 Julie Goodyear, in a still from an interview done in 2000. Julie Goodyear MBE (born March 29, 1942) is a British television actress. She was born Julie Kemp in Heywood, Lancashire, England.
Among her other roles, she is most famous for her role of barmaid-turned-proprietor Bet Lynch Gilroy on the British soap opera Coronation Street. She started playing the role for a brief time in 1966, but left when senior cast member Patricia Phoenix advised her to get some more training. It was at that time she joined Oldham Repertory Theatre.
Goodyear returned in 1970 and played, arguably, the Rovers' most famous barmaid until retiring in 1995. Her character became synonymous with outrageous leopard prints and a bleached-blonde beehive hairdo. Since her retirement from the Street, she has returned for brief periods of time now and again.
Goodyear was awarded the Order of the British Empire on January 1, 1996, via inclusion in the New Year's Honours List.
In 2004 she won the first series of the Living TV reality TV show, I'm Famous and Frightened!.
In 2005, she was one of the celebrities taking part in the popular ITV1 reality TV series, Celebrity Fit Club.
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