Bye Bye Becky, Where would Coronation Street be without you?

(This post was originally posted by Rebecca on the Coronation Street Blog in December 2011.)

Confession time: I kind of sort of know Katherine Kelly. I always thought she was a fabulous actress and I was delighted when she turned up on Corrie. Becky was a Corrie classic, I think, a proper brassy Northern tart-with-a-heart, a character that has a long history in literature and indeed in Corrie. I loved her, and I loved the fact that she argued with everyone, and that she became close - and in many ways a surrogate daughter - to Roy and Hayley.

Where they went wrong with Becky for me was pairing her with Steve. I thought they had absolutely no chemistry and it seemed like he just arbitrarily swapped from a relationship with Michelle to one with Becky. Then Becky turned into a control freak and Steve could never seem to stop her madcap schemes. I was so glad when they split up - now Becky's back to skulking on street corners having a fag. (I do love a bit of this: see also Peter). The age gap between them was never mentioned but should have been - there must be about 10 years between them at least, and this could have been exploited more I think.

I'm sad that she's leaving, but I hope Katherine will be seen on TV in the future. I do think that Becky's time has come to an end; there isn't much else for her to do, I don't think. She would need more of a family and she hasn't got one on the Street. (Mind you, neither does Steve, especially if HOPEFULLY he and Tracy break up, but no one seems in a rush to get rid of him - more's the pity). She's also never really been that friendly with the other women on the street, although I did love her recent scenes with Lloyd. I do think that Becky is a Corrie classic, if not yet an icon, and who knows we may see her in the future - but for now I bid a fond farewell to her.