Kym’s real name is not Kym – well not quite (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Kym Marsh left fans surprised as she revealed her “real name” earlier this month. Kym originally found fame in 2001 on ITV’s talent show Popstars, which led to her joining Hear’Say – a band that topped the charts before facing a significant dip in public favour.
Despite this setback, Kym reclaimed public affection by landing the role of Michelle Connor on ITV’s Coronation Street five years later, reports the Express. On Tuesday (February 4), Kym joined an interview on Suffolk Sound’s Morning with Chloe Rivers radio show, expecting the usual host Chloe Rivers; however, she was delighted to be greeted by friend and former soap star, Michael Greco of EastEnders fame.
It was during their conversation that Kym revealed some intriguing life stories, including how she came to adopt her name. She saidd: “I was Kimberly with an I from birth, but I changed my name as I decided it was really boring.”
Adding a unique twist, she said: “I changed it to Kym with a ‘y’ because I thought it was really cool. It took my dad about 10 years to start writing my name with a y.”
Kym’s conversation also provided some undisclosed tidbits about her experience on Corrie. She said: “I was only supposed to be in Coronation Street for four episodes, I didn’t even have a surname, I was just Michelle. I later got a permanent place and the surname Connor.”
Delving into her earliest experiences on set, she recalled the moment she encountered members of the show’s legendary cast: “When I first started I was in the green room and walked past Bill Roache and in my head was like ‘Oh my God, it’s Ken Barlow! ‘ Beverley Callard (who played Liz McDonald) was so lovely. She really took me under her wing and made me feel really at ease.”
In a bold move, Kym left the cobbles of Coronation Street behind in 2019 to embrace new opportunities. In 2022, she traded soap scripts for the dance floor on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, partnering with Graziano Di Prima. They impressed viewers for 11 weeks until their journey came to an end in the quarter finals.
Since turning a new page in her career in 2023, Kym has taken on the role of Nicky Walters in the BBC’s revived series Waterloo Road, where she plays an integral part as a canteen worker and mother, with a love interest portrayed by Adam Thomas, previously famed for his role as Adam Barton in Emmerdale from 2009 to 2018.
