Secret of my happy marriage
CORRIE BEV ON MAN WHO HELPED HER TO LAUGH AGAIN
WITH three marriages behind her, Beverley Callard had reached the stage where she hated all men and was certainly not looking for love.
And when friends lined up a blind date for her she simply failed to turn up.
So when she finally met Jon Mcewan it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.
But he would become husband No4 and, at 15 years and counting, the relationship is Beverley’s longest.
HE makes her smile by doing a silly daily dance in the kitchen – and SHE still fancies him “something rotten”.
They have tattoos bearing their names and 2010 wedding date. In fact they are so loved up that the actress – “the happiest I’ve ever been” – today reveals they plan to renew their wedding vows.
Telling how Jon popped the question a second time, she explains: “We were listening to BBC Radio Four, a woman was talking about recovering from serious illness and it made us look back on everything we had been through together.
“Our wedding day was amazing but it was also a whirlwind. It was a big white wedding, I had 22 bridesmaids.
“This time we’d like it to be just us. We go on holiday soon and Jon suggested we renew our vows on the beach. I’m not sure, I might not have the right outfit!
“But whenever it is, I can’t wait. I’m so excited for our future together.”
Beverley, 60, met Jon, 52, in Spain while on a break from Corrie and working as a fitness instructor. Her pupils insisted the father of three was her perfect match but she took a lot of persuading.
SHAVED
“I had decided all men are b ***** ds by that point,” she laughs. “I just wasn’t interested in meeting someone.
“A few of my pupils set us up on a blind date but I didn’t turn up. The second time, a group of us met up for drinks.
“When I saw Jon with his shaved head and gold tooth I wasn’t impressed but within minutes we were chatting away. We went on to sit together at dinner and we got on like a house on fire.”
Jon, who owns a recording studio, and Beverley went on a date the next day. The day after, they went out again. The couple were quickly inseparable.
“Jon had no idea who Liz Mcdonald was,” Beverley recalls.
“He had lived in Spain for years and hadn’t seen the show recently. We just got on so well, right from the start.”
In May 2010, Jon proposed on a beach in Spain. “I was wearing a baseball cap and had no make-up on,” Beverley laughs.
And in October that year they married in a fairytale wedding at Hazelwood Castle Hotel, West Yorks. Beverley was previously married to Paul Atkinson, David Sowden and Steve Callard and has two children, Rebecca, 42, and Josh, 28.
When asked what the secret to a happy relationship is, she chuckles and says: “Jon will kill me for telling you this because he’ll get ribbed by his mates, but every morning we have two cups of tea together and a chat and then he does a silly little dance in the kitchen.
“It makes me smile. When I’m at work I miss him. We laugh a lot and I still fancy him rotten. He’s my best friend as well as my husband.”
Jon provides light relief but he has also seen Beverley through some seriously tough times. Bev says Jon helps her to keep smiling The actress has battled clinical depression and credits Jon with saving her life when, at her lowest ebb, she twice attempted suicide. Last year, Beverley relapsed and took a break from Coronation Street, saying at the time: “Everything in my life is amazing and wonderful and you think, ‘How can this happen to me again? Why?’ But once you
start to slide into that black hole you can’t imagine being well again.”
Jon has remained Beverley’s rock and even went on a counselling course at night school to understand her illness.
Beverley goes on: “He always told me: ‘You will get better’. He’s so practical, he really took care of me.
“I’m so lucky to have him. We’ve been through bankruptcy, family illness, we’ve been through so much together and it just makes us stronger.” Thankfully, Beverley is in a much better place today. “I am the best I have ever been,” she smiles.
“The happiest and the strongest. Being able to speak out openly about depression is so important, it has been a massive help. I have bottled up my feelings in the past but things are changing.
“William and Kate (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who work with mental health charity Mind) are really helping change the stigma surrounding mental illness. I’ll always have to be mindful but at the moment I’m happy, healthy and excited for the future.”
In March, Beverley turned 60 and admits that was an emotional milestone. She has been in Corrie since 1989 and loves playing Liz, famed for her daring and garish outfits.
Liz is currently a doctor’s receptionist
I’m so lucky to have Jon, we have been through so much... and I still fancy him rotten! BEVERLEY CALLARD TV STAR ON LIFE WITH HUBBY NO 4
who clashes with boss Moira, played by Louiza Patikas. Beverley adds: “It’s great to do a bit of comedy and Louiza and I are frequently collapsing with laughter.”
The actress doesn’t want to give too much away but hints that romance might soon be in the air for her unluckyin-love character.
She adds: “Liz has been given a whole new lease of life... just like me.”
vikki.white@trinitymirror.com