Harry Potter star Julie Walters was originally set to front the Channel 4 drama, Truelove. However, production was delayed after the iconic actress fell ill during filming, leaving the show's future in question.
Shooting for the series was paused for a year, due to 73-year-old star Julie's ill health, before it was decided that she would be replaced by Lindsay Duncan. A spokesperson for Clerkenwell Films said: "Last year, filming on Truelove was paused while Julie Walters sought medical advice and attention for severe back pain.
© Photo: Getty Images"Subsequently, Julie has decided to step back from the project to focus on her recovery and recuperation, and so will not be returning."
Julie's role in the drama was set to be her first in six years, following her battle with bowel cancer which saw her pull out of the premiere for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which came out in 2018.
On her cancer diagnosis, Julie told journalist Victoria Derbyshire: "Part of me was going, 'Oh my God! I've got cancer! Oh my God!' And I'm dealing with the shock of that, and it's all systems go to have it treated,” the actress said, before revealing it made her take stock of her career.
"But there was also an element of going, 'I don't have to do any more work. I can actually get off this treadmill. I had been working really hard and it seemed like a big excuse not to do anything. Cancer trumps everything. So there was a huge relief in it, which is strange. But I needed something to stop me."
Despite this, Julie was lured back to work by Truelove. "I had basically withdrawn from acting and wasn't sure that anything could tempt me back but then I read Truelove.
© Photo: Getty Images"I was completely bowled over by the writing - the dark humour, the love story and the thriller element set against a backdrop of what happens to us all as we approach our later years."
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Julie is undoubtedly disappointed about having to pull out of her role in the show, and we're wishing her all the best in her recovery.
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