Sarah Harding concedes that her upcoming appearances in Coronation Street will receive a "mixed reaction".

The talented British singer is due to feature in the UK soap opera from July 23 and will play the role of Joni Preston, who will be the wife of chef Robert.

Speaking to the Huffington Post, Harding remained coy about her acting talents, though.

She said: "I know it’s going to be a mixed reaction, because people are going to be expecting high standards, and so as long as I’m prepared for that, that’s fine.

"I hope I’ve done the soap justice. But there are going to be people who go, ‘Oh, she can’t act’. I’m just going to go, ‘It is what it is’."

Part of Harding's first day on set included slapping the character Tracy Barlow.

She added: "I was thrown into the deep end, I really was. I started filming with Kate [Ford, who plays Barlow] on the first day, who’s actually the exact opposite [of her character] in real life.

“She’s lovely, but it was really nerve-wracking. There were paparazzi and it was a really long day with a lot to learn."

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