CORONATION Street used to have magnificent female leads – so why are the soap’s current women
turning into such weak victims?
Corrie’s creator, Tony Warren, grew up surrounded by strong women in his family and he based his soap
characters around them.
Tony explained once: “There were no video games or Xboxes to absorb a boy’s attention back then,
“So I used to listen to the grown-ups talking, and I noticed it was the women who ruled the roost.”
Tony revolutionised how female characters were portrayed on our tv screens and his legacy saw many more icons arrive on the cobbles in later years.
Elsie Tanner played by the late Pat Phoenix appeared in the very first episode of the soap.
A strong feisty redhead with a heart of gold, she had magnificent scenes battling Annie Walker (Doris Speed) and Ena Sharples (Violet Carson) over the years.
If you’ve owt to say, spit it out before it flamin’ well chokes yer”
Bet LynchCoronation Street
And no Corrie fan can forget leopard print bolshy barmaid Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear)who gave as good as she got to anyone she came across.
Each time Annie looked down her snobby nose at Bet, sparks would fly between them, much to the amusement of fans.
Deidre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) another strong woman worried constantly about her troublesome daughter Tracey but stood firm against anyone that crossed her.
One of her most memorable scenes was when she took out her anger and frustration at a trifle and threw it against the wall.
These were women to laugh with, to cry with, to rejoice with – women that portrayed vividly the strength behind their heartaches.
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But fast forward to current storylines and things feel very different.
Daisy Midgeley played by Charlotte Jordan started out as a feisty character but now she’s constantly mooning over love rat Daniel Osbourne (Robert Stephen Mallard).
To be honest most of her main storylines seem to have centred around love triangles and it’s time for her to stand up for herself and kick Daniel to the kerb.
Another strong female character Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) started off well with her cheeky banter but now all she seems to do is moan about her lack of money and the hardship of having quads.
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let’s break down who’s left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.
Even the loud, in-your-face Leanne Battersby who never cared about what she said or who she upset has morphed into a lesser version of herself.
After being scammed by cult leader Rowan, she’s now obsessed by pursuing a pathetic revenge plan against Nick (Ben Price) and her sister.
I mean really? Bet would have thrown a pint of the Rover’s pale ale over their heads then swiftly moved on.
And let’s not forget Gail Platt (Helen Worth) who has gone from a very fierce force often seen battling her mother in law Ivy (Lynne Perrie) in the streets to a simpering fool.
There was hope when Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) joined the soap.
Her scathing remarks were enough to give Elsie a run for her money, but she’s more concerned with backgammon and flirting with café owner Roy (David Neilson) now.
Battle axe Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) a formidable character has also gone so quiet that she’s almost invisible now.
Our only hope for the future is the devious Cassie (Claire Sweeney) who is currently planning her financial future, and the glorious Carla (Alison King) who has always had the charisma of a strong female lead.
So come on writers – bring back the beloved matriarchs of the past in a new modern form but with the same grit and gusto as before.
Give us the strong female characters that we deserve on our screens and give the talented women of Corrie some new strong storylines.
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and is also available on ITVX
