Coronation Street’s former star Shobna Gulati has admitted she is pleased that her character ended up being killed off.

The actress left her role as Sunita Alahan on the ITV soap last year after 12 years as the shopkeeper and barmaid when murderous Karl Munro (John Michie), who she had been having an affair with, bumped her off.

But Shobna told Inside Soap that she quickly got over the shock of her exit: “Nobody really wants their character to be killed off, mainly because you become a bit attached to them.

Shobna's character Sunita died in a fire in the Rover's Return (Joseph Scanlon/ITV)
Shobna’s character Sunita died in a fire in the Rover’s Return (Joseph Scanlon/ITV)

“But to go out in such dramatic fashion felt like an honour. And I didn’t own Sunita – as an actress, you don’t get to make those decisions.”

She continued: “It’s actually very liberating that she’s dead. Leaving the door open is a safety net. I left the show once before and I went back for more. Now, I know that’s not an option. I think the time is right for me to take some risks.”