Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon says she will never leave the popular soap and admits she's not "ruthlessly ambitious".
The 37-year-old actress has played Maria Connor on the soap for 20 years and says she is "totally happy" on the show, revealing there has never been "any major" reason for her to want to leave.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column, she said: "It's my 20th anniversary coming up on May 19. I hadn't thought about celebrating but now I'd love to go for a drink with everyone else to mark it.
"Sylvain [Samia's husband] and I will have a glass of champagne at home instead, but I guess I'm a lifer now on Corrie.
"I love Maria. I know she's ditsy and the character has made bad decisions, but I've lived her life story as well as my own and she's a part of me now."
"Maria feels like my second name and, to be honest, I'm not ruthlessly ambitious. I have my kids and they are my main priority."
The actress said her job enables her to strike the perfect balance between work and home life and says her husband professional ice-skater Sylvain Longchambon, their son Yves, four and her daughter Freya, 10, from a previous marriage, love having her home in the evenings.
"Being on Corrie means I am able to come home every night to my husband and my children and do the job I love, acting, all year around.
"There has never been any major reason for me to ever want to leave. I'm totally happy.
"I do other things in my life which I'd wanted to do -- a few years ago I did a course in reflexology which was completely different - but I love my balance."
