Coronation Street Star Lucy Fallon Details Mental Health Crisis and Hospitalisation
Coronation Street actress Lucy Fallon has candidly shared her profound mental health struggles, revealing she spent five weeks in a psychiatric hospital during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The ITV soap star, renowned for her role as Bethany Platt, described hitting "rock bottom" and feeling utterly hopeless at the time.
A Descent into Crisis During Lockdown
In an emotional interview on Johnny Seifert's Secure the Insecure podcast, Fallon disclosed that her mental health deteriorated severely towards the end of 2020. She explained, "From quite young, I've always struggled. I've always been quite insecure. I was just at the absolute rock bottom that I've ever, ever felt. And I really, really, really struggled." This period culminated in her admission to The Priory, a well-known mental health facility, for approximately five weeks.
Fallon recounted, "I had a really bad batch of mental health towards the end of 2020 and I ended up being in The Priory for about five weeks because my mental health was so bad. I couldn't see a way out of feeling how I was feeling." Her family and colleagues intervened, recognising the severity of her condition. She noted, "It almost felt like other people, other factors, were telling me, 'Right, you need some serious help now. It's gone a bit too far.'"
Reluctance and Recovery at The Priory
Initially resistant to treatment, Fallon admitted she did not want to go to the hospital and felt out of place upon arrival. She said, "At first, I didn't feel like I was bad enough to be there. It almost felt like this just feels a bit alien and a bit strange, like, I don't know why I'm here." However, after a few weeks, she began to acclimate and find solace in the environment.
"After a few weeks of being there, I was like, okay. I got to grips with it. And actually after a week of being there, I liked it. I felt quite safe. I met quite a lot of people there who I sometimes still keep in contact with now," Fallon shared. This experience marked a turning point in her recovery, providing a supportive space during her darkest moments.
Life After Hospitalisation and Ongoing Mental Health
Following her discharge, Fallon temporarily moved back in with her parents, appreciating their "good support system." She now reflects on that time as "a completely different life," adding, "I feel like that was a totally different version of me. And I've been lucky enough to say that I did manage to get myself out of it, because I know for so many people that's not the reality and you can stay on that level and it's really hard to get out of feeling like that."
Now a mother of two children with her footballer fiancé Ryan Ledson, Fallon returned to Coronation Street in 2023 and reports being in a much better place mentally. She acknowledged that while she still faces challenges, such as feeling overwhelmed by parenting duties, her overall mental state has improved significantly.
"I wouldn't say that I wake up every morning with a spring in my step," she admitted. "I wake up sometimes and I'm like, I can't be bothered with this day. But then other days I wake up and I'm like, come on, let's seize the day. Let's go." Fallon concluded, "But I'd say mentally, I feel very content, even though there's days where I feel a bit down. Generally, I feel like I've got myself together."
Her story highlights the importance of mental health awareness and the role of professional help and family support in overcoming crises, especially during stressful periods like the pandemic.
