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
Joe McIntyre (Coronation Street) In August 2009, praise was given to Coronation Street producers by doctors for the soap's painkiller storyline when Joe became addicted. Experts at The Priory Group, which operates drug and alcohol treatment centres across the country, backed the programme's decision to tackle the issue on screen. Dr Ash Kahn told The Sun newspaper: "Medication abuse can be very dangerous. Misuse of over-the-counter or prescription drugs can lead to dependence that is physical and mental." Joe McIntyre (Coronation Street) Joseph “Joe” McIntyre is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street". The character was portrayed by actor Reece