The son of Eileen Derbyshire, who played the iconic Emily Bishop in Coronation Street for 55 years, has revealed a significant update on the star.
Eileen, 93, appeared in the ITV soap between 1961 and 2016, when it was reported that she was departing to take an ‘extended break’.
Unfortunately for fans, the character never made a permanent return to Weatherfield following her travels in Peru, and later settled in Scotland.
It was from her new home where we last saw Emily – albeit via a video call – when she sent birthday wishes to Ken Barlow (William Roache) in 2019.
Eileen first appeared in episode 15, though the character actually arrived 11 episodes earlier with an unnamed extra taking on the role.
What has Eileen Derbyshire’s son said about her?
Last month, her son – MailOnline’s chief sports journalist Oliver Holt, addressed his mum’s health on social media.
With a number of her fans asking for an update, he said: ‘She’s doing ok. It’s kind of you to ask. She’s 93 now so she has a few issues but she’s well looked after and is happy.’
Now, in his latest column for the publication, he has spoken about his mum’s huge life change after settling into a home for former stars of stage and screen.
‘My dad died during the pandemic and my mum moved last year to a care home for retired actors and actresses,’ he said.
‘The morning after the (Harrogate Town v Tranmere Rovers) game I went into Harrogate, bought her some cakes from Betty’s and took them with me when I went to see her the next day.
‘We went out into the garden and sat in the shade of a cedar tree and talked about old times and her childhood home in Urmston, opposite the Manchester United house where Dennis Viollet lived.
‘And she listened while I told her I had finished what she started (visiting all 92 Football League grounds) when she took me to that game at Old Trafford all those years ago.’
At the height of her fame, she rarely made public appearances, the last being when she accepted her MBE alongside co-star Barbara Knox at Buckingham Palace in 2010.
Shunning the spotlight, she has only given a number of interviews over the years, including on episodes of This is Your Life and a tribute to Minnie Caldwell actress Margot Bryant on her passing in 1988.
Oliver previously told The Times that his mother is ‘private, and one of the last of a dying breed of old-fashioned actresses who do it for the love of acting, not for all the attendant publicity.’
Emily Bishop’s Coronation Street highlights
During her time on the cobbles, Emily, then known as Miss Nugent, became infatuated with her shopkeeper colleague Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe), who she later jilted after confessing that she’d only proposed to him for fear of being branded a spinster.
The character never had children, but found true love in photographer Ernest Bishop (Stephen Hancock), who was later shot dead in a botched robbery at Baldwin’s Casuals.
Emily’s second husband, pet shop owner Arnold Swain (George Waring) was then revealed to be a bigamist.
Later stories included her forgiving Ernie’s killer, battling with the chaotic Battersbys when they moved next door, and almost being murdered by neighbour Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).
The character is rarely mentioned today, though Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) compared herself to Emily whilst visiting Carla Connor (Alison King) in hospital earlier this year.
