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Beverley Callard

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Beverley Callard
Callard at Manchester Pride in 2010
Born
Beverley Jane Moxon

(1957-03-28) 28 March 1957 (age 67)
Morley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
Television
Spouses
  • Paul Atkinson
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1974; div. 1978)​
  • David Sowden
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1980; div. 1988)​
  • Steve Callard
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1989; div. 2001)​
  • Jon McEwan
    ​
    (m. 2010)​
    [1]
Children2, including Rebecca

Beverley Jane McEwan (née Moxon; previously Atkinson, Sowden and Callard; born 28 March 1957) is an English actress, known for her role as Liz McDonald in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1989–1998, 2000–2001, 2003–2011, 2013–2020) and Flo Henshaw in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.

Career

[edit]

At the age of seven, Callard made her acting debut as Darius the page boy. After leaving school in 1973, she took a job as a shorthand typist. She later turned to acting and appeared on stage as Jackie Coryton in Noël Coward's Hay Fever, Liz and Rita in Billy Liar and The Wicked Queen in Snow White. Callard made her television debut (as Beverley Sowden) in the Yorkshire Television soap Emmerdale Farm as Angie Richards in 1983. Other roles followed, including parts in Hinge & Bracket: Dear Ladies, Hells Bells, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and The Practice.

She has released books and exercise videos called Real Results, Rapid Results, Ultimate Results and Lasting Results. She also appeared on GMTV and This Morning and has had a fitness page in the Daily Mirror.

In 2000, she played the part of Barbara in the BBC sitcom The Peter Principle. In 2001, Callard was cast as Flo Henshaw in the BBC Three sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and continued in the role for two years. During this time, she also guested on Sky1's Mile High. Between June and December 2010, Callard was a recurring panellist on ITV's talk show Loose Women.

She was due to appear as the Wicked Queen in the Christmas pantomime Sleeping Beauty at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield, from December 2011, but had to withdraw from the production for undisclosed health reasons. She was subsequently replaced by her former Coronation Street co-star Margi Clarke.[2] She made her return to the stage in 2012 playing Mari Hoff in a British touring production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. In 2019, she performed in a touring production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Liverpool Empire.

In November 2020, it was announced that Callard would take part in the twentieth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. Callard became the third celebrity to be voted off, alongside Victoria Derbyshire on 30 November.[3]

Since March 2022, Callard has appeared in Gold comedy Newark, Newark, as Pauline.[4]

In 2023, Callard was announced as one of the participants on Channel 4 series Don't Look Down, in aid of Stand Up to Cancer.[5]

Coronation Street

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Main article: Liz McDonald

In 1984, Callard played Gail (Helen Worth) and Brian Tilsley's (Christopher Quinten) friend June Dewhurst in Coronation Street. In 1989, she returned to the series in the more significant role of Liz McDonald. Callard's first appearance as Liz aired on 27 October 1989. Callard's character of Liz McDonald has since been abused, a kidnap victim, a harassed mother and an unfaithful wife. Callard left Coronation Street in November 1998 to concentrate on her other career as an aerobics instructor and to spend more time with her family. In 2003, she returned to Coronation Street. In March 2011, Callard returned to Coronation Street having left for a short break in November 2010. Her last scenes before another exit were shown in April 2011 as she left Coronation Street, seemingly for good. On 30 May 2013, it was announced that she would return, again in the role of Liz McDonald; she returned on screen on 14 October 2013.[6] In March 2016, Callard announced a two-month break from the series, as a result of her ongoing battle with clinical depression.[7] She returned to filming in May 2016. In November 2019, Callard announced her departure from Coronation Street.[8] Her final scenes aired in 2020.[8]

Personal life

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Aged 16, Callard, then pregnant, married Paul Atkinson in 1974. She later miscarried.[9] Two years later, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Rebecca Callard, who later became an actress. A year later, the couple divorced, with Callard later recalling: "we were too young. He had an alcohol-induced violent side."[9]

In 1980, Callard married David Sowden, an economics teacher. During the marriage, Callard had an abortion.[9] In 1988, the couple separated amicably.[9] Callard became pregnant in 1989 to Steve Callard, and the couple married. Their son, Joshua was born in 1990. The pair separated due to Steve's infidelity, once occurring whilst Callard was recovering from cervical cancer treatment.[9]

In 2008, it was announced that Callard's pay, along with other Coronation Street cast members, would be cut due to the credit crunch. She lost 40% of her earnings.[10][11]

In 2016, Callard spoke about her nervous breakdown in 2009 and her depression.[12]

Callard lived with her fourth husband, Jon McEwan,[13] in Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester. They married on 30 October 2010, at the Hazelwood Castle Hotel, near Leeds.[1] In 2022 they moved to Norfolk.[14]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Shades of Darkness Rhoda Series 1, episode 2: "The Intercessor"
Emmerdale Angie Richards Series 1, 13 episodes
1984 Love and Marriage Make-up girl / Young Nurse Series 1, 2 episodes: "Lucifer" and "A Matter of Will"
Dear Ladies Hairdresser Series 3, episode 8: "Oh, Mr. Mayor"
Coronation Street June Dewhurst 3 episodes
1985 The Practice Maureen Riley Series 1, 3 episodes
1986 Hell's Bells Janey Series 1, episode 3: "Back Page Story"
1987 Screen Two Policewoman in Cell Series 3, episode 3: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
1989–1998, 2000–2001, 2003–2011, 2013–2020 Coronation Street Liz McDonald 2,362 episodes
2000 The Peter Principle Barbara Series 2, 6 episodes
Casualty Laura Hughes Series 15, episode 8: "Sympathy for the Devil"
2001–2003 Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Flo Henshaw Series 1–3, 19 episodes
2002 The Bill Chrissie Hendry Series 18, episode 25: "Walking on Water"
2004 Mile High Carole Series 2, episode 5
2010, 2012–2013, 2016–2021 Loose Women Herself / Presenter 29 episodes
2011 Bloody Norah Jacquie Television film
2012 In with the Flynns Pat Series 2, 2 episodes: "Liam Flynn, Party Legend" and "Life is Sweet"
2020 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Herself / Contestant Series 20, 20 episodes
2022 Newark, Newark Pauline Series 1, 3 episodes
Meet the Richardsons Herself Series 3, episode 8
2023 Don't Look Down Herself / Participant In aid of Stand Up to Cancer[5]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Ref.
2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Simon Gregson) Nominated [15]
2015 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [16]
2019 24th National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance Nominated [17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Beverley Callard marries partner". Digital Spy. 31 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Corrie's Bev Callard pulls out of panto". Digital Spy. 15 November 2011.
  3. ^ Hyland, Karen. "I'm A Celebrity: Beverley Callard and Victoria Derbyshire voted off in double elimination". Entertainment Daily. Digitalbox. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  4. ^ Harby, Jennifer (22 March 2022). "Newark, Newark sitcom 'a homecoming' for Mathew Horne". BBC News. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Celebrities revealed for Channel 4's Don't Look Down for Stand Up To Cancer | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  6. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (30 May 2013). "'Coronation Street': Beverley Callard returning as Liz McDonald". Digital Spy.
  7. ^ "Coronation Street's Beverley Callard: Depression 'curse of the strong'". BBC News. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. ^ a b Edwards, Chris (18 November 2019). "Coronation Street star Beverley Callard quits the soap after 30 years of playing Liz McDonald". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e Julie McCaffrey (1 June 2010). "Beverley Callard reveals her secret wedding plans after depression hell". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Callard's Corrie pay packet slashed" 13 August 2008, Digital Spy
  11. ^ "More Corrie stars face large salary cuts" 17 August 2008, Digital Spy
  12. ^ "Coronation Street's Beverley Callard: Depression 'curse of the strong'". BBC News. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  13. ^ Daniel Kilkelly (1 June 2010). "Corrie's Callard announces engagement". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  14. ^ Soap star ditches city life for rural Norfolk Retrieved 11/5/22.
  15. ^ Green, Kris (21 March 2008). "Digital Spy Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  16. ^ Dainty, Sophie (14 July 2015). "Inside Soap Awards 2015 longlist revealed: Who's in line for Best Actor, Actress and Newcomer?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  17. ^ Harp, Justin (16 October 2018). "Here are all the nominees for the National TV Awards 2019, including Strictly, Doctor Who and Ant & Dec". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
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