Former Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard has shared how she helped her co-star Simon Gregson through bullying when he was a teenager.
Simon debuted as Steve McDonald on the ITV soap in 1989, landing the role when he was 14 years old.
Speaking on I'm A Celebrity this week, the soap legend revealed the fame that came with the role wasn't something he enjoyed.
As a teenager he was severely bullied over his stardom, and the attention he got from girls after his soap debut.
He explained on the series hosted by Ant and Dec: "It was difficult for a while to adjust. This isn’t what I planned for myself and I do not like it."
He went on: "I hated it. The fame side of it I hated it. I still don’t [like it]."
Simon also revealed he was shockingly spat at and beaten up after joining the hit soap, with his ordeal also seeing his property damaged.
He explained: "It was really negative feedback, getting beaten up, spat at, property being damaged. It was shocking."
Now, his on-screen mother and close friend Beverley, who played Liz McDonald on the show from the very start of his Corrie career, has revealed how she and her co-star Charles Lawson stepped in to help teenaged Simon.
Addressing the bullying he had discussed, as well as the fact Simon didn't like the fame side of his role, Beverley detailed why he was targeted.
She told the Loose Women panel on Thursday: "When I first met him he was 14 years old, and he was a really good looking lad. I mean he’s a good looking man, but he was a really good looking lad.
"All the girls fancied him so he was really bullied by the boys. There was a little bit of jealousy there from his peers.
"We helped him, Charles who played Jim and I, we helped him with everything, absolutely everything."
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV, while I'm A Celebrity airs every night at 9pm.
