What a carry on! When Ena Sharples met 'That French woman'

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog September 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Francoise Pascal as Francoise Dubois in Coronation Street

Our blogger Graeme runs a fantastic blog all about the Carry On Films.

This week he has an interview with Francoise Pascal, who also briefly appeared in Coronation Street.  I urge you to read the full interview here.

Francoise recalls her time on Coronation Street in late 1971, and she's pictured above. She played the part of Francoise Dubois (what a great name!)

Francoise Pascal as Francoise Dubois in Coronation Street

Francois tells Graeme at Carry on Blogging: "I was asked by my agent if I would like to do a television role. Work is work and I have never turned down the chance to work. It turned out to be Coronation Street. The day that I arrived for rehearsals, I was to be photographed by a group of photographers, well it wasn't a group it was a hoarde of photographers.  I was whisked onto that famous cobbled street, photos were taken and I thought it was great!

"But then, Miss Violet Carson (Ena Sharples) decided to dislike me and called me 'That bloody French Woman', which of course I found very funny and she got even more mad because I was laughing instead of getting mad or upset.

I made great friends with the girl who played Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss). I adored her but not many people liked her because she had been into drugs and it was a well known fact in the press.  Nevertheless I really liked her and we became firm friends for a long while after I finished Corrie.

I was only there for a week. I started the trend of famous outsiders appearing Corrie. Of course Joanna Lumley followed me and she got to stay longer than I would have liked. They don't like outsiders, soaps, the actors have their own niche and they gather together in defence of their place in the soap. Fair enough, I understood that even as young as I was.

The men were lovely to me - I really liked Bill Roache, he was a darling to get to know.  All in all I had a very good time except for Violet Carson, and I still laugh by the way when I think of her face looking at me saying those words. 'That Bloody French Woman'! Hahahaha!"

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