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 he was nearly driven to suicide by years of physical abuse at the hands of his ex-wife, admitting: “Life was a living hell.”
In a heartbreaking part two of our interview with the actor, he revealed that while he was playing wife-beater Jim McDonald on screen, at home he was the terrified victim and could see no way out.
The 65-year-old, who bears a scar from one attack, says: “I was depressed because of what I was going through and I had been prescribed pills.
“All I could think about was finding peace. And I meant it. I would kill myself, end it all. I was in a very scary place.”
Charlie’s tormentor was Corrie make-up artist Lesley Bond, who he married in 1999 and who died aged 55 in 2010.
The Northern Irish actor revealed that even their wedding day at idyllic Lucknam Park, Wilts, was marred by violence.
Lesley accused me of flirting with the bride and slapped me so hard that I nearly fell over…I loved her to pieces but she was very, very ill
Charlie
Speaking ahead of the release of his autobiography, That’s Life, So It Is, Charlie recalls: “We met another couple who were getting married there at the same time.
“Lesley later accused me of flirting with the bride and slapped me so hard that I nearly fell over.
“A few weeks later at home she flew into a rage and attacked me with an empty bottle.
“I loved her to pieces but she was very, very ill, bless her.”
Charlie was 35 and had been married for 12 years when he met Lesley on the cobbles set in early 1994.
It was love at first sight and led to him leaving his first wife Susie, who he shared daughter Laura with.
But her jealousy blighted their relationship from the start.
‘No more pain’
He says: “Once after chatting innocently to a neighbour while putting the bins out, I came inside to find Lesley waiting. She slapped me.
“It took several minutes to calm her down and work out she was convinced I was having an affair.
“I discovered she was seriously addicted to prescription drugs. She had been given Valium years before and had continued to take them. I found a stash of all kinds of pills.
“They made her paranoid, she always thought I was cheating.”
Charlie, who is now happily married to third wife Debbie Stanley, continues: “Once, when I was driving, she punched me on the side of my neck causing me to nearly crash.
“Once she came at me with a pair of scissors.”
It is then that Charlie stops our interview and fights back tears as he shows the scar which, years after the scissors attack, is still visible on his hand.
After that attack he planned to kill himself.
He says: “I knew life could not go on like this. Leaving her would break my heart but if I wasn’t here everything would be solved. She could move on with her life and there would be no more pain.”
But at the last minute Charlie rang his close friend and former colleague Eva Pope, who had played barmaid Tanya Pooley in the soap.
He told her how he felt, and recalls: “She said, ‘Get your a**e over here right now’. While Lesley slept I packed my bag and went.
“Eva saved me that night. She held me in her arms and listened to me, she told me I had to get out before something goes badly wrong.”
Charlie continues: “I did go back but just for a short while. One night she came at me, attacked me and I pushed her to the floor.
“And that was it. I thought, ‘If I lose my temper here then there’s only going to be one winner’.”
This fear of turning violent himself was a stark contrast to his brutal TV character Jim, an ex-squaddie who abused wife Liz (Beverley Callard) and their sons Steve and Andy, played by Simon Gregson and Nick Cochrane.
Charlie first played the role from 1989 to 2000 but has been regularly back for stints ever since — his most recent return was in 2018.
He says: “The years I spent on Coronation Street are some of the best of my life. Bev was a huge giggler and we would have so much fun. We got up to all sorts.
“We asked the director and writers if, as a prank, we could make up a fake storyline where Nick, who was only about 15, had to have an affair with a 50-year-old woman.
“An extra agreed to be the woman. Nick was a cocky young lad. We stitched him up something rotten.
“There were several scenes where he meets this woman and kisses her. Nick was in a complete state of terror. As we filmed, Bev and I couldn’t keep it together. Finally, we shouted, ‘Gotcha’. Everyone was in stitches, he was mortified.”
A much more settled life
Off set Charlie developed a reputation as a hellraiser, along with partner-in-crime Phil Middlemiss, who played bookmaker Des Barnes.
They became regulars at Manchester club La Gitane, where they would drink with Manchester United footballers and singer Lisa Stansfield.
Charlie says: “We would be there until breakfast time and straight into Granada [Studios]. We’d grab an hour’s sleep and then film.”
Charlie now lives a much more settled life with Debbie, 60, a business-woman.
She was at his side when he learned Lesley had died in her home in Oxford.
She had fallen and knocked herself out, then died of hypothermia.
Charlie had to identify Lesley’s body and was later given her ashes.
He says: “God rest her. We scattered her ashes on her favourite beach up in the Highlands.”
Charlie married Debbie in October last year after 22 years together.
Now he is looking forward to a new career challenge, hosting a chat show on ITV in Northern Ireland.
He says: “We’re going to shoot a pilot in January. I’ll be like Eamonn Holmes!”
- That’s Life, So It Is by Charlie Lawson (£19.99, New Gen-eration Publishing) is out on November 7.