Callard played long‑time Rovers Return barmaid and landlady Liz McDonald on Coronation Street from 1989 to 2020.
During her time on the cobbles, Liz was involved in several major storylines, including being in an abusive marriage to husband Jim (Charlie Lawson), money problems, and repeated battles to protect her son Steve (Simon Gregson).
In later years, her storylines increasingly revolved around the Rovers pub.
Beverley Callard talks future on Coronation Street
Callard has left Coronation Street several times, in 1998, 2001, 2011, and then again in 2020.
The 69-year-old previously revealed (on the podcast How to be 60) that she left the soap in 2020 because the scripts “weren’t what they used to be”.
On-screen, viewers saw Callard’s character Liz move to Spain.
Despite her departure from the show Callard, speaking to the Daily Star, said she was “so proud to be a part of it” and “I’d never say never” to a comeback.
She said: “I can’t now because I’m filming something else but I think you should never say never.
“I loved my time there, you don’t stay in something for 32 years if you didn’t love it, but I think the workload and the way it’s filmed, certainly when you’re in a big storyline, you’re there all day, every day so I don’t think I’d want that again to that extent.
“I think they have great writers on the show and great actors but I just felt the stories were not there for Liz anymore but I’d never say never.”
“It’s a shame” – Beverley Callard speaks out following death of on-screen husband
Last month, Liz’s estranged husband Jim McDonald died from pneumonia off-screen on Coronation Street.
Callard said she thought Corrie bosses were “crazy” to kill off her on-screen husband.
She added: “Charlie is one of the best male actors I have ever worked with. What you see is what you get.
“He doesn’t suffer fools, he’s brutally honest but he’s wonderful and I think they’re crazy for killing Jim McDonald off.
“I think it’s a shame that opportunity will no longer exist.”
Beverley Callard says she was “too easy” on I’m a Celeb campmate
Callard also appeared on series 20 of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here back in 2020, which was filmed at Gwrych Castle in Wales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is now taking part in the second series of I’m a Celebrity – South Africa, alongside fellow all-stars, including Harry Redknapp, Craig Charles, Sinitta, and Seann Walsh.
The former soap star announced in February that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and is documenting her journey on social media.
Due to a recent diagnosis, fans were concerned when Callard appeared on the new series of I’m a Celebrity, not realising the show had been filmed late last year, prior to her diagnosis.
They were angered further when David Haye pushed for Callard to be sent to the Savannah Scrub (the more basic of the two camps) in the first episode.
After days of meals of rice and beans and being more exposed to the elements, the Savannah Scrub group eventually joined the main camp.
Upon her arrival back to the main group, Callard said to Haye: “Oh you’ve had some stick.”
Before adding: “He was mean to me. I was going, ‘I’m gonna chin him when we get in there!’”
Reflecting on her return to the main camp, having now seen it on the TV, Callard, via The Sun, revealed she wishes she’d said more.
She explained: “When I was watching it last night — I actually thought I was too easy on him. I did.
“I mean, you’ve got to wait and see what happens, but I actually thought I was too easy on him when I first got back into main camp.
“I did say a lot more than that — it was edited out — but I think I was too easy on him when we first met again.”
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