Betty Driver

Infobox actor
name = Betty Driver
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caption = Betty Driver
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birthdate = birth date and age|1920|05|20|df=y
birthplace = Leicester, England, UK
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grammyawards = Betty Mary Driver, MBE (born 20 May 1920 in Leicester [http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actors/driver_betty.html Corrie.Net - Betty Driver] . URL accessed 9 May 2007.] [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238107/ Internet Movie Database - Betty Driver] . URL accessed 9 May 2007.] ) is an English singer, actress and author, most noted for her role as Betty Williams on the British soap "Coronation Street".

Career

In the 1930s and 1940s, she became a noted big band singer. She appeared for many years on the radio show "Henry Hall's Guest Night" and on her own radio show, "A Date with Betty". She recorded many popular tunes in the 1940s and became an established singer during this time.

She then moved into acting on the stage in the West End. In 1964, she auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden on the television series "Coronation Street" (the role went to actress Jean Alexander as the casting directors wanted someone who did not weigh as much).Fact|date=September 2008 She was cast later in the series "Pardon the Expression", a spinoff of "Coronation Street". After a much-publicised injury (she damaged her back after the script called for throwing series regular Arthur Lowe), she retired and started running a pub with her family in Cheshire.

In 1969, she was persuaded to come out of retirement to play police officer's wife 'Betty Turpin' on "Coronation Street", a role she has played ever since. She is the longest serving barmaid in the history of the Rover's Return and [http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1995/11/22/863556.html Betty's Hot Pot] (served at lunchtime in the Rovers) is an iconic dish, which has also been offered as a ready meal in UK supermarkets.

Driver has written a memoir on her years in radio and television, called "Betty".

In an interview on the Parkinson show on 11 November 2006, Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Driver still drives herself into work at 07:30 each morning, despite her age.

She was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II on the Millennium New Year's Honours List on 31 December 1999.

In August 2008, it was announced that Corrie stars like Betty, along with Beverly Callard, Malcolm Hebden, Barbara Knox and Eileen Derbyshire are facing large salary cuts. [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a123645/more-corrie-stars-face-large-salary-cuts.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238107/ Betty Driver] at the Internet Movie Database