VICKY Myers has been a part of our lives playing the role of DS Swain on Coronation Street for three years.
The actress first joined the long-running ITV soap as part of the gruesome acid attack storyline.
Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) and Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) found themselves targeted by stalker Justin Rutherford (Andrew Still).
Detective Sergeant Swain (Myers) was present to investigate the incident that took place in May 2021.
Since then, Coronation Street producers have elevated her to a full-time character, making her a key figure in the soap.
In recent episodes, she has played an essential role in the storyline involving Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) and Joel Deering (Calum Lill).
However, life hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the 48-year-old actress, who has openly discussed her harrowing cancer diagnosis.
This news came during the same year as her separation from her husband, which led her to pause her acting aspirations.
Vicky shared with The Mirror: “I don’t know if it’s my previous medical history, but I am so proud to be here and just to be living each day to the fullest.
“When my husband and I parted ways, I felt quite down, bitter, and vengeful. When I received the cancer diagnosis, I remember thinking, ‘If this is it for me, I’ve wasted so much time with my daughter, and I haven’t really been the person I aspired to be.’”
“The diagnosis brought me back to what’s truly important and what brings me joy. Now, every time I walk into work and see the Coronation Street sign, it’s quite a moving experience.”
Her role as DS Lisa Swain marks the fourth character she has portrayed in the long-running soap, but it’s the first time she has taken on a main character.
While the actress is relishing life more than ever now, her world was turned upside down in 2010.
Vicky had accompanied her nephew to a doctor’s appointment when the medical staff noticed a peculiar mark on her leg—an unexpected encounter that ultimately saved her life.
“My nephew has a heart condition. As we were about to leave, the doctor asked, ‘Can I examine that mark on your leg?’ Within five days, I was hospitalized,” she revealed.
“I was wearing three-quarter-length combat trousers that day, which can be rolled up into shorts. I did that in the car just before the appointment because of the sweltering June heat.
“It’s astonishing to think that if it had been a cloudy day, the doctor might not have noticed the small dark mark on my calf. I definitely had a guardian angel watching over me that day.”
After doctors discovered she had skin cancer, Vicky underwent reconstructive surgery, with her former partner stepping in to help care for their daughter, Meghan.
It was six months later when she began auditioning for roles again, but the constant rejections had taken a toll on her spirit.
In 2013, she admitted that she chose to abandon her aspirations for a career as an actress, saying: “I felt financially, mentally and physically I needed a break just to breathe.
“Being an actress was tough. Sometimes the phone didn’t ring, or I wasn’t chosen for a role. It was incredibly stressful and I did whatever it took to pay the bills, even ironing for others.
“You tell yourself it’s not your time yet, but that doesn’t make things easier when you have children and bills I just couldn’t make it work.”
She then found a job in a casting house where she observed others as they auditioned for various roles.
This fueled her determination to pursue her passion, as she expressed, “I knew I was going to return.
“I kept telling myself, ‘I need to secure a permanent full-time job,’ but I didn’t. Some might call that foolish or arrogant, but I could never have been satisfied with a full-time office job.”
Her big break arrived in 2016 when she secured a role in the Harlan Coben series The Five.
This opportunity was followed by parts in Ackley Bridge on Channel 4 and The Long Shadow, where she worked alongside talents like David Morrissey and Toby Jones.
However, the ultimate dream from the Manchester native was to appear on Coronation Street.
Vicky – who comes from Stockport – admitted: “In the North, as soon as you mention you’re an actress, people inquire, ‘Oh, have you been in Coronation Street?’
“Now I can confidently say I have. On my first day, as I walked down the cobbles, I thought, ‘I recognize you.’ I’ve been watching the show since I was a kid, so it truly feels like home.”
