Coronation Street icon Beverley Callard has publicly refuted speculation that she used so-called 'skinny jabs' to achieve her recent weight loss, attributing her slimmer figure to dedicated diet and exercise.
Social media statement sets the record straight
The 68-year-old actress, famed for her long-running role as Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald, took to social media on Friday to showcase her trim physique. However, the post prompted a wave of comments from followers suspecting she had turned to weight loss medication.
In a direct video message, Beverley stated: "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." She was quick to add that she wouldn't criticise anyone who chose that route, saying "Just do what you've got to do."
A lifelong commitment to fitness
Callard reinforced her point in the caption of her post, writing: "I’ve spent my whole life doing fitness and working my arse off… literally!" She clarified that while everyone has their own method, she is not using any weight loss injections.
Her fitness credentials are well-established. Before finding soap fame, she was an aerobics teacher. During the peak of her Coronation Street popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s, she released a series of workout videos and penned a fitness column for the Daily Mirror.
Since leaving the ITV soap for the final time in 2020, Beverley has reignited her passion for fitness. After relocating from Manchester to Norfolk with her husband Jon McEwan, she began offering local exercise classes in 2022.
Fan support and a look back at her soap career
Fans were quick to support the star online, with many praising her lifelong dedication to health. One commented on her hard work, while another noted they still use her exercise DVDs, calling for her to release new content.
Beverley first appeared as Liz McDonald in 1989. Her tenure on the cobbles included periods from 1989 to 1998, 2003 to 2011, and finally 2013 to 2020. Reflecting on her decision to leave, she cited the gruelling schedule, working six days a week from 7am until 10pm, and expressed that she no longer felt the scripts were as strong as in earlier years.
The actress, who also starred in Emmerdale and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, remains a qualified fitness instructor, proving her commitment to a healthy lifestyle is far from a recent trend.
