Coronation Street's Rob Mallard reveals battle with neurological disorder could end his acting career
24.06.2024 - 21:55
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Every time Rob Mallard steps into the Rovers Return as his soap character Daniel Osbourne, he has to focus intently on not spilling his pint.
The 32-year-old actor suffers from essential tremor, a progressive neurological disorder that causes shaking. The star has now revealed that his condition is gradually worsening and fears it could potentially end his career.
Rob first noticed a minor tremor in his left hand when he was 14 years old. "It started to get pointed out more often by people at school, friends and family," he remembers. "I eventually went to the doctor to see if I could get a diagnosis," reports the Mirror.
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After a year of tests, his GP diagnosed him with essential tremor, a condition affecting a million people in Britain, but only 15 per cent have even heard about. Rob adds, "He said, 'If your symptoms get bad, we'll see if we can medicate to alleviate them, but there's nothing we can do'."
It wasn't until Rob was in his twenties and performing on stage that the condition began to interfere. "It would distract from the performance," he says.
Beta blockers, typically used for irregular heart rhythms but can also help with tremors, made no difference. "It didn't stop the tremor, but stopped me being able to do my job, because you've got to come into a scene at a certain emotional level."
Since joining the Corrie cast in 2016, he has been developing techniques to manage his condition. "I will practice actions over and over again. Trying to break something down into smaller parts has been the easiest and best way to hide the tremor."
But he says holding a pint is his biggest challenge. "If I'm already in the