Coronation Street's Beverley Callard reveals she's QUIT soap after 30 years as Liz McDonald

18 November 2019, 11:05 | Updated: 18 November 2019, 11:06

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Beverley Callard has left fans devastated after revealing she’s quitting Coronation Street.

Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard has played Liz McDonald for 30 years.

But now the soap star has announced she’ll be stepping down from the role, with her last scenes playing out in summer 2020.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, the 62-year-old confirmed her departure and said there’s a huge storyline coming for her iconic character.

The star said she experienced "so many sleepless nights" over quitting, but knew she was making the right choice.

Despite feeling “totally numb" when she told ITV bosses about her decision, Beverley added: "I’ve been told Liz is going to go with one hell of a bang. I cant wait!"

ITV has since confirmed the sad news, with MD of Continuing Drama John Whiston releasing a statement which reads: “With the character of Liz, Beverley Callard has gifted to Coronation Street 30 years of brilliant drama, comedy and everything in between.

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"Whether it’s sharing a wicked joke with Eileen, raising an arch eyebrow behind the bar of the Rovers or giving some feckless man the full force of her tongue, Liz is a true Coronation Street icon."

Hinting that the character won't be killed off, he added: “And while we wish Bev well when she leaves to take on new challenges mid next year, hopefully Weatherfield hasn’t seen the last of Liz!”

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Bev, who has been part of the Corrie family since 1989, will be leaving so she can go on tour with comedy play The Thunder Girls which is based on an ‘80s girl group reuniting 30 years after they were torn apart.

In the show - which also stars Coleen Nolan and Emmerdale's Sandra Marvin - Beverley plays Roxanne, the former band member who holds the balance of power in the reunion.

Beverley spoke about her frustrations over the lack of main roles for older women, as she said: "There’s very little work in our industry for women over 50, but I’m 62 and recently I was doing three jobs at once.

"It made me realise how I was privileged to have the opportunity to do so when so many women my age no longer get the chance."

"I’m sick of ageism in the industry", she went on to say, adding: "Although I’ve had to leave the safety net of being in Coronation Street to do this, I’m hoping that ageist bosses, of which there are many, take note of how successful this show is and it starts the ball rolling on helping other women my age, get the roles they still deserve."