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
Charlie Stubbs (Coronation Street) was listed as the second-most watched for any programme on TV in 2007, having been watched by 13.1 million viewers. Bill Ward received the "Best Exit" award in British Soap Awards 2007 for his role in the character of Charlie. The same year, the storyline which saw Charlie murdered by Tracy Barlow received the "Best Storyline" award. He was also nominated for the "Inside Soap" "Best Bad Boy" award. Charlie Stubbs (Coronation Street) Charlie Stubbs was a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", played by Bill Ward. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast