Coronation Street fans given rare update on soap legend, 93, almost 10 years after exit

With their son posting about them on social media, Coronation Street fans have been updated on a former cast member who hasn’t appeared on the ITV show for a while.

The son of a former Coronation Street cast member who appeared on the show for decades has shared an update on how she’s doing. They had prompted comments about the actor after sharing memorabilia from their home.

Eileen Derbyshire, 93, is best known for her role as Emily Bishop on the long-running ITV soap opera. She made her debut as the character back in 1961 and then remained on the show for over 50 years before leaving in 2016.

She later made a brief cameo back in 2019. That marked her latest appearance on Corrie and it saw her character Emily feature in a video message for Ken Barlow (played by William Roache) to mark his 80th birthday at the time.

Just a few days ago, Oliver Holt, her son, updated Eileen on X. The sports journalist suggested he had discovered at his mother’s house during a visit and posted a number of photos that included Corrie-related memorabilia.

Someone responded to the question, “Your mother is okay, but I’m loving these memories.” “She’s doing okay, Matthew,” Oliver replied. It’s a bit of a question you have. She’s now 93, so she has some issues that need to be addressed.

Eileen’s former co-star Antony Cotton – who has been on the show since 2003 – also reacted. He wrote: “Hey Oliver. Please give my love to your mum – we miss her very much x.” Eileen’s son replied: “Thanks very much, Antony. I will.”

In response to the post, someone else responded, “A fantastic actress and I’m sure a wonderful mother Ollie.” “Thanks, pal,” Oliver said. Yes, she is a wonderful mother. I’m hoping things will go well with you, mate.

Last week, Oliver had previously posted a number of career-related photos on the platform. A black-and-white image of Eileen posing alongside a number of other actors was included in the cover of the film.

The group featured likes of the late Pat Phoenix, the late Doris Speed and the late Betty Driver. The trio played Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker and Betty Williams respectively.

Oliver wrote in the caption of the framed photo, which was his first post in the series: “Back at my mum’s place. Found this packed away. Halcyon days of Coronation Street.”

As part of Corrie’s celebrations marking her 30th birthday, Eileen and coworkers were recently seen posing outside the fictional pub. In its wrapping-photo, Oliver stated in that post, “Still in its 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Street.”

Another of his posts showcased a newspaper article, dated 1965, which reported on his parents’ marriage. The article announced that Eileen had married her late husband Thomas Holt, who passed away decades later in 2021.

Source: Mirror