Anne Kirkbride is to be honoured with a funeral for her ‘Coronation Street’ character Deirdre Barlow.
The beloved actress passed away earlier this year after losing her battle with cancer and it’s now been revealed ‘Corrie’ will pay tribute to her by giving Deirdre a funeral described as the "biggest the soap has ever seen".
A source said: "It will be the equivalent to a state funeral in soap terms. All the current cast will be there and there may be some old favourites brought back to pay their respects."
Bosses of the ITV soap began planning the send off after deciding to announce Deirdre’s death and it’s also said to be an opportunity for some of Anne’s co-stars who were unable to attend her own intimate funeral in January to say their goodbyes.
The insider told The Sun newspaper: "Filming it will be incredibly tough for the actors.
"They were all so close to her as a person and it is inevitable that they will be thinking of her and her passing on the day."
Anne’s husband David Beckett was consulted by producers and is said to be "very happy" with the arrangements.
Anne Kirkbride to be honoured with funeral for Coronation Street character
