The 35-year-old made her name as the infamous Becky MacDonald in ITV’s Coronation Street, before going on to score a starring role in period drama Mr Selfridge.
But, speaking in a new interview with Mother & Baby, Katherine Kelly has now revealed that she’s found her most challenging role of all; being a mum.
Opening up about her overdue baby’s surprising birth, she said: “Orla was two weeks overdue and I was absolutely huge.
“My friends say they can’t believe I didn’t have any drugs. But I’m no martyr. I was like, ‘Get the drugs lined up, I’ll do whatever it takes to get this baby out healthy.’”
She added: “[But] It was all over before I even had time to ask for gas and air!”
Katherine, who admits to feeling “clueless” as a first-time mum, took a year of maternity leave to spend her time with Orla - and she and husband Ryan Clark decided to spend it in Australia with his mum and dad.
She explained: “We thought we’d do it there because it was the only chance we’d have to spend that amount of time in Oz. It was amazing to spend time with Ryan and his family.”
Thankfully her own parents were able to come over for the first month, something whig both Katherine and Ryan found incredibly helpful.
“I was so grateful,” she said, “because no matter how many books you read about having a baby, nothing prepares you for when it actually happens.”
Katherine is now back in the UK - and back at work - but admits she finds it “really hard” being a working mum.
She said: “It’s a constant logistical operation. And I’ve started to learn how to say no to work.
“Orla goes to a brilliant nursery a couple of afternoons a week, just down the road from where we live. When I’m off, I’ll have Orla at home all day, which is something I make the most of when it happens.”
She added: “I take my hat off to working mums and especially single working mums. I honestly don’t know how they do it”