Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire is now a household name, boasting two BAFTA awards and an Olivier Award nomination.
However, the TV alum comes from humble beginnings, having shot to stardom playing the young Rovers waitress in iconic soap Coronation Street – but do you remember her character?
Sarah, 59, first joined the cobbles as Raquel Watts in January 1991 and stole the hearts of many viewers with her unique role until her time on the soap ended in November 1996.
But he delighted his fans once again when he returned in January 2000 for one final appearance.
Raquel worked for a long time as a waitress at the renowned Rovers Return Inn, a particularly popular public house in Weatherfield.
Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire is now a household name, boasting two BAFTA awards and an Olivier Award nomination.
Sarah, 59, first joined the cobbles as Raquel Watts in January 1991 and stole the hearts of many viewers with her unique role until her time on the soap ended in November 1996 (pictured with Phil Middlemiss and Kevin Kennedy in 1995).
Before joining the Rovers, she worked at the Bettabuy supermarket, where she met her first husband, Curly Watts, played by Kevin Kennedy.
And long before they welcomed a daughter, Alice Watts (Annabelle Tarrant), their complicated relationship left Raquel considering Curly only a friend, while he loved her from afar.
Under the wing of Bet Gilroy (Julie Goodyear), he then joined the Rovers, where he spent the next four years pulling pints and occasionally taking on some modeling jobs.
Only when Raquel’s on-again, off-again lover, Des Barnes, played by Philip Middlemiss, continued to repeatedly cheat on her, did the waitress finally see Curly with the same eyes.
Despite their love for each other, there were not enough stable foundations for a marriage and finally, in 1996, Raquel left him. go look for an aromatherapy job in Kuala Lumpur.
In a typical Coronation Street plot twist, Raquel only gave birth to Alice after separating from the supermarket manager and eventually moved to France as Armand de Beaux’s housekeeper.
She returned to the cobbles in 2000 after becoming pregnant with Armand’s baby and asked Curly to officially divorce her so she could marry Armand.
During their brief stay, Raquel also informed Curly of his daughter’s existence, something he was completely unaware of until that very moment.
In 1996, her role as Raquel earned her a nomination for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards, although she lost to Dervla Kirwan.
His beloved character was known for his naivety but also became a mainstay of the soap opera.
In fact, Bet Lynch mentions Raquel in a later episode in 2002.
Bet confessed to Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) that she still occasionally spoke to the former waitress, adding that she was happy with her French husband and children in a castle.
The actress has built a respectable career spanning around four decades in acting, and now plays much-loved police sergeant Catherine Cawood in BBC drama Happy Valley.
He joins a star-studded cast including Steve Pemberton (Benidorm), Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abby) and Game Of Thrones’ Karl Davies.
Raquel was a long-time waitress at the famous Rovers Return Inn, which is a particularly popular public house in Weatherfield (pictured in 2000).
While working at the Bettabuy supermarket, she met her first husband, Curly Watts, played by Kevin Kennedy, and in their tangled relationship, Raquel considered Curly only a friend, while he loved her from afar (pictured together in 1995 ).
When Raquel’s on-again, off-again lover, Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss), continued to cheat on her repeatedly, she finally saw Curly with the same eyes, but there was not enough basis for a marriage, and finally, in 1996, Raquel left him to go to therapy. aromatherapy. work in kuala lumpur
In a typical Coronation Street plot twist, Raquel only gave birth to Alice after splitting from the supermarket manager and eventually moved to France as Armand de Beaux’s housekeeper (pictured in 1999).
The actress has built a respectable career spanning around four decades in acting, and now plays much-loved police sergeant Catherine Cawood in BBC drama Happy Valley (pictured on the show last year).
Speaking about the exciting role, Sarah said: “Happy Valley is a dark, funny and multi-layered thriller that revolves around the personal and professional life of Catherine, a dedicated, experienced and hard-working police officer.
‘She is also a heartbroken mother caring for her orphaned grandson. She is an emotional, complex and challenging role. I’m terrified, exhausted and frozen, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
