Former Coronation Street star Beverley Callard has described her battle with severe clinical depression as the 'worst time of my life', even worse than her experience with cervical cancer. The 69-year-old, known for playing Liz McDonald for over 30 years, spoke candidly on The Hard Shoulder podcast about being hospitalised for three months in 2010.
Callard revealed that she underwent 12 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) after various medications failed. 'I can honestly say it was the worst time of my life. I’ve never ever known anything like it,' she said. 'Years and years ago I had cervical cancer, nothing is as bad as clinical depression, because I was in a black hole and I didn’t know why it had happened to me.'
The actress explained that her depression was not triggered by any life event but by a chemical imbalance in her brain. She stressed that with the right help, recovery is possible, adding that she has been well for a long time now.
Callard is currently appearing on I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, which was filmed before she received a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer in January. She reassured fans on Instagram that the series was pre-recorded and encouraged them to watch.
Regarding a potential return to Coronation Street, Callard said she would 'never say never' but noted that the workload is demanding and that she felt the stories for her character Liz had run their course.
