Former Coronation Street star Lisa George has spoken about her life after the show, revealing a frightening health scare she experienced.
Lisa George, widely recognised for her 13-year run as the spirited Beth Sutherland (née Tinker) on Coronation Street, has remained active since her emotional exit from the soap a year ago. The Grimsby-born actress, beloved for portraying a character known for her mischievous ways and motherly care for her son Craig, is eager to prove there’s a vibrant life beyond the cobbles.
Over the past year, Lisa has experienced a major health transformation, aided by a minor surgical procedure, and she’s finally happy with the person she sees in the mirror. Alongside working toward two history diplomas, Lisa — who displayed her ice-skating talents on Dancing On Ice in 2020 — has also been coping with a medical condition that left her partially blind in one eye and with no peripheral vision in the other.
After years of searching for answers following her initial vision loss in 2016 and its return in 2022, Lisa was diagnosed with NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy). In a recent interview with The Mirror, she discusses how she’s learning to live with her condition and why she refuses to let it hold her back.
“At the moment, my eyesight seems to have stabilised. I can see things at a distance perfectly fine, but reading text is difficult,” Lisa shared.
“All letters and numbers look blurry, so I need reading glasses, and for driving I use varifocals, which help me see the SatNav. I’m not a fan of night driving because of my blind spots, though I suppose that’s partly due to age!” she joked.
Lisa then opened up about a frightening episode of vision loss that occurred while she was out with friends.
“In 2022, I was out for dinner celebrating [former Corrie co-star] Katie McGlynn’s birthday, and the restaurant was quite dark. When I looked at the menu, everything appeared blurry,” Lisa recalled.
“I remember thinking, ‘Something’s seriously wrong.’ The next day, I called the ophthalmologist, who sent me straight to A&E, and I ended up spending a week in hospital. They said it was likely linked to my diabetes — which, at that point, hadn’t been fully diagnosed.”
The actress went on to discuss how her eyesight has affected her career, explaining that she is now listed as “visually impaired” on her professional CV.
Lisa admitted that she initially feared her condition might prevent her from being chosen for roles, but she now believes there is “much better accessibility for people with different kinds of disabilities.”
She added, “I really don’t want my vision to deteriorate any further. When it first happened, one of my biggest fears was, ‘How will I manage to perform in a dark theatre?’ But I did panto last year, and the cast and crew were incredible — they made everything so much easier for me.”
This December, Lisa will appear in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House in York.
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