Coronation Street star Sally Ann Matthews on sinkhole terror for Jenny

Coronation Street spoilers follow.

Coronation Street's Jenny Connor faces a terrifying ordeal next week as she finds herself trapped underground in life-or-death scenes.

As the instability caused by the Platts' sinkhole starts to expand at a dangerous pace, Jenny becomes one of the victims as she's swallowed up by the ground.

Jenny's estranged husband Johnny (Richard Hawley) is quick to rush to her rescue, edging his way into the sinkhole and battling through rising water to get to her. But will either of them make it out alive?

Sally Ann Matthews, who plays Jenny, recently caught up with Digital Spy and other media to chat about the storyline.

How is Jenny feeling about her new love interest Leo? She was convinced that he was a great match for Daisy at first, wasn't she?

"Jenny was absolutely convinced of that. I think a romance with this handsome young man – 'young' being the key word in all of this – was the last thing on her mind.

"When Jenny found out that she was the object of Leo's desire, she didn't quite know what to do with that. But life's too short for waiting, so she decided: 'Why not?'"

Were you surprised when you found out that Jenny would start seeing a younger man?

"I think it took quite a while for the jaw to come off the floor! They were like: 'No, it's not a joke, and it will be played really seriously'. Because I was thinking everyone was going to be saying: 'What's that handsome young fella doing with that old biddie?'

"Joe Frost, who plays Leo, is fab. He's absolutely lovely. He's fitted right in. Myself and Charlie [Jordan], who plays Daisy, have a little WhatsApp group and before Joe even started, he was in that chat. He's funny and an adorable fella.

"It was important we got that relationship before, bless him, he had to try to seduce me at two meters!"

Leo has been the one pursuing Jenny, not the other way around...

"Yes, I think it was the last thing on her radar. She'd been burned with the situation with Ronnie. She wasn't looking for a relationship and ultimately, she still loves Johnny."

jenny connor and leo in coronation street

ITV

What are your thoughts on the current dynamic between Jenny and Johnny?

"Jenny has a really lovely friendship with Johnny at the minute and he's been the one saying: 'Go out there and live your life and move on'. I think if life hadn't got in the way and caused all these upsets, Jenny and Johnny would still be together.

"But I think Johnny and Jenny felt that they're a bit toxic together. Even though they love each other, they actually can't really live together and make each other happy.

"I think Jenny still feels that Johnny will always be a big part of her life. Because they do love each other, there's no animosity there. They've been really grown up about it and they've supported each other through it.

"Jenny still really cares for Johnny. She cares for his physical wellbeing with his MS and wants to encourage him to find a new path in life. She wants to make his little flat that he's renting nice and homely. So I think she thinks they're quite 'together' – just not in a romantic sense."

When Jenny hears that Johnny is thinking of moving away, does she think her relationship with Leo has contributed towards this decision?

"Most definitely, because as I say, she thought they were friends and they could tell each other everything. He was the one initially who told her to go for it with Ronnie. So she thinks that he's fine with her moving on with her life.

"When Jenny finds out that Johnny wants to move away, she's devastated. Not only for her, but because she thought they were on this same page, and maybe they're not."

How does Jenny end up being trapped underground?

"Jenny's on a date night with Leo and she goes to check out her rival, Debbie Webster's, House of Horror evening. Johnny happens to be there as well, in the beer tent. That's when they have a chat about Johnny moving away. Jenny tells Johnny that, just because she's moving on, she'd hate for him to feel edged out because that's not the situation.

"It's absolutely tearing it down with rain and suddenly David runs in and says: 'We've got to evacuate the area! Leo says so!' Jenny goes to find Leo and now it's a torrential rain. She's worried about Leo, what he's doing and for his safety. So she goes to try and find him, but she can't.

"Jenny is stood there in the rain, very late at night, and she's very, very cold. And all of a sudden, the earth opens up…"

johnny and jenny connor's stunt scenes in coronation street

ITV

Were you excited about filming it?

"No! (Laughs.) How many times have I said in an interview, don't give me anything to do? I don't like action. I hate it. I thought getting tasered was bad! But then I got there and did it and I bloody loved it. I loved every single second of it.

"I did write to [Corrie producers] Iain and Verity, after we'd finished the main six-day section, and said: 'Please can I be in a sinkhole every week?' Because I absolutely loved it!"

Why did you love it so much?

"I think it's because I was very comfortable in water. I'm not a sporty person, I'm not very physical, I'm very risk averse, so I get scared by stuff. My imagination goes into overdrive, so I don't like any of that.

"But as a kid, when I was on holiday, I did used to do mushrooms in the water. I could do that for hours on end. I'd also swim holding my breath from one end of the swimming pool to the other end.

"Well, who knew that muscle memory lasts about 45 years? Because I haven't done that since then, but that's why I felt very comfortable.

"I also had brilliant people around me. Because we were bubbled, this was the first time in about 18 months that we saw every other department and we really worked as a team for the first time.

"To be able to get close to Richard [Hawley, who plays Johnny] again was just a joy – and to work with other people closely who Jenny doesn't normally interact with.

"The moment when I fall down the sinkhole, I'm going to be spamming Instagram on the Friday night! I've got so many behind the scenes videos and pictures. It was just a brilliant experience. It was really knackering but brilliant."

How long were you in the water for?

"We were in the water for six days. We had wetsuits on and then clothes on top. By the time we got to day three, everybody was in the pool and we were a lot more familiar with each other, let's say that. It was cold because the water was tepid."

sally ann matthews films stunt scenes for coronation street

ITV

Would you take part in an action challenge show like SAS after this?

"No! I would never choose to do something like this. I've got no desire to go out off my own back and do anything like this.

"When I got the scripts, I didn't realise how much was involved. You read the stage directions and it says: 'Oh, and Jenny does blah, blah, blah'. But until you're there, you don't think about it… then it's a bit too late when you're actually there and go and do it!"

Were there stunt doubles?

"We did have stunt doubles. My stunt double Jody did two little elements, that there was no way I could do. But I did the bulk of it."

Is Jenny shocked that Johnny comes to her rescue?

"She is. She is terrified, injured and cold. But I think she has this overwhelming sense that: 'Well, someone's going to come and rescue me'. She knows that Leo is on the case and that people know there is an issue. So she's quietly confident initially, that she's going to be found.

"When Johnny arrives, she's just like: 'What the bloody hell are you doing here? What are you thinking of, being a hero? What are you playing at?' But then they're forced to discuss how they feel."

ITV

Could this be a next chapter for them if they both survive?

"Definitely, I think when you're in a situation like that, you have to work together. You have to see if you can come up with a way of how you can get yourselves out of this. If you exhaust that avenue, then you've got to keep each other's spirits up until you're rescued.

"Within that, inevitably one will be the one who's flagging a bit and the other one will be bolstering the other one up. Within those conversations, maybe things are said and real feelings are exposed."

Poor Leo!

"Oh well – plenty of other fish in the sea, or the sinkhole!"

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.