Coronation Street star Julie Goodyear is a soap icon if ever there was one.
The 79-year-old actress played the formidable and scene-stealing Bet Lynch on the longest-running ITV soap opera from 1966.
Initially appearing for just a nine-episode stint, the bubbly blonde returned in 1970 as a regular – and didn’t end up leaving the cobbles until 1995, when it was later revealed she was secretly battling cervical cancer.
Julie is last remembered on-screen when she took the plunge to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2006.
She also appeared on a series called Revolver in the early 2000s.
Where is the star now and what does she look like years after her days on Corrie?
Coronation Street
Julie will forever be known as Bet Lynch.
With her iconic beehive-style hair do and glamorous look, she was the epitome of a buxom barmaid, and pulled no punches with her sharp wit and manner with the punters in the Rovers Return.
After initially saying goodbye to the Manchester soap in the 90s, fans were delighted when the barmaid returned to Weatherfield for yet another stint in the 2000s, appearing for eight episodes in 2002 and a final seven in 2003.
But soap icon Julie has regrets over the decision to return and shared them as she spoke on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, admitting: “I was asked to go back as a favour.
“So, yes, I do regret going back.
“What somebody had omitted to tell me, in the transition period, were all the changes that had happened,” the star added.
Celebrity Big Brother
Julie was a far cry from what fans knew of her in Coronation Street during her stint in the Borehamwood Bungalow.
It was the year Julian Clary won the series and aired in 2012.
While Julie was a popular housemate, she didn’t win the hearts of the nation in the same way, and was the seventh person to be voted out.
During one notable task, the actress put on her best soap character and pretended to have an explosive argument with fellow housemate Cheryl Fergison (Heather from EastEnders).
Both were experienced soap actors and were the perfect housemates to take part, and saw Julie forced to pretend she had once had an affair with one of Cheryl’s ex-boyfriends.
The dramatic fight left their fellow housemates in horror, particularly when Julie proceeded to throw a drink in Cheryl’s face.
The theatrics worked, and the whole group won a soap opera-themed party that evening.
In one screenshot from her time in the house, Julie is seen wearing comfy loungewear and scraping her blonde tresses up into a sensible ponytail.
For one of the first times over the the years, the actress opted to go with little to no make-up.
Modelling days
In her early-mid-20s Julie was a thriving 60s model, and epitomised the look of the babydoll.
Wearing her platinum blonde locks in a curled bouncy style, the starlet wasn’t afraid to pose up a storm for the camera.
In a number of different shots from the time, the famous soap star allowed her ample bosom to nearly spill out of her lingerie, as she posed in frilly outfits and tight camisole tops.
During that particular phase, Julie always had a beaming smile on her face and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with no idea what her future on ITV would hold.
Cute poses and teddy bears
In one particular image from her younger days, Julie opted to pose next to a traditional stuffed animal in the form of a dog.
Nestled up to the cuddly toy the actress showed off her assets, but was still the professional fans know her to be as she posed for the camera.
Another snapshot saw the Corrie icon style her signature waves into neat and tidy pigtails with tiny little bowties.
Julie slipped into a long-sleeved black lace dress and matching black heels, and posed with her face resting on her hand.
In another shot from a few years earlier, Julie opted to wrap up a big brown teddy bear in her arms instead, this time rocking a short layered hair cut and staring intensely off into the distance..
Donning a flick eyeliner and minimal jewellery, Julie also wore a chaste sleeveless top for the shoot.
While in another pose, the actress’s hair was of a similar curly length, but it was clear she was just out of the 50s as she was wearing an iconic set of cut-off white trousers and a short stripy top exposing her midriff.
Also during the same photo shoot, Julie donned a black pencil skirt and sleeveless top that featured a sewn-on black bow for another snap – ever the fashionista over the course of her career in show business.
70s and 80s
Flash forward a couple of decades and Julie adapted to the changing times impeccably.
One photo series gives a look into the star’s true personality – and reflected that of her character in Corrie much more acutely.
By now the former model was rocking a wild and layered look on her blonde tresses, bold red lipstick and coloured eyeshadow.
The soap favourite was jetting off on sunny holidays and slipping into headbands, mesh string beach outfits and shell jewellery.
Her confidence having skyrocketed, Julie was posing for beach snapshots as she held tropical cocktails and showed off for a series of snaps.
Relationships
Julie, who was born in Bury, Lancashire in the early 40s, has been married four times.
She first tied the knot at the tender age of 17 to Ray Sutcliffe after getting pregnant with her son Gary.
The beauty’s second set of nuptials were to Tony Rudman, but ended in disaster when he ditched the actress on their wedding day.
Julie next got married in 1985 to American Richard Skrob, after the pair fell for each other over a long-distance relationship.
But the star finally found lasting love when she met Scott Brand, and the couple said I do in 2007.
No one can play a bossy barmaid like Julie Goodyear – often seen with her prop cigarette holder or cocktail in hand and her trademark biting advice.
This classy lady will forever be one of the most iconic soap characters ever to grace TV screens.
While the soap legend has opted to bow out of the lime-light for smaller roles and projects in recent years, Julie and Scott live happily together.
The actress also has three grandchildren whom keep her occupied.
Shortly after her time on Big Brother, the former model’s autobiography Just Julie was released, and covered her colourful upbringing, bisexuality, health and of course playing Bet Lynch – for which she won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the first National Television Awards.
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