Former Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay has described the hair loss she experienced during perimenopause as "a nightmare", revealing that her friend and former co-star Suranne Jones helped her find treatment.
Lindsay, who played Shelley Unwin on the ITV soap between 2001 and 2006, noticed her trademark blonde hair thinning to the point of visible bald patches. Speaking on Tom Price's My Mate Bought a Toaster podcast, she explained that the change came about four years ago.
Suranne Jones's advice
After seeing two male doctors without success, Lindsay turned to Jones, who recommended a female doctor. Jones arranged for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to be delivered to her home.
Lindsay said: "I went to two male doctors and then my friend Suranne Jones, she said, 'You want to go to this doctor, Dr Naomi Potter,' and she biked me round HRT, literally biked me it round."
She added: "She said, 'You're literally two years into perimenopause and not had any help,' because I kept asking for help. It's a normal story, isn't it? It's a nightmare, the fact the doctors only get one hour's training in their entire thing on something that happens to 51% of the population is a disgrace."
Preference for soap actors
Lindsay also discussed her preference for hiring former soap actors for her series The Madame Blanc Mysteries, despite what she described as snobbery against soap stars in the acting industry.
She said: "The thing about being an actor who has been on a soap opera is they are absolutely match fit, I know they will turn up for work, they'll know their lines, they'll know them inside out, they won't be a dick and they'll take direction."
This is not the first time Lindsay has spoken about working with former soap actors. She previously told Joe Wilkinson and David Earl's Chatabix podcast: "I remember especially in Coronation Street, most of them were amazing and I still know them now, fantastic people. And the hardest job ever, I'd always get a director who has done a soap, I'd always hire one, I'd hire an actor who has done a soap because they are hard as nails. They get in and they're raw, they know their lines, they're in and they don't mess about. There's something about that training."
Shelley Unwin's Coronation Street story
Shelley Unwin arrived in Weatherfield to work at the Rovers Return and was promoted to manager when Fred Elliott took over the pub. She became engaged to Peter Barlow, unaware that he was also dating Lucy Richards, who was pregnant with his son. When Shelley discovered the truth, she ended the relationship.
She later began a relationship with Charlie Stubbs, who was sleeping with her mother Bev and sought to isolate her from friends while making cruel remarks about her weight. Under his control, Shelley developed severe agoraphobia and became trapped in her bedroom above the pub. She eventually sought help from a psychologist and left Charlie at the altar, humiliating him in front of wedding guests.
After securing a new job in the Peak District, Shelley left Weatherfield. A one-night stand with Charlie resulted in a pregnancy, which was revealed when she returned to visit her mother. Despite pressure from Charlie and Tracy Barlow to have an abortion, Shelley refused and left again, never to be seen again. Charlie was later murdered by Tracy.
