Coronation Street star Jane Danson has admitted it's 'tough to navigate' her changing appearance while growing up on screen in the long-running ITV soap. The actress, famed for playing Leanne Battersby, joined the show at just 17 in 1997 alongside her on-screen family, including father Les, step-mum Janice, and step-sister Toyah. The foursome were brought in to shake up the cobbles.
Jane left the show not long after a harrowing storyline that saw her character become a drug addict. She returned in 2004, married Peter Barlow, then Nick Tilsley for the second time, before the couple parted again. However, she has since reunited with Nick twice more — in 2016 and 2018. Leanne later became pregnant with Steve McDonald's baby and gave birth to a son, Oliver Battersby, who tragically died in 2020 from mitochondrial disease. She was later sucked in by a cult, which resulted in her and Nick's most recent union ending dramatically as he was caught having an affair with her sister, Toyah Battersby.
As her role on the cobbles continues, Jane has taken to social media to discuss how she looks after her skin after almost 30 years on-screen. In a video, she said: 'I've worked in television for years now and I've literally seen myself grow up on screen. And I've seen all the changes I've gone through and it's been, well for the most part, quite nice to look back on all the different chapters through the years.'
'But now I'm reaching that age, perimenopause, where all of a sudden I'm noticing quite big change in the appearance of my skin and being in an industry where there's a constant pressure to look good, it's quite a tough one to navigate.' The 47-year-old went on to explain what she's found works for her as she plugged collagen supplements on Instagram. Her Corrie co-stars were quick to flood her with compliments.
Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah Platt, said: 'Looking amazing Jane.' New castmate Junade Khan, who recently arrived in Weatherfield as Idris Nazir, commented: 'You look amazing hun.' Former co-star Angela Lonsdale also posted: 'Looking gorg Jane,' while Sherrie Hewson echoed: 'Looking gorgeous.'
Away from her long-running Corrie role, Jane is married to Robert Beck, best known for playing Peter Harrison in the now-defunct soap Brookside, before appearing as Damon 'Harry' Harris in Emmerdale between 2023 and 2024. Back in December, the couple took to social media to reveal they were celebrating 20 years since tying the knot. Sharing a beaming photo of them on their special day, Jane shared on Instagram: 'Happy 20th wedding anniversary my love @robertbeck529.' Robert also took to Instagram with joyous pictures from their wedding day, in which they could be seen cutting the cake, as well as pictures of them together now. Alongside the post, he lovingly shared: '20 years …. It’s been a wild ride … thank you @realjanedanson, for bringing love, meaning and crisply ironed boxer shorts into my life .. Happy Anniversary to us, and here’s to another 20.'
