Veg-alicious

By: Kath Walker

Jan 28 2015

Tags: "illustration", "line drawing", "mental illness", caricature, coronation street, depression, kath walker, portrait, simon gregson, steve mcdonald

Category: celebrities, entertainment, health and wellbeing

1 Comment

So, Steve McDonald’s finally admitted he’s got clinical depression in Coronation Street. Hurrah. Hurrah, not just for the character, who’s gradually been fading to grey over recent weeks, but hurrah also to all who have been involved with this storyline.

Incredulously, the stigma of depression in particular and mental illness in general still exists, and for a mainstream TV soap to give the disease centre stage is not only courageous, but necessary.

The hapless Steve, who gives us all so many funny moments, was the perfect character to choose for this storyline. His descent into the darkness of depression shows it can strike anyone, at any time.

And as a sufferer of the black dog myself, I can say with conviction that Simon Gregson, who plays Steve, painted a scarily accurate picture of this horrible horrible condition.

Hopefully Steve’s plight will start to normalise people’s attitudes towards depression, and enable an more open discussion to develop. Here’s hoping.