Coronation Street actress Sydney Martin, who plays Betsy Swain, has opened up about her dramatic career change from working at Tesco to becoming a soap star. The 24-year-old made her debut as DS Lisa Swain's daughter in 2024 and quickly became a fan favourite.
Hard-Hitting Stroke Storyline
Currently, Coronation Street is addressing the silent perils of non-fatal strangulation through a potent stroke awareness plot. In the upcoming months, audiences will follow Betsy Swain's difficult recovery journey as she transitions from hospital to home, dealing with significant life alterations.
Betsy suffered a stroke due to a blood clot, which was caused by damage to her neck artery from temporary circulation loss. After suffering a second stroke and being stabilised, a humiliated and vulnerable Betsy finally confessed that her boyfriend Dylan Wilson had strangled her during consensual sex, even though they both thought the pressure applied was minimal, reports the Mirror.
From Supermarket to Soap
Prior to securing her role on the cobbles, Sydney was employed at supermarket giant Tesco and promptly handed in her notice after receiving the career-altering phone call. Speaking to The Sun, Sydney recounted how she was watching Pitch Perfect 3 with her flatmates in Manchester when she received the call informing her she had landed the role of Betsy after two previous failed auditions for minor roles.
The actress shared: "I just ran to the corner of the flat to answer the phone. I said, 'It's going to be a no, so keep watching the film', and then my agent said, 'Go hand in your notice'. I was doing six days at Tesco, so it's quite the career change. My flatmate picked me up and we just cried. We didn't finish Pitch Perfect. I could not have asked for a better first opportunity."
Sydney confessed that she had previously tried out for two minor parts before securing the role of Betsy, a process which took two months before she was finally hired. "My parents are my biggest fans. They are over the moon. I had my first picture in a magazine recently and they bought ten copies," she added.
Impact and Future
The storyline highlights the serious consequences of non-fatal strangulation, a topic often overlooked. Coronation Street continues on weekdays at 8:30pm on ITV and ITVX.
