TV star looks almost unrecognisable in stunning new snaps two decades after she was brutally killed off famous soap

More than 20 years ago she said goodbye to the cobblestones.

But Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw is looking younger than ever as she shared a host of radiant selfies on her Instagram.

The 51-year-old actress played Maxine Peacock in the ITV soap in 1995, before her character was brutally murdered by serial killer Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) in 2003.

During her seven-year tenure at Weatherfield, Tracy was regularly voted one of the sexiest women on television and in May 1996 she was even named Rear Of The Year.

And this month, the former soap star showed she’s still looking just as gorgeous, posting a series of snaps of herself sunbathing in a wooded area.

She glowed in the photos, still sporting her famous blonde curls, in a printed green shirt and light makeup to accentuate her timeless beauty.

Maxine had several romances during her time on Corrie, including with characters such as Curly Watts, Des Barnes, Andy McDonald and Tony Horrocks.

She eventually married butcher Ashley Peacock, but fell pregnant with son Joshua after an extramarital affair with Matt Ramsden.

Ashley decided to forgive her and raise Joshua as his own son, but Maxine met a tragic end at the hands of Richard after she caught him near the unconscious body of Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire), who was babysitting Joshua for the Peacock family.

The infamous soap villain chased the hairdresser up the stairs and beat her to death with a crowbar.

Behind the scenes it was revealed that Tracy decided to quit the show after bosses told her to take a pay cut when they renegotiated her contract.

It was reported that producers demanded that her salary be cut by £20,000 and that her new contract be set for just 12 months, at which point she resigned.

After leaving, Tracy appeared in several ITV dramas, including the play The Blue Room, in which she stripped completely naked as Sally, opposite Sean Connery’s son Jason.

She previously had a short-lived pop career, releasing two singles on the Love This Records label: Ridin’ High and a cover of Lonnie Gordon’s top 10 hit Happenin’ All Over Again.

She also had a number of high-profile relationships, including ones with Alex Moscovich, Blackburn Rovers star Dwight Yorke and Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall.

Tracy was also briefly engaged to actor and singer Darren Day, before he left her for Hollywood star Isla Fisher.

She eventually married TV producer Robert Ashworth. After just three months, in March 2000, they got engaged.

They tied the knot in June 2001 in a £100,000 ceremony at Knowsley Hall in Merseyside, but divorced just two years later.

Tracy then struck up a romance with childhood friend Ashley Poundall and had two sons: Louis, 19, and Luca, 18.

However, her current Instagram bio states that she is now single: “Mother, actress, single and survivor.”

After becoming a mother, Tracy continued to act occasionally, appearing in many national tours including Mum’s the Word (2010), Busy Body (2011) and The Cat and the Canary (2021). She also played leading roles in pantomimes in Worthing and Southsea.

However, in the past year she has returned to the screen with roles in Cookster: The Darkest Days with Nick Moran, Thirteen Cars with Tamzin Outhwaite and the upcoming drama Finding My Voice.

Tracy regularly shares updates about her life on Instagram. She enjoys walking her two German Shepherds and posting behind-the-scenes photos from the set.

In 2019, she appeared on Loose Women and explained how, after quitting her prominent role on Corrie, she took a step back from the spotlight to focus on her children.

Tracy admitted she struggled with the soap opera fame, saying she felt uncomfortable with the paparazzi taking pictures of her and her son Louis while out walking with her co-star Angela Griffin.

She said candidly: ‘It was a huge pressure, just because of the ratings. [of Coronation Street].

“When I got Louie, I would take Angela for walks with him in the strollers. I just didn’t think it was right for photographers to take pictures of the boys. They don’t have a choice in the matter.”