Sally Lindsay: At 48, my doctors refused to believe I was going through menopause

Detailed summary

Born in Stockport in 1973, Sally Lindsay started her career in theatre and stand-up. She was catapulted to fame when she took on the role of Shelley Unwin in Coronation Street. Af…

Born in Stockport in 1973, Sally Lindsay started her career in theatre and stand-up. She was catapulted to fame when she took on the role of Shelley Unwin in Coronation Street. After five years, she left to pursue theatre roles before starring in Mount Pleasant, Scott and Bailey, Still Open All Hours and Dial M for Middlesbrough.

Lindsay is an executive producer, writer and lead star in The Madame Blanc Mysteries, in which she plays widowed antiques dealer Jean Blanc. In June, she was awarded an MBE for her services to drama. She lives in London with her husband and their twin sons.

I grew up below a nightclub. From the age of four to 10, my mum and dad ran a nightclub above our home. It was mad and so much fun. We’d run up on a Saturday morning and go and nick all the pennies and whatever was on the floor. And then we’d have a full-fat Coke. It was so 70s. It was always a great space for parties and meant we could always have our birthday parties there. But it did mean that if we needed our parents on a night, we’d have to go and knock on the door and speak to one of the bouncers.

Someone told me that an agent lived in the next town. So I caught the bus and knocked on his door. I asked him to be my agent, and he put me up for parts; some I didn’t get and some I did. I worked hundreds of jobs until I had my first theatre break after auditioning for Girls’ Night Out. I walked to the Strand Theatre, and there was a huge line of girls round the block who were all about five foot and about three stone with dark hair. I remember thinking, “What’s going on here? I’ve come all this way down, and they’re not looking for me”. I was like a giant at the end. But I landed the job.

I still have best friends from Coronation Street. It was the Golden Age of TV, with about 14 million people a night watching it. We got on really well, and I had some amazing storylines. I discovered what a good and bad script was. I worked with some amazing actors and some not very good actors.

I always…

I…

Opening of the article, excerpted from i News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.