Deirdre Barlow

Deirdre Barlow
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Anne Kirkbride
Duration	1972–2014
First appearance	Episode 1236 20 November 1972
Last appearance	Episode 8486 8 October 2014
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Eric Prytherch
Book appearances	Weatherfield Life Coronation Street: The Complete Saga Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street[1]
Spin-off appearances	Ken and Deirdre's Bedtime Stories (2011)[2]
In-universe information Other names Deirdre Hunt Deirdre Langton Deirdre Rachid Dreary Occupation Secretary Shop assistant Caretaker Factory manager Councillor Medical receptionist HPP Engine Mechanic Father Donald Hunt Mother Lawrence Cunningham Stepdaughters Susan Barlow Granddaughters Amy Barlow Grandmothers Iris Linfield Aunts Beryl Linfield Irene Linfield First cousins Bradley Marion

Deirdre Barlow (also Hunt, Langton and Rachid) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Anne Kirkbride. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 November 1972. Her final appearance was on 8 October 2014.

Kirkbride decided to take an extended break from the soap in autumn 2014 and last appeared on-screen on 8 October 2014. She died in January 2015 before she could return to work.^[3] The character of Deirdre was killed-off and given a farewell storyline on 8 July 2015, with her funeral taking place on 13 July 2015.^[4][5] An official book focusing on the character's history was released as a tribute for fans of the show in October 2015.^[1]

Creation

Background

Deirdre was played by actress Anne Kirkbride from 1972 to 2014. Originally named Deirdre Hunt, her character's earliest screen appearances were as "a young 17 year old 'dolly bird', someone that liked a bit of fun".^[6] The character made an initial one-off appearance in episode 1236 on 20 November that year. The producers and writers were convinced that the character had more mileage and Kirkbride returned for a couple of appearances from episode 1272 on 26 March 1973 and as a contracted regular from episode 1288 on 21 May 1973.^[7]

Deirdre's trademarks included a gravelly, scratchy voice (intensifying due to actress Kirkbride's real-life chain smoking) and very big glasses. She wore the same style of glasses for almost 30 years, before Dev Alahan crushed them with a box when she put them down for a second. Later, the frames were much smaller, and Kirkbride herself did not wear glasses away from the role, opting for contact lenses. The large glasses made a comedic reappearance when character Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth), who bore an uncanny resemblance to the young Deirdre, was also to wear the same style of spectacles.

Casting

After leaving Oldham Rep at the age of 17,

When the story of Deirdre Rachid being jailed for fraud was aired in 1998, a public campaign developed in the UK. A campaign led by tabloid newspapers and the occasional graffiti artist, with the slogan of "Free the Weatherfield One!". Despite Rachid being a fictional character, politicians expressed their opinions on the story as if she had been imprisoned in real life.[12]^[13][14] Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he would be commanding his Home Secretary, Jack Straw, to investigate the issue.^[13][15] William Hague, the then leader of the Conservative Party, announced that his party was also concerned about Rachid's treatment, stating that "The whole nation is deeply concerned about Deirdre, Conservatives as much as everyone else".^[12][14][15]

The "Free Deirdre Rachid" campaign was likened to the "Free George Jackson" campaign in 1984 after

Deirdre's typist skills are noticed by troublesome Ray Langton (Neville Buswell), and he hires her as a secretary in the builder's yard, but due to Ray's constant needling she resigns in June 1975 after they have a blazing row. However, the hate turns to feelings for him, and they marry in July. They later move into No. 5 Coronation Street in March 1976, shortly after their daughter Tracy (Christabel Finch) is born on 24 January 1977. After Deirdre is attacked by a rapist while walking home, she contemplates suicide, standing on the parapet of a motorway bridge and only snaps back to reality when a lorry driver asks her for directions. Her marriage to Ray fails, and by September 1978, he is having an affair with waitress Janice Stubbs (Angela Bruce). When Deirdre finds out, they decide to start afresh and emigrate to the Netherlands, where Ray has been offered a job, but at their farewell party two months later, Deirdre decides not to go and Ray leaves alone; they subsequently divorce. In 1979, Deirdre is touched when Sally Norton (Yvonne Nicholson) – who had been in the bed next to her when Deirdre was giving birth – brings Tracy a doll, but she 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 the sound of a crash and Deirdre finds a lorry outside has 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. Sally had been unstable since she had been persuaded by a social worker to put her daughter up for adoption shortly after the birth, and Deirdre later discovers she has taken Tracy, moments before the lorry crashed.

After this, Deirdre dates

In January 2001, Ken tells Deirdre that his daughter Susan Barlow (Joanna Foster) had a child, Adam Barlow (Iain De Caestecker) fathered by Mike with information from Ken's son and Susan's twin brother Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne). Deirdre tells Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) and he informs Mike. Susan dies in a car crash, Adam is injured, and Mike later gets custody of Adam to Ken's anger.

In December 2001, Deirdre becomes unhappy with Ken. After a row with him and Peter, she has a one-night stand with Dev; the next day, Dev makes it clear that he regrets the episode and they keep their liaison secret until Dev starts dating her daughter, Tracy (now played by Kate Ford). In January 2003 Deirdre then confesses her fling with Dev; Ken forgives her and they stay together.

In early-2005, Ray returns to the UK. While both Deirdre and Tracy are at Weatherfield General Hospital, they spot him there. He announces that he is currently seeking treatment for stomach cancer. He also says that the cancer is terminal, and therefore the treatment he is receiving will only prolong his life for another six months at the most. Before he dies, he is determined to get to know his daughter Tracy a lot more, as she was only 20 months old when he left in 1978. He discovers that Tracy has a young daughter called Amy, and wants to be a part of her life as well.

On 8 April, Ken and Deirdre get remarried. The marriage is supposed to coincide with the wedding of the

In August 2012, Tracy complains of stomach pains but no one believes her except Deirdre. Ken assumes that Tracy is making excuses so that they will look after Amy (now played by Elle Mulvaney) but are stunned to find that Tracy has collapsed of kidney failure, after she doesn't collect Amy from football training. Tracy is hospitalised and she apologises to Deirdre for all the trouble she has caused and that she is the only person who has repeatedly forgiven her for her mistakes. In April 2013, Ken leaves Weatherfield and flies to Canada to visit his grandson Adam Barlow (now played by Sam Robertson) who is seriously ill and it is revealed that Ken will be staying in Canada for the foreseeable future to aid Adam in his recovery. Whilst Ken was away, much changed: Tracy's boyfriend Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis) places a bet on at Peter's bookies which cleans him out and the business shuts down. Tracy and Rob go on to rent the premises from Peter and set up Barlow's Buys which sells everything from televisions to jewellery. Deirdre is very suspicious of Rob and his intentions towards Tracy and her entire family.

As time moves on, Rob moves into No. 1 with Tracy and Deirdre, causing initial tension in the household. In May 2014, Peter's affair with Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) is revealed to the street, and Tina is found dead after being pushed from the balcony in the builder's yard and then being hit over the head with a blunt object. Deirdre protests Peter's innocence to the rest of the street. At Tina's funeral, Rob and Peter argue again as Rob urges Peter to admit that he killed Tina and that he ruined her life. Peter responds by saying "yeah well she ruined my life so that makes us even", which the other mourners take as a confession of guilt. Peter's defence team urge him to plead guilty, and Deirdre suggests that he do as they recommended. Peter then stops talking to Deirdre and refuses to see her in prison.

Ken returns to Weatherfield in August 2014, but only finds out about Peter's situation from his wife