Latest news with #ThelmaBarlow
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Iconic Coronation Street star returns to screens at 95 after retirement
Iconic Coronation Street star returns to screens at 95 after retirement Thelma Barlow played Mavis Riley on Coronation Street from 1971 to 1997 Thelma Barlow will once again be seen on screens (Image: Justin Goff, UK Press via Getty Images ) Thelma Barlow, the esteemed actress who portrayed Mavis Riley on Coronation Street from 1971 to 1997, has discussed her decision to leave the iconic ITV soap as she steps out of retirement for a new acting role. Following Helen Worth's recent departure from her long-standing role as Gail Platt, Barlow, 95, reflected on her own exit from the show during an appearance on the Conversation Street podcast. She expressed that leaving was the correct choice for her at the time, saying: "It was the right thing for me. Helen's just left, and it's probably the right thing for her too. You just know, I think. I couldn't be doing it now." Barlow also reminisced about returning to theatre work after her stint on television, stating: "But, no, I just felt that I just had to get back to theatre and that happened, fortunately." Thelma Barlow became a household name due to her role in Coronation Street (Image: Ferdaus Shamim, WireImagevia Getty Images ) During her tenure in the cobbles, Barlow's character Mavis became a beloved figure, especially known for her marriage to Derek Wilton (played by Peter Baldwin) and her partnership with Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) at The Kabin newsagents. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter When asked about the enduring appeal of Mavis's on-screen friendship with Rita, Barlow highlighted the contrasting personalities of the two characters: "Well, they were such opposites to begin with, weren't they? Article continues below "Everyone caved in rather heavily on Mavis to begin with, but it gradually rubbed off on her, this little bit of spirit and she got more strength." The Manchester Evening News reports she continued to describe their dynamic, noting how Mavis often exasperated Rita: "They were really good friends, although there was a lot of stick coming from Rita! I think [Mavis] probably irritated Rita, 'Get some spine, woman, stand up for yourself!', because she was being very soppy with all these menfolk. She had so many men in her life over the years, it never came to anything, though." The former Dinnerladies actress has made a return to the screen in the short film 'Sleepless in Settle', taking on the role of an elderly mother intent on finding the perfect match for her 72-year-old son. Despite originally having no plans to jump back into acting, she was persuaded by a friend to take on the project. Reflecting on her unexpected comeback, she said: "I had no intention of working again, but a friend who had written a lot of things, she's an actress, and a very good one, Judy Flynn, she asked if she could write something for me. "I was delighted, I don't think I hesitated at all. She wrote this lovely piece, and we talked about it quite a lot. We were very much on a wavelength, and we did it about a year and a half ago now. "It was just the best thing ever because I started off in theatre, and it was like being back in my first job with young people. Young technicians, everyone had this great feeling of trying to do the best they could." In a recent interview, following her emergence from retirement to take part in the short film 'Sleepless in Settle', where Thelma plays the character Barbara who embarks on a mission to set up her middle-aged son Alan with a woman, yielding many comedic scenes. Chatting with Radio Times, Thelma shared her reasons for embracing this new role, revealing how her old colleague and friend, the talented Judy Flynn, who is both a writer and director, crafted the character of Barbara expressly with her in mind. Article continues below Thelma expressed: "I was familiar with her work and knew it would be good. The characters are so well drawn, it was a joy. Good writing is easy to learn, there are some lovely lines that reminded me of when I joined Coronation Street."
North Wales Chronicle
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
95-year-old Coronation Street star comes out of retirement
Actress Thelma Barlow, who is known for playing Mavis Wilton on the ITV show, had a 26-year run on the programme before leaving in 1997. Now, the star has revealed she is starring in a new film called 'Sleepless in Settle'. According to the Radio Times, the 22-minute film sees Thelma star as Barbara, a character trying to find a romantic partner for her middle-aged son Alan (Graham Turner). The Coronation Street legend told the magazine that she was excited to join the project and revealed what tempted her to take part. She shared that the role of Barbara was specifically created for her by her friend, writer and director Judy Flynn. The ITV actress said: 'I was familiar with her work and knew it would be good. "The characters are so well drawn, it was a joy. "Good writing is easy to learn, there are some lovely lines that reminded me of when I joined Coronation Street.' New Coronation Street star breaks silence after backlash to 'affair' Coronation Street star gives birth to first baby and shares 'gorgeous' name Coronation Street star to return to soap after 25 years - but there's a twist The movie sees the character Barbara worrying that she does not have a lot of time left, leaving her terrified that her son will be left alone when she is gone. After watching Sleepless in Seattle, she comes to the conclusion that she needs to find her son a wife. Unfortunately, her efforts attract a high volume of interest, and she is found out.
Rhyl Journal
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
95-year-old Coronation Street star comes out of retirement
Actress Thelma Barlow, who is known for playing Mavis Wilton on the ITV show, had a 26-year run on the programme before leaving in 1997. Now, the star has revealed she is starring in a new film called 'Sleepless in Settle'. According to the Radio Times, the 22-minute film sees Thelma star as Barbara, a character trying to find a romantic partner for her middle-aged son Alan (Graham Turner). The Coronation Street legend told the magazine that she was excited to join the project and revealed what tempted her to take part. She shared that the role of Barbara was specifically created for her by her friend, writer and director Judy Flynn. The ITV actress said: 'I was familiar with her work and knew it would be good. "The characters are so well drawn, it was a joy. "Good writing is easy to learn, there are some lovely lines that reminded me of when I joined Coronation Street.' New Coronation Street star breaks silence after backlash to 'affair' Coronation Street star gives birth to first baby and shares 'gorgeous' name Coronation Street star to return to soap after 25 years - but there's a twist The movie sees the character Barbara worrying that she does not have a lot of time left, leaving her terrified that her son will be left alone when she is gone. After watching Sleepless in Seattle, she comes to the conclusion that she needs to find her son a wife. Unfortunately, her efforts attract a high volume of interest, and she is found out.
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Coronation Street legend breaks silence on coming out of retirement 27 years after soap exit for new film
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CORONATION Street legend has addressed coming out of retirement 27 years after leaving the soap. The 95-year-old star had a 26-year stint on the cobbles before leaving in 1997. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Coronation Street legend Thelma Barlow came out of retirement for a new film Credit: Birdie Films 4 Thelma played Corrie icon Mavis Wilton for 26 years Credit: Rex 4 The character regularly appeared opposite her boss Rita Credit: ITV Actress Thelma Barlow - known to Corrie viewers as Mavis Wilton - has come out of retirement for a new film. Titled Sleepless in Settle, the 22 minute film sees Thelma star as Barbara. The character tries to find a romantic partner for her middle-aged son Alan (Graham Turner) - but with comedic hijinks along the way. Speaking to Radio Times, Thelma addressed what tempted her to join the project. It comes as the star's friend, writer/director Judy Flynn, created the part of Barbara specifically for her. Thelma said: 'I was familiar with her work and knew it would be good. "The characters are so well drawn, it was a joy. "Good writing is easy to learn, there are some lovely lines that reminded me of when I joined Coronation Street.' The premise sees Barbara worried that she has not got much time left on earth and scared her son will be left completely alone after her passing. After watching hit film Sleepless in Seattle, she decided that she needed to find her son a nice wife to keep him company. Coronation Street legend Thelma Barlow teases soap return and reveals Helen Worth's 'fears' after Gail Platt exit revealed Unfortunately she gets a lot more interest than she was expecting and it's not long until he found out. It's set in the North Yorkshire town of Settle, which the star moved to after she departed the award-winning serial drama. The film was shot in three days, on location in Rye, East Sussex, with a small crew. As for Coronation Street, Thelma's character Mavis was originally intended to be a one-off appearance. She became a regular after impressing both viewers and producers - establishing a long-running partnership with Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox). Following the death of husband Derek Wilton (Peter Baldwin), Mavis left Weatherfield to run a guest house in the Lake District. Viewers may also recognise Thelma for playing Dolly Bellfield in BBC sitcom Dinnerladies. She featured in all 16 episodes, spanning from 1998 until the show concluded in 2000.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Coronation Street legend breaks silence on coming out of retirement 27 years after soap exit for new film
A CORONATION Street legend has addressed coming out of retirement 27 years after leaving the soap. The 95-year-old star had a 26-year stint on the cobbles before leaving in 1997. 4 Coronation Street legend Thelma Barlow came out of retirement for a new film Credit: Birdie Films 4 Thelma played Corrie icon Mavis Wilton for 26 years Credit: Rex 4 The character regularly appeared opposite her boss Rita Credit: ITV Actress Thelma Barlow - known to Corrie viewers as Mavis Wilton - has Titled Sleepless in Settle, the 22 minute film sees Thelma star as Barbara. The character tries to find a romantic partner for her middle-aged son Alan (Graham Turner) - but with comedic hijinks along the way. Speaking to Read more on Coronation Street It comes as the star's friend, writer/director Judy Flynn, created the part of Barbara specifically for her. Thelma said: 'I was familiar with her work and knew it would be good. "The characters are so well drawn, it was a joy. "Good writing is easy to learn, there are some lovely lines that reminded me of when I joined Coronation Street.' Most read in Soaps The premise sees Barbara worried that she has not got much time left on earth and scared her son will be left completely alone after her passing. After watching hit film Sleepless in Seattle, she decided that she needed to find her son a nice wife to keep him company. Coronation Street legend Thelma Barlow teases soap return and reveals Helen Worth's 'fears' after Gail Platt exit revealed Unfortunately she gets a lot more interest than she was expecting and it's not long until he found out. It's set in the North Yorkshire town of Settle, which the star moved to after she departed the award-winning serial drama. The film was shot in three days, on location in Rye, East Sussex , with a small crew. As for Coronation Street, Thelma's character Mavis was originally intended to be a one-off appearance. She became a regular after impressing both viewers and producers - establishing a long-running partnership with Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox). Following the death of husband Derek Wilton (Peter Baldwin), Mavis left Weatherfield to run a guest house in the Lake District. Viewers may also recognise Thelma for playing Dolly Bellfield in BBC sitcom Dinnerladies. She featured in all 16 episodes, spanning from 1998 until the show concluded in 2000. 4 She also starred in BBC sitcom Dinnerladies
