Catherine Tyldesley reveals she is ‘haunted’ by a brutal fat-shaming comment made to her by a director before she lost eight stone

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Catherine Tyldesley shared that a director’s fat-shaming comment during a previous audition continues to bother her years later.

I was really saddened to hear about something that happened to a former Coronation Street actress. She shared on the AgeLess podcast that a terrible comment someone made to her really stuck with her and bothered her for a long time. It’s awful that she still remembers it so clearly.

She recalled an audition where the director told her she was funny but would likely be typecast as the comedic, larger-bodied character actress. He essentially said, ‘Cath, you’re hilarious, but you’ll always be known as the ‘fat funny one,’ meaning you’re best suited for character roles.’

‘I loved comedy, but I also wanted to be a leading lady. That comment stayed with me,’ she added.

The popular English actress, who once lost a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise, shares two children with her husband, Tom Pitfield, a personal trainer: a 10-year-old son named Alfie and a 3-year-old daughter named Iris.

She recently spoke openly about the challenges of living up to beauty expectations, sharing that her priority is to have the energy and strength to live a long and healthy life, especially for her kids.

She recalled feeling pressured to conform to beauty standards when she was younger, like many actresses, and often resorted to extreme dieting, she told Fabulous magazine.

Now that I’ve gotten older and gained some life experience, I understand what my body needs and treat it with much more respect.

I’ve reached a good place in my life where I prioritize my health and work, while still allowing myself some indulgences – it feels like exactly where I should be.

I won’t push my body to do things it’s not ready for, and I refuse to live a life constantly restricted by diets – they just make me unhappy.

Catherine also openly talked about how the show Coronation Street portrays weight-loss injections, referencing the storyline involving the character Bethany Platt.

She explained how important it is for soap operas to address this issue, sharing that she personally felt a lot of pressure to conform to beauty standards when she was younger, which led to unhealthy crash dieting.

Now that she’s older, she’s learned to prioritize her health and listen to what her body needs. She wants to be a good role model for her two children, and that’s a big part of it.

She wants to show Iris that eating well is important for feeling good and being able to do anything. She makes an effort to teach both Iris and Alfie that no matter what you do in life, you need good nutrition to function at your best.

The popular actress left Coronation Street in 2018. This year, it was revealed she’ll be returning to the show after seven years, with episodes featuring her return beginning in October.

Catherine appeared in the short-lived TV show Scarborough and took a leading role in the musical Bonnie & Clyde, but the tour was cut short due to low ticket sales.

The actor, known for his role in a popular soap opera, teamed up with X Factor champion Shayne Ward for the second season of the TV show The Good Ship Murder, which premiered in January.

The announcement of Catherine’s return follows her recent statement that she wasn’t ruling out a future comeback.

In an interview with Prima magazine, she shared that while her time on Coronation Street feels distant, she still remembers it very fondly.

I’m open to returning if the story was truly compelling and the timing felt right. You never know what the future holds, so I don’t rule anything out.

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2025-12-24 18:34