Anne Kirkbride who played Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street for 42 years
(Picture: PA)You don’t even need to watch Coronation Street to be familiar with some of the great characters of the cobbles. Gail Platt memes surface every once in a while, everyone on Planet Earth hated Geoff Metcalfe, and the spectacled Deirdre Barlow will live on forever in our hearts.
Played by the late Anne Kirkbride from 1972 to 2014, Deirdre was known as the loving wife to long-standing Corrie star Ken Barlow (William Roache) and the suffering mother of troublemaker Tracy (currently played by Kate Ford).
When she was wrongly jailed for mortgage and credit card fraud in 1998, the ‘Free the Weatherfield One’ campaign caught the attention of the mainstream press, and even the prime minister at the time, Tony Blair.
Her dramatic time on Coronation Street earned her a legion of fans. So much so, that when the Twitter account Curious British Telly tasked their followers with replacing a song title with the Corrie star, people all too gladly obliged:
There's a guy works down the chipshop swears he's Deirdre Barlow.
— Guy J. Pitchford (@guyjpitchford) October 16, 2021
I can see Deidrie (Barlow) now - Lorraine has gone. I can see all spectacles in my way
— Matt Wills (@Matt_C_Wills) October 16, 2021
They had style, they had flair
— Elliot Chapman (@E11iotChapman) October 16, 2021
Deirdre Barlow's frizzy hair.
Vogue!
Deirdre Barlow, Sweet Chariot.
— Matt Burt (@Matt_Burt_) October 16, 2021
I would do anything for love (but I won't do Deidre Barlow)
— Paul Egan (@pauleganmanc) October 16, 2021
Shawty had them Apple Bottom jeans
— Al Fox (@MrAlFox) October 16, 2021
Boots with the fur
The whole club was looking at her
She hit the floor
Next thing you know
Deirdre Barlow-low-low-low-low-low https://t.co/icFsiyAkKB
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Deirdre Barlow comes to me, speaking words of wisdom … oh Tracy luv”. https://t.co/pAY50zZFfn
— Jeff Cooper (@ELOJeff) October 16, 2021
Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening, Deirdre Barlow Deirdre Barlow..
— Hic_non_reloaded (@NonHic) October 16, 2021
Smells like Deirdre Barlow
— Pa Fitz (@ElvozT) October 16, 2021
Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are Deirdre Barlow
— we don't need this fascist groove thang (@PrincessEthanol) October 16, 2021
Is this the way to Deirdre Barlow?
— Geraldine Gardner (@geraldineg_nwn) October 16, 2021
And as ‘Deirdre Barlow’ trended on Twitter, other memories were shared of the soap superstar:
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As Deirdre Barlow is trending it seems like a good time to share her classic meltdown with the trifle!! 🤣 #ClassicCorrie #DeirdreBarlow pic.twitter.com/haCEWZEkXa
— Kerry Taylor (@KerryTaylor75) October 16, 2021
God bless you, Deirdre.
