This Is Your Life - Anne Kirkbride

I hope you have your tissues ready everyone because my second TIYL episode for you which takes us back to Corrie is an emotional one. Our subject for this episode is a true Corrie legend having made her debut on the cobbles in 1972. Since her debut she endured drama and heartache by the bucket load, so much so her character's 2 marriages to Ken Barlow alias Mr Corrie William Roache attracted more viewers than either of Prince Charles' weddings to the late Princess of Wales Diana Spencer in 1981 and the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. The character she played on Corrie had a memorable storyline in 1998 when she fell foul of a conman Jon Lindsey alias Owen Aaronovitch which resulted in her being falsely sent down for fraud and thus triggered the memorable "Free The Weatherfield One" campaign which headlined the front pages of the national newspapers and saw the then Prime Minister Tony Blair command his home secretary Jack Straw to investigate the issue. Also fans revived that campaign in 2018 when Sally Metcaffe alias another Corrie legend Sally Dynevor was sent down for similar reasons having fallen foul of another conman Duncan Radfield alias Nicholas Greaves the rebooted Demon Headmaster. Tragically in January 2015 she passed away due to breast cancer but her legacy lives on to this very day at the National Television Awards 2 days after her passing Adam Woodyatt Eastenders longest serving cast member dedicated the show's Best British Soap award to "The Weatherfield One" referencing that famous Corrie storyline. Also that year she posthumously won the Outstanding Achievement award at the British Soap Awards. Enjoy and have the tissues ready for this feature length TIYL which pays tribute to the late great Anne Kirkbride you are missed to this very day Anne RIP.