Saturday 23 January 2016

In pics: Look back at Emily's life on Coronation Street

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2015, reposted to this blog with permission.)

On New Year's Day, January 1 2016, Emily Bishop will swap the wilds of Weatherfield for the promise of Peru.  She's off to see her nephew Geoffrey, aka Spider, Nugent and help volunteer in a children's orphanage with him.  He's always been a good 'un, has Spider.

Actress Eileen Derbyshire, who plays Emily, is set to take a break from Coronation Street. I do hope she will return, but who knows?

With thanks to Corrie.net and Corriepedia, let's have a look at some of Emily's biggest storylines over the years.

Emily first appeared in 1961 as Leonard Swindley's assistant in clothing shop Gamma Garments.

She was briefly engaged to Leonard Swindley but jilted him at the last minute, deciding to wait to marry someone she loved, despite her worry that she was destined for spinsterhood.

Emily tells Leonard Swindley she can't marry him

Emily with Miklos Zadic
Emily married photographer Ernest Bishop as she entered her forties. They got married in 1972 and had a happy marriage but in 1978 Emily was widowed when Ernest was shot and killed in a robbery at Baldwin's factory.


Emily marries Ernest Bishop


In 1974 Emily was one of eight Street women who flew off to Majorca on holiday when Bet Lynch won the pools.
Emily remained devoted to Ernie years after his death but allowed herself to fall in love again in 1980 when she met and married pet shop owner Arnold Swain.
Emily marries bigamist Arnold Swain
Only a short time into the marriage, Emily found out that Arnold was still legally married to his first wife. Arnold later died in a psychiatric hospital.

Emily with lodger Curly Watts
Emily was joined at No.3 Coronation Street by lodgers including Curly Watts, Percy Sugden, Norris Cole, Ernie's niece Freda Burgess and her own nephew Geoffrey "Spider" Nugent, who she was especially fond of as she regretted never having children. Spider even convinced Emily to join him in a protest against renovating the Red Rec.

Spider and Emily in the Red Rec protest, 1998

Emily was almost killed by evil Richard Hillman who was after her money.  Twice, he tried to do her in. Twice, she survived!


Ed, the killer of Emily's husband Ernest arrived and Emily found it in her heart to forgive him.

Emily was always a good friend to Deirdre Barlow, godmother to Tracy Barlow. She's also the person who has delivered one of my favourite, ever, Coronation Street lines. 

"I've always wanted to be stormy, passionate and tempestuous. But you can't be. Not when you're born with a tidy mind."

I shall miss her a lot and hope she might return, even briefly to say goodbye, after the actress takes her well-deserved break

See also: Is Emily's exit a fitting farewell?

See also: Emily Bishop: Born with a tidy mind




Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.


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