Coronation Street fans demand Wendi Peters’ return for ‘much-needed comedy’
Coronation Street fans were delighted to hear about Cilla Battersby-Brown in recent episodes and took to social media to beg for a return of the comedic character
Wendi Peters starred as Cilla Battersby-Brown from 2003 until 2007 (Image: TV Grab)
Coronation Street fans have demanded the return of Cilla Battersby-Brown. It comes after the legendary soap character was mentioned several times in recent episodes. The larger-than-life character, who was played by Wendi Peters from 2003 until 2007, was introduced as the neglectful mother of Fiz and Chesney Brown and famously became the second wife of Les Battersby, following his divorce from Janice.
Over the years, she became known for her scheming ways and while she held down several jobs in Weatherfield, such as working in the Rovers Return’s rival pub as a barmaid and in the local fish and chip shop, she often tried her hand at shoplifting and once took Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) to court in a false attempt to get compensation out of the newsagent.
She then got a job as a care worker but left in 2007 when an old man left her a piece of jewellery that afforded her the ability to go to Las Vegas. Cilla then briefly returned in 2014, having moved to Wolverhampton, when she revealed she had been suffering from osteoporosis and needed her daughter to come care for her.
In recent months, Fiz (Jennie McAlpine) has also been forced to care full-time for husband Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) after he ended up in a wheelchair, and claimed earlier in the week that she needed to leave temporarily for her mother once again.
Fiz recently claimed she needed to go to visit her mum Cilla but it was all a lie and she was seen at the hotel for a spa day(Image: ITV)
All was not as it seemed, though, and Fiz was spotted at the Chariot Square Hotel asking for room service. Despite not knowing exactly what was going on, fans were quickly left “disappointed” that Cilla was not returning after all and took to social media to beg for a comeback. One fan wrote on Reddit: “I was so disappointed that the mention of Cilla this week was just that – a mention. The return of such a fantastic pantomime villain would give a much-needed injection of comedy into the show.”
Another wrote: “They’re always wheeling out Cilla when Fizz needs to take some time away from the show. Surely when ur husband is newly paralysed you’d spend time helping him out!”(sic) A third penned: “Cilla got a mention. I want Cilla back!” A fourth said: “Bring back Cilla! She was comedy gold and a top actress.”
On Wednesday’s edition of the world’s longest-running TV soap opera, Chesney called round to the hotel, and Fiz ended up in a sticky situation when he spotted her in a bathrobe, having just visited the spa. Confessing all to her younger brother, she admitted: “I was struggling. My girls are at each other’s throats, and Dorin, bless him, he’s like… he never stops. And Ty’s out of action. Ches, I’m putting a shift in at work and I’m coming home and cooking and flipping cleaning. I was drowning. Then I remembered I had this spa voucher thingy. I won it at work.”
Wendi returned in 2014 to aid with a storyline that meant Jennie McAlpine could go on maternity leave in real life but has not been since (Image: ITV)
Chesney sympathised with Fiz, but reminded her that nothing was going to be sorted until she sat down and confronted her family on the whole issue. The pair arrived back at number nine, where Chesney announced: “Mam’s fine. Isn’t that right, Fiz?” but he didn’t tell them about the hotel, realising that she just needed one day to herself.
Wendi, who also starred in Bad Girls and Doctors, recently spoke of how she had not necessarily been taken ‘seriously’ by the industry after making such a big impression as Cilla.
Speaking on the In The Frame podcast, she said: “It does change people’s perspective quite ridiculously of what you can do as an actor [Cilla] was such a big character that people saw me as that and still now people will say ‘Oh, you don’t talk like that!’ No, I don’t! It was a put-on voice.
Wendi has returned to her roots in theatre with roles in productions of Sister Act and Glorious!, admitting: “I do think – and this is quite a controversial thing to say – but I do think that sometimes the industry doesn’t take soap actors seriously. There are certain things I’d love to be seen for and I would love to be doing, but I don’t get a look in. So, there are a few venues within London and up in Warwickshire that I don’t even get seen for.”
“It makes me upset and angry that they don’t realise what I’ve done and what I am capable of doing. And what I’ve done since – all these intimate venues and tours, plays and musicals. Read my CV, basically.”
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X. Episodes can also be viewed on ITVX
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