A WHEELCHAIR bound Coronation Street star has revealed the harrowing abuse she has suffered from ignorant people for simply being disabled.
After being abused in the street, Coronation Street star Cherylee Houston, who plays Izzy Armstrong, bravely spoke out and was overwhelmed at the outpouring of support from fans.
Cherylee playing her on screen role Izzy alongside Jenny McAlpine who plays Fiz.[/caption]
Cherylee posted about how she felt when she heard a slur from a passing car while out and about in Manchester, where the ITV soap is filmed.
But she used her social media platform to call them out on Twitter, commenting that attitudes towards disabled people had gone backwards in recent years.
She wrote: “Just had some delightful ableism shouted at me out of a car window “Coronation Street Cabbage”
“Have we gone back 20 years, they were young men. This isn’t for sympathy. This is for awareness of how prevalent disability hate is.”
Viewers supported her, with one saying:”It feels like as a society we make a few steps forward and then take many steps back. How disappointing.”
Another said: “Everything has gone backwards it seems, racism, ableism, homophobia and trans phobia. People have become brazen. Sorry you experienced this. Awful.”
Another added: “The respect for disabled people feels very thin on the ground right now. I’m sorry I chose to abuse you. Thank you for speaking out and I hope you are ok. But I honestly think Corrie writers could do worse than writing that into a line for you as an epic comeback.”
She also spoke to Michelle Dignan about disability hate crimes and inclusion in general on BBC Radio Manchester, a few days later.
She said: “This is happening an awful lot to deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.”
She went on to say she experienced discrimination on a daily basis.
“That’s why it’s so blatent and OK to do it in a way – people can climb over you, stand in front of you, ignore you, not allow you in,” she said.
She also urged people to call out incidences of abuse and discrimination.
“If you see something that’s not right, say something. Don’t allow the individual to take that abuse,” she said.
She went on to cite the pandemic as a turning point for when people started to become comfortable airing such negative views.
Coronation Street’s 2024 shock exits
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let’s break down who’s left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.
She also told the BBC online that the proposed changes to benefits system had encouraged a narrative that disabled people were “benefits scroungers.”
But the fans were quick to defend her and share their experiences, sharing love and respect for the actress.
Cheralyee, who plays Izzy, suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Type III hypermobility type and has used a wheelchair ever since.
“If its any comfort, you’re a successful actress in a prime-time soap, and they are talentless, brainless t***s, and always will be.”
She was awarded an MBE for services to drama and disabilities charities in 2021.
Watch Coronation Street on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on ITV1 at 8pm and ITVX from 7am.
