ITV has announced that it will be honouring the 90th birthday of Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox with a "very special" one-off documentary later this year.

Advertisement

Knox – who celebrates the milestone birthday in September – has been appearing as Rita Tanner on the soap for almost 60 years, making her the second longest-serving cast member behind only Ken Barlow star William Roache.

And the programme will see her join Bradley Walsh to reflect on the highlights from her illustrious career in both television and theatre.

According to an ITV release, it will trace "Barbara’s first footsteps into showbiz before her first appearance on Coronation Street in 1964".

Meanwhile, the veteran actress will "share her most treasured memories from the role which has made her famous across the world", including revisiting the site of the infamous tram accident in 1989 and reflecting on the moment she was awarded an MBE in 2010.

Read more:

The documentary will also feature "candid interviews" with a number of Barbara’s co-stars past and present, and will even see the notoriously private Knox share memories and never-before-seen photos from her childhood.

ITV's head of entertainment commissioning Katie Rawcliffe said of the documentary: “It’s easy to throw the words ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ around, but Barbara Knox really does embody both of those terms.

"It’s a privilege to tell the story of one of British television’s most enduring stars as she celebrates a very special birthday.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights on ITV. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.

Advertisement

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement