Casualty and Coronation Street star Melanie Hill has revealed she is an advocate of cold showers for maintaining her youthful demeanour. The 63-year-old has starred as clinical nurse manager Siobhan McKenzie in the long running BBC medical drama since February 2024 and her energy belies her years as she bounces off set for a chat during a visit to the Roath Lock Studios. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk she said: “I’ll tell you what helped me, cold showers. On a morning, if you see me when I get out of bed, I’m literally (indicates stiff and immobile) and then I put a shower on. I go, ‘I can’t do it’. And you get in it and you just come bouncing out. It’s like a little challenge every day to get through.

“You’ve won a little battle with yourself. But also, you do feel more energetic and younger. So it does help. I started off with 10 seconds and now I’m at two minutes. Lord knows what the neigbours think,” she laughed indicating she screams when the water hits her.

“When you hit 60, you’ve just got a few big life decisions to make, right? And it’s like, do you want to be the best? I want to be the best I can.

“We’ve only got so much time, haven’t we? So I’m really trying to work hard to do that. I know it sounds really wonky, but I don’t care now, because I just think I’m at this point, and this is what I’m doing.

“And and I might fall flat on my face tomorrow, but at least I’m trying, and where is I’m at is good.”

Melanie’s has been a big hit with fans since landing her role in Casualty but it is just the latest in her illustrious career. Her first big role was in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet from 195 until 1986. She also took over the role of Aveline Boswell in Bread in1981. More recentlys he spent seven years playing Cathy Matthews in Coronation Street between 2015 and 2022.

Despite her wealth of experience she admitted she still gets nerves joining such iconic shows. “It’s funny, it was here my first scene (in the area she is standing), and I was absolutely terrified.

“It was the same when I joined Corrie. You know, when you go into the Rovers. It’s something that’s so vivid in your mind (from watching).

“Even at my age, I still feel it, you know, and I’ve been working for 40 odd years.

“But I think that’s lucky that you do, because you’re not just blase about it. It’s just exciting,” she said.