5 days Ago By [email protected] (Angie Quinn)
Sue Nicholls, known to millions as Coronation Street's Audrey Roberts, has been a staple on the show for an impressive 45 years. Yet, before she made her mark on the Cobbles in 1979, Nicholls had a lesser-known singing career, including a charting single 'Where Will You Be?' which hit number 17 in the UK Music Charts. It's also been said that she once performed in a cabaret club in Vienna during her youth.
Before becoming a Corrie regular, Nicholls graced our screens in 'The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin' with Leonard Rossiter from 1976-1979, and as Nadia Popov in 'Rentaghost' from 1981-1984. Despite these roles, it's her portrayal of Audrey since 1979 that has won the hearts of viewers, who have shared in her character's triumphs and tragedies, such as her marriage to Alf Roberts in 1985 and his sad passing in 1999. Audiences have followed Audrey's journey alongside her daughter Gail Platt (Helen Worth), through numerous challenges, seen her become a great-grandmother to characters like Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon), and observed her working relationship with grandson David Platt (Jack P.
Shepherd) in the salon. Reflecting on her time with Helen Worth, who is set to depart the soap, Nicholls expressed her affection on This Morning back in March: "I love her to death, I love doing scenes with her.", reports .
Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts on Coronation Street, has opened up about her character's tumultuous on-screen relationships, saying: "When we fall out [on screen] we don't fall out, it's just a true family thing that happens in life but [Gail's] not a good judge of men - mind you, [Audrey] can talk!". She also expressed her deep connection to the show, adding: "Coronation Street is now my life. I find it easy to come here, I love the people I work with.
I love what they give me to do, and I want it to go on." Audrey has been through a lot on the soap, including suffering a heart attack after a family row, but she has since made a comeback to Weatherfield. In an extraordinary twist of fate, Sue Nicholls' own life was saved by a vigilant Coronation Street viewer in 2011.
Nurse Anna Bianconi-Moore from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge spotted a suspicious mole on Nicholls' shoulder while watching the show. Her prompt action led to Nicholls being diagnosed with malignant melanoma and having the mole removed. The actress later had the chance to thank the nurse personally on the set.
Nicholls also reminisced about working with her late husband Mark Eden on the cobbles during the 1980s, where he played the infamous Alan Bradley. His character met a dramatic end in 1989 when he was hit by a tram. The couple's off-screen romance began at a friend's barbecue, where Eden charmed her into giving him her number after making her laugh, leading to their first date at another friend's barbecue.
They settled into a shared home in 1984 and tied the knot in 1993. Nicholl's revealed to Mirror Online, "we're soulmates." During the interview on their relationship, Nicholls elaborated, "We're not sweetness and light all the time – that would be horrendous.
" Adding a glimpse into their personal lives, Nicholls shared, "But Mark is very romantic. He plays the piano, so we have a sing – possibly after a couple of glasses of wine. Mark serenades me with Frank Sinatra, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, all those romantic numbers.
" Tragically, Eden was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was hospitalised in November 2020, passing away on the 1st of January 2021..
