{"id":624345,"date":"2026-10-08T12:28:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/624345\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T12:28:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:28:16","slug":"celebrity-traitors-and-coronation-street-star-confirmed-for-huge-lifetime-achievement-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/624345\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrity Traitors and Coronation Street star confirmed for huge Lifetime Achievement award"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">She&#8217;s just been dubbed the Most Trustworthy person on The Celebrity Traitors, and now Coronation Street and Happy Valley star Julie Hesmondhalgh is set to pick up a big Lifetime Achievement award next month.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">She&#8217;ll be the inaugural winner of the trophy at the Great British Theatres Awards, hosted by Marisha Wallace on November 2, just days after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a74065025\/celebrity-traitors-2026-cast-friendships-connection\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a74065025\/celebrity-traitors-2026-cast-friendships-connection\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the current run of The Celebrity Traitors\" data-node-id=\"9.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the current run of The Celebrity Traitors<\/a> airs its finale.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">In addition to her acclaimed acting talents, Hesmondhalgh has been a prolific advocate for theatre, having played a major part in helping to save the Oldham Coliseum from closure. She also co-founded Manchester&#8217;s Take Back Theatre Collective.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"julie hesmondhalgh, the celebrity traitors season 2\" title=\"Julie Hesmondhalgh, The Celebrity Traitors Season 2\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/b3968c0c-3479-4a58-b247-e2638720a6fc.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV\" data-node-id=\"18.1.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, said: &#8220;The concept for the Lifetime Achievement Award is to recognise someone who shares Theatres Trust\u2019s belief that everyone should have access to theatre and live performance no matter where they live or what their background is.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;There is no one in the public eye who embodies this spirit more than Julie Hesmondhalgh. Julie has used her platform as one of the country\u2019s most beloved actors to bang the drum for inclusive and equitable access to the performing arts and champion important community theatres.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">He added: &#8220;We are thrilled that she is going to accept this award.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Elsewhere, Hesmondhalgh is set to be a key player on The Celebrity Traitors, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a73991009\/celebrity-traitors-largest-ever-launch-record-ratings\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a73991009\/celebrity-traitors-largest-ever-launch-record-ratings\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"picked up blockbuster ratings\" data-node-id=\"35.5\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">picked up blockbuster ratings<\/a> since its second season debuted last week.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"julie hesmondhalgh in celebrity traitors 2026\" title=\"Julie Hesmondhalgh Celebrity Traitors 2026\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2876\" height=\"1592\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6acac4a9-8ce1-48b5-b5d7-87e34fbb48a5.png\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"40\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a73989820\/claudia-winkleman-hair-beauty-buy-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/reality-tv\/a73989820\/claudia-winkleman-hair-beauty-buy-now\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Claudia Winkleman&#039;s make-up artist reveals Celebrity Traitors looks \u2013 where to buy\" data-node-id=\"40.1.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Claudia Winkleman&#8217;s make-up artist reveals Celebrity Traitors looks \u2013 where to buy<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Speaking ahead of the premiere, she said: &#8220;I am a fair player but I&#8217;m incredibly competitive. I commit so strongly, I&#8217;m a maniac, so everyone&#8217;s a bit worried about me in the Missions!<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;I absolutely play to win. I don&#8217;t mind losing. I&#8217;m not a sore loser but I give it my all. So much so I think people are genuinely quite frightened of me sometimes!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Asked what her biggest pros and cons as a contestant will be, she mused: &#8220;My biggest weakness is that I&#8217;ll be too trusting. My biggest strength is that I&#8217;m a good team player.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/?route=modal&amp;sid=tii3QmS\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\" data-playpilot-poster-url=\"https:\/\/img-external.playpilot.tech\/41697a5c2b6145a4b657690e5c021e4f?class=2by3x10&amp;optimizer=image&amp;token=S0pBzbh7rOU_mi1ohwIHvWy_Pj3IE_aaADAvEHAPdZU&amp;expires=1822928309\" data-used-css-variables=\" --playpilot-injection-text-color --playpilot-injection-text-color-hover --playpilot-injection-font-weight --playpilot-injection-text-decoration --playpilot-injection-text-decoration-hover --playpilot-injection-background-color-hover\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/?route=modal&amp;sid=tii3QmS\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The Celebrity Traitors\" data-node-id=\"56.0.0.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" target=\"_blank\">The Celebrity Traitors<\/a> airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.<br data-node-id=\"56.1\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"61\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"61.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"65\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton&#8217;s life, is here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions\/living-legend-specials?hearst_refdomain=www.google.com&amp;hearst_utm=none\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions\/living-legend-specials\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Dolly in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"65.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Buy Dolly in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791462496_151_37454c59-9f86-4f90-8319-50e00b543ca5_1759932323.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Shaun Kitchener\" title=\"Headshot of Shaun Kitchener\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/author\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Metro<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attitude.co.uk\/contributor\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Attitude<\/a>, Huffington Post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/authors\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Mirror<\/a>, Yahoo!, Pink News and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/journalist\/122476\/Shaun-Kitchener\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Express Online<\/a>, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical <a href=\"https:\/\/thestepsmusical.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Here &amp; Now<\/a> and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who&#8217;ll listen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"She&#8217;s just been dubbed the Most Trustworthy person on The Celebrity Traitors, and now Coronation Street and Happy&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[430,147144,176977,2115,306858,2117,156,207184,2116,111,139,69,306857,251090,148828],"class_list":["post-624345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-collection-the-traitors","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-5964b5e0-bf19-4a89-b520-6f61148ea866","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-celebrity-traitors-star-set-for-lifetime-achievement-award","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-reality-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}