, prompting her to call Bet for a loan.
The character was last mentioned in 2002, when it was revealed she was happily married to a man named Martin, though earlier references suggested her new husband was called Robert.
In a recent photo, Newsome was spotted looking radiant with her platinum blonde hair, a striking change from her Coronation Street days.
The former soap star was pictured enjoying a spot of rollerskating, with a roller blade hanging from her shoulder.
She sported a quirky ensemble consisting of a long pink skirt and red-and-white striped jumper.
Completing her distinctive look, Newsome wore a leopard-print cardigan topped with a fluffy gilet for extra warmth.
She accessorised with red strappy sandals and beamed at the camera, looking happy and content.
The Sheffield-born actress married husband Kevin Spruce in 2013, and the couple share several children.
On their ten-year anniversary, she posted a photo of them atop a mountain, writing: “I do love braving the elements with you Mr Spruce. Here’s to the next 10 & some.”
Since leaving Coronation Street, Newsome has primarily focused on stage work over the past decade.
She has appeared in several Shakespearean productions including Twelfth Night, Othello and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Her television appearances have been limited, with small roles in The Jealous God (2005) and ‘Lost Christmas’ (2011).
In 1998, the same year she left Coronation Street, she also appeared in police procedural series The Bill as Jacky Marsh.
She also took on the role of Eliza Tharm in The Life and Crimes of William Palmer.
More recently, Newsome featured in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Lie.
While Newsome has maintained a relatively low profile, her former on-screen husband Steve McDonald, played by Simon Gregson, has remained on the soap since 1989, with only a brief break in 2015.