Simon Gregson is best known for playing the hapless Steve McDonald on Coronation Street, a portrayal that has earned the actor a string of accolades for his comedy and hard-hitting performances over the years. Simon imbues the character with a sense of humanism that can be painful to watch at times, with many storylines involving Steve getting into ill-fated situations.

To deliver his emotionally fraught performances, the soap star may have drawn on difficult moments in his own life.

Simon revealed in a Twitter post a couple of years back that he has grappled with anxiety over the years.

The admission came off the back of watching BBC documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me, which starred The Great British Bake Off winner Nadia Hussain.

Taking to Twitter at the time, Simon said: This is real and awful to live with.

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The health site explains: Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview.

In response to specific circumstances, bouts of anxiety can be perfectly normal, however some people find it hard to control their worries, notes the health site.

Persistent feelings of anxiety can negatively impact your daily life, however, changing your behaviour and the way you think and feel about things.

This may result in symptoms such as:

The condition can also manifest itself physically, causing symptoms such as:

Your symptoms may also take its toll on your social life, as feelings of worry and dread can make people retreat from and friends and family.

How to treat anxiety

Simon found that the combination of therapy and medication helped to alleviate his symptoms.

According to the NHS, if you have been diagnosed with anxiety, you'll usually be advised to try psychological treatment before you're prescribed medication.

A course of cognitive behavioural therapy is usually recommended.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.

As the NHS explained: CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts, notes the health site.

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Simon Gregson health: Coronation Street star reveals hidden and awful health condition - Express