Coronation Street star Melanie Hill admits addiction to painkillers

Coronation Street star Melanie Hill has revealed her secret addiction to prescription painkiller drugs.

The actress became addicted to Co-codamol painkillers while starring in Waterloo Road as she recovered from a hip replacement to treat her osteoarthritis.

Hill, 53, told the Mirror, "I needed a stick but I had to get rid of it when I was shooting scenes. I carried on for two years because I didn't want to take time out."

She admitted that it took three months to wean herself off the drug, which contains the addictive opiate codeine.

"I was on the maximum dose of Co-codamol painkillers and, after two years, it was hard getting off them," she told Woman magazine.

"It took me three months to get completely weaned off them."

Hill is no longer on the drugs and is happy to have begun a new role on Coronation Street as Roy Cropper's love interest Cathy Matthews.

She said: "When I got a call from my agent asking if I would like to be interviewed for Coronation Street I've never been as happy in my life because it's been a life-long ambition.

"I've grown up with it and I've got to a point in my life where I am happy to go into a long-running drama. Staying for a long time would be ideal for me."