'Coronation Street's Claire King claims a facelift saved her acting career.
Claire King
The 52-year-old actress said that her career ground to a halt before she turned 50 but the radical plastic surgery led to a resurgence.
She told HELLO! magazine: "Although my older peers had warned me that when actresses reach the big 5-0, work often starts to dry up, I couldn't imagine it ever happening to me.
"But then, a few years before I'd even reached that landmark birthday, the phone stopped ringing. It was as sudden as a tap being turned off. I was devastated.
"When I looked at my double chin and sagging jawline, I was prepared to try a cosmetic procedure to improve my chances of being offered new parts in the job I Ioved.
"My life started to take off again. I felt happier and more upbeat."
While Claire, whose 'Coronation Street' character had a fling with younger man Nick Tilsley, could not be happier now, she admitted that having her career slow down was extremely tough.
She said: "It was the most vulnerable time of my life. It felt as if my industry didn't want me anymore, it hit me in the heart.
"I felt so low and unsure of myself that I didn't want to leave the house. Sometimes I couldn't even afford to - I didn't have enough money to fill the car with petrol."
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