I’m A Celeb: Beverley Callard has hip problems, says Charles Lawton

Coronation Street actor Charles Lawson has said that his former co-star Beverley Callard has had ‘terrible problems with her hip’.

The soap legend, 61, appeared on Friday’s This Morning where he spoke about the actress, 63, appearing on the 2020 series of I’m A Celebrity.

Charles and Beverley have played on-screen and on-off couple, Jim and Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, since 1974.

Beverley has been at home in recent months as she recovered from a botched hip operation, sparking fears that she might not be able to appear on the show. 

Talking about his former co-stars upcoming appearance on I’m A Celebrity and her recent hip issues, Charles insisted that she is a ‘tough cookie’.

He told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford: ‘Someone told me on social media that she was very poorly a couple of months ago. So I rang her up and said: “Apparently you’re nearly dead”. She said she was fine and hoping to go in jungle. 

‘It was going to be largely down to her specialists or whatever. She’s had terrible problems with her hip post-surgery. You could make a whole programme about that, that was a couple of months ago.

‘She’s loads better now, then I heard she’s definitely going in. Fair play to her!’

Asked to elaborate further about her hip issues, Charles said: ‘It ended up being a hip replacement, she went in for something trivial. For legal reasons, I can’t go any further. 

‘It turned out not what it meant to be, poor lamb ended up in a serious way she’s a tough cookie and has bounced back!’

Charles added that he has been asked twice to appear on I’m A Celebrity but he turned it down as he regards himself an actor rather than a star. He also joked that he was likely to ‘probably lose my temper’.

Although the soap star will be making a brief cameo as Beverley has put him down as her famous friend for a special phone a friend section.

He said: ‘She asked me when we had a chat, can you be my go to famous friend whenever I am on the show. I said of course. I’m not sure how it will manifest, you know more than me about the programme. 

‘I don’t know how it works, I’m not going to wait up all night waiting for her to go up on that!’  

Charles also admitted that she won’t be taken advantage of during the upcoming series.

He quipped: ‘If you rub her up the wrong way, she’ll not only tell to wind your neck in but she will wind it in for you. She doesn’t suffer fools gladly, tough cookie, she won’t be backwards in coming forward if someone rubs her up the wrong way!’ 

Shane Roche Jr. was also on the show to talk about his father Shane Richie appearing on the upcoming series. 

He said: ‘He told me the day before it was going to break in the press, after ages of me asking him and ringing him, “Dad, what ae you doing for work?” and then he dropped this bombshell. I was gobsmacked, genuinely gobsmacked…’

Shane Jr., 31, whose mother is Coleen Nolan, also teased about his father’s appearance: ‘I don’t know about people bossing him about.

‘I’m curious to see what he will be like cleaning the dunny, it’s going to be TV gold. He’ll get on with anyone but when he’s hungry, tired, not eating… it’s the littlest things that get on people’s nerves.’

Beverley was officially confirmed as a contestant for the 2020 series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Outta Here, which will take place at the Gwrych Castle site in North Wales, on Sunday night. 

And the actress believes her fans will be expecting her to enter in a wonder bra and short skirt, thanks to her Coronation Street character, Liz McDonald’s iconic dress sense.

The soap star admitted she is the complete opposite of her former soap character, and she also revealed what worries her the most about leaving the cobbles of Corrie for the Welsh campsite.

Speaking as the full I’m A Celeb 2020 lineup was unveiled on Sunday, Beverley said of her fans’ perception: ‘They do see me as Liz and I think they think I will be going in with a wonder bra on and a very short skirt!

‘I think as I have played Liz for so long, people think I am quite glamorous and they think I am covered in make-up all the time.

‘To be totally honest, I am just the opposite! I hate being dressed up and I don’t care if my nails break either! I am quite at home in comfy baggy clothes.’

Beverley played the endearing Liz for more than 30 years before she exited the ITV soap for good earlier in 2020, but she was unable to film a dramatic exit scene due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the star, she felt now was the perfect time to try I’m A Celebrity, after been asked to appear on the show numerous times, and after she was reportedly offered a £125,000 paycheck.

She said: ‘I felt that after 31 years Liz had run her course and normally, I would have said “thank you but no thank you”.

‘But this year, I decided to go for it. Doing I’m A Celebrity is an adventure and definitely out of my comfort zone!’

The thespian revealed what concerns her the most about her forthcoming appearance on I’m A Celeb, and whether she will be a happy camper or a nightmare contestant.

She said: ‘I think I will be the cleaner upper in the camp but if they need me to cook, they will starve! I am rubbish!

‘I think I will be OK living with strangers but the only thing that worries me is the toilet side of things and personal hygiene.’

The 63-year-old has been at home in recent months as she recovered from a botched hip operation, sparking fears that she might not be able to appear on the show.

But Beverley is now ready to rumble in the I’m A Celeb jungle. While she is certain to miss her husband of ten-years, Jon McEwan, she is excited to experience a different environment and meet some new faces.

‘After lockdown because I had a hip operation I was still at home,’ she said. ‘But I am not good at being at home and I have not met any new people for months, so this chance will be really good.

‘Sitting around the camp doesn’t bother me because it is a chance to chat!’

Stars such as Sir Mo Farah, AJ Pritchard, Vernon Kay, Jessica Plummer, Shane Richie, Victoria Derbyshire, Giovanna Fletcher, Hollie Arnold, and Jordan North, are all announced as part of this year’s line up.

The new series starts next Sunday at 9pm on ITV.