Coronation Street star Vicky Myers has opened up about a tough year in her life that saw her diagnosed with cancer while going through a tough divorce that put her acting career on pause.
The actress, who plays DS Lisa Swain on the ITV soap, had to find ways to pay her bills and had a two-year break from auditions to work in an office while raising her teenage daughter Meghan.
Speaking about overcoming her health struggles and difficult break-up, she said: ‘I don’t know if it’s my previous medical history, but I am so proud to be here and just to be living each day to the full.
‘When my husband and I split up, I was quite down, bitter and vengeful, and when I was told I had [cancer], I remember thinking, “If this is it for me, I’ve missed out on all this time with my daughter and I haven’t really been the best person that I wanted to be.”
She added to The Mirror: ‘The diagnosis re-centred me and made me focus on what is really important and what makes me happy. Now, every time I go into work and see the Coronation Street sign, it’s quite overwhelming.’
Explaining how that diagnosis came about, she told the publication: ‘My nephew has a heart condition. As we turned to leave, the doctor said, “Can I have a look at that mark on your leg?” Within five days I was in hospital.
‘I was wearing three-quarter length combat trousers that day. You can roll them up into shorts, which I did in the car just before the appointment, because it was a really hot June day.
‘It’s quite incredible to think that if it had been a miserable day the doctor would never have seen the little dark mark on my calf. I definitely had an angel watching over me that day.’
Vicky was revealed to have signed a regular contract to play DS Swain earlier this year, and sharing the news on Instagram wrote: ‘DS Swain is here to stay.
‘Needless to say I’m delighted! Thank you for the congratulatory messages and for your support. It’s greatly appreciated.’
Vicky’s character Lisa is currently at the heart of a big storyline.
Following the death of Joel Deering (Calum Lill), Lisa is determined to get to the bottom of his murder, despite having been taken off the case for being too personally involved.
However, her behaviour has caught fans attention and left them wondering if she may be trying to cover her own tracks after killing Joel herself…
Away from her career, Lisa recently shared a charged moment with show stalwart Carla Connor (Alison King).
After Lisa opened up about her mental health struggles, Carla attempted to comfort her, but the chemistry between them became too much for the detective sergeant, who rushed away.
Since then, they have decided to put their friendship first, but how long will that last?
