Coronation Street star Debbie Rush has said she makes it through tough scenes with baddie Pat Phelan by sharing a cuddle with the actor who plays him before and after.

Rush, who plays Anna Windass on the soap, said she and Connor McIntyre, who plays the villain on the cobbles, support each other through the difficult scenes.

She told ITV’s This Morning: “He has to be one of the most evil baddies we’ve ever had, he’s fab.”

In recent weeks Phelan framed Windass for pushing Seb Franklin from his ladder, shortly after the pair had had an argument.

He planted her earring in the solicitor’s office where the accident happened and then made him believe Windass wants him dead and pushed him off.

“We always know when we’re put together it’s not going to be nice, it’s never nice, so every time we have a scene we have a little cuddle beforehand, that’s the setting up, and then we will have a little cuddle afterwards.

“Just as we start to roll we will give each other the look and move our heads away and then we are in with hatred so it’s quite fun.”

Windass, who is due to leave the soap soon, remained tight-lipped about her exit, saying: “Some people think I’m being killed by Phelan, some people think I’m going down so I’m going to leave that up to the public to keep thinking.

Inside Soap Awards 2017
Connor McIntyre (Isabel Infantes/PA)

“She’s got a choice, does she give up all her good judgment and just go with it and think easy life?

“I think her pride is too big and she knows that Nicola (his daughter) knows now that he’s a bad one so that is why he’s gone.

“I think what will happen is we will see her thinking that she’s still got hold of him because she knows he wants her desperately to get Nicola back in his life and the only way he can have that is if Anna is on side so she’s still got a little bit of power left.”

Coronation Street continues on Monday on ITV at 7.30pm.