Coronation Street fans have demanded that Dame Maureen Lipman's wages are raised after her latest stellar performance in the ITV soap as Evelyn Plummer. The usually no-nonsense character was seen breaking into tears during the latest trip to Weatherfield as she was confronted by her daughter, Cassandra.
Despite having some contact with Cassie, when she spotted her on the cobbles, Evelyn ignored her until she later received a phone call saying she was in the hospital. Paying her a visit, Evelyn got into an emotional confrontation with drug addict Cassie, who is being played by Claire Sweeney.
Evelyn wanted to know how Cassie found her, with her daughter admitting she had come to Evelyn looking for money before finding out that she has been living with Tyrone for all this time and didn't tell her. As tensions and emotions rose between the pair, Evelyn admitted to Cassie that Tyrone thinks she is dead.
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Tyrone, played by Alan Halsall, grew up believing that his mum was Jackie Dobbs, played by Margi Clarke. But in 2018 investigations into his parentage brought him into contact with his grandmother Evelyn for the first time and he discovered evidence that Evelyn's daughter Cassandra was his biological mother.
Not trusting Cassandra to look after him properly due to her drug habit, Evelyn had abandoned Tyrone at a police station in 1982 where he was found by Jackie who brought him up as her own. But after coming back into contact with hum, Evelyn has been a staple of her grandson's life, and that of his own children, since.
But it is clear that Tyrone is set to face more heartache as secrets and lies from his past threaten to destroy his relationship with his grandma and he has to navigate a new relationship with his mother who he has spent years believing wasn't alive.
Following the emotional scenes during the latest trip to the cobbles, Corrie fans flocked to social media as they heaped praise on Dame Maureen for her portrayal of the matriarchal character.
@_joy_hamilton said: "Whatever your paying Maureen lipman you need to double it. She's not only the best of all the acting crew but acting royalty. She is worth her weight in gold." @scripttoscene commented: "Corrie really got more than their money’s worth when they got Maureen Lipman on the show. What a superb actor."
@that_bee_mee wrote: "Maureen Lipman should never be allowed to leave. She’s a gem, jewel in their crown, and the best!" @jyun2314 shared: "Maureen lipman, a legend and just pure class tonight she brought me to tears." @laura_kathryn_x commented: "I just love Maureen, Queen of the street." @corriedalexo added: "Can we all appreciate Maureen Lipman because that was an absolute masterclass in acting #corrie."
But Cassie's arrival could makr Evelyn's exit. The character is set to take a temporary break from the show at some point this year, with actress Maureen having repraised her role in one-woman showm, Rose, in the West End which has already been and gone. But due to the advanced filming of the soap it might have been revealed what leads to her exit, after her lies came to the forefront in the latest episode.
