Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard, who starred as Rovers landlady Liz McDonald, has hit back at accusations she has taken weight loss medication to get into shape
Beverley Callard has insisted she has not been using jabs to lose weight. The actress, 68, who is best known for her legendary portrayal of former Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, is also a qualified fitness instructor alongside her television career and took to social media on Friday to show off her trim new figure.
But some followers did not believe that she had simply adopted a healthier diet and exercise regimen to drop the pounds and accused her of turning to “skinny jabs” as a quick fix.
In the video, Beverley said: “No girls, I am not on a skinny jab. I have worked out my whole life and I have been working my a** off, literally. Although I must say, I would not knock anybody who is on it. Just do what you’ve got to do.” The former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star, who was last seen in her signature soap role in 2020, also used the caption of her post to quash the accusations.
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She wrote: “Just addressing some of the comments I’ve been getting recently about my weight… as there have been quite a few! I’ve spent my whole life doing fitness and working my arse off… literally! Each to their own when it comes to weight loss, but I’m not on any weight loss jabs. Just clearing that up!”
During the height of her television fame in the mid to late 1990s, Beverley released a series of workout videos and also wrote a fitness-themed column for the Mirror. Fans of the Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps actress rushed to the comments section to throw praise on the star.
One wrote: “You have always looked amazing @beverleycallard ignore all the comments those who love you and follow you know you’ve done this with healthy eating & good exercise happy new year to you & keep doing what your doing xx”
Another said: “I still use your exercise DVD, it’s still fab! You need to upload it or do a new one!” and a third wrote: “I’ve been working out to your DVDs for years. Along with Rosemary Conley, you are my favourite fitness instructor. I’d love to train with you for real if you ever decide to hold some local classes.”
Since quitting her role as Liz, Beverley moved from Manchester to Norfolk with her husband Jon McEwan and quickly started offering exercise classes in her local area. When she launched them in 2022, she said: “I can’t wait to meet you all. Thank you to all of you who have been in touch already! Those of you who have emailed but not filled in the questionnaire yet, please send me them!
“If you’re interested in being one of my 25 strong women and part of my new fitness classes.” Beverley was an aerobics teacher before she was cast as Angie Richards in Emmerdale in 1983, and when she left Coronation Street for the first time in 1998, she decided to focus on her fitness career once again.
She then appeared as Liz again from 2003 until 2011, and then again from 2013 until 20202. Once she left for the final time, Beveley admitted she had worked six days a week and filmed from 7am to 10pm in the evening.
Beverley also took a swipe at the writers of the long-running ITV soap as she spoke of why she doesn’t think the “scripts are as good now”, in comparison to when she first made her appearance as Liz in 1989.
In an interview with The Sun, Beverley said of her decision to leave: “As an actor, you’re scared to say no to a job, but the scripts came and I thought I’ve just got to trust my instincts really. It’s not nine to five, it’s like seven until ten at night and it’s six days a week, it’s really full on and you have no life, like it used to be a lot harder years ago when the cast was smaller. I personally don’t think the scripts are as good now, I think we’re overloaded with soap operas, which is a shame.”
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