Coronation Street’s Deirdre Barlow will be laid to rest in a soap funeral months after the death of actress Anne Kirkbride, who played the part for more than 40 years.
The star died in January having been away from the soap since September after taking a break from Weatherfield following her diagnosis with cancer.
Show bosses have decided on a storyline that will see her character die and be mourned by the cast at what one insider described as “the equivalent to a state funeral in soap terms”.
The 60-year-old actress was one of the soap’s best-know performers and was loved by millions for her portrayal of husky-voiced Deirdre, famed for many years for her oversized spectacles.
Anne appeared in many colourful storylines over the years, including one of her most memorable soap moments when Deirdre was jailed after being duped into a mortgage fraud by fiance Jon Lindsay.
The storyline even led then prime minister Tony Blair to give his support to the Free The Weatherfield One movement to get her released.
The actress previously took a break from the soap after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1993.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article