Coronation Street icon Beverly Callard announces all-new soap role as character's long-lost mother

Former Coronation Street star Beverley Callard has landed a new soap role in RTÉ’s Fair City.

The actress, who played the iconic Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald on the ITV soap, has joined the cast of the long-running Irish soap as Lilly, the long-lost mother of Gwen Connolly (Emily Lamey).

Gwen first arrived in the fictional Carrigstown in 2023 and little has been revealed about her family history – that is, until now.

The news was announced in a post on RTE's official Instagram account, which featured a picture of Callard in action as Lilly and said in a caption alongside: "Beverley Callard has landed in Carrigstown.

"The beloved actor is joining the cast of #FairCity, stepping into the role of Gwen’s long-lost mother. Don’t miss her Fair City debut on February 19th."

Meanwhile, speaking about the new character, Fair City Executive Producer Brigie de Courcy said on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland (via Entertainment Daily) that "Lilly’s character had been two years in the planning."

Courcy also confirmed that Callard began filming as the character this week, with her debut as Lilly set to air on 19th February, 2026.

Callard began playing the role of Liz in Corrie on-and-off between 1989 and 2020.

While she had been set for an explosive exit, the pandemic-induced shutdown of the soap meant her final scenes were delayed and her exit occurred off-screen.

Instead, her son Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) explained that Liz had gone back to Spain.

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