NEW mother Denise Welch has had her first taste of life in front of a camera since the birth of her son.

The former Coronation Street star looked happy and healthy as she filmed a one-off comedy in North Shields, North Tyneside.

She puts her gastronomic skills to the test in her role as a chef and aspiring actress in the show, Waiters.

Ms Welch laughed and joked with the cast and crew during the shoot, which will last until Saturday.

The actress, married to Tim Healy, gave birth to her baby son Louis Vincent, in March.

But she is back in front of the camera and will star alongside Robson Green and Alun Armstrong in the production, written by Peter Straughan.

The drama revolves around a group of aspiring actors, down on their luck, who take jobs in a restaurant to make ends meet while waiting for their big break.

Peter Mitchell, whose production company is making the drama, said: "We've been very lucky in that this is a low-budget regional drama which has been supported by stars who were very keen to back television production in the North-East."

The cast also includes Lee Hall, the writer behind Billy Elliot, as an author fearing rejection.

Waiters will appear on TV screens in July.