After several small roles in the classic 1950s British TV shows 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' and 'Hancock's Half Hour' she found fame as Ken Barlow's wife Valerie in the #1 UK TV show 'Coronation Street' she remained with the show for a decade before leaving to give birth and bring up her son. Her character was accidentally electrocuted while trying to plug in a hairdryer. She continued in steady work and in the late 1980's became one of the regulars used by 'Victoria Wood' in her TV shows. This bore fruit in the role of Jean in the hit sitcom 'dinnerladies' . Her most critically acclaimed role came in 2003 when she took the lead in the film 'The Mother' about a woman who has an affair with her daughter's partner. The role of May saw her earn a BAFTA film nomination for Best Actress.
Gave birth to her only child at age 36, a son Mark Eckersley on November 13, 1971. Childs father was her husband, Peter Eckersley.
She had her scenes from Love Actually cut from the final film, they feature in the DVD extras. She played the school Headmistress, whose lesbian lover was played by Frances de la Tour.
She acted in two BBC television adaptations of Charles Dickens classic story Bleak House, "Bleak House" and "Bleak House" .
She trained at RADA.
She was awarded the MBE in the 2010 Queens Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama.
She turned down a role in Calendar Girls so she could star in The Mother .
She is one of 31 performers to have acted in "Doctor Who" and "Doctor Who" . She played Nurse Crane in "Doctor Who" {The Curse of Fenric: Part One (#26.8)} and Florence Finnegan in "Doctor Who" {Smith and Jones } .
Her "Coronation Street" character Valerie Barlow became the 3rd woman in the soap opera to give birth. Valerie had twins Susan (played originally by Katie Heannau and later Joanna Foster ) and Peter (played by originally by Robert Heanue and later Chris Gascoyne ), born on 5 April 1965.
One of 31 performers to have both acted in the 20th century Doctor who and the 21st Century Doctor Who.
She gave up smoking in 1978 and smoked herbal cigarettes to play Mrs Thackeray in the revival of "Upstairs Downstairs" .
She comes from a family connected with journalism and newspapers.
She admitted on BBC1s Breakfast Show on November, 18 2013 that she suffers from vertigo.
Her favourite film star when she was growing up was William Holden.
She was named Oldie Pin-Up of the Year at the 2014 Oldie Magazine Awards.
She chose to leave Coronation Street at the end of 1970 because she didnt want to spend the rest of her career playing the same part. Shortly afterwards she gave birth to her son, her husband was ill and she looked after her mother. As a consequence, she didnt work much for the next 12 years.
She auditioned for a part in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger directed by Woody Allen but was unsuccessful. Pauline Collins was cast instead.
She twice played the daughter in a mother and daughter role with Dora Bryan , both times for Victoria Wood and despite being only 12 years younger than Bryan. The first time was in 1986 in a sketch for an episode of "Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV" . The second time was in 1998 in an episode of "Dinnerladies" .
She received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland in July 2015.
She is the daughter of Colin Reid (born Colin Norman Reid 1896, died 1979), who was a journalist on the Daily Telegraph, and Annie Elizabeth Reid (born Annie Eliza Weetman 1896, died 22 September 1980).
She also performs in cabaret, singing songs and telling stories about her life and career.
She is the younger sister of Thomas (b. 1921) and Colin Reid (b. 1923).
Her three brothers all worked on the Newcastle Journal, while one of her grandfathers worked on the Bolton Evening News.
Educated at White House Primary School, Redcar where a fellow pupil was June Laverick and together they appeared in a school production of Romeo and Juliet.
Best friends with Thelma Barlow ; they frequently holiday together.
[on being awarded the MBE in June 2010] Thrilled and delighted and,amazed.
As you get older the phone stops ringing, which is inevitable because,people stop asking for you.
Theatre is nerve-racking, but you have to put yourself through it, like,training for an athlete. It sorts out the men from the boys.
[on "The Benny Hill Show" (1969) ] It has a bad name now, but it,was popular worldwide and done in all innocence by my generation. Today,everyone is politically correct and takes things far too seriously.
Certain behaviour is no longer acceptable, but I suppose you have to go,through that to get everyone treated fairly. Of course it will never,happen in my lifetime. .
