Christmas telly means a soap marathon for homes up and down the UK, but what if you’re actually the star of one of them – what do you tune into on the big day?

Apparently, catching up with the latest from the cobbles isn’t too much of a busman’s holiday for the cast of Coronation Street, although some of them have admitted they’ll find it difficult to watch their screen alter-egos.

Maria Coronation Street
There’ll be little festive cheer for Maria this year (ITV)

Fans of the ITV series can look forward to plenty of festive surprises with characters old and new, as Toyah, the youngest of the Battersby clan (Georgia Taylor), returns to the street after 14 years, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) faces time behind bars for an illegal marriage, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) struggles to put a cheery face on her pregnancy drama and her ex Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) waits for the mysterious lady in his life to arrive.

Here, the four Weatherfield residents tell us why they’ll be tuning into their favourite soap after Christmas dinner.

Georgia Taylor is Toyah Battersby

Georgia Taylor Coronation Street
Georgia as Toyah 14 years ago (PA)

“I’ll be watching Coronation Street, but slightly behind a cushion because it’s my first episode. We have just filmed those scenes and I look like a bag of spanners because Toyah is in a bit of a state, so that will be good on Christmas Day.”

Samia Longchambon is Maria Connor

Maria Coronation Street
It won’t be a vintage one for Maria (ITV)

“I’ll watch Coronation Street, of course. It is a big time for Maria this Christmas, so I will be watching her storyline, maybe behind a cushion.”

Jane Danson is Leanne Battersby

Leanne Coronation Street
Leanne is set for a testing Christmas (ITV)

“Obviously I’ll watch Coronation Street. Even before I was in the show, we always used to watch it on Christmas Day. But that will no doubt be followed by a load of children’s films because my kids usually have control of the remote.”

Chris Gascoyne is Peter Barlow

Peter and Ken Coronation Street
Peter suffered a guilty conscience this year over dad Ken’s stroke (ITV)

“I’m not sure yet what I’ll be watching because I haven’t got my Radio Times. I like to buy the Radio Times and go through it and ring all the programmes that I want to watch, that is how boring I am. I love all the television programmes at Christmas and I’ll be watching Coronation Street on Christmas Day.”