LOOK away now if you are not a Coronation Street fan, for this is an homage to the character who was Deirdre Barlow.
Her death has been a shock. The death of actress Anne Kirkbride has also been a bit of a blow, but it's our Deirdre's departure that comes as the real punch in the gut.
Through fires, tram accidents, lorry crashes, serial killers, attempted rape, a stretch in prison and Ken, Deirdre Hunt-Langton-Barlow-Rachid-Barlow has remained a formidable presence in crisis after crisis in the British soap.
Who else would have the British Prime Minister Tony Blair leading a national campaign to free the Wetherfield One when she was wrongly incarcerated?
The broadcaster and the programme-maker have done their best to muck it up for us Corrie fans. Storylines that don't make sense because of edits and promos that let the cat out of the bag. Speaking of the cat, has it gone now? We jump straight in and out of Corrie with little time for the mournful theme tune, along with the cobblestones and chimney pots that roll past with the credits. The programme itself has frittered away its credibility as characters change beyond all recognition, undergoing personality transformations to fit increasingly fantastical story lines.
