Coronation Street star Beverley Callard joins Fair City

Actress Beverley Callard, best known for playing Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, has joined the cast of RTÉ's Fair City.

Callard will play Lily, the long-lost mother of Gwen (Emily Lamey). RTÉ has described Lily as "quirky, unpredictable and sharp as a tack", adding that she carries "just enough edge to keep Carrigstown on its toes".

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland, Fair City Executive Producer Brigie de Courcy said she was "absolutely delighted" to be welcoming Callard to Carrigstown. De Courcy said the character had been in development for around two years, and confirmed Callard began filming this week.

Callard’s first appearance on screen is due on 19 February 2026.

A familiar face to soap viewers, Callard first arrived on the cobbles as Liz in 1989, returning to the role across multiple stints over three decades. She left the ITV soap in 2020, having appeared in more than 2,300 episodes, and Liz remains one of the show's most recognisable characters, known for her time behind the bar at the Rovers Return and for storylines involving family upheaval, relationship drama and long-running feuds.

Away from Coronation Street, Callard has also appeared in Emmerdale Farm and played Flo Henshaw in the BBC sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. She later swapped soapland for reality TV in 2020, when she took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.

Fair City airs on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

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