Quiz

She worked as a tax inspector before becoming an actor.

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama and to To Charity.

She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose alumni include Terence Stamp, Nicholas Courtney, Julia Ormond, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury, Matthew Goode, Hugh Bonneville, Daniel Hunt, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.

Has a son, Joel Pammenter (b. June 2, 1979), with her ex-husband David Pammenter.

She has one grandson, Rory (b. June 2012), via son Joel.

She lived in Muswell Hill, London for many years before relocating to Manchester in 2012.

In 1967, she became pregnant by her first husband Neil Johnston. She suffered a miscarriage shortly after and the couple later divorced but she kept his surname as her professional name.

She is a longtime friend of Pete Postlethwaite.

She was in attendance at the wedding of her Coronation Street (1960) screen granddaughter Catherine Tyldesley's wedding to Tom Pitfield on May 21, 2016.

She is good friends with Elizabeth Dawn.

Did fringe theatre, school workshops and the odd television then she got her break as Sheila Grant in the tv series Brookside.