Beverley is best known for playing Liz McDonald for over three decades on Coronation Street
Beverley is best known for playing Liz McDonald for over three decades on Coronation Street
Beverley Callard has thanked supporters for their messages as she revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer during an emotional appearance on Patrick Kielty’s RTÉ’s The Late Late Show. She announced medics had caught the cancer early and she will be having an operation and radiotherapy.
The 68-year-old, best known for playing Liz McDonald for over three decades on Coronation Street, received the devastating news just 20 minutes before she was set to film her first scenes for the Irish soap Fair City. In her latest update, Beverley captioned a video: “A little update on my hospital visit today… and again, thank you so much for all of your lovely messages. It really does mean the world.”
From the hospital, she explained: “Thank you for all your messages you are truly amazing. I just thought I would tell you what is happening now so I can help others. I am at the hospital now and about to test the lymph nodes and lymph glands. I am feeling fine and positive.”
The video showed the actress once she returned home, she said: “All seemed to go well, I should know by Wednesday of next week about that [the tests]. I have another appointment on Wednesday, two days later I will have the operation. I am feeling positive but I must say there are dozens of ladies in there and they were all positive as well. We are getting there and sticking together.”
Well wishes have been sent to the Coronation Street star. One comment said: “Best wishes Bev. So brave to speak out about it live in Irish tele. Wishing you all the best.”
Another response was: “You are a national treasure. Wishing you all the best for the treatment! You’ve got this!”
Further comments included: “Very best wishes in this journey that you are facing so bravely. It is every woman’s nightmare” and “Sending lots and lots of love to our new honorary Irish woman. You’re as strong as they come
The actress is home in Norfolk after doctors urged her to return to the UK from Ireland. Announcing the devastating diagnosis earlier this month, Beverley said: “It’s difficult to know where to start.
“I knew I was coming over here for four weeks, and then I’d have a couple of weeks back in the UK, and then back here – for a long time. I’d had some tests just before I left the UK and literally 15 to 20 minutes before [her first scene] I was in my dressing room at Fair City, getting ready to go on, and I was quite nervous and thinking, ‘I hope everybody thinks I’m alright, whatever.’
“And my consultant rang me and said, ‘You’ve got to come back to the UK.’ I said, ‘Well, I can’t possibly, you know, I’ve just taken a new job, I’m away for a month’ I was diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Beverley has joined the cast of RTÉ’s Fair City. She will play Lily, the long-lost mum of Fair City’s Gwen, played by Emily Lamey. The show has described Lily as “quirky” and unpredictable. She is due to make her debut in the show on February 19.
After her first day on set, Beverley posted a video to Instagram last night, as she said: “Oh my goodness, I have just completed my first day at my very new job.
“I was a bit jittery this morning, first day at school. You are thinking ‘I can’t believe I am feeling like this at my age, but there we go’, bit scary, but it went really well, everybody is great and they’re really friendly.”
