Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox – who has played Rita Tanner for more than 50 years – renews contract just days before her 90th birthday
Legendary Coronation Street star Barbara Knox has signed to continue in her soap role just days before her 90th birthday.
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, who turns 90 on 30 September is the second oldest Corrie cast member to Ken Barlow actor Bill Roache, who is 91.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Barbara is in Corrie’s DNA. She is a true pro and the executives were delighted that she put pen to paper to ensure she’s on screens into next year.
‘Corrie is a lovely, steady place to work with a supportive team so it makes it easy to fit around family, having kids and as the cast have grown older.
On board: Legendary Coronation Street star Barbara Knox has signed to continue in her soap role just days before 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
‘It was a no-brainer for Barbara to sign on the dotted line when the regular renewal of contracts came around this year.’
It is thought Barbara commands a healthy £200,000 per year for her role as Rita.
It comes after it was announced Barbara’s 90th birthday would be marked with a one-off ITV special.
She will join TV presenter Bradley Walsh to look back at her life in a new documentary.
Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at ITV, said: ‘It’s easy to throw the words “legend” and “icon” around, but Barbara Knox really does embody both of those terms.
‘It’s a privilege to tell the story of one of British television’s most enduring stars as she celebrates a very special birthday.’
The documentary will arrive on ITV1 and ITVX in October, and it will trace the cobbles legend’s first footsteps into showbiz before her 1964 debut in Corrie.
She will also discuss some of her memorable storylines, such as the infamous Tram accident in 1989, and she will revisit the site.
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 reflect on being awarded an MBE in 2010, and the documentary will feature interviews with several of her current and former Coronation Street co-stars.
What’s more, Barbara will share never seen before photos from her childhood.
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.
She looked delighted to meet the Corrie quartet, and during her cobbles visit – to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary – she learned how the soap adapted its filming process amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She also chatted to Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Connor) about hotpot during her visit to Manchester’s MediaCityUK in July 2021.
Speaking on Lorraine, she said: ‘We were still operating under COVID restrictions so we were all at two metres.
‘It was phenomenal and she had the sparkliest, smiley eyes you’ve ever seen and I chatted to her about take-away hotpot.
‘She was so engaged and for someone who’s met everybody and does three or four engagements in a day she listened to everybody and you could see she was taking it all in.
‘We were all in the Rovers practising our curtsy.’
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