Cherylee Houston has become a favourite with Corrie fans since joining the soap in 2010.
The 47-year-old, perhaps better known as Izzy Armstrong, has received praise from fans and critics alike, and was even awarded an MBE in 2022 for services to drama and to people with disabilities. Over the years, her character has been at the centre of dramatic storylines including ex Gary Windass' PTSD from fighting in Afghanistan, and Izzy being sent to prison after becoming reliant on cannabis for pain relief.
Earlier this year, fans were delighted to see Cherylee return to our TV screens once again, after the actress was forced to take a break from the show due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mirror reports.
READ MORE: Coronation Street character 'ruined' after dramatic scene
While many Corrie fans know all there is to know about Izzy Armstrong, less can be said for Cherylee. We've taken a look at her life away from the cameras, including her famous husband and a vile troll who called her a "benefit cheat".
Cherylee lives with her husband Toby Hadoke, and their dog Bernard. Toby is a famous comedian, who has also enjoyed stints on TV shows such as Emmerdale, Shameless and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.
Toby even joined Cherylee on screen when he took on the role of Izzy's new neighbour Fergus in Coronation Street, who protects Izzy when she threatened with the sack if she does not return back to work, even though she is shielding. Last year, Cherylee explained how she built her own set at home in order to keep working while shielding from coronavirus.
The actress, the first disabled cast member in the show’s 60-year history, transformed part of her home into a TV set so that her character Izzy could be back on screen.
She said: "Toby and I went around the house and picked up everything that was Izzy-like. She’s a bit quirky, so anything a bit funny and bright went in there, including a glitter rabbit, three flamingos and a cactus jug."
While she may be known for her part in Coronation Street, Cherylee actually joined the soap after starring in its rival. The actress played Maureen Smith in Emmerdale, an old acquaintance of Lizzie Lakely - the soap's first blind character - back in 2009.
She also played Belle Hutchinson in Doctors between 2001 and 2007, and appeared in two episodes of Little Britain as the girlfriend of wheelchair-user Andy Pipkin, played by Matt Lucas.
Over the years, Cherylee has spoken candidly about her health battles and used her platform to raise awareness about various conditions. The actress first suffered from joint pain at the age of 11, going to be diagnosed with a rare connective tissue disorder at 23.
Cherylee's Ehlers-Danlos syndrome diagnosis means her joints are unstable and that she has tissue damage in her muscles and tendons, with the star using a wheelchair since her early twenties. The rare condition can lead to sprains and dislocations and leave sufferers in constant pain.
Reflecting on living life with the health condition during an interview with the Mirror, Cherylee admitted: "I wouldn’t not want to have my disability because it’s taught me so many things. Even though the pain is horrendous it’s taught me to push through and it’s taught me inner strength. I wouldn’t have the mindset I have if I hadn’t lived through that."
At the start of this year, the actress was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2022 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to Drama and to People with Disabilities. It's not always been so positive for Cherylee though, with the star revealed her condition has often seen her subjected to disgusting attacks.
The star was even wrongly dubbed a 'benefits cheat' by one man, who abused her verbally at her own home.
Speaking about the horrific experience on Twitter, Cherylee told her followers: "Wow disability hate crime knocked on our front door today literally. Scary as shows how much our country's instinct is to hate not think. He was very rude to Toby and obviously disgusted that I wasn't paralysed. Said it wasn't right and he was going to papers. Vile. Ignorant."
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