As one of the stars with the longest tenure on the ITV soap opera, Sue Nicholls will be well known to fans of Coronation Street. She made her television debut in 1979 as Audrey Roberts, the mother of Gail Platt (played by Helen Worth), and went on to become a mainstay on the adored program.
The 80-year-old performer has since led her role through a horrific suicide attempt, her late biological son Stephen Reid’s (Todd Boyce) chaotic aftermath, and having Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers) break her heart. She has been juggling her responsibilities as a council member and a lady mayoress while also coping with the consequences of her son-in-law, serial killer Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).
Despite clocking up 45 years at the helm, the Weatherfield stalwart revealed earlier this year that the role was one she just couldn’t down. Appearing on ITV’s This Morning in March, she explained: “I was asked to come for a week and soon after that I was asked to come back.
“‘There was no question of ‘No thank you’ because I’d had such a ball all that first week,” she continued. It appears Sue’s perseverance has more than paid off as in 2003 she took home both gongs for Best Dramatic Performance and Hero of the Year at the British Soap Awards, while in 2019, she received the annual Outstanding Achievement nod.
And Coronation Street has also seen her find love, with Sue settling down with her co-star, who happened to be a villain on the show. looks back at their sweet romance, from their first date to his tragic death.
Romance with on-screen soap villain
In 1983, Sue claimed to have experienced love at first sight upon meeting fellow Coronation Street actor Mark Eden at a fashion party.
Known for his portrayal of Rita Tanner’s (Barbara Knox) villainous husband Alan Bradley from 1986 to 1989, Mark, who died in January 2021, aged 92, is regarded as one of the best soap villains of all time.
Speaking about their first meeting, Sue said: “I was wearing one of those Grecian dresses you could send off for from a catalogue.
“He was in the middle of, sadly, parting from his second wife and he was lovely, and that was it,” she continued, as per The Liverpool Echo. “I did feel an instant kind of something.”
The Corrie co-stars tied the knot in 1993, two years after Mark’s character had been killed by a tram in Blackpool.
In his later life, Mark suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and in November 2020 he was admitted to hospital.
The pair remained married up until the actor died “peacefully” in January 2021.
Sue and Mark’s near-miss on first date
Sue previously revealed that she and her late husband Mark’s first date almost resulted in disaster.
“The first time we went out I nearly crashed the car, he made me laugh so much,” she explained.
“I had to swerve into the verge. He stayed that night.
“But if you can’t be a bit daring in your late thirties, when can you? And it’s the only time I’ve ever chased anyone.”
She added that she believed her former spouse was a “very romantic, very handsome man.”
‘No regrets’ about life without children
While the Alan Bradley alumnus had three children from a previous relationship, Sue claimed the pair decided against creating a family of their own.
Speaking candidly to The Mirror in 2019, she admitted she’d met Mark “late in life” so children just “didn’t happen”.
“As much as I’d have liked it, I didn’t have family to bring up and worry about …maybe that’s helped keep me young.”
However, Sue went on to claim that she had “no regrets” about her and her late husband’s decision.
“It’s fine – I’ve never dwelled on it, or thought how hard done by I was, because you just never know what else is going to happen in life,” she added.
