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The condition of Coronation Street actress Maggie Jones has improved slightly following major surgery.

The star, who plays Blanche Hunt in the soap, was seriously ill in hospital after falling ill.

"There has been an improvement this afternoon in Maggie's condition and she seems to have turned a bit of a corner," a spokesman for the soap said.

It is not clear what sort of operation she has had, but she has been written out of any scenes for a while.

Several newspaper reports had claimed that the actress, best known for her Blanche put downs, had ruptured her spleen, but that has been denied.

"She's had an operation and obviously she's in her 70s. Our thoughts are with her," the spokeswoman said.

"She's been written out of storylines for the time being, everyone's wishing her a speedy recovery."

'My beautiful Maggie'

Jones has appeared in the ITV soap as Deirdre's mother regularly since the late 1990s.

Her fellow actor Bill Tarmey, who plays pensioner Jack Duckworth, said his thoughts were with the actress.

"My beautiful Maggie," he said. "She is a delight, she is wonderful and I am just hoping she will be OK.

"We just sit and laugh together and I need her to get better otherwise I will be sitting on my own."

BBC News