EXCLUSIVE Coronation street actress reveals gruelling facial surgery after YEARS of unhappiness about a particular feature

Daily Mail​

18-05-2025

Coronation street actress Lisa George has undergone gruelling facial surgery after spending years feeling deeply unhappy about the way she looked, in particular her saggy eyes.
Lisa, 54, finally plucked up the courage to have evasive Blepharoplasty surgery, which burns off excess skin from the eyelids as well as a brow lift, back in January, and couldn't be happier with the results.
In an exclusive interview, she reveals how she first became unhappy about the way her face looked while starring on ITV soap Coronation Street, and had even stopped smiling in photographs because she'd become so self-conscious.
And with her much-loved character Beth Tinker's trademark heavy eye make-up, she would find herself constantly criticising her appearance, leaving her feeling even more miserable about her saggy eyes.
She said: 'It was really getting me down because my eyelids just started sagging so much. When I was at Corrie my character had to wear loads of eyeshadow.
'They'd put all this eyeshadow on my eyes and it sort of sat in all the wrinkles and it just looked like it has been dragged across my eyelid and I hated the way it looked. I was just so unhappy but I didn't have the confidence to do anything about it.
'No-one ever said anything to me, there were no comments, it was more about me being critical of myself. It was just really bothering me. Every time I was putting my make-up on there were my eyes. I didn't ever like smiling in photographs because of the way my eyes looked.'
As she prepared to leave the famous cobbles, Lisa realised she would finally have the time to do something about it and booked in for a consultation with a top facial plastic surgeon in Manchester at the beginning of last year.
Lisa (pictured, at The British Soap Awards in 2017) suffered her first eye 'incident' in 2016 when the heavy knot at the end of a piece of rope caught her right eye while gardening
But it took her another year before she would book herself in for the £8,000 operation because she was so terrified about the risks of having the procedure, one of which is going blind.
What is NAION?
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common cause of optic nerve swelling and damage in adults over 50 years of age.
The condition refers to the loss of blood flow to the optic nerve - which is the cable that connects the eye to the brain.
It typically causes sudden vision loss in one eye, without any pain.
In many cases, the person notices significant loss of vision in one eye immediately upon waking up in the morning.
The visual loss typically remains fairly stable, without getting markedly better or worse once it has occurred
People are likely to be at risk if they have conditions such as diabetes, high-blood pressure and sleep apnea.
Last year Lisa revealed that she'd been diagnosed with the genetic eye condition NAION - non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a rare condition where a loss of blood flow and oxygen delivery to the optic nerve causes sudden vision loss.
She'd already had suffered two incidents that had caused permanent vision loss in one eye and only having peripheral vision in the other.
Lisa said: 'It wasn't something I rushed into. It took me a year after that initial consultation before I went back with my fears and the risks of having the procedure.
'But my surgeon was so wonderful, he showed me the statistics and testimonials of other people who had had it done.
'He then sent me a long document assuring me that any surgery I had done would not affect my NAION because it's a completely different part of eye. I was still really nervous but booked myself in for the surgery back in January.'
But when Lisa arrived at the private clinic on the day of her surgery, she discovered that she wouldn't be able to have a general anaesthetic because of her diabetes, and would have to be awake through-out the operation.
Lisa said: 'I was absolutely petrified. I just assumed they'd give me a general anaesthetic and I'd wake up and it would be all over.
'But because of my diabetes, and concerns that not eating could impact my sugar levels, they could only give me a local one. I was awake the whole time which was not something I had anticipated.
'Even while I was laying on the operating table I kept thinking, what am I doing? But do you know what? It was all absolute fine. They had lovely music playing and the nurses were all wonderful, I didn't feel a thing.'
Lisa returned home the same night and spent the next few weeks recovering at home, which she has documented in a special diary for our readers.
And now, four months on, she can't wait to show off the results of the surgery for the first time, as she looks for her next acting role.
She said: 'I am so happy! It's been a while since I left Coronation Street and I know it probably sounds a bit conceited but I've turned a few work things down. But it's really important that I make the right decision going forward.
'I've changed the way I look, I've lost the weight, I've had my hair cut, and now I've got new eyes! Not that I'm trying to eradicate Beth, because I loved playing her and I will forever be grateful, but I want people to see me how I am now. I need a role that isn't in the same vein as Beth was, I need something completely different and I'm waiting for that to come. I think you can get pigeon holed in this industry and I don't want to be pigeon holed, I look very different now.
'A sexy cougar would be good. Get me in Rivals! I'd love to play a really high powered business woman who's strong and has got a bit of edge to her. Something like that would be amazing.'
Despite more pressure on actresses to look younger, Lisa insists that she had the surgery done for herself and hopes by opening up about it all, it will give others the confidence to do the same if something is making them unhappy.
She said: 'This is something that I've done for myself. I do look at actresses on screen and you can always tell who's had work done and who hasn't had work. I think it was Sherrie Hewson, didn't she have a facelift? she said that after her surgery she suddenly she got work.
'It's alright for blokes, they can look all paunchy and old or whatever they want, but with women it seems to be a lot different. I've spoken to a lot of my male friends and they'll be like 'oh my wife's had this done and she loves it' and then suddenly, it's actually becoming quite a common thing, a lot of women are having these types of procedures done.
'And why not? A few of my friends said they could never do it, but if you're unhappy and you want to make yourself feel better, then why shouldn't we do it? If you want to make yourself feel better, you've got the money and want to do it, then just go and do it. I think a few years ago there was quite a lot of stigma around plastic surgery but if you want to do it then why shouldn't you? And if it makes you feel better then do it. The only thing is going too far. I think it's best to have something done that doesn't look like you've had it done.'
In a brutally honest account, Lisa kept a diary of her surgery, which was performed by Professor Raghavan, at Pall Mall Medical in Manchester, which she is sharing with readers....
Lisa George's post surgery diary
The operation, Wednesday 15th Jan 2025
Today is surgery day – I am absolutely petrified and cant believe I'm going through with this. I've talked about it long enough though so just need to take a deep breath and get on with it.
This is the most evasive thing I have ever done. I arrive at the clinic, Pall Mall Medical, in Manchester, and go into my own private room.
I'm talked through the procedure and am told that I can't have a general anaesthetic because of my diabetes. I couldn't believe it, I just assumed that I would be asleep through it all. I was so nervous.
Apart from a bit of botox when I turned 40 to iron out the frown lines in my forehead, I've never done anything like this before. What was I ever thinking? And now I have to be awake throughout it all.
The nurses were all wonderful they talked me through what would happen and put my mind at ease. But even while I was laying there on the operating table, I just kept thinking, what am I doing?
I was given local anaesthetic, and my face went completely numb. Music was playing and I had a nurse who kept checking I was ok. She told me I could squeeze her hand if I needed too and if I felt any pain I was to put my hand up in the air to let them know. But do you know what?
I didn't feel a thing. The only strange thing was the smell of burning. That was probably the most shocking and unusual experience, I will never forget that smell. Instead of cutting your eyelids they burn off the excess skin.
The whole procedure took about two hours. I went back to my room and rested for a few hours.
Professor Raghavan came in to check I was ok and I was given anaesthetic cream, painkillers and antibiotics that I had to take for seven days. I feel ok. A family friend picks me up and takes me home. I'm exhausted and go to bed.
Day One, waking up after the operation, Thursday 16th January
I wake up in a panic because I can't see. What the hell have I done? I try to open my eyes but everything is blurred and I start to panic. I then realise my eyes are filled with all this gunk from the anaesthetic cream I'd been applying. I feel alright actually, its just very sore and very itchy. My right eye feels worse than my left eye and it had the most sagging. I can just about lift my eyelids up a bit. I've got all my tablets and creams so not bad actually after one day. I do, however look a bit like Frankenstein's sister. I have a family friend staying with me, who is doing good job of looking after me as I rest up and recover.
Day Two, Friday 17th Jan 2025
It's been two days since the surgery and the bruising has started to come out under my eyes.
One thing they tell you is NOT to look at your face until a least a week or 10 days afterwards. I disregard their advice and look at my face. It doesn't actually look that bad? This left eye seems better than my right eye, but its healing nicely and I have all my antibiotics and creams. Not bad at all. I continue to rest and sleep a lot.
Day Three, Saturday 18th January 2025
I know, I know, I'm still looking at my face in the mirror. I can't help it. Looking at the the state of my face, and it is a bit worrying, but hopefully that will start to go soon.
I look like I've done a few rounds in the boxing ring with Mike Tyson! The stitches seem to be healing quite nicely but they look quite frightening. Now I know why they tell you not to look at your face.
Day Five, Monday 20th January
Everything seems to be healing really nicely but I've still got really bad bruising underneath. I've been using Arnica cream on my eyes, so that must be bringing the bruising out, which must be a good thing? I actually look worse than I did a few days ago! My eyelids have gone down a little so I must be getting there.
Day Ten, Return to the clinic to have out, Wednesday, 22nd Jan 2025
So today was the day I had my stitches taken out – it looks like some of them have gone already – they are not dissolvable ones but it looks like some are missing. What is going on? I panic a bit but am assured that everything is healing as it should. Everything was totally pain free when they took out the stitches. My eyes are still really itchy and the bruising is still really bad but we are getting there.
Four weeks post-operation, Friday 21st Feb 2025
It's been four weeks since I had my surgery, and my eyes are looking really good. I can't stop looking at them! There's still a bit that needs healing but overall I'm really really happy and feel quite pleased with myself for being brave enough to finally go ahead with it all. I'm still not really going out, and if I do I wear a hat and glasses.
Six weeks post-operation, Saturday 1 March 2025
I've noticed a gap or hole in the stitch line on my eye and start to panic. It looks like there's a hole in my eyelid! I phone the clinic and speak to my surgeon. He tells me not to panic and explained that the 'holes' will eventually scab over. It's all part of the healing process, much to my relief.
15th March 2025
So it's been eight weeks since my surgery and I still have slight discolouration of the eyelids, and there's also a little lump next to one of my scars. Whether that's the stitches underneath I don't know but I shall mention it to the surgeon when I see him next. But this is healing really nicely on the brows, just a little worried about that lump.
19th March 2025
Saw the surgeon at Pall Mall today and explained that I was worried about the lumps on the stitch line but he assured me it was the stitches underneath which are doubled up. I'm pleased that it's nothing to worry about and apart from that everything is looking great. Very pleased. One of the great things is that you can keep seeing your surgeon for two years after, which really helped to put my mind at ease.