PEOPLE in Burnley couldn't believe their ears when the town was the topic of conversation on the UK's most popular soap on Wednesday night.

When Coronation Street star Jenna Kamara decided it was time for a fresh start away from the cobbled street, she told her taxi-driving dad Lloyd Mullaney that she was off to Burnley!

Jenna, played by Krissi Bohn, has been in the soap since September 2012 but after almost two years playing the role she was axed by ITV bosses earlier this year.

On Wednesday 6.4million viewers saw her make a spur of the moment decision to leave the cobbles for a new challenge after encouragement from long-term character, and her former love interest, Sophie Webster.

Jenna told her dad that she was ‘30, stuck in a dead end job and still living with my dad’.

Lloyd only found out that Jenna was his daughter when she arrived on the street two years ago, but in emotional final scenes between the pair he told her of his fear that he was losing the daughter he had only recently found.

He said: “I don’t even know where you’re going,” to which Jenna told him “Burnley, it’s only half an hour away.”

But it appears her move from Weatherfield to Burnley may not be permanent.

Jenna is only planning on staying with a friend for a couple of nights before she heads off overseas to volunteer.

East Lancashire’s links with the iconic soap, which first aired on British screens in 1960, don’t end with brief stop-offs for departing characters.

The award-winning Natalie Gumede, who played bad girl Kirsty Soames for two years, is from Colne and is a former pupil of Park High School.

Sam Aston, who has played cheeky Chesney in the soap for the past 11 years, is from Bacup, while Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper for 16 years before leaving earlier this year, is from Accrington.

Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow in the soap since its first episode 54 years ago, used to live in Haslingden, and glamour girl Helen Flanagan, who played Sophie Webster on the street, went to Westholme School, in Blackburn.

Vicky Entwistle, who played loud mouth Janice Battersby for 14 years until 2011, is also from Accrington.