Actress Michelle Keegan admits living in Essex isn't all it's cracked up to be as she misses a key part of residing in the North of England.
The former Coronation Street left her life in Manchester and moved to Essex to live with her husband, Mark Wright but she struggled to adapt to the southern lifestyle.
Michelle, 35, tied the knot with Mark, 36, in 2015 and since then, has shared insights into their lives together down south but she still visits her friends and family in Manchester on a regular basis.
But while London and the surrounding areas are known for their love of pie and mash, this isn't right for Michelle.
The former Our Girl star admits that there's nothing she loves more than chips and gravy – a classic northern delicacy.
Helen Flanagan battles to save NYE plans after 'poo explosion' in her carDespite revealing when she's in Essex she gets "itchy feet" and heads up north and "vice versa," Michelle explained: "I don't understand why you can't get chips and gravy down south.
"I go for pie and mash but I don't like the liquor, so I get gravy and I'm like 'Why has gravy not taken off here?! It's so much nicer!" she told Radio Times.
The Stockport-born star who found fame aged 19 in 2007 as Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street went on to reveal that despite often appearing glamourous, she's much more comfortable in a pair of pyjamas without wearing any makeup.
Michelle is set to appear in Ten Pound Poms, focused on Brits who were lured to Australia following the war with the promise of a much better life – a role she threw herself into.
"It's a great part but I also enjoyed learning about the history," she explained, before adding: "This was the 1950s when it was very grim living in England. People were promised a sunny new life with great job opportunities for just £10, but it wasn’t as idyllic as they thought it would be: they were put up in migrant hostels and had their passports taken off them for two years. My character, Kate, is out there alone, rewriting her past. She has a secret and she’s there for a reason.
However, despite growing up in the public eye, Michelle admits that she no longer enjoys the celebrity lifestyle and has taken a step back from the celeb culture.
She explained: "I stopped enjoying it as much and I wanted a bit more privacy, it was just a thing that slowly happened where I grew the confidence to say that I wanted to keep some things to myself."
While Michelle and Mark opt to keep a low profile, they share updates with fans on the transformation of their Essex mansion, with Mark explaining they were blown away by fan interest.