Barbara Knox, known for her role as Rita Tanner, has extended her contract on the show Coronation Street.
Barbara Knox, the iconic actress known for her role as Rita Tanner on Coronation Street, has recently extended her contract, marking over 50 years in the show. This renewal comes shortly before her 90th birthday.
Barbara Knox, the iconic actress from Coronation Street, has agreed to extend her contract on the soap opera, shortly before celebrating her 90th birthday.
The actress, who first appeared in 1964 and has been portraying Rita Tanner since 1972, will continue to appear on screen and has made a commitment to work until 2024.
Barbara, who will celebrate her 90th birthday on September 30th, is the second oldest member of the Corrie cast, with actor Bill Roache, who portrays Ken Barlow, being 91.
A source informed The Sun that Barbara is an integral part of Coronation Street. She is highly skilled and the executives were pleased that she signed a contract to continue appearing on the show until next year.
Corrie provides a pleasant and stable work environment with a supportive team, making it convenient to balance work and family life, especially as the cast members have aged.
Barbara Knox, the iconic actress from Coronation Street, has agreed to extend her contract on the show shortly before celebrating her 90th birthday.
On screen: The actress – who has played Rita Tanner continuously since 1972 following an initial appearance in 1964 – will remain on screen and has committed to working into 2024
Barbara had no hesitation in signing the necessary documents when it was time to renew the contracts this year.
Barbara is believed to earn a substantial annual salary of £200,000 for her portrayal of Rita.
After the announcement of Barbara’s 90th birthday, a unique ITV special was planned to commemorate the occasion.
In a new documentary, she will team up with TV presenter Bradley Walsh to reflect on her life.
Katie Rawcliffe, the person in charge of commissioning entertainment at ITV, expressed that it is common for people to casually use the terms “legend” and “icon,” but Barbara Knox truly represents both of those descriptions.
I am honored to share the tale of one of the most long-lasting stars in British television as she commemorates a truly remarkable birthday.
The documentary is scheduled to be released on ITV1 and ITVX in October. It will explore the initial steps taken by the iconic figure on the cobbles before her appearance in Corrie in 1964.
She will also talk about some of her notable storylines, like the well-known Tram accident in 1989, and she will go back to the location.
Special: It comes after it was announced Barbara’s 90th birthday would be marked with a one-off ITV special (pictured in 1978)
Barbara will contemplate her MBE recognition in 2010, and the documentary will include interviews with various actors from Coronation Street, both past and present, who have worked alongside her.
Additionally, Barbara will be sharing photographs from her childhood that have never been seen before.
The soap queen met the real Queen Elizabeth – who passed away in 2022 aged 96 – when she visited the Corrie set in 2021.
The monarch was greeted by soap stalwarts Barbara, William Roache, Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) and Helen Worth (Gail Platt) outside the Rovers Return.
During her visit to the cobbles to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the show, she appeared thrilled to meet the Corrie quartet. She also gained insights into how the soap adjusted its filming procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her visit to Manchester’s MediaCityUK in July 2021, she engaged in a conversation with Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Connor) about hotpot.
On Lorraine, she mentioned, “Due to COVID restrictions, we maintained a distance of two meters from each other.”
She was absolutely amazing, and her eyes were incredibly bright and full of joy. We had a conversation about getting hotpot to-go.
She displayed great interest and attentiveness, despite being someone who meets numerous people and attends multiple events daily. She actively listened to everyone and it was evident that she absorbed all the information.
We were all at the Rovers, rehearsing our curtsies.
