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
Katherine Parr (actress) two days later. Parr played Mrs Penny in the BBC radio drama "David Wade - Power of Attorney" which was broadcast in 1990. Katherine Parr (actress) Katherine Parr was a British actress, best known for playing the recurring role of Irene Holloway, commonly known as Auntie Irene, in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders", between 1986 and 1987, when her character was killed off. Parr's television appearances date back to the late-1950s, when she made her screen debut as Joan Stringer on the series "Emergency – Ward 10". She went on to appear in several popular television shows including "Coronation Street"