Will Mellor broke down in tears while describing how he did "the wrong thing" after the death of his sister Joanne in 2012, before applying those lessons when his father died. The actor, from Bredbury in Stockport, discussed the period on the Happy Place podcast, saying he "slipped into a dark place" and "wasn't a good person" following her loss.
A Career Spanning Decades
Mellor has been landing television roles since 1990, when he first appeared credited as 'William Mellor' portraying Ben Rowlingson in Children's Ward, the ITV children's drama produced in Bolton between 1989 and 2000. Notable roles in Hollyoaks, where he played James 'Jambo' Bolton, and as Gaz Wilkinson in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, set in Runcorn, followed. He has remained a regular fixture on television, including recent appearances in Coronation Street as Harvey Gaskell.
His new memoir, Where There's A Will: My Story, celebrates his 50th birthday and chronicles his journey from childhood on a council estate through his entertainment career, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Struggling After Loss
Joanne died after suffering a heart attack in 2012, aged 44. Mellor told host Fearne Cotton: "I slipped into depression after that, and I wasn't a good person." He added: "I never thought I would find myself in that cloud and not see colour any more. Because I couldn't protect her any more, I couldn't change it."
"And that's what the killer is, because I always thought I could fix things, I will do anything to help people if I can – and I couldn't help her," the 50-year-old said. "I just did the wrong thing. Drinking, gambling, trying to find a high in life, which sent me further down the hole. I hated myself for it. But I got through it. My wife got me through it."
Learning From Experience
Further heartbreak followed when Mellor's dad, Bill, died from cancer in April 2020, a fortnight after being rushed to hospital following a seizure. Cancer had been discovered in his lung before spreading to his brain.
Mellor told Fearne: "When my dad passed I saw the signs and didn't go that deep. Obviously lockdown didn't help, when you don't have to be up in the morning there's no excuse not to have a few drinks. You have a word with yourself, I was sick of feeling rubbish and now I feel great."
When he became visibly emotional, he confessed: "I struggle with my emotions, they are on the surface all the time and when I talk about these things its because I care and I can't help it."
