Coronation Street star Alison King has revealed she struggled with depression after a chest infection seriously affected her mobility and breathing during filming earlier this year. The actress, who plays Carla Connor, shared her health struggles on TikTok, explaining how the infection led to chronic pain and mental health difficulties.
Struggling Behind the Scenes
Speaking on TikTok, Alison King said: 'At the beginning of the year, my nervous system seemed to need rebalancing.' She also revealed: 'I lost my mum last year, last August.'
The actress explained that she caught the chest infection from two child actors on set. 'And then at the beginning of this year, I got a chest infection from two of the gorgeous little babies at work. Actually, when we were filming the wedding, I had been coughing and coughing and coughing. My right lung was hurting, my chest was hurting anyway, it was sick of the coughing, it was inflamed.'
Impact on Health and Exercise
The cough was so severe that Alison suspected she tore her intercostal muscle, which is located between the ribs and helps stabilise breathing. The chronic pain prevented her from swimming, which she described as her therapy.
'Because of my nervous system and not doing anything, I was really struggling to breathe a full breath. I couldn't swim, which I do all the time because that's my therapy. I couldn't do anything.' Unable to exercise, Alison admitted that she gained weight and began to suffer from depression.
Recovery and Current Storylines
Fortunately, she came out the other side and managed to treat her symptoms with reflexology and Reiki, reassuring fans that she is feeling 'good and happy' now.
The actress has recently been filming dramatic courtroom scenes where Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) will stand trial for the murder of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright). Theo's brutal attack occurred on the night of Carla and Lisa Connor-Swain's wedding reception back in April, where their daughter Betsy (Sydney Martin) found the body. Carla is also dealing with Betsy's life-changing injuries after she suffered a debilitating stroke, which badly affected her ability to speak clearly, as a result of experimenting with non-fatal strangulation.
