‘What a wonderful journey’: Tearful Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox delivers message
Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox had quite the weekend at Manchester Pride.
The iconic actress, best known for her role as Rita Tanner in the ITV soap, featured alongside drag artist Belinda Scandal on The Alan Turing Stage yesterday.
The incredible moment, captured in multiple videos from fans, saw Barbara and Belinda on stage singing Vera Llynn’s We’ll Meet Again.
Barbara, who is 90, was primarily dressed in black, with her sequin black and gold jacket sparkling and shining bright.
Belinda meanwhile, held Barbara’s hand while wearing a fabulous pink blazer.
After the song ends, Barbara has a solo moment in the spotlight as she becomes overwhelmed with emotion from the memorable moment.
‘Amazing’ Belinda says as the crowd continues applauding.
Indeed it was.
While on stage, Barbara also delivered an emotional message to the audience. She reveals she was regularly promised parts in the earlier years of her acting career, and was then given ‘one episode in a street’.
‘I thought well, god, I’m here! Then I never heard from them for 10 years’, she says, explaining her first appearance in the ITV soap saw her ‘convinced’ she had secured her big break.
’10 years later, I go back. And that’s just been a wonderful, wonderful journey. Let me tell you, it’s wonderful because of people like you. Absolutely the backbone of anything that the street has done. You are wonderful and Manchester is wonderful, what you’ve done here is amazing!
‘I’ve never been here before, but I’d like to come again. You know, it isn’t always like this, I’ve never been booed but I’ve lost my job, but whatever! It is so wonderful to see what you’ve all created and the warmth, the welcome, it’s wonderful you’ve got your own little bit of paradise I think. You have all done that, and that is amazing.
She added: ‘I’ve learned about the charities you’ve done and every penny goes to the charities. That’s astonishing in this day and age. So well done you.’
What an icon.
