Coronation Street's Simon Gregson is about to undergo a huge transformation to become a "larger than life" drag queen for ITV's Queens for the Night.
The Steve McDonald actor will channel his inner diva for one night only in what's billed as a "fabulous competition like no other". Simon has starred in the long-running ITV soap for more than three decades.
As well as his Corrie role, Simon came runner-up in last year's I'm a Celebrity, meaning few people in the UK will be unfamiliar with the star.
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But there are certain things about his personal life that even the biggest of fans may not know. Simon was just 15 when he bagged his Corrie role.
As previously reported, he was initially credited under his real name - Simon Alan Gregory - but later adopted the stage name of "Gregson" once he was old enough to join Equity, which is the trade union for British actors. This was because there was already a member with his real name, and Gregson has stuck ever since
Having centred in a number of dramatic storylines, unlucky-in-love Steve McDonald has been married a whopping seven times to five different women. In real life, Simon is happily married to former Hollyoaks actress Emma Gleave in 2010 and they have three boys together - Alfie, 14, Henry, 12, and five-year-old Teddy.
The family-of-five live in Cheshire. While Simon was taking part in last year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! where he came runner-up, Emma spoke about her husband's life away from the cameras.
The 39-year-old said Simon sometimes spends his downtime in New York bar in Manchester’s gay village – where he has been known to dress up in drag. She told the Mirror : “Our good friend owns it and it’s always been a safe place for Simon to have a few drinks and cause mischief on the stage.
"He loves a laugh... he always ends up dancing on the tables and loves stripping off at parties. He’s got a thing about being free. If anything silly is going on at the end of the night, he will be involved.”
Emma also opened up about Simon's crippling anxiety disorder, saying he has made great strides since they first met. The proud wife said: “Ten years ago there would have been absolutely no way he would have done I’m A Celeb.
“So to watch him go in and take on the unknown, which he was really nervous about, to actually embrace it and to look so relaxed while he is doing it, we are dead proud of him. I was very emotional watching. When we first got together he couldn’t leave the house or go to restaurants because it was so bad.
“One time we went to stay in our caravan in Anglesey and Simon thought he was having a stroke and dying. His whole face dropped and we had to call an ambulance. He got to the hospital and they told him he had a panic attack.
“He has since been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and it has completely changed his life. He was medicated and there was a reason why he felt like he did. That changed everything for him, so he could understand what was wrong. Now he speaks to a lot of people on social media about it and he likes helping people.”
Queens for the Night airs Saturday (November 5) at 8.30pm on ITV and the ITV Hub
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