Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard has offered fans an update on her ongoing cancer treatment, revealing she is now over halfway through her radiotherapy sessions. The 69-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer earlier this year, has been documenting her journey on social media to help others facing similar fears.
Diagnosis and Initial Treatment
Callard, known for her iconic role as Liz McDonald on the long-running ITV soap, relocated to Ireland with her husband Jon McEwan after joining the Irish soap Fair City. Following her diagnosis, she had three lymph nodes removed as a precaution to prevent the cancer from spreading. Her consultant later confirmed that the surgery "went really well" and they managed to "cut the cancer out."
However, Callard faced a delay in starting radiotherapy and was told she should have begun treatment sooner. She finally started radiotherapy at the beginning of July and has been keeping her Instagram followers updated with regular video updates.
Radiotherapy Progress
Over the weekend, Callard shared a short clip filmed outside St Luke's Hospital. Dressed in a leopard print jumpsuit, she said: "Sitting in the garden outside St Luke's Hospital. Just finished number six. Over half way!"
She then posted a clip of herself on her sofa with her two Giant Black Russian Terriers. As her husband Jon commented that the dogs should not be on the sofa, Callard replied: "I know, but they missed me!"
Demystifying Radiotherapy
Earlier, Callard had shared a detailed video of her fifth radiotherapy session, aiming to alleviate the "fear of the unknown." She filmed inside the treatment room, explaining: "The biggest thing is the fear of the unknown. So I'm showing you what happens."
She advised viewers to wear loose tops without metal to avoid changing time and demonstrated how she prepares. After undergoing treatment off-camera, she returned to describe the experience: "These people, and that machine, work its magic. It makes occasional noises, but it's not frightening... So it's completely painless. That's the machine, all these spin around you, nothing hurts. You don't go in a tunnel or anything like that. It's a few minutes and it's done!"
Fan Support
Fans rushed to show their support. @jassyveale commented: "Thank you for sharing this, you are such a wonderful person to share your personal story." @ruthielou79 wrote: "Thank you for sharing this Beverly, your so amazing, keep going your doing so well." @abi_goldy added: "What a great idea to share this part of your journey - u r doing an amazing job helping us all understand every part of it!! You are such an inspiration." @eileendrever said: "You are the guiding light to many going through this - thank you for your honesty."
