Vicky Myers, who plays Coronation Street detective Lisa Connor-Swain, has said her latest storyline, which sees her character caring for her daughter Betsy as she recovers from a stroke, reminded her of her own childhood experiences with her brother Fran, who has cerebral palsy.
The actress, 50, took on the guest role five years ago, and what was planned as a four-episode stint has become a permanent job on the cobbles. She told the Mirror: "As long as she challenges me, then I'll stay forever."
Lisa moved to Weatherfield full-time in 2024, and since then fans have seen her at the centre of major storylines, including her ex-wife Becky Swain faking her death and her daughter Betsy suffering a stroke as a result of non-fatal strangulation. Happier times have included Lisa's wedding to Carla Connor, with the couple known as Swarla being the first lesbian couple to marry on the soap.
Representation and relatability
Vicky said she is thrilled to represent so many people with her character. She said: "There are so many women who can relate to what Lisa's been through. Also women that are in what used to be a male-dominated profession. For fans to be so loyal and to support Lisa and Carla, I think that's a testament to how much these two have been needed by viewers."
She added: "As is with all representation and visibility, it's very much needed."
Reflecting on her mum's fight
As Betsy faces challenges in her rehabilitation, Vicky said she is reminded of her own experiences growing up with her brother Fran, who was born at 28 weeks. She said: "I can relate to my mum. She was a working mum, but in particular, when my brother was young and with his disability, she had to fight for everything. I watched her, and only as an adult now, and as a mother myself, I realise just how hard she had to fight."
She added: "I'm in awe of her. She still continues, and she's in her early 70s, but she has this drive and determination that seems endless. And even through exhaustion, she still pushes on, because she has to."
Vicky recalled: "Looking back, I was a young child, but I remember seeing how she was relentless in her pursuit for accessibility, for understanding, for support, and also so determined that he was going to live as mainstream a life as she could possibly provide for him, her and my dad."
She said: "It was a different generation, my dad worked all hours, we grew up in a pub, and they grafted really hard. I watched my mum, fight to get my brother into a mainstream primary school, they didn't have accessibility like they have now, it was extremely poor."
She described her mum as "a wonderful woman who I respect massively", and added: "Lisa moving Betsy's wheelchair around on set and things, I really wanted to make a point of how cumbersome it can be, but these are necessities, these are how people can navigate life."
Turning 50 and looking ahead
Vicky, who turned 50 earlier this year, said she is sure it will be her "best decade yet". She said: "I think as I've got older, a lot of my views have changed and I'm a lot calmer. 50 is the best! A lot of things happened in my 40s which were brilliant, but I have this thought process of don't trip over something that you left behind."
She added: "Take each day as it comes and embrace it, because you never know what's around the corner. Treat every day as if it's your last, and just go for it! I'm glad I'm not living my 20s and 30s now. I really wouldn't like it."
Reflecting on growing up in the 80s, she said: "There was freedom. There wasn't always the thought process of getting my phone out. We were living in the moment, and there's a real beauty in that."
As for Lisa's past, Vicky hopes the soap will explore it. She said: "I think it will be interesting to explore her family backstory, and why she's not in touch with any of them. What happened to her as a child, what's her story, and what was her journey with her sexuality?"
She added: "When did she realise that she was queer? All of these things intrigue me with her. I've got my ideas. I've sort of built things up, but they all need to align together with the storylines. Lisa's a bit of an enigma. We don't know everything about her."
She said: "There are things that I know. She's had a past, we've all had a past. Not everybody gets her, not everybody likes her. I'm not sure if I'd want to play somebody that everybody likes, and Lisa's a challenge for me to play."
