Former Coronation Street star Amanda Barrie has opened up about the health issues she is facing, including problems with her Achilles tendon and eyesight, but insists she has no intention of slowing down.
The actress, who turned 91 this month, spoke about her views on getting older and her bittersweet feelings towards those who have tried to help her. In her column for The i Paper, Amanda revealed how refusing help while getting out of a taxi backfired.
Taxi incident worsens injury
"I recently pulled my Achilles tendon and, at the moment, am experiencing considerable difficulty walking," she shared. "Yet when a taxi driver got out of his cab to assist me, I took off at speed to escape him, then tripped over the curb and did my Achilles even more damage."
As well as struggling with her Achilles, the actress said she is also suffering from problems with her eyesight. She added: "My eyesight has never been quite right since I suffered a retinal vein occlusion many years ago, leaving me totally unable to judge the distance and speed of oncoming traffic."
But refusing to let any health issues defeat her, she added: "But still I protest. 'I'm fine,' I say, stepping in front of a truck. 'Absolutely fine'."
Career continues at 91
While many people have long since retired by Amanda's age, the actress says it "is a real incentive to keep going in every way possible". One thing she has given up, however, is panto, joking that this is down to potentially frightening children should she have an accident and be "hauled off stage on a stretcher".
Amanda insists there is no secret to her longevity and believes she has simply been "blessed", claiming that she hasn't "done much to deserve" it.
One of the star's most memorable roles was playing Alma Halliwell in Coronation Street, a character she portrayed on and off for 20 years. Between 2003 and 2006, she played Bev Tull in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls. Her long-lasting career has also included stints in Carry On films, Casualty, Benidorm and Holby City, as well as Celebrity Big Brother and more recently appearing in Amandaland for a Comic Relief special.
Upcoming projects
Now, she is focused on preparing for appearances at two upcoming book festivals to promote her new book, I'm Still Here: My 90 Years. She is also fronting a new advertising campaign for Irn-Bru.
Previously reflecting on her life on the Cobbles, Amanda said she believed she'd be sacked if bosses found out about her sexuality at the time. The actress, who has been married to Hilary Bonner since 2014, came out as bisexual in her It's Not A Rehearsal: The Autobiography.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain back in June, she said of sharing her sexuality later in life: "I felt as if I was sort of cheating in some way, that although all my friends, family, anybody have always known what I was doing, which has been varied over the years, I give you that, but it felt that I couldn't be honest." After making it public, she said "absolutely nothing" happened much to her surprise and instead "got more of a hug than a stone thrown at me".
