Beverley Callard
Beverley McEwan | |
|---|---|
 Callard at Manchester Pride, 2010. | |
| Born | Beverley Jane Moxon 28 March 1957 Morley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Television | Coronation Street (1984, 1989–1998, 2000–2001, 2003–2011, 2013–2020) Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2003) |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Atkinson (m. 1974; div. 1978) David Sowden (m. 1980; div. 1988) Steve Callard (m. 1989; div. 2001) Jon McEwan (m. 2010)[1] |
| Children | 2, including Rebecca Callard. |
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 ITV's Coronation Street and Flo Henshaw in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Early life
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2011) |
Beverley Jane Moxon was born in Morley, West Riding of Yorkshire on 28 March 1957 to Clive and Mavis Moxon. Clive was a baker and Mavis was a concert pianist. She has a younger sister called Stephanie.
She attended Elmfield and Peel Street schools in Morley, and also Bruntcliffe High School in Morley.
Career
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 Jaqui 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.
Coronation Street
In 1984, Callard played Gail and Brian Tilsley's 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. In 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.[3] In March 2016, Callard announced a two-month break from the series, as a result of her ongoing battle with clinical depression.[4] She returned to filming in May 2016. In November 2019, Callard announced her departure from Coronation Street.[5] Her final scenes will air in summer 2020.[5]
Personal life
Aged 16, Callard, then pregnant, married Paul Atkinson in 1974. She later miscarried.[6] 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."[6]
In 1980, Callard married David Sowden, an economics teacher. During the marriage, Callard had an abortion.[6] In 1988, the couple separated amicably.[6] Callard fell 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.[6]
In 2008, it was announced that Callard's pay, along with other Street stars, would be cut due to the credit crunch. She personally suffered the most, losing 40% of her earnings.[7][8]
In 2016, Callard spoke about her nervous breakdown in 2009 and her depression.[9]
Callard now lives with her fourth husband, Jon McEwan,[10] in Eccles, Salford, with McEwan's son Ben. They married on 30 October 2010, at the Hazelwood Castle Hotel, near Leeds.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Beverley Callard marries partner" 31 October 2010, Digital Spy
- ^ "Corrie's Bev Callard pulls out of panto". 15 November 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (30 May 2013). "'Coronation Street': Beverley Callard returning as Liz McDonald". Digital Spy.
- ^ "Coronation Street's Beverley Callard: Depression 'curse of the strong'". BBC News. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Callard's Corrie pay packet slashed" 13 August 2008, Digital Spy
- ^ "More Corrie stars face large salary cuts" 17 August 2008, Digital Spy
- ^ "Coronation Street's Beverley Callard: Depression 'curse of the strong'". BBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ Daniel Kilkelly (1 June 2010). "Corrie's Callard announces engagement". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 August 2010.