Anne Reid Opens Up About Her Time on Coronation Street

Anne Reid, the 90-year-old actress who portrayed Ken Barlow's first wife Valerie Tatlock on Coronation Street, has shared her candid thoughts about her time on the show. Reid joined the ITV soap in 1961, when she was in her 20s, and played the character until her on-screen death in 1971. In an interview with The Guardian's G2 magazine, Reid explained that she felt frustrated and bored with the storylines she was presented with during her nine-year stint.

Key Takeaways:

• Anne Reid joined Coronation Street in 1961, when she was in her 20s, and played the character Valerie Tatlock until her on-screen death in 1971.
• Reid admitted that she was frustrated and bored with the storylines she was presented with during her nine-year stint, stating that she didn't get a laugh in nine years.
• Reid thinks that if she were on Coronation Street for 65 years, like William Roache's character Ken Barlow, she would have gone "mad".
• Reid has been unfairly described as northern and working-class due to her time on the show, stating that once you've done Coronation Street, you're considered working-class.
• Reid met her late husband Peter Eckersley on the show, and they got married in 1971 and welcomed their son Mark that same year.
• Reid worked with the late Victoria Wood in Dinnerladies and spoke fondly of her time working with the comedienne.

Statistics:

• Anne Reid joined Coronation Street in 1961 and played the character Valerie Tatlock for 9 years.
• Reid was 20 years old when she joined the show and 29 years old when she left.
• Ken Barlow, played by William Roache, has been on the show since its beginning in 1960, making him the longest-running character.
• Reid admitted that she would go "mad" if she were on the show for 65 years like Ken Barlow.
• The late Victoria Wood passed away in 2016 at the age of 62.

Sources:

• The Guardian's G2 magazine
• BBC News
• ITV News
• Anne Reid's personal statement in The Guardian's G2 magazine