Julie Goodyear receives devastating diagnosis

Julie Goodyear, one of Coronation Street’s all-time greats, has been diagnosed with dementia. The icon who played Bet Lynch for over three decades, has been “suffering forgetfulness” according to her husband Scott, and sought medical advice before the diagnosis.

In a statement made to the British media, Scott said:

"Unfortunately, Julie has been suffering forgetfulness for some time and we have been seeking medical advice and assistance - but we now know that there is no hope of a reversal in the situation and that her condition will get progressively, and perhaps speedily, worse.

"We have taken the decision to publicly announce the diagnosis as Julie still loves visiting friends and eating out. Inevitably, she is recognised and fans love to meet her - and she them - but she can get confused, particularly if she is tired. I hope people will understand.”

Despite having left Corrie back in 2003, Julie remains a fan favourite for her portrayal of the brassy, no-nonsense barmaid-turned-landlady. Bet is my all-time favourite Corrie character and Julie played her beautifully, tapping into the tragedy and comedy that made Coronation Street so unmissable back in the day.

I’m sure I speak for all at the Blog when I say we wish Julie all the best and she’ll be in our thoughts as she and her family navigate this difficult road. 

You can read more about the signs and symptoms of dementia and how it can be treated and lived with HERE. 

@StevieDawson

---

---

All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Coronation Street and Rochdale

As soon as I was old enough, I darted out of my home town and went to live in the big city. The older I got though, the fonder I became of the place I grew up. That place is Rochdale in Greater Manchester – a former cotton town that was central to the industrial revolution. Nowadays, Rochdale is often in the news for all the wrong reasons, but I’ve recently spotted that the town has become a regular fixture for location filming on Coronation Street, particularly in and around the town hall. Rochdale has quite a few links to Corrie actually…

AIDAN’S INQUEST

Last Friday was the emotional final part of Aidan Connor’s story. The family gathered to hear and share details of his final hours. Much of Friday’s episodes were filmed at Rochdale Town Hall, both inside and out. Here you can see a stunning stained glass window inside the gothic building, which depicts the Kings and Queens of England and was reportedly admired by Adolf Hitler, who basically wanted to nick it:

BILLY IS STABBED

Billy’s graphic stabbing several months ago took place not far from the Town Hall next to Rochdale police station.

ROCHDALE POLICE STATION

MADISONS (ranked 19 of 325 restaurants in Rochdale)

ROSIE’S BACK

Shortly after Helen Flanagan returned to the Street, the Websters were spotted filming in and around Rochdale Town Hall. The Manchester Evening News reported them being spotted back in February 2017.

CURRENT CAST MEMBERS FROM ROCHDALE

Sinead Tinker is played by Katie McGlynn, who is from Rochdale. She actually went to the same high school as me but clearly benefited from the teachings of Drama head Mr Carroll more than I did.

Katie McGlynn

FORMER CAST MEMBERS FROM ROCHDALE

Michelle Holmes can currently be seen in old episodes of Classic Corrie on ITV3, playing Rovers barmaid Tina Fowler. Michelle was also in Emmerdale and most recently Hollyoaks.

Michelle Holmes

Emma Edmondson  played Mel Morton, part of the short lived Morton family in Corrie. She also went to Wardle High School in Rochdale and was in the year above me. Come to think of it, I’m starting to think Mr Carroll had favourites at that school. Although he did give me the part of Charlie Bucket in a production of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and if I remember rightly, Emma was an Oompa Loompa. So I win.

Emma Edmondson, bottom centre right

Bob Mason, a writer from Rochdale, started his Corrie journey as character Terry Bradshaw (brother of Renee Roberts) in the seventies. Then in the eighties he became the soap’s first regular writer. According to Corriepedia he is one of only eight people to both write and appear in the show. Bob died in 2004.

Bob Mason

And of course the great Julie Goodyear, Corrie’s Bet Lynch is from Heywood just outside Rochdale. Last year Julie was awarded the Freedom of Rochdale, whether she wanted it or not.

Julie, who last appeared in Coronation Street in 2003 said of the gong: “I am honoured, delighted and thrilled to accept this award from Rochdale council. I was born in Heywood and lived here all my life and never wanted to leave and live anywhere else so this is a very special award from the council. Rochdale is one of the best-known towns in the country and some very famous people have come from here so it will be truly wonderful to be given this honour.”

Julie Goodyear with the Freedom of Rochdale

Aside from it’s stunning town hall and the founding of the Co-Operative movement, Rochdale is also famous for actor Anna Friel, singer Lisa Stanfield, the first global superstar Gracie Fields...and my legendary blogs. 

What's the Coronation Street connection to your home town?

@StevieDawson

---

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Why my dream of seeing Bet Lynch return to Corrie will never come true

I’m tempting fate here, but I doubt we will ever see Julie Goodyear back in Coronation Street. Despite many maybes, you-never-knows, misleading tabloid headlines and recent newspaper reports, there’s no indication that I’m wrong.

              

Corrie Boss Kate Oates hasn’t been afraid of embracing the past and bringing back old characters, or focusing on much-loved and feared dead characters in storylines. And as the Blog has reported, we are soon to see the return of some familiar faces - the latest list of who's coming and going is here.

But the return of Bet Lynch would be BIG. And it would make all my soap dreams come true. My favourite character in Coronation Street is and has always been Rita. She reminds me of the women that brought me up when I was a toddler – warm, northern women with big hair and brassy personalities. Rita’s warm, caring, but no-nonsense approach to life has been much needed in Corrie over the years and I hate to think of the show without her in it. But Bet Lynch is an icon. In my opinion the greatest ever soap character. She sits alongside other iconic creations like Deirdre Barlow, Jack and Vera, Eastenders’ Pat Butcher and Dot Cotton, and the handful of soap legends that graced television screens before I was born such as Elsie Tanner and Ena Sharples. But Bet, for me, stands out. Everything came together perfectly. Her unconventional beauty, the peroxide blonde hair, thick Lancashire accent and famous fashion sense or lack thereof. Little things like the cigarette holder added to her uniqueness. And then there was the lifestyle – married to little fat Alec, working in a backstreet pub but always aiming for better, dreaming of Tenerife but ending up in Blackpool or Brighton. Bet’s was the ultimate working class struggle to get on and be better off.

Classic Corrie

That said she was perfectly happy a lot of the time on Coronation Street, standing proudly behind the Rovers bar, surrounded by friends and sometimes family. Coronation Street suited her more than she’d like to admit, even if she stood out like a sore thumb.

But what would bring Bet back to Coronation Street today? Sadly, probably very little. Sure she has girlfriends and former acquaintances. On meeting Liz it would be like no time had passed at all. Last time they were on screen together Jim McDonald was on the run and the women were at a Newton and Ridley function in Blackpool. Word is that Jim is heading back to the street some time in 2018 so could this be a way of bringing Bet back? To support Liz in whatever trouble Jim brings with him…which of course he will.

Bet would inevitably catch up with Rita. Fifteen years has passed since they sat awkwardly in Audrey’s house on one of Bet’s previous visits back to the cobbles. It was proper telly. Two matriarchs reminiscing, putting the world to rights, setting each other straight. Bet pretending she’d moved on from Weatherfield. “It’s just a tatty little back street pub” she said of the Rovers. I could cry now hearing those words. Bet and the Rovers are one in the same for me.

Legends

What else could tempt Bet back? So many new families she’s never met, many fewer ties than she’s had in a long time. Betty’s gone, and Julie Goodyear didn’t even manage to get back when Betty Driver died in real life. The great Roy Barraclough also passed away last year so it couldn’t involve a reunion with Alec. Although there might come a time when writers want to mention the character’s death. Could he have left Bet something in his will, could it bring Bet and Vicky back to Weatherfield?

There’s a very obvious and likely reason for Bet not coming back to The Street again – Julie Goodyear might be perfectly happy in retirement. Julie’s always been great with the fans and we’ve seen her on our screens in the past few months as a special guest on Stephen Mulhern’s Big Soap Quiz on ITV. Julie can never escape Bet and she came dressed in her famous leopard print and beehive. Cheers from the audience, current cast members (and me from the sofa at home) proved she is still very popular. But little treats such as guest appearances might be all we can hope for now. Julie also does the odd ‘official engagement’ and was recently given the keys to Rochdale, in a ceremony at the town’s beautiful Town Hall. And she might do a few more TV ads. Like this one for…er…Shredded Wheat?

"Shredded Wheat cock?"

Julie herself admitted after her last return to the cobbles that she regretted it and wasn’t made fully aware of the demands of the new schedule, which were too much for her. And that was well over a decade ago. She’s 76 now so would find it even harder. That’s not to say a return couldn’t be written cleverly and they took into consideration her concerns over workload. But then there would be accusations of diva behaviour and special treatment. It's a very different culture at Coronation Street now, and behind the scenes most cast members are treated as equals - a far cry from the days of early Corrie when the younger actors feared even going near the 'stars'.

One last thing that could prevent Julie from returning to Coronation Street is that the public might not actually want it. There's a much younger audience enjoying the show at the moment, and with the arrival of social media, popular characters are never more exposed to the viewer. Today's Corrie fan already knows what they like and what they don't like, and many of them will never have got to know Bet Lynch properly. I'm sure there have been online polls to gauge people's opinion on the matter. I didn't bother doing one, mainly out of fear of the result!

When you weigh up all the possibilities of a return, all the things that would prevent it from happening, the lack of reasons FOR it to happen, it looks very likely we’ve seen the last of Bet Lynch. Julie Goodyear gave us three decades of heart-rending, tense, emotional and hilarious scenes which we can go back and enjoy on the internet or ITV3’s brilliant Classic Corrie every afternoon. So we should be thankful for that. But I see no good reason, if Julie was up for it, the writers could find a way of doing it, and it entertained the viewers, why it shouldn't happen. 

So if there is any small possibility we could see that leopard print and beehive strutting down the cobbles one more time, this Corrie superfan would be very happy indeed.

Come on soap Gods – make it happen.

@StevieDawson

---

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Five things we learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...

This week was all about the departing Hilda Ogden. Following her attack at Dr Lowther's house, Hilda had become quite a recluse and despite the efforts of a caring Sally and Kevin, saw little point in going on. Jean Alexander was a joy in these scenes, acting her socks off and clearly relishing her final storyline. A bleak mid-winter trip to Stan's grave was particularly moving. Before too long though, a bright new future beckoned as Mrs O was offered the chance to move out to Dr Lowther's country cottage and become his housekeeper. It was a bittersweet send off for such a glorious, iconic character but it all felt so right that Hilda got a happy ending.


The famous Christmas Day episode which featured Bet and Mike Baldwin throwing on a surprise party in the Rovers was warm, happy and joyful with the vast majority of the cast squeezed in the Rovers set. It felt like everyone was getting a turn at a final scene with Jean Alexander, with most of her fellow actors appearing in the iconic set of Number 13 over the course of her final episodes. I dreaded the goodbye when it came as there could only be one Hilda and one Jean Alexander. She was a class act and one of the main reasons these repeats have been so worth watching.

Bet's past is showing

 

In a glorious moment during Hilda's farewell party, the woman of the hour in one last classic instance of tact, dropped a subtle hint to Alec that Bet knew Mike Baldwin rather well, nudge nudge, wink wink. As the camera panned away, Alec visibly tightened in every conceivable orifice at the thought of his new wife up the ginnel with the Cockney lothario. This led on to several days of Alec and Bet bickering behind the bar, driving away customers (well Don and Ivy, so it wasn't all bad news) and Alec sleeping in the spare room. 

Of course Alec had nothing to worry about as by this stage, our Bet was strangely devoted to Mr Gilroy despite his penny pinching ways, bad taste in sweaters and peculiar sexual mores. What am I talking about? Well, cast your mind back to Alec's sojourn to Germany with his touring show (comprising a blistering array of turns we'd sadly never meet). Bet and Alec enjoyed several saucy conversations over the phone and at one point swastikas were mentioned. Goodness only knows what went on in that pale pink boudoir up those Rovers stairs.

Fanny's on the rob

 

Fanny Carby continued to grate on my nerves this week as Amy Burton, slotting in to the now absent Hilda Ogden role awkwardly and without many positive character traits. Slovenly rubbing a dirty duster over the Rovers bar, fag in hand, she gave endless cheek to poor old Jack and continued to run rings around her idiotic daughter Vera. Percy Sugden had one of the lines of the week when he barked across the bar that Amy was a "demented old trollop" after she accused him of undressing her with his eyes. I should imagine nobody ever got past that hideous hat, forever suctioned onto her gob-laden face. 

Just when Amy hit rock bottom, she started digging herself a hole under the viaduct. Whilst doing some typically 1987 shopping at Alf's (a packet of party rings, a tin of sliced pears and an industrial sized jar of Daddies Sauce) human cheese grater Amy half inched a tin of salmon, bold as brass. Little Sally didn't know what to do and when Amy the Arduous returned the next day to stick a family sized jar of Maxwell House down her drawers, both Audrey and Sally reacted like a couple of coma-bound store detectives. I can see how this will pan out. Alf will get exasperated, lose his cool and accuse Amy, who will deny it while Vera loses her dentures calling Mr Roberts all the names under the sun. Only to find out once again that she's in the wrong and her family is yet again comprised of lary, unappetising rejects from the pages of Viz.

Carry On, Cabby

 

Despite enduring a night out with Ivy, Jack and Vera earlier in the year, cab driver Don Brennan was back on the scene this week and he only had Ivy on his mind. This romance seems to have progressed quite quickly, with Don easily winning over Brian the Teeth and Gail. Don even presented Ivy with a very expensive gold watch (a quick dash to Ratner's in his Cavalier no doubt) but the viewers were left to ponder whether this fledgling romance had yet been consummated, or consumed as Hilda might have once put it (sob!)

Ivy and Don are quite a good match in these early episodes, all working class good humour and steak and kidney puddings in her front parlour. At this stage Ivy is still wearing that winter coat which makes her look like something from Fraggle Rock and her hair is very much that of a Vauxhall Conference footballer, but obviously Don could see past these minor trifles. Of course before too long they'd be wed, Don would have one leg, with the other repeatedly rammed up Baldwin's backside. And Ivy would be off her head, walking the streets of Weatherfield in her nightie before doing a midnight bunk to a convent. The way ITV3 are going through these repeats, we should be seeing those scenes in early summer. Something to look forward to there.

Jenny Bradley: Man Eater

I had a feeling Patrice would be back on the scene as soon as Alec started mentioning croissants in the Rovers. Sure enough, Jenny flamin' Bradley's fiance was back just after Christmas and as the pair embraced on Rita's vile couch, all we could see was lots of lots of very 80s hair - and that was just Patrice. Rita was obviously heartily sick of mentioning Patrice so every time his name appeared in the script she started calling him Patrick. Fair enough really, although I quite like him myself. He had a lovely little twinkle and provided a much needed quota of Eurotrash to the cobbles. 

Anyway, their reunion was not all it cracked up to be, what with Jenny being a gobby mare, a juvenile spoilt teenager and a rather scary ginger to boot. There was constant festive skriking which made a pleasant change from Mavis crying into her Bailey's at the thought of Derek all alone in a bedsitter in Withington. One forgets just what a nasty-faced baggage Jenny was back in the day as she attended Sally and Kevin's party and copped off with best friend Lisa's fella, Gary. I have no idea why Jenny-from-the-ginnel felt the need to do this as Patrice exuded floppy haired Gallic charm while Gary Grimshaw was dressed like a disgraced radio disc jockey and had obviously suffered a sideburn malfunction. 

Until next week!

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 if you fancy a natter.

---

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License