'Exhausted' ex-Corrie star pulls out of play

Troubled former Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw has pulled out of a play at the last minute with “exhaustion”, it has emerged.

The actress withdrew from the show less than 48 hours before the curtain was due to go up.

Shaw’s agent released a statement on her behalf saying she was “stressed and distressed” over personal attacks in the media and a heavy workload that had led to her a “state of exhaustion”.

She had been rehearsing with the rest of the cast, including Emily Lloyd, in London until Saturday.

Shaw was to play Celia in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, with the opening night at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion today.

The theatre company, RJ Williamson, was then to go on tour to Nottingham, Leeds and London.

But “very, very late” on Sunday night, Shaw’s agent telephoned to say the actress would not now be appearing.

“There had been a problem, she had some sort of breakdown,” said a spokeswoman for the touring company.

“It is obviously exhaustion.

“Her agent assured us she was not bulimic or drinking. There was nothing wrong with her. We assumed she would be all right for the tour.

“We are all quite surprised, it has come as quite a shock.”

As Maxine Peacock, Shaw was a long standing character in Coronation Street until leaving the soap last Christmas.

Speculation about the state of her marriage to TV producer Robert Ashworth and her private life has been rife in recent months.

The actress, who has had a well-publicised battle with bulimia, was also photographed with bruises on her arms and legs recently.

She starred in a 16-week touring production of the play The Blue Room, which features full-frontal nudity.

Shaw has also released a salsa exercise video, and appeared in a guest spot in BBC drama Casualty.

A spokeswoman for the theatre company said understudy Jenni Bowden would now take Shaw’s role.