Coronation Street’s Barbara Knox’s shock reason for co-star fallout ‘it was dreadful’
Barbara Knox is a Coronation Street legend but it turns out she had a rather awkward falling out with her cobbles co-star
Coronation Street’s Barbara Knox’s shock reason for co-star fallout ‘it was dreadful’(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)She has played Rita Tanner since 1964.
Barbara Knox previously opened up about a “dreadful” fall-out she had with a Coronation Street co-star.
Barbara made her debut on the ITV soap way back in 1964, Rita Tanner. Since then, Rita has become one of the soap’s beloved characters.
And it’s fair to say The Kabin owner has had her share of big storylines too over the years. From a brain tumour diagnosis to being involved in the epic tram crash stunt, her time in Weatherfield has not been short of drama.
Her love life has often been the talk amongst viewers, too. She has had three husbands during her stint – Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson) Ted Sullivan (William Russell) and Dennis Tanner (Phillip Lowrie).
Barbara has played Rita for years(Image: ITV/Coronation Street)And back in 1974, Rita headed abroad for a sun-soaked girls’ getaway with Hilda Ogden, Emily Bishop, Rita Sullivan, Mavis Riley, Deidre Barlow, Annie Walker, Betty Turpin and Bet Lynch. The ladies flew out to Spain after Bet won a competition.
This meant that cast members Jean Alexander, Eileen Derbyshire, Barbara, Thelma Barlow, Anne Kirkbride, Doris Speed and Julie Goodyear could do something that was unheard of those soap days: film abroad on the beach.
The actress got to film on the beach (Image: Granada Television)However, while the ladies had a blast on the trip abroad, the special episode didn’t go down well with their male co-stars, who were left fuming that they were not invited on the jaunt.
Barbara revealed that in real life, the men were genuinely annoyed by the trip. She said on Corrie special 60 Unforgettable Years: “I’ll tell you a story out of school.
Her cobbles co-stars were not happy(Image: TV Grab)“We got word that the ladies were going to work in Majorca for a week and the men in the cast, the silly beggars, they wouldn’t speak to us. So off we went to Majorca and everyone thought they’re having a great time – but it was dreadful.”
Meanwhile away from the soap, Barbara married beau Denis Mullaney in 1956, and they went on to have three children together – Maxine, John and Amanda.
They ended up divorcing in 1977 with Barbara marrying her second husband John Knox the same year. However, the couple parted ways in 1994.
