Rovers Return Inn Billy first appears in Coronation Street in January 1961, but takes over The Rovers Return in 1984 after his mother Annie retires and signs the pub over to him. It doesn't last long, though, and he leaves for good in 1984, after a series of run-ins with police due to the lock-ins held after hours. Arguably the most famous barmaid on "Coronation Street", Bet Lynch was in charge of The Rovers Return for a little over 10 years. In late 1984, the brewery, Newton & Ridley, unhappy with the way the pub was being run into the ground by Billy,
Rovers Return Inn tenancy as landlord. Sadly, Billy does not fully enjoy the role, and in December 1984, the brewery buy the tenancy back from the Walker family, ending over 47 and a half years of the Walker name over the door of The Rovers. In 2012, it is revealed that Annie left the tenancy and role of landlady to Betty in her will; however, Betty is not interested, and the letter and will are only found after Betty's death (and the tenancy had already been sold back to the brewery prior to Annie's death, rendering the bequest moot). Wayward son of Annie,