STREET LIFE FULL OF DRAMA

epic. The entire w week’s worth are jam-packed with stories. “There’s high d drama, heartbreak, ridiculous comedy. It all mi mixes together really well.” Of her own role,r Sally Ann – who also starred in Emme Emmerdale – is loving being back in Weatherfiel Weatherfield. She first appeared from 1986 to 1991. After years of being typecast as a stroppy mare, she returned in 2015 for what she thought would be six months, but has stayed ever since. And the actress – wed to barrister Nick and with sons aged 16 and 18 – added: “I’m having a really g good time and being served with really nice stories, so why not. I’m very lucky they k keep writing bonkers stuff f for me.” FLAME-HAIRED newsagent Rita made her debut on the cobbles in 1964 for one episode as a friend of DennisTanner before becoming a regular from 1972. Since then, her years in Weatherfield have been bursting with romance, humour and several brushes with death. She’s been married three times – to Len Fairclough,Ted Sullivan and Dennis. One of her most explosive storylines was her relationship with violent Alan Bradley who tried to smother her with a pillow. She fled only for Bradley to track her down to Blackpool. Rita dodged a tram to escape him, and he was run over and killed as 27 million horrified viewers looked on in December 1989. Rita had her second brush with death in 1998, days after Steve McDonald installed a faulty gas fire in her flat. She was embroiled in a second tram crash in 2010, buried under rubble after an explosion at The Joinery caused a tram to smash into the bar, the Corner Shop and The Kabin. Then before her wedding to third husband Dennis in 2012 she was kidnapped by loan shark Ri Rick Neelan, who threaten threatened to drive Rita into th the canal unless Tina McInt McIntyre returned his drug st stash. After al all that, it’s little won wonder actress Bar Barbara received a Lifetime A Achievement Award at the 2004 British Soap Awards.