Bet Lynch

Bet Lynch (also Gilroy) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Played by Julie Goodyear, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 25 May 1966. Appearing over 25 years, Bet became one of Coronation Street's icons. Bet first appeared in May 1966, but did not become a regular until 1970. In October 1995, Goodyear made a permanent departure in a storyline which saw Bet unable to raise the funds to purchase the Freehold of the Rovers Return and subsequently flee Weatherfield. She returned in June 2002 in what was intended to be a permanent return for the character. However, Goodyear quit after just two weeks, this being put down to the heavy work schedule. The following year, Goodyear returned temporarily in a storyline that accommodated the return of Beverley Callard as Liz McDonald. Bet last appeared in November 2003. Bet was initially made a barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn and later became the landlady in 1985. She likes to dress in a way she considers glamorous, and has a fondness for leopard print clothes and a beehive hairstyle. Her style partly inspired the look for Freddie Mercury's drag character in the 1984 music video for "I Want to Break Free" by rock band Queen.