In 1992 she was reunited with Brooks to star in the BBC TV drama series Growing Pains, in which they played middle-aged foster parents.
She also guest starred for two episodes in February 1992 in ITV's BAFTA award-winning series for teenagers, Press Gang, playing Spike Thomson's mother.
Duce appeared in Coronation Street as Julie Carp's Mother, Paula Carp, but she left the soap on 22 May 2009, after revealing that Julie's Father was also Eileen Grimshaw's Father.
Speaking about her return, Cavanagh, 51, said ... The relationship did not work out, and when Julie set her sights on Eileen’s son Jason (RyanThomas), her mother Paula (Sharon Duce) was forced to tell her she was Eileen’s half-sister and Jason’s aunt.