Page "Suranne Jones" Paragraph 4

In 2000, some weeks after her unsuccessful audition for Geena Gregory, she was contacted by Coronation Street bosses, who offered her a part of a new character.

Jones took on the role of Karen Phillips ( no relation to Mandy ), making her first appearance on 21 June.

The character, after marrying Steve McDonald, took on his surname, and became Karen McDonald.

Described as " a bulldog in hoop earrings " and a " Victoria Beckham wannabe ", the role garnered Jones public attention, with episodes involving feuds between her and rival Tracy Barlow receiving millions of viewers ; the episode featuring Karen and Steve's ( second ) wedding, ruined by Tracy Barlow's revelation that her daughter Amy Barlow was Steve's love child, received 16. 3 million viewers.

In May 2004 it was announced that she was to leave Coronation Street in the end of that year after four years of playing Karen.

Jones described working on a soap opera as " exhausting ", remarking, " I was living and breathing Karen McDonald ".

She made her last appearance as Karen on Boxing Day 2004.

Of her tenure as Karen McDonald on Coronation Street, Jones later remarked: " I just thought, while she's brilliant and I'm enjoying her, I've got to get out ".