Deirdre Barlow
Encyclopedia
Deirdre Anne Barlow is a long-standing fictional character
in the UK television ITV
Granada
soap opera
, Coronation Street
. Portrayed by actress Anne Kirkbride
, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode that was aired on 20 November 1972.
), Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs
) and Dave Barton (the actor who played Dave, David Beckett, is now Anne Kirkbride's partner). In a number of early scenes, Deirdre repeatedly mentions a former boyfriend known as 'Seb H'.
It is not long before she sets her sights on Billy Walker, a man nearly 20 years her senior. She is not intimidated by Billy's domineering mother Annie Walker
(Doris Speed
) who disapproves of Deirdre as she feels Deirdre is from the wrong side of the tracks. The wedding is meant to be a low key affair, paid for by Billy but it is called off. Billy subsequently leaves to run a wine bar in Jersey
.
In March 1977, Ray and Deirdre move into No. 5 Coronation Street, shortly after their daughter Tracy
(Christabel Finch) is born on 24 January. However, their wedded bliss does not last. Deirdre is sexually assaulted under the viaduct at the end of the street whilst walking home. It has a profound effect on her, and the following month, she contemplates suicide
, standing on the parapet of a motorway bridge. She only snaps back to reality when a lorry driver asks her for directions. However, the marriage never recovers, and by September 1978, Ray is having an affair with a waitress, Janice Stubbs. When Deirdre finds out, they decide to start afresh and move to Holland, as Ray has been offered a job there, but at their farewell party in November 1978, Deirdre decides not to go and Ray leaves alone. Deirdre and Ray subsequently divorce.
In 1979, Deirdre is touched when Sally Norton (Yvonne Nicholson) brings Tracy a doll but makes excuses to stop Sally taking Tracy out. Later, Deirdre leaves Tracy outside the Rovers whilst she visits Annie for knitting patterns, but they are disturbed by a terrible crashing sound. Deirdre goes outside to find a lorry had spilt a load of timber into the front of the Rovers, crushing the front of the pub. Deirdre hysterically claws at the timber screaming for Tracy, who she believed was underneath.
After this, Deirdre dates Mike Baldwin and attempts to reconcile with Billy Walker (her ex-fiancé), but soon realised that Ken Barlow (William Roache
) is better suited to her. In January 1980, she strongly hints to Ken that if he proposed to her, she would not say no. This scares Ken away - he feels he is too old for her and would be unsuitable as he has already been married twice. In January 1981, Ken asks her out again and their romance is briefly revived -until Deirdre has a fling with Dirk van der Stek (Lex van Delden), a Dutch colleague of Ray's. However, Deirdre is still attracted to Ken, and when Dirk leaves, she hints that she is still available. They go out for a meal and agree to see more of each other without getting tied down.
In 1981, over 24 million viewers watched Deirdre's wedding to William Roache's character, Ken Barlow (which generated higher ratings for ITV than the wedding of Prince of Wales
to Lady Diana Spencer
). Ken eventually adopts Ray and Deirdre's daughter, Tracy, and they live with Uncle Albert
(Jack Howarth) in Number 1.
By February 1982, Deirdre suggests they have a baby but Ken firmly dismisses the idea, saying he does not want the responsibility. In May 1982, there are a number of muggings in the area. Deirdre's suspicions are aroused about local boy Ray Attwood (Joe Searby) when a detective asks youth club organiser Ken if he noticed anything suspicious. Ken refuses to contact the police, not wanting to betray Ray's confidence until he has evidence, but after Betty Turpin (Betty Driver
) is mugged, Deirdre goes against Ken's wishes - and it emerges that Ray is the mugger. Ken feels Deirdre has betrayed him. However, later that month, Ken agrees they should try for a baby.
The marriage gets into trouble when Deirdre, feeling insecure, has an affair with ex-boyfriend Mike Baldwin in late 1982. The story runs on into 1983 and is a ratings winner, the first Corrie story to be written about in the country's newspapers. The episode in which Deirdre breaks off with Mike after reconciling with Ken is a national event. The episode in 1983 when she ends her affair with Mike and reconciles with Ken was the highest rated episode and the news was so big it ended up being announced on the scoreboard during a Manchester United vs Arsenal
match at Old Trafford
, with the words "Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 - Mike 0" leading to cheers from the spectators.
At Ken's urging, Deirdre runs for local council and wins. Ken is not happy about the amount of time she spends on council business and they row frequently about it. Deirdre can't leave her constituents to their problems, though, and persists, despite Ken feeling neglected. As a result, Ken has an affair with his secretary, Wendy Crozier (Roberta Kerr), and Deirdre starts divorce proceedings in 1990. Deirdre dates plumber Dave Barton (David Beckett) and later con-man Phil Jennings (Tommy Boyle), who tricks her into investing in his nightclub.
In 1994 Deirdre leaves town to look after an ailing Blanche
(Maggie Jones
), foiling a potential reunion with Ken. In the interim, Deirdre falls in love with Samir Rachid (Al Nedjari), a Moroccan man she meets while on holiday. Deirdre brings Samir to Weatherfield, insisting that it is much more than a holiday romance. Everyone is shocked when Deirdre marries Samir in November 1994 and Tracy (Dawn Acton
) nearly does not go to the wedding, disgusted with her mother's antics. Deirdre and Samir decide to move to Morocco but tragically, she is widowed when Samir is killed by thugs the day before he is due to donate a kidney to Tracy (who had suffered kidney failure after a drug overdose). Deirdre is devastated by his death, the transplant is successful but Deirdre can't help wishing Tracy had died, instead of him.
Deirdre and Ken look to be getting back together after Samir's death but when she discovers, in 1995, that Ken has got hairdresser Denise Osborne (Denise Black
) pregnant, she refuses attempts at a reconciliation. Ken had always refused to have a baby with her and this is quite a blow to Deirdre.
Jon implicates Deirdre in his numerous scams. They split up after she finds out he is still married to another woman. When she gives him money towards a mortgage and then tries to take it back, she is charged with theft. Jon portrays her as the brains behind the fraud but she had known nothing about it. The jury return a guilty verdict on Deirdre's charge of fraud. The judge states that Deirdre is a manipulative
woman who had tricked Jon into securing her a mortgage. She is sent to prison for 18 months while Jon walks free.
While in prison, Deirdre repeatedly protests her innocence to the other prisoners' annoyance. She is regularly mocked and taunted by cell mate Jackie Dobbs
(Margi Clarke
) (whose teenage son Tyrone
(Alan Halsall
) soon moves in with Jack
(Bill Tarmey
) and Vera Duckworth
(Liz Dawn
)) whose taunts include a comment that Deirdre's late husband Samir had been "run over on the camel" (in reference to him being Moroccan).
The British public started a campaign, pleading with Granada Television
to "free the Weatherfield One." The Home Secretary even involved Prime Minister Tony Blair
, who, with a touch of irony, attempted to intervene on Deirdre's behalf. Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin fight to free Deirdre, and they are successful when another woman tricked by Jon comes forward and makes the police realise that he is the con man that Deirdre claimed. Deirdre is released and Jon is finally brought to justice. Mike Baldwin comes to her rescue with legal fees and a place to stay, much to the chagrin of Ken and Mike's wife, Alma
(Amanda Barrie
). The traumas of the past year and daughter Tracy's wedding to Robert Preston (Julian McKay) leads Deirdre to reunite with Ken at a Valentine's disco in February 1999.
The 'Free Deirdre Rachid' campaign was likened to the 'Free George Jackson' campaign in 1984 after Brookside
character George Jackson
was wrongly imprisoned for a warehouse robbery. Unlike Deirdre, innocent George however was unsuccessful and was forced to serve his sentence out.
In December 2001, Deirdre once again becomes dissatisfied with Ken. After a row with him and his son Peter
(Chris Gascoyne), Deirdre sleeps with Dev Alahan
(Jimmi Harkishin
), her boss at the Corner Shop. Afterwards, Dev rejects Deirdre and they keep their liaison a secret for over a year, until Dev starts dating her daughter, Tracy (Kate Ford
). This prompts Deirdre to confess her fling with Dev to Tracy and Ken. Ken forgives her and they stay together, dealing with the trials and tribulations of their children's turbulent love lives, rather than their own.
Eventually, Deirdre and Ken are engaged again, and tie the knot in an episode on April 8, 2005. The marriage is supposed to coincide with the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, just as Ken and Deirdre's first marriage coincided with Charles and Diana's nuptials, but scheduling conflicts due to Prince Charles going to the funeral of Pope John Paul II
end up throwing the date off by one day. Nearly 12 million people watch the television event. Only nine million watch the royal nuptials; Ken and Deirdre's second ratings victory against the royal family makes the national newspapers.
Deirdre's ex-husband, Ray Langton, returns to the Street in 2005, after last appearing in 1978, and announces he is dying from stomach cancer. He dies at Deirdre and Ken's wedding reception held at the Rovers Return Inn
.
After weeks of turmoil at No. 1 Coronation Street, Ken offers Deirdre a shocking ultimatum. During a blazing row, he announces that if she left, he would be gone by the time she got back. True to his word, Ken leaves and begins rebuilding a relationship with his estranged son Daniel Osbourne (Dominic Holmes), and his mother, Denise Osbourne. Deirdre, full of resentment, promises to confront Denise, and on 11 May 2007, matters come to a head. The pair row in front of an audience at the Rovers Return, an argument which results in Deirdre slapping her nemesis, who is then ushered out by Ken.
Deirdre has since tried to mend her relationship with Ken and even apologises for her behaviour in the Rovers', but she fails to convince him to come back to her at that time. Since then, Ken has returned to No.1 and reconciled with Deirdre.
In July 2009, it is revealed that Deirdre has to re-apply to her job at the council as they are to cut down the number of workers, due to the credit crunch. In August, she is made redundant and confides in Betty that she does not know what do to.
When Peter decided to open a bar with girlfriend Leanne Battersby
(Jane Danson
) with George Wilson (Anthony Valentine) (Simon's other grandfather) investing in it Ken is so against the idea that he calls a meeting at The Rovers and has an article written in a newspaper which also details Deirdre's relationship with Jon Lindsay and Tracy murdering Charlie Stubbs. Deirdre and Ken fall out for a period, however, Eileen Grimshaw
(Sue Cleaver
) helps them reconcile by making them realise that they are lucky to have each other.
On 4 May 2010, Deirdre is dealt a blow when she discovers that mother Blanche has died in Portugal. She and Ken are even more surprised to learn that she had been romantically involved with a man called Arnold. She flies out to Portugal to meet him, in learning more about her mother's final days. At Blanche's funeral, she is happy to see Tracy in attendance, and gives an emotional eulogy at the service paying tribute to her mother's unique character.
Deirdre is delighted when Tracy is released on Christmas Day 2010, making Christmas hard for the McDonalds. Despite knowing of her manipulative personality, Deirdre is highly supportive of her release. However, her happiness does not last long when returning home on New Year's Eve, she and Ken discover Tracy's body in a pool of blood with Steve standing next to it. Tracy is then rushed to hospital. When she awakes from her coma, she claims that Becky McDonald
(Katherine Kelly
) is responsible for her injuries. To Deirdre's disbelief, Ken asks Tracy if she is definitely sure that Becky did attack her. Becky is then was escorted to the police station for questioning. Deirdre stands by Tracy and accuses both Steve and Becky. However, all of Deirdre's accusations are proved to be wrong when Claire Peacock
(Julia Haworth
) later confesses to attacking Tracy after feeling guilty for letting friend Becky taking the blame. Claire says she attacked Tracy because she had insulted her late husband Ashley
(Steve Arnold
), who died in the tram crash.
in episodes since 1972. Deirdre Hunt came to our screens in 1972 as "a young 17 year old 'dolly bird', someone that liked a bit of fun". The character made a one-off appearance in episode 1236 on November 20 of that year. The producers and writers were convinced that the character had more mileage and Anne Kirkbride returned for a couple of appearances from episode 1272 on March 26, 1973 and as a contracted regular from episode 1288 on May 21, 1973.
Deirdre's trademarks include a gravelly, scratchy voice (intensifying due to actress Anne Kirkbride
's real-life chain smoking
) and very big glasses. She wore the same style of glasses for almost 30 years (in her youth she was nicknamed "Miss Sexy Spex"), before Dev Alahan crushed them with a box when she put them down for a second. Today, her frames are much smaller than they used to be. Actress Anne Kirkbride does not wear glasses away from the role, opting for contact lenses. For the first couple of years, Deirdre's glasses on the show did not have any sort of lenses.
featured in a Granada
TV play by Jack Rosenthal
titled Another Sunday and sweet FA, then auditioned for a part in a pilot for a new Granada series. It was then that Coronation Streets casting director took notice of her and offered her a bit part in the show. She was first seen doing her little part when character Elsie Tanner came into a pub to find husband Alan Howard drinking with Deirdre. Kirkbride said: "That was my first scene and I was petrified at the thought of coming into something I'd been watching since the age of seven." Kirkbride has remained with the show ever since.
In 2009 actress Kirkbride stated that she felt she was coming to the end of the road with the show but a spokesperson for the show insisted that there were no immediate plans for the actress to leave and said that she's expected to be in the cast when the show celebrates its 50th anniversary in December 2010.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the UK television ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Portrayed by actress Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride is an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street which she has played for thirty-nine years.-Coronation Street:...
, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode that was aired on 20 November 1972.
Storylines
Deirdre wastes no time chatting up Alan Howard before she knows he is married. In the past, Deirdre's boyfriends have included Billy Walker (Ken FarringtonKen Farrington
Ken Farrington is an English actor.He first found fame playing the role of Billy Walker, wayward son of publican Annie, in ITV's long running soap opera, Coronation Street...
), Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs
Johnny Briggs (actor)
Johnny Briggs, MBE is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006...
) and Dave Barton (the actor who played Dave, David Beckett, is now Anne Kirkbride's partner). In a number of early scenes, Deirdre repeatedly mentions a former boyfriend known as 'Seb H'.
It is not long before she sets her sights on Billy Walker, a man nearly 20 years her senior. She is not intimidated by Billy's domineering mother Annie Walker
Annie Walker
Anne "Annie" Walker is a long-standing fictional character in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was played by actress Doris Speed from the series' first episode in 1960 until Speed retired from the role 23 years and 1,746 episodes later in 1983.The character of Annie has been noted as...
(Doris Speed
Doris Speed
Doris Speed, MBE was an English actress, best known for her role as snooty Rovers Return landlady Annie Walker on Coronation Street, a role she played from 1960 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
) who disapproves of Deirdre as she feels Deirdre is from the wrong side of the tracks. The wedding is meant to be a low key affair, paid for by Billy but it is called off. Billy subsequently leaves to run a wine bar in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
.
In March 1977, Ray and Deirdre move into No. 5 Coronation Street, shortly after their daughter Tracy
Tracy Barlow
Tracy Lynette Barlow is a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street. She is currently portrayed, since 2002, by Kate Ford, the latest in a series of actresses who have played Tracy at various ages...
(Christabel Finch) is born on 24 January. However, their wedded bliss does not last. Deirdre is sexually assaulted under the viaduct at the end of the street whilst walking home. It has a profound effect on her, and the following month, she contemplates suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, standing on the parapet of a motorway bridge. She only snaps back to reality when a lorry driver asks her for directions. However, the marriage never recovers, and by September 1978, Ray is having an affair with a waitress, Janice Stubbs. When Deirdre finds out, they decide to start afresh and move to Holland, as Ray has been offered a job there, but at their farewell party in November 1978, Deirdre decides not to go and Ray leaves alone. Deirdre and Ray subsequently divorce.
In 1979, Deirdre is touched when Sally Norton (Yvonne Nicholson) brings Tracy a doll but makes excuses to stop Sally taking Tracy out. Later, Deirdre leaves Tracy outside the Rovers whilst she visits Annie for knitting patterns, but they are disturbed by a terrible crashing sound. Deirdre goes outside to find a lorry had spilt a load of timber into the front of the Rovers, crushing the front of the pub. Deirdre hysterically claws at the timber screaming for Tracy, who she believed was underneath.
After this, Deirdre dates Mike Baldwin and attempts to reconcile with Billy Walker (her ex-fiancé), but soon realised that Ken Barlow (William Roache
William Roache
William Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
) is better suited to her. In January 1980, she strongly hints to Ken that if he proposed to her, she would not say no. This scares Ken away - he feels he is too old for her and would be unsuitable as he has already been married twice. In January 1981, Ken asks her out again and their romance is briefly revived -until Deirdre has a fling with Dirk van der Stek (Lex van Delden), a Dutch colleague of Ray's. However, Deirdre is still attracted to Ken, and when Dirk leaves, she hints that she is still available. They go out for a meal and agree to see more of each other without getting tied down.
In 1981, over 24 million viewers watched Deirdre's wedding to William Roache's character, Ken Barlow (which generated higher ratings for ITV than the wedding of Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
to Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
). Ken eventually adopts Ray and Deirdre's daughter, Tracy, and they live with Uncle Albert
Albert Tatlock
Albert Tatlock is a fictional character on the British television soap opera Coronation Street. Albert was played by actor Jack Howarth from 1960 to 1984...
(Jack Howarth) in Number 1.
By February 1982, Deirdre suggests they have a baby but Ken firmly dismisses the idea, saying he does not want the responsibility. In May 1982, there are a number of muggings in the area. Deirdre's suspicions are aroused about local boy Ray Attwood (Joe Searby) when a detective asks youth club organiser Ken if he noticed anything suspicious. Ken refuses to contact the police, not wanting to betray Ray's confidence until he has evidence, but after Betty Turpin (Betty Driver
Betty Driver
Elizabeth Mary "Betty" Driver, MBE was an English singer, actress and author, best known for her role as Betty Williams on the British soap opera, Coronation Street, appearing in more than 2,800 episodes...
) is mugged, Deirdre goes against Ken's wishes - and it emerges that Ray is the mugger. Ken feels Deirdre has betrayed him. However, later that month, Ken agrees they should try for a baby.
The marriage gets into trouble when Deirdre, feeling insecure, has an affair with ex-boyfriend Mike Baldwin in late 1982. The story runs on into 1983 and is a ratings winner, the first Corrie story to be written about in the country's newspapers. The episode in which Deirdre breaks off with Mike after reconciling with Ken is a national event. The episode in 1983 when she ends her affair with Mike and reconciles with Ken was the highest rated episode and the news was so big it ended up being announced on the scoreboard during a Manchester United vs Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
match at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, with the words "Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken 1 - Mike 0" leading to cheers from the spectators.
At Ken's urging, Deirdre runs for local council and wins. Ken is not happy about the amount of time she spends on council business and they row frequently about it. Deirdre can't leave her constituents to their problems, though, and persists, despite Ken feeling neglected. As a result, Ken has an affair with his secretary, Wendy Crozier (Roberta Kerr), and Deirdre starts divorce proceedings in 1990. Deirdre dates plumber Dave Barton (David Beckett) and later con-man Phil Jennings (Tommy Boyle), who tricks her into investing in his nightclub.
In 1994 Deirdre leaves town to look after an ailing Blanche
Blanche Hunt
Blanche Hunt is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was originally played by Patricia Cutts; however, the actress committed suicide after appearing in just two episodes in 1974. Maggie Jones took over the role, playing Blanche in over 830 episodes between 1974 and...
(Maggie Jones
Maggie Jones (actress)
Margaret "Maggie" Jones was an English actress, best known for playing Blanche Hunt in the British soap opera Coronation Street, a role which she first portrayed in 1974 and played regularly from the late 1990s until shortly before her death.-Career:Jones graduated from the drama school RADA and...
), foiling a potential reunion with Ken. In the interim, Deirdre falls in love with Samir Rachid (Al Nedjari), a Moroccan man she meets while on holiday. Deirdre brings Samir to Weatherfield, insisting that it is much more than a holiday romance. Everyone is shocked when Deirdre marries Samir in November 1994 and Tracy (Dawn Acton
Dawn Acton
Dawn Jean Acton is an English actress and DJ, most notable for playing Tracy Barlow in the long-running British soap Coronation Street for periods between 1988 and 1999....
) nearly does not go to the wedding, disgusted with her mother's antics. Deirdre and Samir decide to move to Morocco but tragically, she is widowed when Samir is killed by thugs the day before he is due to donate a kidney to Tracy (who had suffered kidney failure after a drug overdose). Deirdre is devastated by his death, the transplant is successful but Deirdre can't help wishing Tracy had died, instead of him.
Deirdre and Ken look to be getting back together after Samir's death but when she discovers, in 1995, that Ken has got hairdresser Denise Osborne (Denise Black
Denise Black
Denise Black is an English actress, best known for playing Denise Osbourne in the ITV1 soap Coronation Street and Hazel Tyler in Channel 4 TV's Queer As Folk in 1999 and 2000, written by Russell T Davies. After attending Portsmouth's Girls Public Day School, she studied Psychology at London...
) pregnant, she refuses attempts at a reconciliation. Ken had always refused to have a baby with her and this is quite a blow to Deirdre.
Jon implicates Deirdre in his numerous scams. They split up after she finds out he is still married to another woman. When she gives him money towards a mortgage and then tries to take it back, she is charged with theft. Jon portrays her as the brains behind the fraud but she had known nothing about it. The jury return a guilty verdict on Deirdre's charge of fraud. The judge states that Deirdre is a manipulative
Psychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
woman who had tricked Jon into securing her a mortgage. She is sent to prison for 18 months while Jon walks free.
While in prison, Deirdre repeatedly protests her innocence to the other prisoners' annoyance. She is regularly mocked and taunted by cell mate Jackie Dobbs
Jackie Dobbs
Jacqueline "Jackie" Dobbs, played by Margi Clarke, is a fictional character in the soap opera, Coronation Street. She was introduced in 1998, but written out in 1999 due to the personal problems of the actress who played her. Nine years later, in 2008, the character was reintroduced, once again...
(Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke is a British actress . She was born in Liverpool and raised in Kirkby , and is known for her Scouse accent and platinum-blonde hair.-Early career:...
) (whose teenage son Tyrone
Tyrone Dobbs
Tyrone Sylvester Dobbs is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by Alan Halsall, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on November 30, 1998.- Casting :...
(Alan Halsall
Alan Halsall
Alan David Halsall is an English actor best known for playing Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street, a role which he has played for since 1998.-Early life:...
) soon moves in with Jack
Jack Duckworth
John Harold "Jack" Duckworth is a long-standing fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. He is played by actor William Tarmey. The character debuted onscreen during the episode...
(Bill Tarmey
William Tarmey
Bill Tarmey is an English actor, singer and author, best known for playing Jack Duckworth on the soap opera Coronation Street. First appearing in the role in 1979, he played it continuously from 1983 to 2010.-Life and career:Tarmey was born in Ardwick, Manchester...
) and Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth
Veronica "Vera" Duckworth , played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street, first appearing in August 1974 and last appearing in episode 6,734 on 18 January 2008, where the character peacefully died in her sleep at the age of 70 from heart failure...
(Liz Dawn
Elizabeth Dawn
Elizabeth 'Liz' Dawn MBE , is an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street...
)) whose taunts include a comment that Deirdre's late husband Samir had been "run over on the camel" (in reference to him being Moroccan).
The British public started a campaign, pleading with Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
to "free the Weatherfield One." The Home Secretary even involved Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, who, with a touch of irony, attempted to intervene on Deirdre's behalf. Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin fight to free Deirdre, and they are successful when another woman tricked by Jon comes forward and makes the police realise that he is the con man that Deirdre claimed. Deirdre is released and Jon is finally brought to justice. Mike Baldwin comes to her rescue with legal fees and a place to stay, much to the chagrin of Ken and Mike's wife, Alma
Alma Halliwell
Alma Marie Halliwell , played by Amanda Barrie, is a fictional character on the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Alma was featured as a recurring character from 1981–1982; however, she was reintroduced as a regular in 1988...
(Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie is an English actress.-Career:Born as Shirley Anne Broadbent, Barrie attended St Anne's College, St Anne's on Sea. She then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
). The traumas of the past year and daughter Tracy's wedding to Robert Preston (Julian McKay) leads Deirdre to reunite with Ken at a Valentine's disco in February 1999.
The 'Free Deirdre Rachid' campaign was likened to the 'Free George Jackson' campaign in 1984 after Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
character George Jackson
George Jackson (Brookside)
George Edward Jackson is a fictional character in the British soap opera, Brookside, played by Cliff Howells.-Introduction:George first appeared on Brookside Close in Episode 28, the same episode in which resident Gavin Taylor died. Later when Gavin's wife Petra died the Jackson family moved into No...
was wrongly imprisoned for a warehouse robbery. Unlike Deirdre, innocent George however was unsuccessful and was forced to serve his sentence out.
In December 2001, Deirdre once again becomes dissatisfied with Ken. After a row with him and his son Peter
Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)
Peter Francis Barlow is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode aired on 15 April 1965...
(Chris Gascoyne), Deirdre sleeps with Dev Alahan
Dev Alahan
Devendra 'Dev' Alahan is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Jimmi Harkishin, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 10 November 1999.-Character development:...
(Jimmi Harkishin
Jimmi Harkishin
James "Jimmi" Harkishin is an actor best known for his role as shop owner Dev Alahan in Coronation Street. He also featured in the film East is East and also Bhaji on the Beach....
), her boss at the Corner Shop. Afterwards, Dev rejects Deirdre and they keep their liaison a secret for over a year, until Dev starts dating her daughter, Tracy (Kate Ford
Kate Ford
Kate Connerty is a British actress best known for playing the role of Tracy Barlow in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2002 to 2007. Kate returned to Coronation Street on Christmas Eve 2010....
). This prompts Deirdre to confess her fling with Dev to Tracy and Ken. Ken forgives her and they stay together, dealing with the trials and tribulations of their children's turbulent love lives, rather than their own.
Eventually, Deirdre and Ken are engaged again, and tie the knot in an episode on April 8, 2005. The marriage is supposed to coincide with the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, just as Ken and Deirdre's first marriage coincided with Charles and Diana's nuptials, but scheduling conflicts due to Prince Charles going to the funeral of Pope John Paul II
Funeral of Pope John Paul II
The funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April. The funeral was followed by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches observe nine days of mourning....
end up throwing the date off by one day. Nearly 12 million people watch the television event. Only nine million watch the royal nuptials; Ken and Deirdre's second ratings victory against the royal family makes the national newspapers.
Deirdre's ex-husband, Ray Langton, returns to the Street in 2005, after last appearing in 1978, and announces he is dying from stomach cancer. He dies at Deirdre and Ken's wedding reception held at the Rovers Return Inn
Rovers Return Inn
The Rovers Return Inn is a fictional public house on the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. The Rovers Return occupies the corner of Coronation Street and Rosamund Street. Since the first episode it has been the principal setting in the show and many of its most memorable moments...
.
After weeks of turmoil at No. 1 Coronation Street, Ken offers Deirdre a shocking ultimatum. During a blazing row, he announces that if she left, he would be gone by the time she got back. True to his word, Ken leaves and begins rebuilding a relationship with his estranged son Daniel Osbourne (Dominic Holmes), and his mother, Denise Osbourne. Deirdre, full of resentment, promises to confront Denise, and on 11 May 2007, matters come to a head. The pair row in front of an audience at the Rovers Return, an argument which results in Deirdre slapping her nemesis, who is then ushered out by Ken.
Deirdre has since tried to mend her relationship with Ken and even apologises for her behaviour in the Rovers', but she fails to convince him to come back to her at that time. Since then, Ken has returned to No.1 and reconciled with Deirdre.
In July 2009, it is revealed that Deirdre has to re-apply to her job at the council as they are to cut down the number of workers, due to the credit crunch. In August, she is made redundant and confides in Betty that she does not know what do to.
When Peter decided to open a bar with girlfriend Leanne Battersby
Leanne Battersby
Leanne Anika Barlow is a fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Jane Danson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 4 July 1997....
(Jane Danson
Jane Danson
Jane Danson is an English actress, most famous for playing the role of Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street.-Acting:...
) with George Wilson (Anthony Valentine) (Simon's other grandfather) investing in it Ken is so against the idea that he calls a meeting at The Rovers and has an article written in a newspaper which also details Deirdre's relationship with Jon Lindsay and Tracy murdering Charlie Stubbs. Deirdre and Ken fall out for a period, however, Eileen Grimshaw
Eileen Grimshaw
Eileen Grimshaw, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000....
(Sue Cleaver
Sue Cleaver
Sue Cleaver is an English actress. She is best known for her regular role in Coronation Street.She studied at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre and her first television appearance was a small part in an episode of A Touch of Frost...
) helps them reconcile by making them realise that they are lucky to have each other.
On 4 May 2010, Deirdre is dealt a blow when she discovers that mother Blanche has died in Portugal. She and Ken are even more surprised to learn that she had been romantically involved with a man called Arnold. She flies out to Portugal to meet him, in learning more about her mother's final days. At Blanche's funeral, she is happy to see Tracy in attendance, and gives an emotional eulogy at the service paying tribute to her mother's unique character.
Deirdre is delighted when Tracy is released on Christmas Day 2010, making Christmas hard for the McDonalds. Despite knowing of her manipulative personality, Deirdre is highly supportive of her release. However, her happiness does not last long when returning home on New Year's Eve, she and Ken discover Tracy's body in a pool of blood with Steve standing next to it. Tracy is then rushed to hospital. When she awakes from her coma, she claims that Becky McDonald
Becky McDonald
Rebecca "Becky" McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is played by actress Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Steve Frost as a recurring...
(Katherine Kelly
Katherine Kelly (actress)
Katherine Kelly, is a British actress and recording artist who is most well known for playing Becky McDonald in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She has also starred in the film Mischief Night.-Early life and career:...
) is responsible for her injuries. To Deirdre's disbelief, Ken asks Tracy if she is definitely sure that Becky did attack her. Becky is then was escorted to the police station for questioning. Deirdre stands by Tracy and accuses both Steve and Becky. However, all of Deirdre's accusations are proved to be wrong when Claire Peacock
Claire Peacock
Claire Peacock , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Julia Haworth, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 9 April 2003, as the new nanny of established character Ashley Peacock's son Joshua...
(Julia Haworth
Julia Haworth
Julia Louise Haworth is an English actress best known as Claire Peacock on ITV's Coronation Street, a role she has played since 2003...
) later confesses to attacking Tracy after feeling guilty for letting friend Becky taking the blame. Claire says she attacked Tracy because she had insulted her late husband Ashley
Ashley Peacock
Ashley Sibelius Peacock is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Steven Arnold, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 1 February 1995.On 23 April 2010, it was announced that the character had been axed along...
(Steve Arnold
Steven Arnold
Steven Arnold is an English actor best known for his role as Ashley Peacock in the long running hit show Coronation Street.- Early life :...
), who died in the tram crash.
Background
She has been played by actress Anne KirkbrideAnne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride is an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street which she has played for thirty-nine years.-Coronation Street:...
in episodes since 1972. Deirdre Hunt came to our screens in 1972 as "a young 17 year old 'dolly bird', someone that liked a bit of fun". The character made a one-off appearance in episode 1236 on November 20 of that year. The producers and writers were convinced that the character had more mileage and Anne Kirkbride returned for a couple of appearances from episode 1272 on March 26, 1973 and as a contracted regular from episode 1288 on May 21, 1973.
Deirdre's trademarks include a gravelly, scratchy voice (intensifying due to actress Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride is an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street which she has played for thirty-nine years.-Coronation Street:...
's real-life chain smoking
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
) and very big glasses. She wore the same style of glasses for almost 30 years (in her youth she was nicknamed "Miss Sexy Spex"), before Dev Alahan crushed them with a box when she put them down for a second. Today, her frames are much smaller than they used to be. Actress Anne Kirkbride does not wear glasses away from the role, opting for contact lenses. For the first couple of years, Deirdre's glasses on the show did not have any sort of lenses.
Casting
After leaving Oldham Rep at the age of 17 actress Anne KirkbrideAnne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride is an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street which she has played for thirty-nine years.-Coronation Street:...
featured in a Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
TV play by Jack Rosenthal
Jack Rosenthal
Jack Morris Rosenthal CBE was an English playwright, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations.-Biography:...
titled Another Sunday and sweet FA, then auditioned for a part in a pilot for a new Granada series. It was then that Coronation Streets casting director took notice of her and offered her a bit part in the show. She was first seen doing her little part when character Elsie Tanner came into a pub to find husband Alan Howard drinking with Deirdre. Kirkbride said: "That was my first scene and I was petrified at the thought of coming into something I'd been watching since the age of seven." Kirkbride has remained with the show ever since.
In 2009 actress Kirkbride stated that she felt she was coming to the end of the road with the show but a spokesperson for the show insisted that there were no immediate plans for the actress to leave and said that she's expected to be in the cast when the show celebrates its 50th anniversary in December 2010.
External links
- Profile of Deirdre Barlow at ITV Soaps
- Profile of Deirdre Barlow at What's on TV