Since joining the Coronation Street cast in 2010, Cherylee Houston has become a favourite with fans of the ITV soap.
Thanks to taking on the role of Izzy Armstrong, the actress, 47, has received praise from viewers and critics - even being awarded an MBE in 2022 for services to drama and to people with disabilities
Over a decade on since she first arrived in Weatherfield as a new love interest for Kirk Sutherland, Izzy has become one of the soap's most popular characters.
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.
As the Corrie star reprises her role for a new hard-hitting storyline involving Izzy, we take a look at Cherylee's life away from the cameras.
Famous husband
Cherylee isn't the only famous face in her household.
The star's husband Tony Hadoke has also appeared on several television programmes over the years.
In addition to running the XS Malarkey Comedy Club in Manchester, the actor and comedian has 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.
"Toby and I went around the house and picked up everything that was Izzy-like," Cherylee explained to The Mirror in July last year.
"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."
The soap was praised for the storyline that exposed the plight of millions of disabled workers in the pandemic and the pressures they faced trying to work remotely while shielding.
Rival soap roles
Coronation Street isn't the only soap Cherylee has enjoyed a stint on over the years.
Long before she took on the role of Izzy, the actress appeared in British shows such as Holby City, The Bill and even Corrie's rival Emmerdale.
In 2005, Cherylee played Jemma Fairbank in Holby City, before going on to appear in Doctors as Belle Hutchinson and ITV soap Emmerdale as Maureen Smith.
Alongside her on-screen acting work, the star also plays Maz in the ongoing BBC Radio 4 series Tinsel Girl.
Before becoming a household name thanks to her soap role, Cherylee made a cameo in the cult comedy series Little Britain, where she played the girlfriend of wheelchair-user Andy Pipkin, played by Matt Lucas.
After finding success in her field, the talented actress formed the Disabled Artists Networking Community, which provides webinars and masterclasses for disabled artists and connects them with others working in the media industries.
"Over the last 12 months, as a society as a whole, our attitude towards diversity and change is really shifting," Cherylee said of the community when chatting to Digital Spy previously.
"Being a disabled actor for 20 odd years, I know what people feel the blocks are, so we bring the solutions in a friendly way and we're beginning to see the changes already."
Health battle
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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