Coronation Street’s Barbara Knox, 85, who plays Rita Tanner rolls back the years with glam bikini throwback
The actress has played Rita on the ITV soap for five decades and is seen rocking a cut out black swimsuit in the photo
CORONATION Street’s Barbara Knox rolled back the years with a glam bikini throwback from the seventies.
The 85-year-old actress, who plays Rita Tanner in Corrie, sizzles as she lounges beside a pool during filming for the ITV soap in 1974.
Barbara sports perfectly curled hair, blue eye-shadow and a gold bangle.
Her black swimming ensemble features large cut out sides and a plunging neckline, showing Rita as she’s never been seen before.
In another snap, the Coronation Street girls, including Betty (Betty Driver), Annie (Doris Speed), Hilda (Jean Alexander) Bet (Julie Goodyear), Emily (Eileen Derbyshire), Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), Mavis (Thelma Barlow) and Rita pose by pool holding cocktails.
The photos were taken when Corrie travelled to Majorca after Julie Goodyear’s character Bet Lynch won a beach holiday, and she took all the Weatherfield women with her.
Rita Littlewood sashayed her way onto the Street as a belly dancer at the Viaduct Sporting Club 53 years ago.
Barbara Knox was born Barbara Brothwood in Oldham, Lancashire in 1933 which makes her 84 years old.
The star first worked as a telegraphist in the Post Office after leaving school followed by a number of other jobs before making her professional acting stage debut in 1962 with The Boyfriend at Oldham Rep.
She went on to appear in TV shows such as George and the Dragon, Feel the Width and Never Mind the Quality before joining Coronation Street.
Barbara first appeared in Coronation Street as Rita Littlewood in 1964 for one episode before returning in January 1972 as Rita Bates as the common-law wife of Harry Bates.
Rita has been married three times – to Len Fairclough, Ted Sullivan and Dennis Tanner – and her work saw Barbara receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards in 2004.
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