Coronation Street's Rob Mallard reveals neurological disorder battle could threaten acting career

Every time ITV Coronation Street star Rob Mallard steps into the Rovers Return as Daniel Osbourne, he's acutely aware of his need to keep a steady hand on his pint. The 32-year-old actor is battling essential tremor, a progressive neurological condition that results in shaking.

He has recently opened up about the worsening state of his disorder, expressing concern over its potential impact on his acting career. Rob first detected a slight shake in his left hand at the age of 14. "It started to get pointed out more often by people at school, friends and family," he recalled.

"I eventually went to the doctor to see if I could get a diagnosis," as reported by the Mirror. After undergoing tests for a year, his GP confirmed he had essential tremor, a condition shared by a million others in Britain, yet one that remains largely unknown, with only 15 per cent of Britons aware of it.

Get the latest news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp

Rob mentioned, "He said, 'If your symptoms get bad, we'll see if we can medicate to alleviate them, but there's nothing we can do'.", reports the Manchester Evening News.

It was during his twenties, while performing on stage, that the tremor began to truly affect his work. "It would distract from the performance," he admitted.

Even beta blockers, which are commonly prescribed for heart issues and can also reduce tremors, didn't help. "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 honing methods to cope with 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."

However, he admits that handling a pint is his greatest test. "If I'm already in the scene, I'll get them to give me a drink that's two-thirds gone. There's not much chance of me spilling that. But if I come into the scene and order a pint the chances are it'll be up to the top. That's when the issues start."

Rob's condition has deteriorated, now impacting both hands, arms, and neck. "Sometimes my voice will shake too," he reveals.

People often mistakenly think Rob has been drinking. "Using a chip and pin, and your hand's going and you get a 'look' from the cashier. You don't blame them... my first thought would be, 'Did you drink a bit too much last night? ' too."

"If I'm at a table with people, mine will be the plate that looks like a two-year-old has eaten. I can't use gaming devices either. On Call of Duty, I couldn't shoot straight if you paid me.

"There have been moments, like in the gym, lifting something when somebody has come over and asked me if I was OK because the weight's shaking above my head. I've had to explain it's fine, I've got this tremor."

Coronation Street actor Rob Mallard has opened up about a health condition that's been intensifying over the past decade, significantly impacting his personal and professional life. He revealed, "In the last 10 years it has become a lot more pronounced and if it follows that trajectory in my personal life it's going to be difficult and annoying. Professionally it could be career-ending."

Mallard mentioned that integrating his health issue into his character on the show has been proposed. However, he expressed reservations: "It has been suggested that Coronation Street wrap it into the character, which I'm not averse to, but I'd rather not do that now. I don't want it to pigeonhole me."

Reflecting on his journey and advocacy work with the National Tremor Foundation, Rob said, "I was embarrassed about it for years," clarifying his position by saying, "Eventually I just had to choose to own it."