Career
At the age of seven, Bev made her acting debut as Darius the page boy. After leaving school in 1973, she took a job as a shorthand typist. She later turned to acting and appeared on stage as Jaqui Coryton in Noël Coward's Hay Fever, Liz and Rita in Billy Liar and The Wicked Queen in Snow White'.
Bev made her television debut (as Beverley Sowden) in the Yorkshire Television soap Emmerdale Farm as Angie Richards in 1983. The following year, Bev played Gail and Brian Tilsley's friend June Dewhurst in Coronation Street. Other roles followed, including parts in Hinge & Bracket: Dear Ladies, Hells Bells, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and The Practice.
In 1989, Bev agreed to return to Coronation Street in the new and more significant role of Liz McDonald. She joined Charles Lawson, Nicholas Cochrane and Simon Gregson, who played the other members of the McDonald family. Callard's first appearance in the role was aired on 27 October 1989.
Bev's character of Liz McDonald has since had to endure being a battered wife, a kidnap victim, harassed mother and unfaithful wife.
Bev left Coronation Street in November 1998 to concentrate on her other career as an aerobics instructor and to spend more time with her family. She has released books and exercise videos called "Real Results", "Rapid Results", "Ultimate Results" and "Lasting Results". She also appeared on GMTV and This Morning and has had a fitness page in the Daily Mirror.
In 2000, she played the part of Barbara in the BBC sitcom The Peter Principle (TV series).
In 2001, Beverley was cast as Flo Henshaw in the BBC Three sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and continued in the role for 4 years. During this time, she also guested on Sky One's Mile High. In 2003, she returned to Coronation Street as the long suffering mother of Steve McDonald, much-disapproving mother-in-law to Becky Granger and friend to Deirdre Barlow.
She starred in an episode of 60 Minute Makeover where she helped the team decorate a school, which aired on 24 October 2008.
Beverley appeared as a contestant on the 2010 series All Star Mr and Mrs.
Between June and December 2010, Callard was a recurring panellist on ITV's flagship show Loose Women.
In March 2011, Liz returned to Coronation Street having left for a short break in November 2010. Beverly's last scenes for another exit were aired in April 2011 as she left Coronation Street seemingly for good.
She was due to appear as the Wicked Queen in the Christmas pantomime Sleeping Beauty at the Lyceum Theatre from December, 2011, but had to withdraw from the production for undisclosed health reasons. She was subsequently replaced by her former Coronation Street co-star Margi Clarke
She made her return to the stage in 2012 playing Mari Hoff in a UK touring production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. The cast also included Jess Robinson, Ray Quinn and Joe McGann.
Read more about this topic: Beverley Callard
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