THE former Coronation Street star revealed why she quit showbiz for a life in a quiet Kent market town.
For over 25 years, Thelma Barlow brought to life Mavis Wilton, one of Coronation Street’s most beloved characters.
Thelma Barlow shared why she quit acting to move to market town Faversham in Kent[/caption]
She was part of a memorable duo with Rita Sullivan at The Kabin[/caption]
As part of a memorable duo with Rita Sullivan at The Kabin, Mavis became a household name during the show’s peak, drawing over 20 million weekly viewers.
As Mavis approached 70, she departed Weatherfield, a decision she believed was the right one.
She is also known for her role as Dolly Bellfield in the BBC One sitcom dinnerladies.
But the cherished actress, now 95, enjoys a quieter life after, embracing semi-retirement in Kent, where she relocated eight years ago.
She said: “I absolutely love it here. My heart is still in the Yorkshire Dales – my home county – but I just love Faversham.
“It’s the friendliest, most community-minded town I’ve ever been to.”
Thelma moved to the market town Faversham to be closer to her son, who lives just 10 minutes away.
He is a Master of Wine, working in specialist wine shops in Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells.
Her other son resides on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, where he runs fishing trips during the summer and crafts handmade rods during the winter months.
Thelma said: “If I’ve achieved anything in bringing up my children. It’s to let them choose and not pressurise them into anything. They both are absorbed by their chosen careers.”
Speaking about her time in Corrie, Thelma said: “I’d done 15 years of theatre before Coronation Street and I never thought I’d be in something so long, but it became interesting because you had to try and work out how to respond to each character.
“A new one would be written in and you’d have to think of what my character would have thought of them.
“[Corrie] was very convenient because it gave me some solid work. The contract was only a year at a time so you were never really secure. You had to keep your fingers crossed.
“And of course, you make such good friends – it is very much like family. You have that security and support.”
Forgotten soap storylines
The nation’s soaps have had many gripping storylines play out over the years. However, some plots proved to be far less memorable. Here are some forgotten stories from Weatherfield, Walford and more…
- Ken and Audrey’s romance (2015): After the death of wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), Coronation Street original Ken Barlow (William Roache) started to move on in his life. He started to develop a spark with old friend Audrey (Sue Nicholls), with then-Corrie boss saying it would be like “Ross and Rachel”. In the end, nothing ever came of it and the two remained platonic pals.
- Beth’s bigamy (2016): Despite being happily married to Kirk (Andrew Whyment), a troubling secret came to light about Beth Tinker (Lisa George). It transpired that she had never divorced from her first husband, Darryl (Paul Loughran), father of her son Craig (Colson Smith). Although Craig and Kirk were shocked – and Beth was arrested – the storyline didn’t didn’t go much further.
- Kat Slater’s secret son (2017): Capitalising on the popularity of Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie), the two received a spin-off back in 2017. Titled ‘Redwater’, it saw the two travel to Ireland where they met long-lost son Luke, now called Dermott Dolan, played by Oisín Stack. Despite the high-tension events during Redwater, Kat seems to have put the experience behind her as Dermott’s not been mentioned since.
- Alfie’s brain tumour (2015): Having learned in 2015 that he had a brain tumour, Alfie kept the news from Kat until their trip to Ireland. At the time, actor Shane Ritchie revealed fans would see a change in Alfie as he battled the illness. It would appear that at some point after leaving the Square, was told the tumour was non-malignant. By the time Alfie returned in 2022, fans were left confused over what had happened to the storyline.
- Kathy and Buster’s affair (2016): In 2016, Walford legend Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) fell into the arms of convict Buster Briggs, played by Karl Howman. Buster was the long-time lover of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and fathered both her sons – Mick (Danny Dyer) and Dean (Matt Di Angelo). When Buster left, he begged Kathy to join him, but she refused for the sake of her family. Meanwhile Buster didn’t even stop to say goodbye to Shirley before exiting with a broken heart. Fans expected a showdown between the two women, but this never came to pass.
- Jacob’s OCD (2016): After his dad, David (Matthew Wolfenden), was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) developed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This manifested in the form of cleaning. Jacob’s OCD made a brief return one year on, after David had another scare after finding a lump. Jacob frantically searched the bins for a “lucky coin” that had accidentally been thrown away. Despite stressful situations – such as being groomed by his teacher Maya, losing his fiancee Leanna to a serial killer, dealing with mum Leyla’s drug addiction, and surviving a stabbing – the condition doesn’t appear to have returned.
- Marlon and Charity’s fling (2003): Few fans would likely remember few will remember the one-night stand between Charity (Emma Atkins) and Marlon (Mark Charnock) in 2003. The pair slept together when Charity was staying with Marlon while still under suspicion for husband Chris’s supposed “murder”.
- Alex Browning’s revenge plot (2014): Fans expected a confrontation when Dr Browning’s son Alex (Ojan Genc) mer stepmum Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe). After all, Mercedes, with Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) and Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin) had murdered Alex’s dad, double-murderer Dr Paul Browning, after he kidnapped and attacked his new wife. In fact, the soap teased Alex would seek revenge for his father’s death upon arriving. However, he instead gave Cindy’s son Hilton (his half-brother) a life-saving transplant, became his godfather, and leaving the village soon after.
Thelma shared a home with her co-star Helen Worth (Gail Platt) during their time on the show.
With Helen’s exit already filmed, Thelma confirmed that Helen “would love some radio.”
She revealed: “She said she’s too frightened to do other work [acting work] and you do get afraid to do other work. If she wants to do radio, I am sure there is some there for her.”
Thelma has also maintained friendships with other former castmates, including Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) and Barbara Knox (Rita Sullivan).
Thelma also had roles in Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie’s Marple, Doc Martin, Doctors and The Royal.
She opened up about how she “never really enjoyed fame, but you have to learn to cope with it.
She continued: “You have to understand it means something to them to meet you. It still happens, but not as much. I’ve never thought of myself as something special.”
However, now she is enjoying her retirement and keeping a “low profile” in the town.
And she has ruled out a Corrie return saying: “I just have a fear of going into big studios – every minute is thousands of pounds for them and I would hate to let them down; get it wrong, or die, or something.”
“That’s the difficulty. I can’t see anyone putting money into something with a 95-year-old. I’m not a good bet.”
Thelma revealed what her friend Helen wants to do next after her Corrie exit[/caption]
