ITV Coronation Street fans get surprise update on soap legend decade after exit

Coronation Street fans have been given an update on a legendary actress who appeared on the ITV programme for 50 years

Coronation Street has welcomed many fan favourite characters over the years, but few have had the enduring impact as Eileen Derbyshire's Emily Bishop.

First making her debut on the programme in 1961, she remained part of the Weatherfield furniture until 2016, when she boarded a plane to Peru to visit her nephew Spider Nugent.

Eileen is now 93 years old and "doing ok," to the relief of Corrie fans who got the rare update from her son, Oliver Holt, 58, on X.

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The sports journalist posted a series of photos that showcased memorabilia related to Corrie, including a black-and-white photo of Eileen stood beside several co-stars outside the Rovers Return.

It had the caption: "Back at my mum’s place. Found this packed away. Halcyon days of Coronation Street."

Someone responded to one of the posts: "I'm loving these memories, but is your Mum okay?"

Oliver replied: "She's doing ok, Matthew. It's kind of you to ask. She's 93 now so she has a few issues but she's well looked after and is happy."

Eileen's former co-star Antony Cotton (who has been on the show since 2003) also said "Hey Oliver. Please give my love to your mum - we miss her very much x." Eileen's son replied: "Thanks very much, Antony. I will."

"A fantastic actress and am sure a wonderful Mum Ollie," another viewer wrote

As one of the soap's longest-standing female characters, Emily was caught in her fair share of drama over the years.

One of her most famous moments came in 2003, when she famously had a brush when serial killer Richard Hillman attacked her with a crowbar while babysitting for Ashley and Maxine Peacock's son Joshua, before murdering Maxine as Emily lay unconscious.

2016 wasn't the end of Emily's character, though, as Eileen made a brief cameo back in 2019.

That marked her latest appearance on the ITV programme, and it saw her character Emily feature in a video message for Ken Barlow (played by William Roache) to mark his 80th birthday at the time.