"who plays Ken Barlow in ""Coronation Street"". Roache's son James had a role as Ken's long-lost grandson who was also called James. Despite Driver's character being well known for her Lancashire hotpot, in real-life she was a vegetarian who seldom cooked, describing herself as a poor cook. On 11 May 2011, Driver was rushed to hospital, suffering from pneumonia. She died on 15 October, aged 91, after around six weeks in hospital. Betty Driver Elizabeth Mary ""Betty"" Driver, (20 May 1920 – 15 October 2011) was a British actress and singer, best known for her role as Betty Williams (previously"
"other actors with just a comedy reaction. It’s simple, and also fantastic."" Driver was awarded a lifetime achievement award at ""The British Soap Awards"" in May 2010, to honour her role as Betty who had, at that time, featured in ""Coronation Street"" for 41 years. Due to illness, Driver was unable to collect the award in person, but she recorded a video message thanking everyone at ITV. During her time on ""Coronation Street"", the character has become synonymous with her signature dish at the Rovers Return Inn, Betty's hotpot. ITV have described the dish as ""the stuff of legends"", and"
"the soap's Rovers Return Inn, where she created a signature dish, known as Betty's hotpot. Driver died in October 2011 and Betty was subsequently written out, with the character dying off-screen of illness in April 2012. Betty Driver, who had been performing since she was 8 years old, retired from acting in her late forties to run hotels in Cheshire and Derbyshire. It was here that she was spotted by one of her customers, producer of ""Coronation Street"", Harry Kershaw, who persuaded her to audition for the role of Hilda Ogden in 1964; she eventually had to turn the role"
"is like home and they really are my family."" She confirmed her intention to remain on the show in 2010, when the character celebrated her 90th birthday. In May 2010, the ""News of the World"" reported that Driver had decided to retire, just prior to the actress's 90th birthday. Driver was distressed by the rumour, and assured producer Phil Collinson of her intention to remain with the soap, and was told that Betty was very much a part of plans for the series' upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations. Driver died on 15 October 2011, having appeared in over 2,800 episodes of"
"of the Street’s great traditional characters who seem to have been there forever. It’s always been our aim to keep a great mix of contemporary stories with older, more traditional characters. Comedy and tragedy combined with very clever writing has always been a trademark of the Street."" Actor Rob James-Collier, who played Liam Connor in the soap, has deemed Betty to be one of ""Coronation Street""<nowiki>'</nowiki>s two best characters, alongside Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey). He explained: ""Betty Driver, who plays Betty can have no more than a couple of lines in a scene, but she’ll steal it off all the"
"""Coronation Street"". Betty was born at 6 Tile Street, Weatherfield on 4 February 1920 to Harold and Margaret Preston. During World War II, she had an affair with serviceman Ted Farrell (Gerald Sim), resulting in a son, Gordon (Bill Kenwright; Geoffrey Leesley). Ted left her to return to his family and Gordon was adopted by Betty's sister Maggie (Irene Sutcliffe) and her husband Les Clegg (John Sharp). Betty celebrated the end of the war with her sweetheart Billy Williams (Frank Mills), to whom she had lost her virginity. The two lost touch, and in 1949, Betty married policeman Cyril Turpin"
"(William Moore). Betty and her husband Cyril move to ""Coronation Street"" in June 1969, helping her sister Maggie to run the local corner shop following the breakup of Maggie's marriage to Les Clegg. Maggie, however, resents Betty's interference and persuades landlord Jack Walker (Arthur Leslie) to give Betty a job as a barmaid at The Rovers Return Inn public house. Betty clashes with the landlady Annie (Doris Speed), who fears that Jack may find her attractive, and fires Betty as a result. Betty takes a job in a rival pub, and returns only when Annie apologises. Betty becomes close friends"
"radio and television, called ""Betty"", which was published in 2000. In an interview on the ""Parkinson"" show on 11 November 2006, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Driver still drove herself into work at 07:30am each morning, despite her age. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the Millennium New Year's Honours List on 31 December 1999. In August 2008, it was announced that Driver was one of several ""Coronation Street"" stars facing large salary cuts. In April 2010 Driver was reportedly admitted to hospital with a chest infection. In"
"with the show, because I still enjoy it so much and am always looking forward rather than back. Really, it has been a wonderful experience and I feel very glad I was able to stick around for so long."" In 2007, ""Coronation Street"" bosses told ""The Sun"" newspaper that there were no plans to retire the character of Betty, despite actress Betty Driver being 87 at the time, the oldest cast member in the soap. The character was described as ""highly valued"", with executive producer Kieran Roberts saying, ""She is still going strong and enjoying the role. Betty is one"
"for perhaps a few months. But it just went on and on and, well, they've never managed to get rid of me."" Following her first appearance in 1969, Driver remained in the role of Betty continuously. She suggested in 1999 that if she gave up she would die ""within a month from sheer boredom"". In a 2006 interview she laughed off the notion of retirement, saying: ""From day one on The Street everyone has been very kind to me. In fact, I'm godmother to Bill Roache's son. So as long as they want me, I'm happy to stay. The Street"
"Collinson producer to try to restore the show to its 'golden days'. However this was denied the following day by ""Coronation Street"" bosses. A spokesperson said ""At the moment there are no plans for Bet to return. The new producer hasn't even started yet, he's not made any decisions."" Following the death of actress Betty Driver in October 2011, there was speculation about Goodyear reprising her role for a one-off episode for the character Betty Williams' funeral, but the rumours ultimately proved to be groundless as Bet did not make an appearance. In April 2018, in an interview with the"
"Lisa George Lisa George is an English actress best known for the role of Beth Tinker in Coronation Street, a role which she has played since 2011. In 1997, George toured with a stage musical version of """". Her television credits include a role in the 2003 BAFTA nominated television adaptation of the Jaqueline Wilson novel ""The Illustrated Mum,"" as well as episodes of British serial dramas ""Casualty"", ""Holby City"" and ""Emmerdale"". In 2005 she appeared in an advertisement for fast food restaurant KFC, which was eventually banned due to complaints as it features George and other actresses singing with"
"Bridge, Derbyshire, with her sister Freda. In 1969, she was persuaded to come out of retirement to play police officer's wife Betty Turpin on ""Coronation Street"", a role she would play for over 40 years. She was the longest serving barmaid in the history of the Rover's Return and Betty's Hot Pot (served at lunchtime in the Rovers) is an iconic dish, which has also been offered as a ready meal in UK supermarkets. She was the subject of ""This Is Your Life"" in 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews. Driver wrote a memoir on her years in"
"down as she was tied into an advertising contract with Procter & Gamble and they refused to release her. The part of Hilda eventually went to Jean Alexander. Driver has commented, ""Harry Kershaw, producer of ""Coronation Street"", persuaded me to audition for Hilda Ogden – just think I could have been wearing curlers for 30 years."" In 1969, she was cast as the new character, Betty Turpin. Commenting on her casting in 1999, Driver said, ""[Kershaw] said, 'Betty, how would you like to pull pints for us on television?', and that was it. I suppose I expected I'd be there"
"Women of Coronation Street"", Daran Little describes Betty as an archetypal mother figure. He compares her to one of ""Coronation Street""s original characters Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant), as she is ""warm and comforting [...] loves cats and has had her share of lodgers""; however, Little notes that ""while Minnie wandered through life in a haze, Betty is sharp-witted, blessed with insight and wisdom"". Discussing her evolving characterisation, Little writes: ""She hasn't always been the incarnation of lovable joviality: when she arrived in the Street in 1969, she was loud, brash and a vicious-tongued gossip."" Betty's two passions in life are"
"Andria Lawrence Andria Lawrence (born 20 June 1941 in London, England) is an English actress, best known for her her roles in ""On the Buses"" First as Suzie and later as Betty and Coronation Street as Janet Stockwell and ""Countess Dracula"" (1971). Andria Lawrence is best remembered for her appearances in both TV and film productions of 1970s British sitcom ""On the Buses"". Her performance as ""Turnaround Betty"" in the 1971 ""On the Buses"" film exemplified the amorous type of comic role in which she was most often cast. She was cast to similar comic type in ""For the Love"
"their mouths full. To date, she has had four different roles in ""Coronation Street"". In 1997, she played a nursing colleague of regular character Martin Platt and appeared in five episodes in 2005 as a police family liaison officer. She was cast as the character Beth Tinker, a former model and ex-girlfriend of Steve McDonald, in two episodes of the serial which aired in August 2011. The production team later brought Tinker back as a permanent character. For her role as Beth, George has been nominated as Best Newcomer in the 2012 annual ""TV Choice"" Awards. The actress stated she"
"Beth Tinker Beth Tinker (also Sutherland) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, ""Coronation Street"", played by Lisa George. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 August 2011. Beth previously dated Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) in 2000 and eleven years later Steve contacts Beth to arrange a date. Beth brings her son, Craig (Colson Smith), and Steve is surprised that she no longer looks like a model. Beth argues with Steve's ex-wife, Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly). Beth later applies for a machinists job at Frank Foster's (Andrew Lancel) factory. She is hired,"
"1956 after a long illness. In December 1953, in London, she married South African singer Wally Peterson, something Driver claimed she did out of ""defiance"" to her domineering mother who she has said ""always felt Wally was only interested in my bank account"". Peterson had appeared as part of a double-act on ""The Betty Driver Show"" in 1949, where they met and fell in love. Driver reluctantly agreed to marry him. She commented, ""Before the wedding, he had started to change the way I looked and sang. Up to this point, I'd always worn glamorous gowns. Wally said that look"
"Julie Goodyear Julie Goodyear, MBE (born Julie Kemp; 29 March 1942) is an English television actress and media personality. She is known for playing pub landlady Bet Lynch (later Bet Gilroy) on British soap opera ""Coronation Street"". Goodyear first appeared as Bet Lynch for nine episodes in 1966, before becoming a series regular for twenty-five years from 1970 to 1995. She returned for eight episodes in 2002 and another seven in 2003. For her role on Coronation Street, she received the Special Recognition Award at the 1995 National Television Awards. She was made an MBE in the 1996 New Year"
"Diana Davies (actress) Diana Davies (born 20 July 1936 in Manchester, Lancashire) is an English actress, best known for playing roles in two long-running ITV soap operas; Norma Ford in ""Coronation Street"" and Caroline Bates in ""Emmerdale Farm"" between 1984 and 1999. Amongst her roles prior to becoming a regular in ""Emmerdale Farm"", Davies portrayed three different characters in the retrospective educational drama ""How We Used To Live"" between 1969 and 1981; her characters being Mama (1969), Alice Boothroyd (1976) and Mabel Hodgkins (1981). She also appeared in the Liver Birds as Jenny. Davies divorced her husband, Peter, in 1979,"
"been shown to work there for 42 years, as of 2011. There have been brief breaks however, as storylines have led to the character being fired or quitting her post. She was fired by Annie Walker (Doris Speed), who accused her of theft, and she quit her post in 1995 when Jack (Bill Tarmey) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) took over as landlords. In the summer of 2009, Betty was sacked again temporarily by manager Poppy Morales. A ""Coronation Street"" insider reassured ""The Sun"" that Betty was not being written out of the show, however, stating: ""She’ll be here for"
"of Ada"" (1972) and ""Man About the House"" (1974). Lawrence demonstrated skill in drama, too, though. She appeared in Ken Loach's acclaimed slice of gritty realism ""Cathy Come Home"" (1966) and in Hammer Film Production ""Countess Dracula"" (1971). Lawrence is also a writer, publishing novel ""The Olive Tree"" in 2016. Andria Lawrence Andria Lawrence (born 20 June 1941 in London, England) is an English actress, best known for her her roles in ""On the Buses"" First as Suzie and later as Betty and Coronation Street as Janet Stockwell and ""Countess Dracula"" (1971). Andria Lawrence is best remembered for her appearances"
"(Ken Farrington). She has numerous relationships with many people, including well-known Street residents such as Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson) and Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs). In 1975, Bet receives news that her 19-year-old son Martin (who she gave up for adoption when he was a baby) had died in a car crash in Northern Ireland, where he had been serving as a soldier. She also finds out that he tracked her down, but was disgusted by her overt sexual nature and left without telling her who he was. When Annie Walker (Doris Speed) retires in 1983 after 46 years as landlady"
"living room (the ""back room"") would be in the middle of the street at the side of the pub, outside the medical centre. Since 1960 the toilet and cellar doors on the other side of the building would seem to enter the Barlow's kitchen, next door at number one Coronation Street. There is also no obvious room for a commercial kitchen, despite the lunchtime serving of Betty Williams' (Betty Driver) noted hotpot while she was a barmaid at the pub. Since mid-2008, viewers have seen scenes in a kitchen/dining room in the upstairs of the pub (for use by the"
"""Ack Ack Beer Beer"" and made her final film in 1941 ""Facing the Music"". In the 1940s, she became a noted big band singer. During the Second World War, Driver travelled through Europe with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), entertaining the troops. She also appeared for seven years on the radio show ""Henry Hall's Guest Night"" and on her own show, ""A Date with Betty"", which was broadcast live from the People's Palace in London's East End on 14 July 1949. The show's format was based around Driver singing, doing sketches and introducing guests. All her words were scripted by"
"was voted 53rd. O'Brien is a patron of the charity Animals in Distress Sanctuary. Tina O'Brien Tina Michelle O'Brien (born 7 August 1983) is an English actress and model. She is best known for her role as Sarah Platt in the ITV soap ""Coronation Street"" from 1999 to 2007 and 2015 onwards, and her role as Bex Fisher in the BBC school drama ""Waterloo Road"" from 2010 to 2011. Born in Rusholme, Manchester, England, O'Brien left Trinity C.E. High School with nine GCSEs. She starred in the drama ""Children's Ward"" in 1997, ""The Cops"" in 1998 and ""Clocking Off"" in"
"decided to rename Coronation Street Alf Roberts Street in his honour, and Alf was hurt when the locals opposed it. He was also made an OBE for services to local Government. When Alf became mayor for the second time, Audrey declined to be mayoress, and Alf asked Betty Turpin (Betty Driver) instead. A compromise was later reached. When Alf retired from the council, Audrey held his seat for a while. On New Year's Eve 1998, the Roberts attended Nick Tilsley (Adam Rickitt)'s 18th birthday party at Gail's house. Worn out from dancing, Alf slumped onto an armchair where he suffered"
"Sally Carman Sally Carman (born 1981) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Kelly Maguire in ""Shameless"" and as Abi Franklin in ""Coronation Street"". Carman was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. At 18 she attended the LAMDA drama school in London. Carman made her major television debut in 2000 when she starred as Bridget Salsabill in British drama ""Bomber"", though she had previously featured briefly in an episode of ""City Central"". As an actress, she has also starred in ""Doctors"", ""Heartbeat"" and ""Holby City"". She also played the character of Betty Haigh, the wife of John George"
"actress told a writer for the ""Grimsby Telegraph"" that the role of Beth came up while she was touring nursing homes in Glasgow with her musical act. George said ""I was delighted they asked me to audition for the role as I saw a lot of friendly faces again, who I have worked with before."" George appeared in ""Coronation Street"" three times before her latest stint as Beth. Beth initially appears as Steve McDonald's (Simon Gregson) ""nightmare date"" for two episodes. On 10 October 2011, itv.com announced Beth would be returning to ""Coronation Street"". They added Beth would be joining"
"amends with Vicky and sells the boat to invest in Vicky's wine bar. Bet reappears in Coronation Street in June 2002 for Betty's retirement party, which delights her. Bet reveals that she has made up with Vicky and has been running different pubs across the country for the last seven years, before finally settling in Brighton. Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) asks Bet to stay with her for the next two weeks but when Rita visits, wanting to make amends for not loaning her the money to buy the Rovers, Bet and Rita argue as Bet tells Rita that all she"
"with whom she had a son, Stephen. She moved to Torquay in 2004 to live with her sister, Jill Barton. Diana Davies (actress) Diana Davies (born 20 July 1936 in Manchester, Lancashire) is an English actress, best known for playing roles in two long-running ITV soap operas; Norma Ford in ""Coronation Street"" and Caroline Bates in ""Emmerdale Farm"" between 1984 and 1999. Amongst her roles prior to becoming a regular in ""Emmerdale Farm"", Davies portrayed three different characters in the retrospective educational drama ""How We Used To Live"" between 1969 and 1981; her characters being Mama (1969), Alice Boothroyd (1976)"
"Women's Equality Party candidate Tabitha Morton in the Liverpool City Region mayoral election. Denise Welch Jacqueline Denise Welch (born 22 May 1958) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for her roles as Natalie Barnes in ""Coronation Street"" (1997–2000) and Steph Haydock in ""Waterloo Road"" (2006–2010). She is also known for her appearances as a regular panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show ""Loose Women"" from 2005 to 2013. She returned full time to the show in 2018. Welch's other acting roles include the television dramas ""Spender"" (1991–1993), ""Soldier, Soldier"" (1993–1995) and ""Down to Earth"" (2004–2005). In"