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
Alan Bradley (Coronation Street) Alan Bradley (Coronation Street) Alan Bradley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", played by Mark Eden from 1986 to 1989. Alan is one of the most famous villains in the history of the Street. He made his first appearance in 1986 when his ex-wife Pat was killed in a road accident. Because of his absence, working away from home, his daughter Jenny (Sally Ann Matthews) was temporarily fostered by Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox). Alan soon began relationships with both Rita and the Rovers' barmaid Gloria Todd (Sue Jenkins). When both women found out he