Eileen Derbyshire, (born 6 October 1931) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Emily Bishop in the long-running ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street". She played the character for 55 years, from January 1961 to January 2016 and again for a cameo appearance in October 2019, making her the longest-serving female cast member in a British soap opera and the second longest-serving cast member on the show, after William Roache who has played the role of Ken Barlow continuously, since the show's first episode on the 9 December 1960.