Coronation Street actress Cherylee Houston reveals she hasn't been anywhere other than the hospital for 16 MONTHS due to Covid shielding
Coronation Street actress Cherylee Houston has told how she hasn't left the house except to attend hospital appointments for 16 months.
The soap star, 46, has been shielding since March 2020 due to a rare connective tissue disorder - which makes her vulnerable to the effects of coronavirus.
Cherylee, who plays Izzy Armstrong on the show, has also suffered from 'recent complications', which have put her into a 'different category'.
Candid: Coronation Street actress Cherylee Houston has told how she hasn't left the house except to attend hospital appointments for 16 months
Speaking on Tuesday's episode of This Morning, Cherylee said: 'I'm in a slightly different category to Izzy, I'm slightly more vulnerable than she is.
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'I've been shielding this whole time and I've had recent complications, which have put me into a different category.
'But what that meant was we had to be extremely careful at home.
Situation: The soap star, 46, has been shielding since March 2020 due to a rare connective tissue disorder - which makes her vulnerable to the effects of coronavirus (pictured in Coronation Street in 2016)
'What was fantastic at 'Corrie' was they went, 'How can we tell that story?'
'Because it's happened to so many other disabled people over this time.
'I haven't been anywhere other than a hospital for 16 months now.'
On-screen! Cherylee, who plays Izzy Armstrong on the show, has also suffered from 'recent complications', which have put her into a 'different category'
Cherylee was able to return to Corrie recently as she has been filming in her own home, alongside her real-life partner Toby Hadoke, who has joined as her neighbour.
The couple have been ultra-careful amid the coronavirus pandemic, so much so they have been sanitising all their food that comes through the door, and even their dog Bernard when he returns to the house after walks.
She said: 'We sanitise everything that comes into the house.
'For quite a long time Bernard the dog was getting sprayed after his dog walks.'
Toby added: 'That's been my life, sitting in the porch spraying blueberries just to make sure that everything that comes in is sanitised.'
Speaking on Tuesday's episode of This Morning, Cherylee said: 'I'm in a slightly different category to Izzy, I'm slightly more vulnerable than she is'
Explaining the wider effects of the pandemic, Izzy said: 'When shielding finished in March, people stopped getting help. But it didnt mean we didn't need it.
'Mental health as well that's been impacted with people who weren't even in the vulnerable category, because of the isolation.
'I think that's why it's so important to cover this on Coronation Street, last year 59 per cent of the people who died were disabled - it seems like we've been forgotten about in this pandemic.'
'At the height of things there was a DNR [do not resuscitate] notice on disabled people, so the fear of you being that choice and not being seen as equal human beings is quite promenant.
'Corrie have looked after me as their actor, but also used the story to show how difficult this is for disabled people.'
Throwback: Cherylee was able to return to Corrie recently as she has been filming in her own home, alongside her real-life partner Toby Hadoke, who has joined as her neighbour (pictured in 2017)
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