Eileen Derbyshire is set to quit ‘Coronation Street’ after taking an extended 12-month break.
The 85-year-old actress – who stars as Emily Bishop on the ITV show – is the longest-serving member of the cast at present, having first appeared on the programme in 1961 – but Eileen is keen to spend more quality time with her family after taking a prolonged sabbatical at the end of 2015.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Eileen has been off for a long time, and there is no expectation that she will be back. All of her cast mates have accepted she won’t be returning.
"She’s 85 and has been out of the show for a year, so she probably would have found it tough to get back into the fast pace of filming."
Eileen could, therefore, become the latest in an increasingly long line of big-name actors and actresses who have left ‘Coronation Street’ in recent years, with the likes of Michelle Keegan having moved on to new shows.
Meanwhile, Anne Kirkbride – who played Dierdre Barlow – died from breast cancer in January last year, and Jean Alexander – who played Hilda Ogden – died in October.
Eileen Derbyshire ‘set to quit Coronation Street’
