Cherylee Houston facts for kids

Cherylee Houston (born on August 20, 1974) is a British actress. She grew up in Morecambe, a town in Lancashire, England. She is well-known for playing the character Izzy Armstrong in the popular TV show Coronation Street. She has been in this role since April 2010. Cherylee also plays a character named Maz in the ongoing BBC Radio 4 series called Tinsel Girl.

Early Life and Health

Cherylee's parents, Bill and Coral, owned their own photography business. She has two older brothers, Lee and Vincent. When she was a teenager, Cherylee started acting in school plays. Later, she trained to be an actress at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester.

After she finished her training at age 23, Cherylee found out she had a rare health condition. It's called Hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). This condition affects the body's connective tissues, which are like the "glue" that holds our bodies together. It can make joints very flexible and sometimes cause pain.

Acting Career

Cherylee started her acting career in 2001. She got a part in the TV show Doctors, where she played a girl with multiple sclerosis. After that, she appeared in many other TV shows. These included The Bill, Holby City, and Emmerdale. She also appeared in the comedy series Little Britain. In that show, she played the girlfriend of a character named Andy Pipkin, who used a wheelchair.

In 2006, Cherylee was one of the main characters in a BBC3 comedy called I'm with Stupid, playing Dorothy. Then, in 2010, she got the role of Izzy Armstrong in Coronation Street. This is one of the longest-running TV shows in the UK.

Since 2015, Cherylee has played Maz in the BBC Radio 4 drama series Tinsel Girl. This series has had several parts. In one, Maz had to raise money to go to a friend's wedding. In another, she had a disagreement with a long-time friend. A more recent part of the series explored Maz needing and hiring a support worker while keeping her job. These stories are partly based on events from Cherylee's own life. Maz, like Cherylee, has EDS, which causes joint dislocations and ongoing pain.

In 2022, Cherylee Houston was given a special award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This honor is given by the King or Queen for important achievements. She received it for her work in drama and for helping people with disabilities. Cherylee has been very important in helping disabled actors get auditions for shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale. She also works with a group called Disabled Artists Networking Community (DANC). Through DANC, she helps other disabled artists.

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