Coronation Street icon Beverley Callard has revealed a frustrating new setback in her breast cancer journey after discovering that the radiotherapy centre where she was supposed to receive urgent treatment had no record of her at all.
The 69-year-old actress, best known for playing Liz McDonald on Coronation Street for three decades, announced earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Following surgery, she has been waiting to begin radiotherapy treatment, but repeated delays have left her feeling stuck in limbo.
Beverley, who recently relocated to Ireland with husband Jon McEwan to join the cast of the long-running soap Fair City, explained that her treatment plans have been complicated by administrative problems and delays in transferring medical records from the UK.
In a candid update to fans, the actress admitted she was currently experiencing “a bit of a nightmare” while trying to secure an appointment with a radiotherapy specialist.
She said: “I’m having a bit of a nightmare. I went to the hospital twice last week – they’re fantastic. I have an appointment on Tuesday with one guy and then an appointment on Thursday with the oncologist, she was amazing.”
According to Beverley, doctors had stressed that her radiotherapy was becoming increasingly urgent due to the amount of time that had passed since her operation. She was assured that a referral would be processed quickly, but days later she had still heard nothing.
Growing concerned, she spent more than four hours on the phone attempting to track down information about her treatment.
She explained: “On Tuesday, I tried to get in touch to find out what’s going on. Four and a half hours on the phone. The radiotherapy is at a clinic I’ve not been to, and I managed to get in touch with them after four-and-a-half hours on the phone and they’ve never heard of me. There’s no record of me in the system.”
The revelation left Beverley stunned and forced her to consider returning to hospital in person to resolve the situation.
She added: “I’m going to have to go to the hospital again in the morning and see if I can see someone and say, ‘Hello, I’m here!’ I’m still in limbo and it’s driving me mad. Come on, let’s crack on now.”
Despite her frustration, the actress thanked supporters for their kindness and encouragement throughout her cancer battle.
“Thank you for all your messages and telling me your radiotherapy stories as well, it helps,” she said. “It’s filling in the gaps and answering lots of questions that are in my head.”
Sharing the update on social media, Beverley admitted it felt as though she was facing “one hurdle after another” and expressed hope that progress would finally be made soon.
The situation has also left husband Jon McEwan deeply frustrated. In his own video message, he criticised the lack of communication surrounding Beverley’s treatment referral.
“What a crap day we’re having,” he said. “We ring them. They’ve never heard of her. That’s not good. She’s obviously pretty fed up with everything. Why can’t these people… if they say they’re going to do it, just do it!”
Fans quickly rallied behind the television star, with many expressing outrage over the delays. Some urged her to escalate the matter directly to hospital management, while others insisted she should not leave the hospital without a confirmed appointment.
Beverley first revealed her diagnosis during an appearance on Ireland’s Late Late Show in February. She recalled receiving the life-changing phone call from her consultant just minutes before stepping onto the set of Fair City.
She said: “My consultant rang me and said, ‘you’ve got to come back to the UK’. I said, ‘Well, I can’t possibly, I’ve just taken a new job’. I said, ‘I’m away for a month’, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Although the diagnosis initially left her overwhelmed, Beverley has repeatedly reassured fans that her cancer was detected at a very early stage.
“But I’m fine, I’m absolutely fine,” she said. “My head was a bit mashed for the first few days. It’s very early stages, and I’m along with thousands of other women as well.”
For now, the beloved soap star remains hopeful that the latest administrative mix-up can be resolved quickly so she can finally begin the next crucial stage of her treatment.
