Thelma Barlow played Mavis Wilton on Coronation Street from 1971 to 1997, and was one of the soap’s most beloved characters – but she has now ruled out a return to Weatherfield
A longtime cast member of Corrie has explored her reasons for staying away and ruled out going back to the famous street.
Thelma Barlow, who played the adored character Mavis Wilton on the venerable ITV series Coronation Street, first appeared on screens in 1971. She is 95 years old.
With more than 20 years of experience, Thelma solidified her reputation as the face of the soap opera and won over viewers with her portrayal of Mavis, especially because of her relationship with Rita Sullivan (played by Barbara Knox) at the Kabin and her married life to Derek Wilton.
However, the character said goodbye in 1997 in order to start a new life in Cumbria as a proprietor of a bed and breakfast.
This Monday, July 1, Thelma made an appearance on Good Morning Britain. She talked about her most recent endeavor, Sleepless in Settle, the film that enticed her to come out of retirement and revolved around a mother’s search for the ideal match for her son.
Soon, the topic of conversation shifted to Coronation Street. Thelma was asked the question by Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, who wondered if she would return to the popular soap opera, a possibility that would probably disappoint fans, according to the Mirror.
“Aren’t you tempted for a cameo role?” inquired Ed. Perhaps now that Gail is gone.”
A giggling Thelma answered, ‘No. I would be extremely afraid.”
“I’d be so frightened to do something that was commercial and in a big studio,” she said, expressing her deep anxiety about returning to a highly commercial setting and managing the heavy workload. And I’m so terrified of the pressure at work.”
Susanna asked, “Is there no way they can drag you back to Corrie?” in an attempt to elicit further assurance. Thelma responded with a firm stance, saying, “Never say no.
However, I would simply be too terrified. It matters to me that I get it just right. Making this movie with friends was okay because they’ll always forgive you.”
For her most recent film, Sleepless in Settle, which was written and directed by her former Dinnerladies coworker Judy Flynn, Thelma has come out of retirement. Judy talked about how she convinced Thelma to come out of retirement for the movie, saying, “I asked her if I could write something especially for her, and she agreed. We met again at her 90th birthday party.
“Working on Thelma’s film was a true pleasure. She was so vivacious and full of ideas.”
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