Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, has admitted she "crashed emotionally" when she caught herself in the mirror after a shower

Beverley Callard has "completely crashed emotionally" amid her cancer battle. . The actress, 69, announced in February that she had been diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer and, following an initial operation that took place earlier this year and has been due to start radiotherapy for some time now.

The Coronation Street legend, who played Liz McDonald on and off for 30 years, recently relocated to Ireland with her husband Jon McEwan so she could star in the RTE soap Fair City, and, ahead of her first radiotherapy session, she decided to book herself in for a spot of Botox, but was struck by her appearance in the mirror and had a tough moment.

Speaking in a new video posted to Instagram on Saturday evening, Beverley, who underwent her first bout of surgery in February, explained: “I’ve made an appointment for Botox, I know people don’t agree with it but I wanted to do it for me. I go back to work soon too so I don’t want to look like the walking dead, which, sometimes I do at the moment.

“This morning, I showered, exfoliated, did all the girl things, fake tan, and caught sight of my whole body in the mirror, which I don’t look at very often. I completely crashed emotionally and just thought…'Oh my God, I look like a freak.'

“Please don’t think I’m self-indulgent, I’m not, I know loads of people are far worse off than me. I’ve got loads of support in Jon and my family and friends but I crashed emotionally and I just thought ‘I can’t do this anymore.' I got myself together but I didn’t feel brilliant.”

The former I'm A Celebrity...South Africa star did eventually make it to her appointment and, despite her trepidation, ended up having a brilliant day because she found a "friend for life" in the doctor who did her consultation.

"I got there and I was really nervous. I met this female called Dr Sarah Walsh. And you know sometimes when you think [about] the fickle finger of fate...it was amazing. Young woman, stunningly beautiful in my opinion, stunningly beautiful on the inside as well. I had to have a consultation first and she was amazing.

"We talked about Botox, cancer treatments. She was incredible and you know when you just click with someone. This is fate that we've been brought together. She was so emphatic, understanding, we chatted, she told me all about herself and I told her far more about me than I would normally at the first meeting with someone.

"But the whole thing lifted me. I'd just met someone who I could talk to who I've never even seen before. I just felt that the universe and the Gods are smiling on me, and I feel so much better.

"I say thank you to whoever and whatever but today ended up being a really, really good day. I did stuff myself with carrot cake but aside from that it was a really, really good day! I hope you all find someone like that. She's a new friend but we're gonna be friends for the rest of our lives."

Beverley, who is also known for starring in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, first revealed news of her diagnosis in February during an appearance on RTE’s Late Late Show, and explained that she received the diagnosis just minutes before she was due on set for her new soap role.

She said: “I’ve had some tests just before I left the UK, and literally, 15, 20 minutes before I was in my dressing room at Fair City, getting ready to go on, and I was quite nervous and thinking, ‘I hope everybody thinks I’m all right’, whatever. "And my consultant rang me and said, ‘you’ve got to come back to the UK’ I said, ‘Well, I can’t possibly, I’ve just taken a new job’. I said ‘I’m away for a month’, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"But I’m fine, I’m absolutely fine. My head was a bit mashed for the first few days. It’s very early stages, and I’m along with thousands of other women as well."

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

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