Doris Speed was a renowned British soap actress, cherished for her iconic portrayal of Annie Walker, the esteemed landlady of the Rovers Return pub in ITV's Coronation Street, a role she held for a remarkable 23 years, earning her the affectionate nickname "The Queen Mother of Soap" from the press.
Born in Manchester, Speed's early life was steeped in the world of entertainment, with her father George being a singer and her mother Ada a repertory actress. As a child, she toured with both parents, later leaving the stage to work as a clerk at the massive Guinness brewery in Manchester, where she remained for several years.
Coronation Street creator Tony Warren, a close friend of Speed's, specifically wrote the part of Annie Walker for her. She joined the series when it first aired in 1960 and went on to appear in an astonishing 1,746 episodes, garnering immense popularity among viewers and receiving more fan mail than any other cast member.
Despite her shy and retiring nature offstage, Speed was an avid theatre-goer, once expressing her desire to have done more theatre work, citing the numerous roles she would have loved to have played. However, she gratefully acknowledged her debt to Coronation Street, stating she did not regret a single moment of her time on the show.
Speed's contributions to television were recognized with the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1977, as well as The Pye Television Award two years later. She was also an honorary member of the Licensed Victuallers' Association. In her final television appearance in 1993, Speed sat down for an interview on Classic Coronation Street, reuniting with her former on-screen son, Kenneth Farrington.
