She is known for her roles as Maureen Holdsworth in Coronation Street (1993–1997, 2006), Virginia Raven in Crossroads (2001–2003), Lesley Meredith in Emmerdale (2004–2006), Joyce Temple-Savage in Benidorm (2012–2018) and Martha Blake in Hollyoaks (2024–present).

Hewson was also a main panellist on lunchtime chat show Loose Women (2003–2017) and came sixth place in Celebrity Big Brother in 2015.

She has also appeared as Doreen Nesbitt (1979-1980) and Mary Henshaw in In Loving Memory (1984–1986) and as Jean in Barbara (1999–2003) on television, and has starred in the films Carry On Behind (1975), The Slipper and the Rose (1976) and Hanover Street (1979).

Born in Beeston, near Nottingham,[2][3] Hewson was brought up in a show-business family; her father Ronald was a singer and her mother Joy was a model.

As well as further film roles in The Slipper and the Rose with Richard Chamberlain and Edith Evans and Hanover Street with Harrison Ford, Hewson became a regular fixture on television, most notably as part of a young cast of future stars in Love For Lydia.

Her most famous role during this period was as Mary Henshaw in the popular sitcom In Loving Memory with Thora Hird and Christopher Beeny.

In 1993, Hewson was cast as Maureen Webster in the UK's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street, a dizzy, accident-prone supermarket assistant dominated by her mother.

Although the part had been written with her in mind, Hewson agreed to sign a new contract at the request of the Coronation Street producers, who had storylines planned for her character, and Julia Deakin took over the role of May.

Hewson returned to the theatre – appearing in Billy Liar and several pantomimes – and radio, notably as the lead character in a series entitled The Circle.

She was also in great demand for light entertainment programmes, and made appearances on Blankety Blank,[6][7][8] Noel's House Party and Call My Bluff among others.

[9] In 2004, Hewson appeared in a celebrity edition of makeover show 10 Years Younger and underwent cosmetic surgery to her face as well as a hair and fashion overhaul.

As well as Loose Women, she appeared in Celebrity MasterChef, Dickinson's Real Deal and was runner-up in Soapstar Superchef, partnered with her former Emmerdale co-star Julia Mallam.

In February 2016, Hewson won the role of Mrs. Slocombe in a remake of the BBC's 1970s and 1980s sitcom Are You Being Served?, taking over the part made famous by the late Mollie Sugden.