BBC Casualty star Melanie Hill addresses quitting rumours after huge life move
With her children having left home one residing in Australia and the other in Portsmouth she and her husband now have the freedom to move as they please. “My kids have flown the nest one’s in Australia and one’s in Portsmouth so we’ve not really got any ties now we’re footloose and fancy free. I’m not that keen on commuting, so it’s a bit of a pattern and me and my husband now really make the most of where I’m working.”
Melanie adds: “We go everywhere together we were going to move to Glasgow when I did Waterloo Road and we moved to Manchester when I was in Coronation Street. We try to find the best in wherever we end up and actually we’ve decided we really love it in Cardiff, so we might stay permanently.
“My husband was a writer, but he’s retired now. He’s very good at pottering, so every time we move there’s a new place to potter,” reports the Mirror.
With her children having left home one residing in Australia and the other in Portsmouth she and her husband now have the freedom to move as they please. “My kids have flown the nest one’s in Australia and one’s in Portsmouth so we’ve not really got any ties now we’re footloose and fancy free. I’m not that keen on commuting, so it’s a bit of a pattern and me and my husband now really make the most of where I’m working.”
Melanie adds: “We go everywhere together we were going to move to Glasgow when I did Waterloo Road and we moved to Manchester when I was in Coronation Street. We try to find the best in wherever we end up and actually we’ve decided we really love it in Cardiff, so we might stay permanently.
“My husband was a writer, but he’s retired now. He’s very good at pottering, so every time we move there’s a new place to potter,” reports the Mirror.
Melanie elaborates: “And when you actually do that and stop worrying about what’s gone before and what’s to come, then you take pleasure out of the little tasks that you do during the day and then you enjoy your day.
“I’ve always been a worrier and I wish I’d known this when I was younger. But when you’ve got kids, you’re making sure they’re alright, so you haven’t really got time to work on yourself much because you’re thinking about them more.”
This year marks Melanie’s 40th year in television. Born and raised in Sunderland, she launched her TV career at the tender age of 22 in the police drama series Juliet Bravo. Her role as Siobhan in Casualty is actually her 53rd. Over the years, she has played a variety of memorable characters, including Aveline Boswell in Bread, Maggie Budgen in Waterloo Road, Cathy Matthews in Coronation Street and Sandra in the popular 1996 film Brassed Off.
Melanie Hill, known for her roles in various popular shows, recently shared an amusing encounter where she was recognised from her role in ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’, a show that aired 40 years ago. Currently starring in BBC One’s medical drama ‘Casualty’, Melanie finds her character Siobhan relatable. “Siobhan is like a mother hen,” she says. “She’s very dedicated to her job and very caring. She has a family who have grown up and moved away.
“She doesn’t take any nonsense from people and she’s got failings. It appealed to me because she’s very much like myself in a lot of ways.”
The acclaimed medical drama continues to thrive, recently winning against Emmerdale and EastEnders at the Bafta TV awards. While her fellow cast members celebrated on stage, Melanie chose to enjoy the victory from the comfort of her home in Cardiff. “I was so happy that we won. Since I’ve joined, I’ve realised what an amazing place it is to work, so it was great news.
“But I didn’t go to the awards ceremony. I leave that to the youngsters,” she says. “I’d rather watch it on the telly that’s my favourite way with a cup of tea and a curry. It’s lovely cheering from the sides.
“To be honest I haven’t ever really enjoyed that side of it the red carpet and the photographers. I get tongue-tied and nervous and think I might say the wrong thing,” she admits.
Despite not being a fan of the glitz and glamour, Melanie has had an impressive acting career, sharing screen time with some of the industry’s biggest names. She starred in the 2007 film Stardust alongside Robert De Niro, Peter O’Toole and Michelle Pfeiffer.
In 2014, she played Sheridan Smith’s mother in the TV miniseries Cilla and in 1994 she appeared in the British movie Shopping as Jude Law’s mother.
Melanie remains grounded despite her success, openly discussing both the highs and lows of her career. One such low was when she declined the opportunity to audition for The Office.
“I made the most massive cock-up ever,” she confesses, laughing. “My agent asked if I’d like to go and be seen for a new project. They said it was set in an office and was improvised and featured Ricky Gervais. “I said, ‘Oh, it sounds boring actually.
“‘I don’t want to go for it.’ Can you believe that? I’m not saying I would have got it, but I didn’t even go for it.”
Melanie is currently content with her role in Casualty. She said: “I’m happy to be part of a team again,” and added, “I like seeing everyone every morning and the comfort of knowing I’ve got regular work. When I was younger, I enjoyed the feeling of ‘what’s next?’ and meeting new people, but as I’ve got older, I prefer the familiarity.”
She continued: “I did Waterloo Road for four years and then Corrie was seven
