Coronation Street Samia Smith´s pregnancy pile-on

22 November 2007 - 'Coronation Street' star Samia Smith is thrilled her character is pregnant because it gives her the excuse to get fat.

The stunning actress plays hairdresser Maria Sutherland in the ITV soap - who falls pregnant with Weatherfield bachelor Liam Connor's baby - and she is looking forward to wearing a fake baby bump to disguise her excess weight.

Samia told Britain's Inside Soap magazine: "I'm well up for wearing a baby bump. It means I won't have to watch what I eat then ? brilliant!"

The 25-year-old Manchester-born actress also admitted recently she has been feeling broody, after marrying husband Matthew Smith.

She said: "Since I moved in with Matt recently I have been thinking about having a family. My niece and nephew came to stay with us, and I thought how lovely it would be to have kids of our own running around.

"I'm nesting at the moment - I'm forever baking chocolate flapjacks and lemon puffs! We do definitely want kids, but we're not going to rush into it."

(C) BANG Media International