Beverley Callard, best known as the inimitable Liz McDonald in Coronation Street, fresh from her second stint on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! spoke exclusively to WhichBingo, the home of the best bingo sites.
She discussed the ongoing David Haye feud in the latest series of I’m A Celebrity All Stars, her move to Dublin to join Fair City, and the fitness DVD that knocked Al Pacino off the number one spot.
“I Was Too Easy on Him”
Watching the series back with fresh eyes, Beverley is in no doubt that she let David Haye off lightly when she returned to main camp after her time in Savannah Scrubs.
“I actually thought I was too easy on him. I did say a lot more than that, it was edited out, but I think I was too easy on him when we first met again.”
The initial flashpoint, she recalls, was deeply personal.
“When he first said ‘I don’t know her and she has to prove herself to me’, all I could think was, who the hell do you think you are? I was a fan of his.
“My dad used to box for the army, my son has boxed, and there were so many questions I wanted to ask him. I was thrown completely. I thought it was ageist, I thought it was sexist, and at that time I thought he had no consideration for anybody else’s feelings whatsoever.”
bingo sites worth your time
Ranked and Reviewed ✅
And yet, she acknowledges a silver lining. Being banished to Savannah Scrubs led to an unexpected bond with Shaun, Gemma, and Adam that she describes as one of the highlights of the entire experience. “In the end, David Haye did me a favour.”
As for whether the feud is truly behind them, she is clear: “It’s not over, let me say that.”
The Real Experience She’d Always Wanted
This was Beverley’s second time on I’m a Celebrity, and she was determined to make it count. Her 2020 appearance at the Welsh castle had been hampered by a hip operation just months before, leaving her unable to take part in certain trials. The cold, a bedroom at minus one degree, was, she says, a misery.
“I wanted the real experience, rather than being frozen to death. That really frustrated me in Wales, because I will have a go. I might not be very good, but I’ll have a go. And now, of course, I could do anything. And I did.”
The campmates she bonded with most were telling. She already knew Adam Thomas and Craig, while Mo Gilligan was a familiar face from the castle. But it was the women who surprised her most, particularly Gemma ‘Tallia’ Owen.
“She’s feisty, she’s very clever, she can think on her feet — which I really admire because I’m useless at that. I can think of really good things to say three days later. But she’s also very kind and very loving, and she surprised me hugely in a good way.”
She also has fond words for Scarlett Moffatt, Ashley Roberts; “we haven’t seen enough of her yet”. And reserves particular warmth for Mo Farah. “I can’t wait to see Mo again. He is just one of God’s children. We had great chats in there, some of which you might not see.”
And the mile high club rumours on the return flight? She is giving nothing away; “The Virgin flight was very good. I’ll say that.”
A New Chapter: Fair City and Life in Dublin
When the Fair City team first came calling, Beverley’s answer was an automatic no. After 32 years on Coronation Street, the idea of another long-running commitment held no appeal whatsoever. But they asked her to just have a watch.
“I watched loads of earlier episodes, then caught up to present day. And John watched it with me because it’s just about us two now, our kids are all grown up, and his opinion matters to me. And I just said to him: I don’t think I can say no to this.”
The draw, she explains, was a quality that is harder to define than a cast list or a contract. Fair City reminded her of how Coronation Street used to feel.
“It reminds me of how filming used to be, a long time ago. Kitchen-sink drama. It’s about people’s lives and the interactions. The scripts are really good. The acting is amazing. And the scenes are quite long — not too rushed.”
The plan had been to travel back and forth between Dublin and Norfolk, where husband John runs his building business. But the schedule quickly made that untenable and then came the news that changed everything.
On Coronation Street, Charlie Lawson and Liz McDonald’s Legacy
Thirty-two years as Liz McDonald left Beverley with friendships that have outlasted the cobbles. Chief among them is Charlie Lawson, who played Jim McDonald, a character she feels the show was wrong to kill off.
“Charlie is one of the best male actors I have ever worked with. What you see is what you get. He doesn’t suffer fools, he’s brutally honest, but he’s wonderful. And I think they’re crazy for killing Jim McDonald off. I think it’s a shame that opportunity will no longer exist.”
She has been asked to return to the Street herself on more than one occasion and is flattered each time. Currently committed to Fair City, a return is off the table for now — but her affection for the show is undimmed.
“Every single time in 32 years when they said ‘going for a take’, I would just get that nervous feeling. And I really thought: I’m shooting a piece of history here. Coronation Street is the longest-running television programme in the world. I was so proud to be a part of it.”
The DVD That Knocked Al Pacino Off Number One
Most people know Beverley Callard as a soap icon. Fewer know that she has been a qualified fitness instructor since she was twenty years old, teaching classes throughout her entire acting career — including for most of her three decades on Coronation Street, quietly, without anyone at the show knowing.
“I’ve always done the two jobs together. For years I did it while I was in Coronation Street and no one knew. And then when they found out, that’s when it rocketed. My first DVD sold 800,000 copies. It knocked Al Pacino and Robert De Niro off the number one slot.”
Her teaching is currently on hold while she focuses on her health, but there is no ambiguity about her intentions once she is well.
“When I am teaching fitness, I’m not a wife, I’m not a mother, I’m not an actor. I’m just me. I’m with those women, and I love it. As soon as I’m well, please God, I’ll be teaching classes in Dublin.”
On Being Typecast and the Lack of Roles for Women
Beverley is candid about the challenges that follow leaving a role as defining as Liz McDonald. Most of what came her way, she says, was simply Liz under a different name.
“I didn’t leave that character to one side just to do it again under another name. And it really pisses me off that you see the same people in things all the time. There are so many wonderful actresses out there, and there’s a lot more work for male actors than there is for females. All you have to do is look at a Shakespeare play, you’re lucky if you get two women in it. Twenty men every time.”
She is, she acknowledges, in a fortunate position; busy since the day she left the Street, and now with a role she genuinely loves. But the frustration on behalf of others is real and clearly felt.
Reader comments