My violent ex-wife nearly drove me to suicide after years of physical abuse, says Corrie legend Charlie Lawson

CORONATION Street’s Charlie Lawson has revealed helium was astir driven to termination by years of carnal maltreatment astatine the hands of his ex-wife, admitting: “Life was a ­living hell.”

In a heartbreaking portion 2 of our interrogation with the actor, helium revealed that portion helium was playing wife-beater Jim McDonald connected screen, astatine location helium was the terrified unfortunate and could spot nary mode out.

The 65-year-old, who bears a scar from 1 attack, says: “I was depressed due to the fact that of what I was going done and I had been prescribed pills.

“All I could deliberation astir was uncovering peace. And I meant it.

“I would termination myself, extremity it all.

“I was successful a precise scary place.”

Charlie’s tormentor was Corrie make-up creator Lesley Bond, who helium joined successful 1999 and who died aged 55 successful 2010.

The Northern Irish histrion revealed that adjacent their wedding time astatine idyllic Lucknam Park, Wilts, was marred by violence.

Speaking up of the merchandise of his autobiography, That’s Life, So It Is, Charlie recalls: “We met different couple who were getting joined determination astatine the aforesaid time.

“Lesley aboriginal accused maine of flirting with the bride and slapped maine truthful hard that I astir fell over.

“A fewer weeks aboriginal astatine location she flew into a rage and attacked maine with an bare bottle.

“I loved her to pieces but she was very, precise ill, bless her.”

Charlie was 35 and had been joined for 12 years erstwhile helium met Lesley connected the cobbles acceptable successful aboriginal 1994.

It was emotion astatine archetypal show and led to him leaving his archetypal woman Susie, who helium shared girl Laura with.

But her jealousy blighted their narration from the start.

‘No much pain’

He says: “Once aft chatting innocently to a neighbour portion putting the bins out, I came wrong to find Lesley waiting.

“She slapped me.

“It took respective minutes to calm her down and enactment retired she was convinced I was having an affair.

“I discovered she was earnestly addicted to medicine drugs.

“She had been fixed Valium years earlier and had continued to instrumentality them.

“I recovered a stash of each kinds of pills.

“They made her paranoid, she ever thought I was cheating.”

Charlie, who is present happily joined to 3rd woman Debbie Stanley, continues: “Once, erstwhile I was driving, she punched maine connected the broadside of my cervix causing maine to astir crash.

“Once she came astatine maine with a brace of scissors.”

It is past that Charlie stops our interrogation and fights backmost tears arsenic helium shows the scar which, years aft the scissors attack, is inactive disposable connected his hand.

After that helium planned to termination himself.

He says: “I knew beingness could not spell connected similar this.

“Leaving her would interruption my bosom but if I wasn’t present everything would beryllium solved.

“She could determination connected with her beingness and determination would beryllium nary much pain.”

But astatine the past infinitesimal Charlie rang his adjacent person and erstwhile workfellow Eva Pope, who had played barmaid Tanya Pooley successful the soap.

He told her however helium felt, and recalls: “She said, ‘Get your a**e implicit present close now’.

“While Lesley slept I packed my container and went.

“Eva saved maine that night.

“She held maine successful her arms and listened to me, she told maine I had to get retired earlier thing goes severely wrong.”

Charlie continues: “I did spell backmost but conscionable for a abbreviated while.

“One nighttime she came astatine me, attacked maine and I pushed her to the floor.

“And that was it.

“I thought, ‘If I suffer my temper present past there’s lone going to beryllium 1 winner’.”

This fearfulness of turning convulsive himself was a stark opposition to his brutal TV quality Jim, an ex-squaddie who abused woman Liz (Beverley Callard) and their sons Steve and Andy, played by Simon Gregson and Nick Cochrane.

Charlie archetypal played the relation from 1989 to 2000 but has been regularly backmost for stints ever since — his astir caller instrumentality was successful 2018.

He says: “The years I spent connected Coronation Street are immoderate of the champion of my life.

“Bev was a immense giggler and we would person truthful overmuch fun.

“We got up to each sorts.

“We asked the manager and writers if, arsenic a prank, we could marque up a fake storyline wherever Nick, who was lone astir 15, had to person an matter with a 50-year-old woman.

“An other agreed to beryllium the woman.

“Nick was a cocky young lad.

“We stitched him up thing rotten.

“There were respective scenes wherever helium meets this pistillate and kisses her.

“Nick was successful a implicit authorities of terror.

“As we filmed, Bev and I couldn’t support it together.

“Finally, we shouted, ‘Gotcha’.

“Everyone was successful stitches, helium was mortified.”

A overmuch much settled life

Off acceptable Charlie developed a estimation arsenic a hellraiser, on with partner-in-crime Phil Middlemiss, who played bookmaker Des Barnes.

They became regulars astatine Manchester nine La Gitane, wherever they would portion with Manchester United footballers and vocalist Lisa Stansfield.

Charlie says: “We would beryllium determination until meal clip and consecutive into Granada [Studios].

“We’d drawback an hour’s slumber and past film.”

Charlie present lives a overmuch much settled beingness with Debbie, 60, a businesswoman.

She was astatine his broadside erstwhile helium learned Lesley had died successful her location successful Oxford.

She had fallen and knocked herself out, past died of hypothermia.

Charlie had to place Lesley’s assemblage and was aboriginal fixed her ashes.

He says: “God remainder her.

“We scattered her ashes connected her favourite formation up successful the Highlands.”

Charlie joined Debbie successful October past twelvemonth aft 22 years together.

Now helium is looking guardant to a caller vocation challenge, hosting a chat amusement connected ITV successful Northern Ireland.

He says: “We’re going to sprout a aviator successful January.

“I’ll beryllium similar Eamonn Holmes!”

•  That’s Life, So It Is by Charlie Lawson (£19.99, New Generation Publishing) is retired connected November 7.