Coronation Street reached a low of eight million in February 1973, when Pat Phoenix quit as Elsie Tanner, Violet Carson (battleaxe Ena Sharples) was written out for most of the year due to illness, and Doris Speed (haughty landlady Annie Walker) took two months' leave due to bereavement. The audience of ITV's other flagship soap opera "Crossroads" increased markedly at this time, as its established cast, such as Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon), grew in popularity. These sudden departures forced the writing team to quickly develop characters who had previously stood in the background. The roles of Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), Deirdre Hunt
Inside Soap content are "EastEnders", "Coronation Street", "Emmerdale", "Hollyoaks", "Neighbours" and "Home and Away". Other soaps covered include "River City", "Fair City" and "The Archers". Former soaps covered include "Brookside", "Family Affairs" and "Crossroads". Readers are invited to email their questions to soap stars and entries are published in interview format. Soap stars' personal lives are also covered, including tips on fashion and where to purchase clothes worn by the stars. A weekly TV guide is also provided. Each year the Inside Soap Awards ceremony is held, where awards are given to the 'Best Actor', 'Best Actress' and 'Best Soap', among others,