Beverley Callard

Beverley Callard was borh Beverley Jane Moxon on 28th March 1957 in Leeds. She is the elder daughter of two to a baker and a concert pianist and was first married at the age of sixteen to Paul Atkinson, with who she had a daughter, Rebecca, born in 1976 (who has since also followed in her mother's steps to become an actress). Having left school to become a shorthand typist Beverley soon turned to acting and her first work was on the stage as a member of the Leeds Proscenium Players.

Her second husband was teacher David Sowden and it was under the name "Beverley Sowden" that she made her television debut in Emmerdale Farm in 1983 and then first appeared in Coronation Street in 1984 as June Dewhurst, wife of Gary Dewhurst, a friend of Brian Tilsley.

In 1989 she married third husband Steven Callard (who she has since divorced) and in the same year she returned to Coronation Street in the new regular role of Liz McDonald, wife of ex-army sergeant Jim McDonald and new owners of 11 Coronation Street. Making her debut in Episode 2984 (27th October 1989), the McDonald family, with twin sons, Andy and Steve moved into their new house in December of that year (Beverley and screen husband Charles Lawson were involved in the auditioning of the Nicholas Cochrane and Simon Gregson to play Andy and Steve, a process that she found "nerve-wracking").

After nine incident-packed years in the role, Beverley left the programme in October 1998 to concentrate on making a lucrative series of keep-fit videos and appear in her own satellite tv fitness show.

After moving briefly to Spain in 2000 to avoid the taxman, she returned to the programme for short periods in 2000 - 2001, 2003, 2004 and has since 2005 returned as a regular. In between these stints she appeared in other roles on television starring in programmes such as The Peter Principle and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps as well as appearing in Casualty and The Bill.