IT’S difficult to believe that Kym Ryder is only 31 years old. She’s had a couple of kids, been in a successful reality show band, and is now an award-winning actress on Coronation Street. Not bad for someone who struggled to make ends meet as a single mum in her early 20s. "I’ve got nine lives, me," she says in her soft Wigan accent. "I’ve gone from Hear’Say to the West End, to Coronation Street and I’m so grateful, because you can’t prove yourself if nobody’s prepared to give you the chance. My kids are really proud of me, which means a lot." Kym’s children David, 12, and Emily, 9, are from Kym’s previous relationship with David Cunliffe, before they split when she was 20 years old. Following her big break on ITV show Pop Stars in 2001, Kym met and married former EastEnders star Jack Ryder – the couple now live together in Cheshire, for easy access to the Coronation Street set. "The great thing about Corrie is it’s more structured than anything else I’ve done," Kym says. "The music industry isn’t good for someone like me who really hates being away from home. I like to be with the children and Jack as much as I can. If one of us isn’t there to collect the kids from school, my parents are nearby, and they help out with everything. We’re very lucky because we have a good family network. "David’s already turning into a bit of Kevin the Teenager," she smiles. "Although Emily will probably give me more problems because she’s quite feisty and similar to me when I was growing up. I was a nightmare. My poor mum – I gave her hell. "David’s more laid back and, if anything, he’ll just be a bit moody and sit in his room, listening to music. But I’m ready for it." So will either of Kym’s children follow in her showbiz footsteps? "I have a feeling Emily might," Kym muses. "She’s quite a character and loves performing. She likes being the centre of attention – I don’t know where she gets that from!" Whatever happens, Kym is keen for her kids to grow up living a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and plenty of exercise. "School dinners can be appalling with no healthy options," she says. "But there are some kids who genuinely don’t like vegetables. And then what do you do – because they’ve got to eat something? It’s a tough one. With David, I sometimes do things like put carrots in the mashed potato. If you introduce kids to certain foods at an early age – then that’s fine because they’ll grow up with that. The hard part is retraining them when they’re used to fish fingers and stuff. "And I like David and Emily to exercise – it’s important. I don’t like it if they’re just sitting in front of the TV. If I think David has been inside for too long, I’ll suggest he call for his friends and have a kickabout. I encourage them to do things." Being in the entertainment industry, Kym also has an added pressure to stay in shape, although, having suffered from bulimia during her teenage years, she has strong opinions on the fad for stick-thin celebrities. "I am who I am, and if I’m happy then that’s all that matters," she says. "But teenagers and body-conscious young girls get ‘thin is beautiful’ rammed down their throats, which is rubbish. We should be allowed to be all shapes and sizes and it shouldn’t be that one thing is beautiful and the other thing isn’t. All this Size Zero stuff is ridiculous, but unfortunately it’s the world we’re living in at the moment, and until someone does something about it, all we can do is try and promote a healthy body image. "My own weight has fluctuated a lot since being a teenager," Kym adds. "I do have to watch what I eat. But I’m always working or doing something with the kids, so it’s very rare I’m sitting idle." And things are certainly busy at the moment on Coronation Street, with Kym’s character Michelle Connor enjoying an on/off relationship with Steve McDonald, who she is about to tell she is leaving for Ireland. Her feisty character has certainly endeared herself to viewers – Michelle recently won the Best Newcomer prize at the British Soap Awards. "It couldn’t have been any better," she says. "I was very aware when I went into Corrie that I wasn’t really from an acting background. I felt like I had something to prove. But people accepted it and it’s been brilliant. It’s such an honour to be behind the bar at the Rovers when you think of all the other Corrie legends who’ve been there. I’ve got my own family – the Connors. They’re great people and we hang out quite a bit." But will Kym ever go back to music? "I never say never," she admits. "But I don’t miss the industry at all. I really love acting and the thing about Coronation Street is that it reaches so many people. I much prefer it. And people call me by my character name, which is nice." Having successfully made the transition from music to acting, Kym hasn’t got many ambitions left. Except one. "I’d like to have another baby before I’m 35," she declares. "That’s the next thing on the list. Career-wise, I’ve pretty much covered all bases." Having been one of the original TV reality band members in Hear’Say, Kym is well placed to comment on the future of shows like The X Factor, which has produced a string of failures and mediocre talents. "The shows are getting weaker and finding less talent with the exception of last year’s winner, Leona, who is fantastic," Kym says. "If one in three TV shows pulls a talent like that out of the hat, then it’s worth keeping going, because there are talented people out there who really want it, but don’t have the means or knowledge to get into the industry. It’s not like you can go to the JobCentre and just find an acting job." Luckily enough, Kym has managed to do just that, although it can’t have been an easy ride: she first became a mum at 18 years old. "It changed my life," Kym recalls. "It made me grow up a lot quicker and realise my responsibilities earlier. I wouldn’t change anything, because I’m so happy. I have such a great relationship with my kids, I wouldn’t change it for the world. "I feel much happier with myself now, but that’s because my whole life is more settled," she adds. "When I was in my 20s, I was in the music industry, constantly away from home, and under more pressure. "But being 31 and settled in my home life and career puts me at ease mentally. It just makes you feel better about yourself when your whole life seems to be in place. I have a fantastic husband, beautiful kids and a great job, and I just touch wood that it lasts. There comes a point in everyone’s life where everything seems to slot into place. But it does take a while to get there." | 
