Being shot to fame on Coronation Street ruined my mental health – soap bosses offered no support but I found a lifeline that kept me going, admits Simon Gregson

Coronation Street’s Simon Gregson has revealed that his fame from shooting in the soap had a damaging effect on his mental health.

The 49-year-old actor first appeared on the ITV soap in December 1989, aged just 15, and became an instant household name as millions of viewers tuned in to watch his adventures as the endearing teenager Steve McDonald.

However, the soap did not offer any support to young actors wanting to join the big show at the time, as it does now. Simon, who joined the series alongside Nicholas Cochrane, who played his twin brother Andy, admitted he felt like he had been “dropped in the middle of the ocean”.

Speaking to YouTube channel DEEP, set up by former LADbible directors Ben Powell-Jones and Thom Gulseven, Simon spoke about the impact his time on the show had on him, saying the thought of his own children going through the same thing made him feel ‘very upset’.

Speaking about his and co-star Nicholas’ rise to fame, he shared: ‘We were huge in one night and it was very strange and it was hard for a young man to grasp. But there was no help!’

The 49-year-old actor first appeared in the ITV soap in December 1989, when he was just 15 years old, and became an instant household name as millions of viewers tuned in to watch his adventures as the endearing teenager Steve McDonald [pictured in 1991]

Simon went on to say that nowadays, when people are cast for a soap opera, they talk to each other and are told what the implications of their role on television are. The show informs them about things like press interest, fan reaction, the impact on families and possible criticism of the role.

He added: ‘But with us there was nothing. So we were dropped in the middle of the ocean at the age of 15 and had to swim to shore.’

Speaking about how it affected him mentally, Simon continued: ‘It had a huge impact on my mental health, looking back on it now. It makes me very upset, for the sole reason that I have children the same age now and the thought of them going through the same thing as me is horrible. It’s not nice.’

The soap star, who has played Steve for 35 years, said his father was a police officer and that’s why he received therapy from the police.

However, it was admitted that the therapists “didn’t know what to do” and had “no idea” how to help him through the struggle with fame.

Simon spoke about how it was years later, in 2015, when he sought out a therapist and began working through his issues. The star said: ‘I realised it was OK not to feel OK.

‘Because I kept talking about it, he said [the therapist’ was like “this has been pretty s**t for you” and I was like “yeah! It has a bit actually”.’

However, the soap did not offer any support to young actors joining the big show at the time, as they do now, with Simon [right] – who joined Nicholas Cochrane [left] who played his twin brother Andy – and admitted he felt like he had been ‘dropped in the middle of the ocean’

Simon discussed the impact that taking part in the show had on him, revealing that the thought of his own children going through the same thing as him made him very ‘upset’.

‘But we had nothing. So when we were fifteen, we were dropped in the middle of the ocean and had to swim to shore’ LR Steve [Simon Gregson]Andy [Nicholas Cochrane]Liz [Beverley Callard] and Jim [Charles Lawson]

‘It had a huge impact on my mental health, looking back. It makes me very upset for the sole reason that I now have children the same age and the thought of them going through the same thing as me is horrifying. It’s not nice’

Simon added that all the bad publicity he got at the time was “good publicity” and he could do no wrong.

He added: ‘I got paid, so I stayed. I stayed, yes, and got very drunk! That seemed to help quite a bit!’

Last year, Simon revealed that Coronation Street producers had sought medical attention after he struggled with debilitating anxiety for 20 years, which left him suffering 12 panic attacks a day.

The actor had to visit a psychiatrist after he suspected he was suffering from mysterious illnesses due to his mental health.

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, he explained: ‘It hit a peak in 2015 and I didn’t know what it was.

Last year, Simon revealed that Coronation Street producers had sought medical attention after he struggled with debilitating anxiety for 20 years, which left him suffering 12 panic attacks a day.

In an interview with ITV’s Lorraine, he explained: ‘I’ve had heart scans and brain scans, they thought I was having dizziness, but then we went back to the beginning and my GP discovered it.’

‘I’ve had heart scans and brain scans. They thought I was having dizziness. Then we went back to the beginning and my GP discovered I had an anxiety disorder.

‘I started having pain in my fingers, tunnel vision, feeling nauseous and dizzy. Totally considered.’

He continued: ‘It came to a head when I had to call my boss. I was like, ‘Look, I’m in my car, but I can’t get out of the driveway.’

Simon said the soap’s producers brought in a doctor to help on set, who has helped the royal family and naval officers.

“I had six months off and I went to the gym. I did a lot of research and I learned how your brain is connected to your stomach. I retrained my brain not to worry,” he revealed.