“Fitting Departure” Planned For Coronation Street’s Deirdre Barlow

Coronation Street scriptwriters have decided on a storyline to explain Deirdre Barlow's exit from the show. Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre for 42 years, passed away in January after a short illness. The soap's bosses have worked with her family to ensure her character has a "fitting departure". Yesterday a spokesperson for the show confirmed the news: "We have finalised details for a plot explaining ­Deirdre's departure, which will be screened in the summer." Anne was a Coronation Street regular for 42 years An insider elaborated on the plans: “Trying to come up with a fitting departure for Deirdre has not been easy. "Everyone was still feeling emotional after Anne’s death. We were keen not to rush it. “It is never easy coming up with plausible ways of writing out a much-loved character after their real-life death. “Scriptwriters have held many meetings trying to come up with suitable ideas, and Anne’s family have been kept in the loop. “We have to be sensitive to their feelings and also account for Deirdre being a much-loved Street character".