The Coronation Street cast may be known for their incredible portrayal of heartbreaking stories, but their own lives can often be just as dramatic away from the cameras.

Away from the cobbled streets of Weatherfield, Manchester, the actors lead normal lives, often sharing their struggles with their social media followers and raising awareness in televised interviews.

While their characters’ struggles can be tackled more regularly, the stars hope to inspire fans by sharing their own struggles for health.

They dug through the archives to share some of the devastating realities actors have faced in recent years.

Gray O’Brien



Gray O'Brien battled tonsil cancer away from Coronation Street after being killed by soap

Scottish actor Gray O’Brien shared his devastating news with his Twitter followers in November 2019.

The star who played Tony Gordon on the show between 2007 and 2010 made her last appearance on the show on this day in 2010.

Gray hid his diagnosis from his famous fans and friends before going public after undergoing intensive treatment for tonsil cancer.

Sharing his diagnosis, Gray said, “About 3 months ago a visit to doctors with swollen glands led to stage four of tonsil cancer.

“Today marks the end of my treatment and I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”

Today Gray is the picture of health, frequently updating fans on his various mountain hikes.

Anna Kirkbride



Anne Kirkbride died in 2015 after a battle with cancer.

At the age of 39, Kirkbride found a lump in his neck on the day of his mother’s funeral in 1993 and the lump turned out to be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is a form of cancer.

Anne took a pivotal moment away from Coronation Street to take care of her health before returning after being cleared by doctors.

But after his treatment ended, he revealed that he was suffering from depression “worse than cancer”.

Years later, Anne contracted breast cancer before taking a break from the famous ITV soap opera to focus on her health.

The fan favorite died at age 60 in a Manchester hospital after cancer metastasized her brain.

She was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke and told her family she was only 24 hours to live.

Executive Producer Kieran Roberts said, “There are no words to describe the pain we feel when Anne dies. We know very well how much Anne meant to the millions of people who have seen her create the legendary Deirdre Barlow character.” .

Maggie Jones



Maggie tragically died in 2009 while recovering from surgery.

Famous for taking no prisoners and telling people what she was like, Maggie’s character, Blanche Hunt, was a fan favorite.

Two months before her tragic death, Blanche made her final appearance on the cobblestones as, drunk, she revealed some truths.

The actress had been withdrawn from the soap opera to recover from a major surgery in October 2009, but the reason for her surgery was never revealed.

On December 2, a spokesperson for Maggie said she had “died peacefully”.

The spokesperson said: “Maggie recovered slowly, but her condition worsened early Wednesday morning and she died peacefully in her sleep.”

Rob Germano



Rob Mallard previously revealed that he cannot share his health concerns thinking it would affect his job opportunities.

Actor Rob Mallard, who played Daniel Osbourne on the show, previously talked about his fight against essential tremors.

The 29-year-old first shared news of his condition on This Morning, revealing that he had tried to keep it a secret amid exploits that would affect his chances of being cast for the job.

Rob told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “My solution was to hide and drive.

“Because of the job I have, it could have a negative effect on my ability to get elected, and then it was revealed on TV,” after people noticed his head was shaking in an interview.

Last month, Rob sang the praises after a new “groundbreaking” and “surprising” treatment was revealed at the Walton Center that targets areas of the brain that cause tremors.

Jane Danson



Jane Danson suffered a miscarriage in 2018

Actress Jane Danson previously revealed that she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage in 2018.

The star and her husband, Robert Beck, tragically lost their baby boy during their first trimester, before Jane boldly shared her story in a Channel 5 documentary.

In tears she said, “During our 12-week scan I remember lying down and the counselor said, ‘I’m not going to turn on the screen’ and then the room went quiet and I realized something was wrong.”

“My heart sank because I knew it had gone wrong and the baby was dead and they confirmed it.”

Jane said OK! Magazine: “It was heartbreaking and it took a long time to get over it, I don’t think you ever will.

“There will always be that sadness there and there will always be that desire, but now we are getting older and the children are growing up, sometimes you just have to appreciate what you have.”

kate ford



Kate Ford has received praise for sharing her struggles with endometriosis

Bad Weatherfield resident Tracy Barlow has been terrorizing the neighborhood over the years, but Kate revealed earlier this year that her body was also in pain.

Turning to Instagram, the 45-year-old shared a photo of herself in a big ITV studio coat while taking a break from filming the soap opera.

Kate said: “The filming of #itvcorrie was a few weeks ago at a time when I was battling my #endometriosis luckily I got a lot of support x.

“I’m just sending a hug to anyone who is struggling with something like this.”

Her post was flooded with messages of support from friends and co-stars.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus begins to grow in places such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Jack James Ryan



Jack James Ryan was only 19 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer

Actor Jack was only 19 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer after discovering a lump.

The 24-year-old told ITV’s Lorraine that she had no idea men could be diagnosed with cancer at such a young age.

He said, “I went to have one of my testicles removed and they put a replacement in it and then I had chemotherapy, but since I got it so early I was very lucky with the treatments.

Speaking of any symptoms, he continued: “I honestly had no symptoms, then I found the lump and thought it was severe.

“There is so much stigma about testicular cancer that taking the first step to go to the hospital is stressful and embarrassing, but because I did it so quickly it meant the treatment was really great.”

Jack underwent treatment after his diagnosis in 2017 and underwent surgery to remove a testicle that was replaced with a prosthesis.

To find out the latest TV and entertainment news from, be sure to subscribe to one of our newsletters. here.