For much of her near 20 years on the programme, Sharples' moralising caused her to spar regularly with Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix). She appeared in the first episode which was aired on 9 December 1960. Long after her departure from the programme and after her own death, Carson continues to be synonymous with the hairnet that Ena chose to wear for almost every occasion. As a singer, Carson was in the soprano range and was a regular on the Christian hymnal programme "Stars on Sunday" during its ten-year run from 1969.