Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox
A Coronation Street star has revealed which of the long-running show’s original cast members left Barbara Knox starstruck, despite now being a legend herself.
Barbara has played Rita Tanner in Corrie for more than 50 years after an initial one-off appearance as the exotic dancer, Rita Littlewood, in 1964. Well known as the owner of ‘The Kabin’, which Rita took over in 1973, her many sidekicks include other Corrie legends, Mavis Riley and Norris Cole.
Rita has also had three husbands over the years – Len Fairclough, Ted Sullivan and Dennis Tanner – and holds the record for receiving more marriage proposals than any other character, a whopping 15 from 12 different men.
And now, her former Corrie co-star Sally Lindsay has recalled her first day with the Weatherfield stalwart when she joined the ITV soap as Shelley Unwin, a role she played between 2001 and 2006.
She shared on the Once Upon a Time podcast: “On my first day, one of my first scenes was with Barbara Knox, who plays Rita. I went over to give her a drink – my character had to go over and give her a drink and say a line. [She’d say] ‘Oh, who are you then?’ ‘I’m Shelley…’ Or whatever. And she went, ‘Oh, who are you then?’
“I went to say it and I just froze. I couldn’t breathe. The nerves. ‘Cause obviously when you’re northern, Coronation Street is such a part of the fabric of our… if anybody rings you after half seven [and interrupts Corrie], somebody’s dead. They’d have to be dead. Not even on the verge!
Sally played Shelley Unwin in the ITV soap
“I couldn’t speak, because I was so in awe. I just froze. I said, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m terribly embarrassed, I’m just a bit overwhelmed by everything and you!'”
Sally went on to say that Barbara was “so lovely” despite her reaction, and even told her: “Don’t worry darling, I did exactly the same to Doris Speed!”
Doris played Annie Walker, regarded by many fans as the best landlady of them all. She was in charge of the Rovers for an impressive 46 years – having bought the tenancy with husband Jack (Arthur Leslie) back in 1937, some 23 years before Corrie was first screened.
She stood for no nonsense as landlady, and her most dramatic Rovers moment came in 1975 when the beloved boozer was ransacked by burglars who woke the sleeping Annie demanding her money.
Annie was also known for her friendships with her staff, including employing the young Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) as a barmaid, and a lifelong friendship with Betty Turpin (Betty Driver). She continued her tenancy at the Rovers until 1983, when she decided to retire and hand the reins to son Billy Walker (Ken Farrington) – although that didn’t last long after a series of run-ins with police over his late-night lock-ins.
The beloved character was played by Chorlton-born Doris Speed. After Corrie, the actress didn’t take on any new roles. She died at a nursing home in Bury, in 1994, aged 95.
