Coronation Street legend Shelley King was diagnosed with autism at the age of 67 and recently revealed that a lot of previous challenges now make a lot of sense.
King – who plays Yasmeen Metcalfe on the ITV soap – first began on the show in July 2014 with her most notable storyline being a high-profile coercive control storyline with her on-screen husband Geoff Metcalfe, played by Ian Bartholomew.
The star previously admitted that she found it hard when it came to last-minute script changes and unexplained plot twists – something which can happen in the world of soaps.
The 68-year-old first sought help for her struggles after her partner Trilby James encouraged her to speak to a GP, where they discussed her difficulties and was able to get a referral for a test.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, King’s appointments were pushed back due to the NHS having to prioritise patience with COVID-19, but now she has finally been given an answer.
“I don’t suppose it came as a surprise to a lot of my friends, they said, ‘This is why you’re late all the time, you can’t remember things, you fly off the handle occasionally’,” she told Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
Shelley has played Yasmeen on the ITV soap since 2014
ITV
“I’m high grade, that’s what I’m supposed to be. I’m always late, and that’s because I have to finish things off before I go to the next task. On Coronation Street, things can change all the time. If someone goes ill, you can suddenly be doing their scenes.”
She added that she hadn’t met any of her cast members before aside from knowing Jimi Mistry “socially” and “found that very difficult” when she first started.
“On my first day, 10 years ago, I went into the studio, I hadn’t met any of the cast before. I hadn’t actually met them, I knew Jimi Mistry [Kal Nazir] socially but I didn’t actually know people.
“So I find that very difficult, meeting new people, so what happens in Coronation Street took me a good few months to actually get to know the people I’m working with to therefore feel comfortable.
Shelley admitted that a lot of things in her life finally made sense
ITV
“I’m not very used to change, change is not a thing that actually helps me.”
When asked if the diagnosis had helped, she quickly agreed and said: “It has explained a lot about my past, educational difficulties sometimes! I became very introverted.”
Balls and Reid were keen to know whether an autism diagnosis could be on the cards for her Coronation Street character – something which she said she would be open to but believes there are certain criteria they’d need to ensure.
“This is a condition that you need to explore over time. If we are to explore it I think it will need a great deal to do so, rather like the abuse story.”
Shelley’s character has been involved in some hard-hitting storylines
ITV
The ITV star went on to encourage everyone to get themselves checked if they had a feeling something wasn’t right, highlighting the fact that it is “never too late”.
“I don’t think 67 is too old, it’s never too late. It’s been a great outpouring and it’s making me less scared of my life and that I’m not doing things right.”
This isn’t the first time that King has opened up about her autism, as she previously spoke to Kaye Adams on her How To Be 60 podcast just hours after her initial assessment.
“This morning has been quite a big deal for me. I’ve always had a temper, I’m very pedantic and I like to plan things. Simple things that people take for granted have not been easy for me.”
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