Eileen Derbyshire is wanted for a ‘Coronation Street’ return in time for the soap’s 60th anniversary.
The ITV show will mark the milestone in December, and bosses are said to be hopeful that the 88-year-old soap stalwart will head back to the cobbles to reprise her role as Emily Bishop.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Eileen knows she can come back any time.
"The producers are in regular contact with her and are desperate for her to return and be part of the 60th anniversary celebrations."
This comes just weeks after it was claimed that ‘Coronation Street’ bosses are keen to get cobbles legend Eileen back this year.
Eileen – who played Emily Bishop for 55 years until her exit in January 2016 – took some time off from the ITV show for "personal reasons", but she could be heading back to Weatherfield.
A source recently said: "She’s never said she’s leaving the soap, just that she needs to continue to take time off, and the bosses will never write her out or kill Emily off.
"The producers are in regular contact with her and are desperate for her to return next year with the offer of a few very small parts."
Executives for the show are said to have always kept the door open for Eileen, if she can be convinced to make a comeback.
An insider added: "Talks are always on-going between Eileen and ‘Coronation Street’ bosses, nothing has been confirmed yet but the conversation is always open."
She made a returning cameo appearance in October when a brief clip of Emily wishing Ken Barlow (Bill Roache) a happy 80th birthday aired during an episode.
The ‘Corrie’ star first appeared in 1961, meaning only Bill himself has had a longer tenure on the cobbles as he’s been playing Ken since the show first aired in 1960.
Emily departed Weatherfield in a storyline which saw her travel to Peru to help her nephew Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock) with his charity work, but then she returned to live in Edinburgh to care for her niece Freda Burgess.
Coronation Street bosses ‘want Eileen Derbyshire back for 60th anniversary’
