I think we’ve all changed a bit during lockdown
Corrie star Jane Danson tells EMMA MESSENGER about life in lockdown and her hardest soap storyline yet
IT is unbelievable to think that 41-year-old Jane Danson has been playing Coronation Street’s Leanne Battersby on and off for nearly 23 years.
Of course, during that time Leanne has been through the usual soap opera mill – marriages, affairs… drugs, prostitution. But as Jane says, her current storyline, in which Leanne’s young son Oliver is diagnosed with an incurable condition, mitochondrial disease, “is the most harrowing one I’ve ever done”.
Although the show’s production has of course stopped because of coronavirus, as we chat to the mother of two, it’s clear how moved she has been by it.
Jane’s speaking over Zoom from her kitchen, where the sun shining through the skylight gives her a halo effect.
‘Oh good,’ she giggles. ‘That means you can’t see my roots!’
She shares her Cheshire house with her husband, fellow actor Robert Beck – she famously had a teenage crush on him when he played Peter Harrison in Brookside and the pair met at the 1999 British Soap Awards. They married in 2005 and now have sons Harry, 13, and Sam, 11.
Here, the actress talks openly about Leanne’s heartbreaking drama, family life in lockdown and those aforementioned ‘roots’…
Was it strange when filming had to suddenly stop?
IT’S weird not going into work. I actually had a bit of downtime before the mitochondrial storyline, so I was very excited to get up and running again. From a creative point of view it was disappointing, but obviously completely
necessary.
Are you keeping up with the cast?
WE’VE got a WhatsApp group with almost all the girls, so we show each other what we’ve been doing each day, whether it’s baking or changing our hair or sending jokes. Technology has made such a difference. Though my mum, who is self-isolating on her own, doesn’t have any of it, she’s never been interested in computers, so I’ve not actually seen her face for weeks now, which has been really hard.
How are things going in your home during quarantine?
WE’RE doing ok. I’ve learned to love my house again. We’ve been doing all those jobs we’ve been putting off for years. We’ve cleaned out the garage and Rob’s built some furniture. And we’re very lucky that the weather’s been good and we’ve got a garden.
At times it’s felt like we’re on holiday sitting out there. I think the key is keeping busy and having a routine. I get up every day and get ready properly, putting some make-up on. We’ve got a dog who needs walking and the boys need to sit down to do their school work.
Are you a good teacher?
I’VE got no idea when it comes to maths! Luckily, they are both at different stages, so if I can’t work things out with Sam, I run and get Harry to help. But having had all of this thrust upon them I think they’re doing really well, they’ve totally adapted.
Have there been any ructions?
ME and Rob are absolutely fine, we’re just getting on with it. Though I must be cleaning the kitchen about 18 times a day! Mainly because I can’t stop baking. In some ways the whole situation is quite nice, spending time with each other, not having any pressure.
Things can really get on top of you sometimes when you’re busy – the housework, the washing – you can feel a bit suffocated. But at the moment none of it’s urgent. I feel a bit guilty for enjoying it all because of what’s happening to other people.
You watch the daily government briefing and the numbers of people ill or dead has become the norm. But it’s not normal. It’s so hard to fathom it.
What do you look forward to when this is over?
MAINLY seeing my mum, but also being able to go for a coffee with friends. And I can’t wait to be back at work. I miss seeing everybody.
We all genuinely care about each other.
And getting your hair done?
YES! Though Rob cut mine and the boys’ hair this morning. He’s so good at stuff like that. But my roots are already an inch long, so if the salons aren’t allowed to open…
Do you think you’ve changed during this strange period?
I THINK we’ve all sort of changed a bit. It teaches you that you don’t need all the things you think you do.
Meanwhile I’m just trying to stay positive about it. As long as we stay well, I just view it as a moment in time. I know we’re lucky that we haven’t got it and that we’re not struggling, like so many others.
How difficult has Leanne’s current storyline been?
IT’S tough. But I feel honoured to be doing it because it’s so very sad. As a parent it’s completely relatable. It’s the worst case scenario, and not a road you ever want to go down. There are families on that awful journey.
Can you describe what mitochondrial disease is?
IT’S basically like your battery’s running out of power. All the cells that transport energy to vital organs within the body essentially break down and lose power.
For Leanne’s son Oliver, because he’s a toddler, it means he starts to regress and he’s suddenly not doing the things he would have been. It’s a slow process, but there’s no stopping it.
Did you do much preparation?
I SPOKE to a lady called Liz Curtis who founded a charity for the disease, The Lily Foundation, named after her daughter who died from it at eight months old.
She was so brave telling us her story… She told me about her day to day life after Lily died – the days she managed to get dressed and the days she didn’t. We’ve tried to incorporate all of it into Leanne’s story, and to show how it’s not just her, as Oliver’s mum, who is suffering, but so many others too, from Steve, Oliver’s dad, to Nick, Leanne’s partner. There’s a ripple effect across The Street.
■ Coronation Street is on ITV, Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. For information about mitochondrial disease and the support available visit thelilyfoundation.org.uk
It’s tough... But I feel honoured to be doing it because it’s so very sad. As a parent it’s completely relatable Jane Danson on the current Coronation Street storyline in which Leanne’s child is diagnosed with mitochondrial disease