Coronation Street legend ‘slightly nervous’ as she lands new ITV role worlds away from Maria

| Soaps Reporter Published September 16, 2026 12:20pm Updated September 16, 2026 12:21pm Samia Longchambon takes on a new exciting role (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock) Coronation Street favourite Samia Longchambon is swapping the cobbles for daytime TV today as she takes on a brand new ITV role. The actress, who has played Maria Connor for more than two decades, is making her debut as a panellist on Loose Women today (Wednesday, September 16). While Samia is certainly no stranger to appearing on television away from Weatherfield, taking a seat behind the famous Loose Women desk will be a new experience for the 44-year-old. She has appeared on the daytime programme as a guest several times before, but today marks the first occasion she will join the panel for the entire show and get involved in its discussions. Announcing the news to her followers on Instagram on Tuesday, Samia admitted she was excited but also had a few nerves about trying something different. ‘I just wanted to let you all know that tomorrow I’m going to be a loose lady; I’m going to be on the panel of Loose Women,’ she told fans. Samia seems thrilled to be joining the panel (Picture: Instagram/ Samia Longchambon) Explaining why the appearance will be new territory for her, Samia said she had previously been a guest but had never spent a full episode sitting on the panel and ‘chatting’. She added that she was ‘slightly nervous’ about the experience, before referring to the familiar saying about doing something every day that scares you. Samia also encouraged fans to ‘grab a brew’ and join her, with Loose Women airing on ITV1 from 12.30 pm until 1.30 pm today. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. The new role is certainly a change of pace for Samia, who has been a familiar face on Coronation Street since making her debut as Maria Sutherland, now Connor, in 2000. Samia has played Maria for over 26 years (Picture: ITV) Over the years, Maria has gone from a teenager working at the kennels to a hairdresser, mum and one of Weatherfield’s most recognisable residents. And life on the cobbles has certainly never been straightforward for her. Maria has been at the heart of numerous major storylines involving romance, betrayal and tragedy, with one of her most devastating chapters featuring Liam Connor. The pair married in 2008, but their happiness was cut tragically short when Liam was murdered. Maria later gave birth to their son, Liam Jr. In more recent years, Maria has been married to Gary Windass, with the couple facing plenty of turbulence of their own. After spending so many years tackling the dramatic twists and turns of Maria’s life, Samia’s Loose Women appearance will allow viewers to see a very different side of the soap star. Her debut also comes amid a period of change for the long-running ITV daytime show. Denise Welch recently left the panel (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock) Loose Women has seen some familiar faces depart its panel this year, including former Coronation Street actress Denise Welch and long-serving panellist Nadia Sawalha. Denise revealed that she had decided to step away from the programme to concentrate on her acting career, which she described as her ‘first love’, after receiving a number of new opportunities. Familiar Loose Women stars including Ruth Langsford, Jane Moore and Coleen Nolan remain part of the programme’s line-up. But today it is Samia’s turn to see how she gets on in the Loose Women hot seat. Deals of the Day Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 And despite having spent more than 25 years in front of the cameras on one of Britain’s biggest soaps, the Corrie legend has admitted this latest ITV challenge is still enough to leave her feeling ‘slightly nervous’. Arrow MORE: Why are Emmerdale and Coronation Street not on tonight? Absence from TV schedule explained Arrow MORE: Big Brother star Frankie in tears as he comes out on TV: ‘I’ve been in pain for so long’ Arrow MORE: 70 Up fans warned to prepare themselves for ‘one of the most emotional moments in the series’ The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.